NPR/TED Staff

Former gymnastics coach Valorie Kondos Field led her team to victory by creating a supportive environment, instead of a cutthroat one. The impact of that decision, she says, echoes far beyond the gym.

Imagine surrounding yourself with images and sounds, in order to set old ideas in a new context. OK Go's Damian Kulash Jr. describes the process that has inspired the band's hits and viral videos.

Guy Raz reflects on seven years of wisdom gained through hosting the TED Radio Hour, in a conversation with the new host Manoush Zomorodi.

When Curtis Carroll was sentenced to life in prison, he decided to teach himself the ins and outs of the stock market. Today, he advocates for teaching others the importance of financial literacy.

How do you decide between two different life passions? After years of struggling to choose, neuroscientist and operatic soprano Indre Viskontas learned that science and opera can inform the other.

The point of a game is usually to win ... but not for Pico Iyer. After years of playing ping-pong at a Japanese community center, he's learned a different lesson: competition can be "an act of love."

Circumstances like who we are and where we live can impact our health. But Rachel Wurzman says another critical factor is loneliness. She studies the connection between isolation and opioid addiction.

How does race affect the medical attention you receive, your baby's chances of living, and your life expectancy? Mary Bassett says structural racism can impact every aspect of health.

More than one billion people live in areas with no access to health workers. Physician Raj Panjabi started his group Last Mile Health to help bring care to the hardest to reach places.

For over a decade, Michael Hendryx's research has shown mountaintop removal is connected to cancer and other diseases in nearby towns. He says awareness is key for changing policy around the practice.

Unhealthy relationships don't start out unhealthy. But Katie Hood says you have to pay attention to some critical signs at that early stage, and learn the skills for healthy love.

For years, musician Dessa tried to get over a toxic relationship. But she couldn't figure out how — until she tried something unconventional: using neuroscience to dull her feelings for her ex.

Helen Fisher says love is a biological drive and a survival mechanism. She discusses the science of love and how much control we have over who we love, how we love, and whether that love lasts.

Can you fall in love after just one date? With the help of 36 questions, author Mandy Len Catron did. She says, reframing love as something you can control can lead to healthier, longer relationship.

We don't consider heartbreak to be as serious as physical injury, but emotional pain can stay with us much longer. Psychologist Guy Winch says dealing with heartbreak starts with asserting control.

We idolize entrepreneurs as genius risk-takers responsible for turning ideas into reality. But economist Mariana Mazzucato says we're overlooking a major player in the innovation process: government.

Would you rock climb without a rope? What if it was a 3,000 foot summit? It seems like an extremely dangerous risk. But Alex Honnold says with the right preparation, it's not as risky as it seems.

Teenagers are often depicted as reckless. But what is it that seems to propel them to take careless risks? As a budding neuroscientist, high school student Kashfia Rahman set out to find some answers.

As a bridge designer, Ian Firth is responsible for building safe, reliable bridges. But he also manages the risk involved with designing bridges that are beautiful — not just functional.

Dylan Evans spent years studying pro gamblers and found that the savviest risk-takers are better at calculating probability. He says we can make better decisions by learning from expert gamblers.