TED Talks Daily

After decades working in technology across both the US and China, Alvin W. Graylin sees three possible paths for the future of AI: one where tech giants create a class of trillionaires, one where competition escalates into war or one where humanity builds and shares this technology for the common good. In conversation with TED Radio Hour host Manoush Zomorodi, Graylin cuts through the hype to clarify how we choose the right path.

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When entrepreneur Yi Li cofounded Farmworks, she set out to build 1,000 climate-smart farms across Kenya, complete with dams, irrigation and organic fertilizers. The science was sound, but reality proved more complicated. Learn what she discovered about the missing ingredient behind failed climate solutions — and how it challenges a core assumption of the environmental movement on how to create lasting impact.

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In this episode, TED Health host Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider invites Dr. Vivek Murthy, the 19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States, to discuss the ongoing loneliness epidemic.

After the interview, Shoshana shares a TED-Ed talk from Terry Kupers, "What happens to your brain without social contact?" Everyone needs time to themselves, and peaceful solitude has stress-relieving benefits. But when being alone is forced upon you, the effects can be surprisingly extensive. And though different people experience distinct effects, symptoms tend to become more severe and persistent the longer they're isolated. So, how exactly does isolation affect your body and brain? Terry Kupers investigates. [Directed by Camille Bovey, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Stephen LaRosa].

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You’re invited into the world of stop-motion animation, where design and engineering collide to create fan-favorite films. Visual effects artist Brian McLean (from the Oscar-winning studio behind “Coraline” and “ParaNorman”) explores how 3D printing is revolutionizing this century-old craft, showing how creative obsession paired with cutting-edge technology can reinvent the way we make things.

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Bacteria are the most incredible creatures on Earth, says biotechnologist and TED Fellow Patricia Aymà Maldonado. She presents a groundbreaking technology that “trains” bacteria to transform organic waste into biodegradable plastic that behaves like the real thing. Learn how this creative, sustainable approach could revolutionize the plastics industry.

Following the talk, Lily James Olds, director of the TED Fellows program, interviews Maldonado on what it's like to make 100% biodegradable plastic at the tech company she co-founded, VEnvirotech, why the current recycling system actually increases plastic use, what other biotechnology companies can do to quickly scale for sustainability, and more.

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