TED Health

What would happen if the thing that defined you disappeared overnight? Whether it’s our job, our abilities, or output—many of us meld our identities with the things we do, and often forget who we are in the process. Greta Morgan is a writer and musician whose musical projects include Vampire Weekend, Springtime Carnivore, and Gold Motel. In 2020, Greta was diagnosed with a disorder that completely changed her ability to sing. In this episode of How to Be a Better Human, she shares what her vocal loss and recovery taught her about her inner voice, and how we might find our voice and resilience in both art and the creative process. We're sharing it with you because we think it's a powerful example of how our health can impact our identity and sense of being; we hope you enjoy. How to Be a Better Human is another podcast in the TED Audio Collective. For more episodes, follow the podcast wherever you're listening to this.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When you eat something loaded with sugar, your taste buds, your gut and your brain all take notice. This activation of your reward system is not unlike how bodies process addictive substances such as alcohol or nicotine -- an overload of sugar spikes dopamine levels and leaves you craving more. Nicole Avena explains why sweets and treats should be enjoyed in moderation. (Directed by STK Films, narrated by Michelle Snow, music by Michael Dow.) Stay tuned after the talk to hear our host Shoshana and biochemist Jessie Inchauspé dive into the importance of blood sugar awareness.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Racism makes our economy worse -- and not just in ways that harm people of color, says public policy expert Heather C. McGhee. From her research and travels across the US, McGhee shares startling insights into how racism fuels bad policymaking and drains our economic potential -- and offers a crucial rethink on what we can do to create a more prosperous nation for all. "Our fates are linked," she says. "It costs us so much to remain divided." After the talk, Shoshana sits down with Dr Aletha Maybank -- physician, Chief Health Equity Officer, and Senior Vice President of the American Medical Association -- to discuss how our neighborhoods impact our health.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Complete silence is very addictive," says Rebecca Knill, a writer who has cochlear implants that enable her to hear. In this funny, insightful talk, she explores the evolution of assistive listening technology, the outdated way people still respond to deafness and how we can shift our cultural understanding of ability to build a more inclusive world. "Technology has come so far," Knill says. "Our mindset just needs to catch up." After the talk hear from former TED speaker and palliative care physician Dr. BJ Miller in conversation with our host Shoshana on how his own disability has informed the way he cares for patients.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The secret behind medicine that uses messenger RNA (or mRNA) is that it "teaches" our bodies how to fight diseases on our own, leading to groundbreaking treatments for COVID-19 and, potentially one day, cancer, the flu and other ailments that have haunted humanity for millennia. RNA researcher Melissa J. Moore -- Moderna's chief scientific officer and one of the many people responsible for the rapid creation and deployment of their COVID-19 vaccine -- takes us down to the molecular level, unraveling how mRNA helps our bodies' proteins maintain health, prevent disease and correct errors in our genetic code. "We have entered an entirely new era of medicine," Moore says. Stay tuned after the talk to hear from the hosts of the popular podcast Unbiased Science, Dr. Jessica Steier and Dr. Andrea Love, in conversation with our host Shoshana on what they think the end of the pandemic could actually look like.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re sharing a bonus episode from our friends at Revisionist History, Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast about things misunderstood and overlooked. This season, Malcolm’s obsessed with experiments – natural experiments, scientific experiments, thought experiments. In this preview, you’ll hear about a mysterious and disfiguring disease that plagued parts of the world in the last century. No one could find a remedy, until a doctor in Ohio conducted a controversial experiment and finally found a cure…with an everyday condiment. You can hear more of Revisionist History at https://podcasts.pushkin.fm/rhs7?sid=health.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Consent can be a tricky topic to talk about in sex education curriculums, but it doesn't have to be. In this hilarious and relatable talk, sex educator and TED Fellow Kaz offers a fresh look at teaching young people about the core principles of consent -- and shows how demystifying this topic leads to healthier and more satisfying relationships for people of all ages. Hear more from OB/Gyn Dr. Danielle Jones in conversation with our host Shoshana, as they discuss practical ways to teach consent -- in our own lives.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Global obesity rates are on the rise, but body shaming campaigns are doing more harm than good, says medical anthropologist Nancy N. Chen. Reflecting on how the cultural histories of body ideals have changed over time, she offers a new way to view ourselves and our health by enhancing body diversity to close the gap between what's ideal and what's real.Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Building a pandemic-free future won't be easy, but Bill Gates believes that we have the tools and strategies to make it possible -- now we just have to fund them. In this forward-looking talk, he proposes a multi-specialty Global Epidemic Response and Mobilization (GERM) team that would detect potential outbreaks and stop them from becoming pandemics. By investing in disease monitoring, research and development as well as improved health systems, Gates believes we can "create a world where everyone has a chance to live a healthy and productive life -- a life free from the fear of the next COVID-19." Join our host Shoshana after the talk as she delves into why it feels like the latest science is always changing – and why that’s exactly what it’s supposed to do. We love making TED Health, and we want to make it better. So if you have a few minutes, share your thoughts at surveynerds.com/tedLearn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Journalist Andrew Marantz spent three years embedded in the world of internet trolls and social media propagandists, seeking out the people who are propelling fringe talking points into the heart of conversation online and trying to understand how they're making their ideas spread. Go down the rabbit hole of online propaganda and misinformation -- and learn how we can start to make the internet less toxic. After the talk, our host Shoshana shares some scientific insights on how social media interacts with your brain’s wiring. We love making TED Health, and we want to make it better. So if you have a few minutes, share your thoughts at surveynerds.com/tedLearn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.