TED Radio Hour
TED Radio Hour

The TED Radio Hour is a journey through fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ways to think and create.

Airs on:
SUN 3pm-4pm, SAT 10pm-11pm
09:11

Bacteria talk to each other. Decoding their signals could spot diseases sooner

Bacteria coordinate attacks using their own chemical language. What if we could decode these messages and thwart their plans? Fatima AlZahra'a Alatraktchi invented a tool to spy on bacterial chatter.
13:41

What a living whale is worth in the fight against climate change

Poachers can make a lot of money killing whales. But what if a living whale fetched a bigger price? Ralph Chami uses the language of dollars and cents to conserve nature and fight climate change.
17:10

How imaging technology is recovering damaged texts and rewriting history

Using spectral imaging, Gregory Heyworth can bring new life to old manuscripts. He is able to decipher texts that haven't been read in hundreds of years, and in the process, change history.
08:41

There's a secret to learning many languages — and it has nothing to do with smarts

Learning a new language can be daunting, especially if you don't think you have the skill for it. But polygot Lýdia Machová says the secret is in the process of learning itself.
06:28

How to teach economics — but make it ridiculous, funny and easy to understand

Economics jargon can be intimidating. That's why Jack Corbett decided to make educational TikTok videos that make economic concepts and financial literacy simple... and silly.
11:21

The trades need more gender diversity. One woman is training the next generation

Men dominate trade work. But Emily Pilloton-Lam says it's time to put the power (and power tools) into the hands of young women and gender-expansive youth.
13:13

How one idea helped turn water back on for thousands in Detroit

Water bills in Detroit are twice the national average, and in 2014 thousands faced shutoffs because they couldn't afford to pay them. When programmer Tiffani Ashley Bell learned this, she took action.
17:40

A near-death experience, a tabloid frenzy and one woman's plan to reclaim her story

When Kate Stone was gored by a stag in 2013, tabloids made the story about her transgender identity. So she set a goal: to change how the press writes about transgender people.