Fresh Air

What does money tell us about human nature? How does it motivate, trick, satisfy and disappoint us? In this hour, TED speakers share insights into our relationship with money. Psychologist Laurie Santos studies human irrationality by observing how primates make decisions — including some not-so-savvy money choices their human relatives often make. Behavioral economist Keith Chen says languages that don’t have a future tense strongly correlate with higher savings...

Some people might only dream of adventure, but for others, there’s no other option but to explore the most extreme places on Earth. From the deepest caves to rough oceans, from the North Pole to dizzying heights on a high wire  -- what drives adventurers to constantly push to the brink of human endurance? In this hour, TED speakers share their experiences of going to the edge of our world. Arctic explorer Ben Saunders recounts his harrowing solo ski trek to the North Pole...

In this episode, we explore ways to find quiet in our busy lives. How can we make a conscious effort to seek out stillness and calm in a fast-paced and increasingly noisy world? Environmentalist John Francis shares the lessons he learned after not speaking a word for 17 years. Writer Susan Cain talks about the value of introverts, people who draw their energy from quieter, more low-key social interactions...

Where do stereotypes come from? Is there any truth or value to the assumptions we make about each other? Why do some perceptions persist, and can they be overcome? In this hour, TED speakers examine the roots and consequences of stereotypes. Playwright and performer Sarah Jones explores the fine line between stereotyping and celebrating ethnicity. Iranian-American comedian and actor Maz Jobrani talks about a comic’s role in challenging stereotypes...

There are problems affecting big parts of our lives that seem intractable. From politics, to healthcare, to law and the justice system — some things just don’t seem to work as they should. In this hour, TED speakers share some big ideas on how to solve the seemingly impossible. Attorney Philip K. Howard argues the U.S. has become a legal minefield and we need to simplify our laws...

In this hour, TED speakers question whether we can experience the world more deeply by not only extending our senses — but going beyond them. Color blind artist Neil Harbisson can "hear" colors, even those beyond the range of sight. Physician and engineer Todd Kuiken builds prosthetic arms that connect with the human nervous system — improving motion, control and even feeling...

In this hour, TED speakers explore our origins as a species — who we are, where we come from, where we’re headed — and how we’re connected to everything that came before us. Geneticist Spencer Wells describes how he uses DNA samples to trace our individual origins going back 2,000 generations. David Christian explains the history of the universe from the Big Bang, and how humans occupy little more than a millisecond on that cosmic timeline...

Whether you call them Millennials, Generation Y, or the Me Generation, one thing's for certain: today's generation of young people will change the world. But how different is this hyper-connected generation from its predecessors? And what will be its legacy? In this hour, we hear from TED speakers searching to define themselves and their generation. Demographer Neil Howe coined the term “Millennial” in 1991, and offers perspective on the now-loaded term...

Visions of the future don’t just have to come from science fiction. There’s very real technology today giving us clues about how our future lives might be transformed. So what might our future be like? And what does it take for an idea about the future to become a reality? In this hour, TED speakers make some bold predictions and explain how our future lives might look. Technology leader Nicholas Negroponte looks back on predictions he made in 1984, with surprising accuracy...

Everyone wants to be creative. But channeling your creative impulses is no small feat. Is creativity something you are born with or can you learn it? In this hour, TED speakers examine the mystery of creativity. After a nasty bout of writer’s block that stretched on for nearly a decade, Sting found inspiration by channeling the stories of the shipyard workers he knew from his childhood...