Decades ago, a civil war in Sierra Leone left thousands as amputees. Researcher and current Education Minister David Moinina Sengeh set out to help them with a more comfortable socket for prostheses.
Facebook profits from being frictionless, says Yaël Eisenstat. But without friction, misinformation can spread like wildfire. The solution, Yaël says, is to build more friction into social media.
Have you brushed your teeth today? Or gotten a shot recently? As tribologist Jennifer Vail explains, these mundane activities are among the many in our daily lives that are made possible by friction.
From hippie culture to the first personal computers, Stewart Brand has been key to some of the most groundbreaking movements of the last century. This hour, he reflects on his life and career.
In Marvel's "America," Gabby Rivera wrote a superhero who's queer, Latina, and punches portals across dimensions. She shares why it's empowering to write characters that mirror her identity.
Getting pregnant as a track and field athlete was called the "kiss of death." After becoming pregnant, Olympian Allyson Felix fought to change that by reforming her former sponsor's maternity policy.
Fashion designer Gala Marija Vrbanic creates digital clothes that defy physics and outshine superheroes' wardrobes. Vrbanic says the future of AR and VR will change how we express our identities.
Artist Holly Herndon created an AI clone of her voice that can sing in any languages and in any tone. In her music, Holly shows how AI can enhance the power and artistry of the voice.
The technology powering many apps and services seems automatic. But anthropologist Mary L. Gray explains how there are millions of hidden workers behind the screen who are key to making it all work.
For decades, Rosanne Cash has soared through the ranks of music with her powerhouse poetic skills and wistful reflections on her past. This hour we explore Rosanne's life and legacy through her music.
Insects experience the world very differently from humans--but they still have a lot to teach us. Behavioral ecologist Marlene Zuk explores what insects can teach us about sex and sexuality.
On a rooftop garden in the middle of Manhattan, honeybee colonies are flourishing. Biologist Noah-Wilson Rich explains how collecting data from honeybee hives can help ensure a healthy future for all.
Talking with kids about sex can be awkward - for children and parents. Comedian Julia Sweeney remembers having "The Talk" with her daughter, and how it went in some unexpected directions.
Laying eggs may seem like a simple way to reproduce compared to human birth, but biologist Carin Bondar says bird moms are the micromanagers of the animal kingdom.
Are we alone in the universe? This hour, we travel the cosmos with TED science curator David Biello in search of extraterrestrial life, uncovering how it may look and how we'll know we've found it.