Code Switch

A new podcast from the people who make Planet Money.

Sometimes, being truthful can be uncomfortable — even risky. But can radical honesty and openness change things for the better? This hour, TED speakers take transparency all the way to its limit. Guests include business writer David Burkus, entrepreneur Ray Dalio, journalist Trevor Timm, and hospital-patient liaison Leilani Schweitzer.

It's Alabama, 1963. A black woman stands before a judge, but she refuses to acknowledge him until he addresses her by an honorific given to white women: "Miss." On this week's episode, we revisit the forgotten story of Mary Hamilton, a Freedom Rider who struck a blow against a pervasive form of disrespect.

Once invisible details of our lives can now be tracked and turned into data. Will this make life easier or more complicated? This hour, TED speakers imagine how Big Data will reshape our world. Guests include tech journalist Kenneth Cukier, scientist Riccardo Sabatini, data analyst Susan Etlinger, and astronomer Andrew Connolly. (Original broadcast date: September 9, 2016)

It's a Thanksgiving mashup episode! We speak to Lin-Manuel Miranda about Puerto Rico, a parenting expert about tense family gatherings, and a Native professor about the truth behind the holiday. And for desert, the debate of our time: pumpkin or sweet potato pie?

Sometimes, the best solutions to complex problems are simple. But simple doesn't always mean easy. This hour, TED speakers describe the innovation and hard work that goes into achieving simplicity. Guests include designer Mileha Soneji, chef Sam Kass, sleep researcher Wendy Troxel, public health advocate Myriam Sidibe, and engineer Amos Winter.

Hosts Shereen and Gene take on Chi-City with help from Chicago-natives Eve Ewing and Natalie Y. Moore, plus Code Switch's play cousin, Hari Kondabolu. Ewing opens the show with a poem from her new collection, Electric Arches. Kondabolu talks about his upcoming documentary, "The Problem with Apu." And Moore brings her Chicago-expertise to some tough questions from our listeners.

Art can evoke powerful feelings. But can it do more? This hour, TED speakers share ideas on the transformative nature of art and its ability to shape the way we see ourselves and the world around us. Guests include painter and sculptor Titus Kaphar, painters Dre Urhahn and eL Seed, textile artist Magda Sayeg, and conductor Benjamin Zander.

We spent the past three episodes looking at the first year of a high school for black boys in Washington, D.C. Now, we're taking a look back on our reporting. What does it mean for a school like Ron Brown to exist — and what does that say about our society?

Humans need food, sleep, safety, love, purpose. Psychologist Abraham Maslow ordered our needs into a hierarchy. This week, TED speakers explore that spectrum of need, from primal to profound. Guests include psychologist Margie Lachman, neuroscientist Russell Foster, computer security expert Bruce Schneier, journalist Sebastian Junger, activist Caroline Casey, and psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. (Original broadcast date: April 17, 2015)