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For a reporter, trying to wrap your head around TED can be difficult. Famous people stride by everywhere. The sessions come in a deluge of sweeping, world-consequential themes: artificial intelligence, climate change, “the future you.” By day three, the number of noteworthy events has grown so large that trying to cram them into some kind of overarching narrative becomes a kind of journalistic overreach. The Pope gave a TED talk! Al Gore showed up. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

It might begin with a table lamp. Tap the shade, give it a spin. Turn the entirelamp, watchingthe red of its body blot out the yellow of the shade—and then the other way arounduntil all the red disappears, drowned in yellow. Keep turning, and you have a lightbulb. Tap it, and it blazes with green light. Turn it just right, until the green becomes just a formless circle, and you have a bowl. Or a guitar! Or, really, it could be anything at all. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

You arranged your TV room so you can sit around in comfort. Now, prepare your virtual-reality space so you can thrash around without breaking your damn neck. Clear Some Space Virtual reality goggles make you completely blind to your surroundings. Put plenty of distance (at least 7 feet) between you and items you can break—or that can break you. Push the coffee table to the farthest wall, or better yet, banish it from the room. Remove anything made of glass. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

You arranged your TV room so you can sit around in comfort. Now, prepare your virtual-reality space so you can thrash around without breaking your damn neck. Virtual reality goggles make you completely blind to your surroundings. Put plenty of distance (at least 7 feet) between you and items you can break—or that can break you. Push the coffee table to the farthest wall, or better yet, banish it from the room. Remove anything made of glass. Find a new place in your home for anything shin height. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

In the days that followed my tragic foot fracture—don’t text and walk down stairs, folks!—I learned to loathe crutches. They were incredibly awkward to manipulate. Getting around was slow and tiring. They hurt my rib cage, rubbing the skin raw under my arms on long trips. I couldn’t carry anything. Stairs were a nightmare. And they were just plain in the way, no matter what I tried to do. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

No one needs an activity tracker. Sure, you feel a whiff of superiority wagging your wrist and boasting about how much ground you’ve covered today. But let’s not pretend that wearing a wrist computer makes you a better person. If you want to boost your athletic training, get a good sports watch and a heart rate monitor. If you want to count your steps, use your phone. If you need a reminder to make healthy choices, hell, tying a piece of string around your finger will get you there. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Good news: Tooth decay and other dental problems are on the decline. Bad news: Not by much. If you’re over 20, there’s a 91 percent chance you’ve had at least one cavity; by the time you’re middle-aged, some of those will have rotted and fallen out of your mouth. The solution? Brushing your teeth, just like mom told you. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Before its 2,000-plus videos had been viewed 8 billion times, TED was an annual conference for wealthy eggheads. Starting in February 1984, 1,000 people who could afford to pay $4,000 (and up) would gather in Monterey, California, to hear 18-minute lectures on technology, entertainment, and design. (TED, get it?) Then, in 2006, TED started posting the presentations on its website, transforming a once-exclusive conference into a viral think-piece factory. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The first thing I noticed about the Samsung Galaxy S8, only a momentafter turning it on, was the screen. There’s so much of it. An enormous 5.8 inches of bright, crisp, super-saturated colors illuminatedmy face as the phone booted. Istaredat the round corners and curved edges ofthe glass. Holding it in my left hand, it looked and felt like holding a screen and nothing more. So many phones feel like every other phone, but not this one. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Bob Marley turned reggae into a global phenomenon, introduced the world to Rastafari, and put Jamaica on the map. Three decades after his death, his message still resonates. Marley’s appeal remains so universal that his brand powers a massive licensing business. Everywhere you go, you’ll see Marley’s face on t-shirts, flags, stickers, energy drinks, pipes, hats, beach towels, and pint glasses. Pretty gross. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices