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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.

Your immune system is more socially aware than you think, says social neuroscientist and psychology professor Keely Muscatell. Investigating the interconnectedness of your mood and your inflammatory system, she offers an evolutionary reason as to why being sick may make you feel depressed — and vice versa.

Does confidence equal competence? Not quite. In a talk that will make you better aware of yourself, experimental psychologist Robin Kramer delves into the Dunning-Kruger effect — which argues that those who are least capable often overestimate their skills the most — and explores just how good you are at judging your own abilities.

In 2021, a survey of over 1,000 Americans found that nearly two-thirds had eaten plant-based meat alternatives in the past year. Many cited potential health and environmental benefits as their motivation. But are these alternative meats actually better for us and the planet? Carolyn Beans investigates the differences between farmed meat, plant-based meat, and lab-grown meat. This TED-Ed lesson was directed by Laura Jayne Hodkin, and narrated by Alexandra Panzer and the music is by Carlos Magaña Bru, cAMP Studio.

With birth rates falling, the worldwide human population is getting older and smaller. According to traditional thinking, this spells a future of labor shortages, bankrupt social security systems and overall economic collapse. Before you panic about the end of life as we know it, political demographer Jennifer D. Sciubba has a thoughtful playbook for managing the new normal — including ideas on the future of work and migration — and a reminder that a resilient future relies on present-day action.

"Why does a vibrator make us uncomfortable, but Viagra does not?" asks cognitive-behavioral coach Robin Buckley. Sharing her own personal story of empowering her teenage daughter to explore the power of pleasure, Buckley encourages parents to talk to their teens about healthy sexual development -- and shares why the awkward conversations are worth it.

This is an episode we think you might enjoy of Body Electric. TED Radio Hour host Manoush Zomorodi investigates the relationship between our technology and our bodies and asks: How are we physically adapting to meet the demands of the Information Age? Why do so many of us feel utterly drained after a day spent attached to our devices? This episode explores how economic eras have shaped the human body in the past with author Vybarr Cregan-Reid. Additionally, hear from Columbia University researcher and exercise physiologist Keith Diaz on how moving our bodies (and staying off our screens) helps us feel our best.  Click here to find out more about the project: npr.org/bodyelectric

Material scientist Anna Maria Coclite unveils "smart skin" — artificial skin technology that responds to touch, temperature and humidity like your very own. (It's actually even more sensitive than human skin!) From helping burn victims to paving the way to smarter, safer humanoid robots, Coclite highlights the broad-ranging potential of this innovation.

In crowds, at meetings, get-togethers with friends, everyday interactions: social anxiety can show up as an unwelcome guest at any time. But why? Psychologist Fallon Goodman digs into the source of social anxiety, setting the record straight about this common condition with practical solutions to help you feel the most authentically "you" while out and about. After we revisit this talk, mental health specialist Dr. Jessi Gold joins Shoshana in a sweeping conversation on social media’s impact on social anxiety and how we can best support ourselves and others.

The happiest and healthiest people are those who have an abundance of warm connections with others, says psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, who leads the Harvard Study of Adult Development — one of the longest-running studies of adult life ever conducted. We’re revisiting a conversation that explores the link between social bonds and quality of life, as Waldinger shares insights into how to identify and strengthen the relationships that impact your well-being most. This conversation, hosted by TED current affairs curator Whitney Pennington Rodgers, was part of an exclusive TED Membership event. Visit ted.com/membership to become a TED Member. After the talk, Shoshana shares a surprising perspective shift that may boost your happiness.

Could the next wonder drug be somewhere in Canada's snowy north? Take a trip to this beautiful, frigid landscape as chemist Normand Voyer explores the mysterious molecular treasures found in plants thriving in the cold. These scarcely investigated organisms could hold immense medical promise, he says — so long as we work quickly enough to discover them.

You've probably heard of CRISPR, the revolutionary technology that allows us to edit the DNA in living organisms. Biochemist and 2023 Audacious Project grantee Jennifer Doudna earned the Nobel Prize for her groundbreaking work in this field — and now she's here to tell us about its next world-changing advancement. She explains how her team at the Innovative Genomics Institute is pioneering a brand new field of science — precision microbiome editing — that uses CRISPR in an effort to solve seemingly insurmountable problems like asthma, Alzheimer's and climate change. This ambitious idea is part of the Audacious Project, TED's initiative to inspire and fund global change.