NPR/TED Staff

The killing of George Floyd by a police officer sparked massive protests nationwide. Writer, teacher, and scholar Clint Smith reflects on that moment through conversation, letters, and poetry.

In 2003, polio reemerged in twenty countries that had long been declared polio-free. Anthropologist Heidi Larson says to stop the spread of disease, we need to first build trust in vaccines.

In a democracy, what does the path through a pandemic look like? Political theorist Danielle Allen says the solution requires us to preserve individual lives, individual rights, and equality.

It's easy to feel powerless against looming challenges we cannot control — like climate change. So what should we do? Political strategist Tom Rivett-Carnac says the power is in our mindset.

Water is life. Yet in the eyes of the law, it remains largely unprotected. Legal scholar Kelsey Leonard says granting water bodies legal personhood can transform how we value this vital resource.

Flint, Michigan is the site of one of the worst ongoing water crises in recent U.S. history. Artist LaToya Ruby Frazier has spent years capturing the stories of life living with toxic water.

Sea level rise will displace millions by 2100 — and the Louisiana bayous, where Colette Pichon Battle lives, may disappear entirely. She describes how we can avert the worst when disaster strikes.

Kelsey Leonard was taught we are born with a deep connection to water and a duty to protect it. But today, she says, most of us have lost that connection—and the world is suffering because of it.

Healthcare jobs are already stressful. Add a pandemic ... and ongoing police brutality? And it's a lot. We hear from physicians of color and TED Fellow Laurel Braitman about taking care of ourselves.

How does a designer take an abstract idea and turn a space into an experience? Artist Es Devlin explores the influence of the spaces and structures we create—in theater, art, music, and beyond.

David Byrne says "context has a huge effect on creativity." He draws on his time with Talking Heads, as well as Bach, Gregorian chant, even birds—to show how spaces affect the music we write and play.

To design the Bahá'í Temple of South America, architect Siamak Hariri had to reimagine what a sacred space looks like. He found his answer and design in illumination.

Architect Michael Murphy believes that buildings can offer far more than shelter. Considering factors both material and human, he explains how thoughtful design can make us healthier and happier.

Our justice system is flawed and inequitable, says Harvard law professor Martha Minow. She calls for a reset to emphasize accountability, apology, and service, rather than punitive punishment.

Are overdue library book fines necessary? Librarian Dawn Wacek wants all libraries to do away with overdue fines to make library services more inclusive and welcoming to all readers.

The playwright V, formerly known as Eve Ensler, survived horrific sexual violence as a child. Years later, she decided to write what she needed to hear most: a true apology in the words of her abuser.

How can we make amends for the atrocities of slavery and segregation? Historian and preservationist Brent Leggs discusses one step in confronting the past: preserving African American historic sites.

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 to unlock it.

How many people helped make your morning coffee? A.J. Jacobs set out to thank them—from the farmer to the barista and everyone in between—and discovered the list was much longer than he thought.

There may be hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of undiscovered ancient sites. Sarah Parcak wants to locate them — from space.