NPR/TED Staff

Men and women experience some diseases differently. Doctor Paula Johnson says this is alarming — because most treatments were designed for men, not women.

Doctors are often puzzled when pain lives on after the underlying cause goes away. Medical professor Elliot Krane explains why it can makes sense to think of chronic pain as a disease.

Neuroscientist David Linden thinks that of the five senses, touch is the most overlooked, and perhaps the most important for promoting psychological health.

When astronomer Wanda Diaz Merced lost her eyesight, she thought she'd never succeed in astronomy. Eventually, she discovered a way to hear the stars.

Scientists have long believed we have just five tastes - salty, sweet, bitter, sour and umami (or savory). Geneticist Nicole Garneau argues we might be able to taste a sixth — fat.

Isaac Lidsky lost his sight by age 25. Now, he says, losing his eyesight was a blessing — because it taught him that he is in control of his own reality.

Pheromones are mysterious compounds that can make a mammal smell more sexy--but that's not true for humans. Zoologist Tristram Wyatt says human pheremones are hard to find.

Ecologist Suzanne Simard shares how she discovered that trees use underground fungi networks to communicate and share resources, uprooting the idea that nature constantly competes for survival.

Anthropologist Robin Dunbar believes the evolutionary structure of social networks limits us to 150 meaningful relationships at a time — even with the rise of social media.

Computer scientist Avi Rubin says all our smart devices — cars, phones, even fitness trackers — can be hacked. He warns that our network of connected technology puts us at risk for cyberattacks.

Wanis Kabbaj wants traffic to flow smoothly and efficiently, like the blood in our veins. He says driverless cars may be the solution to today's highway gridlock.

Suzanne Barakat speaks about the challenge of reconciling shock, anger and acceptance after her brother and sisters-in-law were murdered in an anti-Muslim hate crime.

Eli Pariser explains why being trapped in "filter bubbles" is bad for us and bad for democracy. He says we don't get exposed to information that could challenge or broaden our worldview.

Elizabeth Lesser shares a simple way to begin meaningful dialogue: find someone from a totally different background — and spend a few hours with them over lunch.

Negotiator William Ury offers an elegant (but not easy) way to get two opposing sides to agree: the approach? Find the "third side."

J.D. Vance is a self-proclaimed member of the elite, but he grew up poor in the American Rust Belt. He details what the loss of the American Dream feels like.

Entomologist Marcel Dicke wants us to reconsider our relationship with insects, promoting bugs as a tasty — and ecologically sound — alternative to meat in an increasingly hungry world.

Professor Charles Spence studies what makes for a great eating experience. He says it's far more dependent on 'the everything else' that surrounds the meal, rather than the food itself.

Food writer Mark Bittman says long before Pop Tarts, Americans ate simple food that was grown closer to home. He says we need to get back to that time by eating locally, seasonally, and sustainably.

Sugar is a major culprit in diseases such as obesity, diabetes and dementia—and because it's in almost everything we consume, Dr. Robert Lustig says it's time to get more proactive.