NPR/TED Staff

We know that dolphins make distinctive clicks and whistles. But is that a language? Researcher Denise Herzing thinks it might be — and for the past 35 years — she's been working on unlocking it.

In 2018, an orca made headlines when she carried her dead calf on her back for weeks. Barbara King says this was a display of animal grief and explains how this changes our relationship with animals.

Ecologist Carl Safina says humans aren't the only ones who love, grieve, or think. He argues if animals are more complex then we once thought, shouldn't we reconsider the ethics of how we treat them?

Visual effects researcher Doug Roble is developing technology that creates hyper-realistic digital versions of humans. He explores the implications of this technology — both for good and bad.

After the Brexit vote, journalist Carole Cadwalladr discovered that misleading ads on Facebook had a massive impact on the way people voted. The implications of this manipulation, she says, are dire.

Behavioral designer Nir Eyal argues tech overuse is the responsibility of the user, not the tech companies. He says we can choose to unplug from our apps and devices if we want to.

Do you read the terms and conditions on your apps? Finn Myrstad explains that not only would it take you dozens of hours, but you would probably not agree with all the ways your data is being used.

Scott Galloway says companies like Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Apple have too much power. Not only do they affect the economic and cultural fabric of our society, they affect our basic life choices.

In 1994, Lindy Lou Isonhood served on a jury that sentenced a man to death. For years, she agonized over her decision. Today, she says, she's moved forward by speaking out against the death penalty.

At 26, Suleika Jaouad left the hospital after four years of cancer treatment. But instead of joy, she felt exhausted and broken. She says moving forward sometimes means reckoning with your past.

In 2014, Nora McInerny experienced a wave of loss that reshaped her whole life. Despite the painful memories from that year, she explains why she doesn't want to "move on" from her grief.

Bruce Friedrich shows how plant and cell-based products could soon transform the way we eat ... and reduce the global meat industry's impact on the planet.

In 2018, teenager Greta Thunberg began protesting to demand action on climate change. She has inspired protests worldwide. Greta says it's time to panic: we're running out of time to save our planet.

Psychologist Per Espen Stoknes explains the inner defenses that block most people from recognizing the urgency of climate change. He asks, what is a better way to think and talk about this crisis?

In 1988, the Montreal Protocol was the first step in a long process to save the ozone layer. Sean Davis explains the impact of the agreement, and the lessons we can apply to the crisis we face today.

To slow climate change, we need to lower emissions and remove carbon from the atmosphere. Chemical engineer Jennifer Wilcox says the technology is there, and we need to scale it.

As a former pro runner, Charly Haversat would fixate on an unattainable goal: perfection. She discusses the crippling effects of perfectionism, including how it can prevent learning from failure.

When it comes to scientific research, mistakes are not only part of—but also crucial—to the process. Phil Plait explains how small setbacks can play a critical role in making big discoveries.

After her business failed, Leticia Gasca didn't talk about it for seven years. But once she finally shared the story with her friends, she realized failure is far more common than she thought.

Everyone makes mistakes, but sometimes mistakes have big consequences. Jon Bowers argues that we should always strive for perfection—knowing we will fail and we have to learn from those failures.