TED Talks Science and Medicine

This episode explores how the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated innovation and technology in medicine, drawing parallels to historical inflection points like the space race to envision a healthier future.

Bill Gates argues that the COVID-19 pandemic exposed global unpreparedness and health inequities, urging collective action to prevent future pandemics through community-based solutions.

A paleontologist recounts the unexpected discovery of a giant Jurassic sea dragon fossil in Rutland, England, which turned out to be a life-changing find.

This episode explores how certain animals, particularly sea slugs and corals, have evolved to perform photosynthesis through symbiotic relationships with algae, challenging the traditional view that only plants can convert solar energy into biological energy.

This episode explores the challenges of human-polar bear coexistence in the Arctic as climate change forces more interactions, with insights from an expert on polar bear conservation and community safety.

A venture investor argues that climate change should be viewed as an opportunity rather than just a problem, highlighting five key factors making this moment different for climate action.

Nir Eyal argues for using human challenge trials to accelerate COVID-19 vaccine testing by deliberately exposing volunteers to the virus to quickly determine efficacy.

This episode explores how boosting gamma brainwaves at 40 hertz through light and sound could potentially treat Alzheimer's disease by improving brain synchronization and memory.

This episode explains how cellular agriculture allows for the production of real meat from animal cells without harming animals, using chicken nuggets as an example.

This interview explores the journey of scientists Uğur Şahin and Özlem Türeci, who co-founded BioNTech and played a pivotal role in developing an mRNA vaccine during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting their rapid response and long-term research background.

This episode explores the scientific challenges and optimism in detecting microbial life on other planets through atmospheric analysis with advanced telescopes.

This episode explains why common memory failures like forgetting where you put your phone are normal and how attention plays a crucial role in what we remember.

Sophie Rose explains her decision to volunteer for a COVID-19 human challenge trial, detailing how these trials accelerate vaccine testing by deliberately infecting healthy participants to quickly determine vaccine effectiveness.

Liam Young presents Planet City, a speculative design project imagining a single city for Earth's entire 2050 population as a thought experiment to emotionally engage with climate change challenges through world building and storytelling.

Andrew Pelling discusses his research on using plant-based scaffolds, particularly asparagus, to potentially repair spinal cord injuries by leveraging their natural micro-channeled structures to guide neuron regeneration.

This episode discusses the science behind extreme weather events, their connection to human-caused climate change, and the urgent need for action to mitigate future harm.

This episode explores the nature of the self through personal accounts of altered self-experience in schizophrenia and insights from neuroscience and philosophy, questioning the solidity of our perceived identity.

A speculative fiction narrative set in 2041 where a person isolated by a lingering COVID pandemic must venture out to meet a hospitalized online lover, navigating a world filled with advanced robots.

This episode introduces photoacoustic imaging as a promising new technology for more accurate, affordable, and painless breast cancer detection, with potential broader applications in medical diagnostics.

This episode explains how green hydrogen, produced through water electrolysis using renewable electricity, can replace fossil fuels to address climate change in sectors like industry and transport.

This episode explores how most of the universe's matter is invisible dark matter, challenging our understanding of the cosmos and the standard model of particle physics.

This episode explores how adding seaweed to cow feed can significantly reduce methane emissions from livestock, offering a potential solution to climate change.

This episode recounts the remarkable story of Oscar Duhalde, a Chilean telescope operator who discovered a supernova in the Large Magellanic Cloud with the naked eye in 1987, highlighting his expertise and the historical context of astronomy.

This episode explores how concrete's massive environmental impact can be reduced by using calcined clay as a lower-emission alternative to traditional cement production.

This episode explores how genetically modified wheat with antibiotic-producing roots could address nitrogen fertilizer inefficiency in modern agriculture, highlighting the environmental costs of the Green Revolution.

This episode explores the brain science and personal benefits of ASMR through the host's experiences with relaxing moments like haircuts and eye exams.

This episode explores the crucial symbiotic relationship between trees and mycorrhizal fungi, highlighting how below-ground ecology is essential for understanding forest function and climate regulation.

A natural product chemist explores how chemicals from organisms in cold environments like the Canadian North could lead to life-saving medicines.

This episode explores how deep-sea coral reefs contain specialized metabolites that could provide future medicines for challenges like pandemics and antibiotic resistance.

This episode explores the brain science behind obesity, focusing on genetic differences in weight regulation through experiments with rats that show distinct populations of diet-resistant and obesity-prone individuals.

This episode explores how mRNA technology, initially proven through COVID-19 vaccines, represents a revolutionary approach to medicine by instructing the body to produce its own therapeutic proteins for both prevention and treatment of diseases.

This episode explores how the limitations of current supercomputers are hindering progress in critical areas like drug discovery and climate change, and introduces quantum computing as a potential solution.

A scientist with cerebral palsy uses humor and a synthesized voice to explain how 96% of the universe is missing, focusing on dark matter and dark energy.

This episode explores how far UVC light, a specific type of ultraviolet light, can safely kill viruses like coronavirus in indoor spaces while being safe for human exposure.

Evolutionary biologist Menno Schilthuizen discusses how his childhood fascination with beetles led him to study evolution, particularly focusing on how animals and plants are adapting to urban environments in real time.

This episode explores how venom from sea snails, particularly cone snails, is being studied for its potential medical benefits, transforming it from a dangerous substance into a source of good.

A herpetologist recounts his near-fatal king cobra bite and subsequent scientific questioning about the species' classification.

This episode explores the inevitable death of the universe, tracing its origins from the Big Bang to its current expansion and eventual demise, with insights from astrophysicist Katie Mack.

This episode explores how farming is the leading cause of environmental destruction, including habitat loss, wildlife decline, and climate impacts, while hinting at potential solutions.

This episode explores how researchers are using brain organoids and assembloids grown in the lab to study human brain development, understand disorders like autism, and develop new treatments.

A chemist discusses how mushroom-based materials can make fashion sustainable without sacrificing consumer desires.

This episode explores how biological systems like tadpoles developing into frogs demonstrate flexible, goal-oriented decision-making beyond traditional DNA-centric models.

This episode explores how biochar technology helps farmers like Mr.

An engineer shares her experience in Bangladesh deploying sensors for groundwater issues and proposes integrating smart sensors with equipment like refrigerators to prevent vaccine spoilage in low-infrastructure areas.

This episode explores how Henrietta Swan Leavitt's discovery of variable star patterns and Edwin Hubble's observations revolutionized our understanding of cosmic distances and the expanding universe.

Archaeologist Carolyn Freiwald explains how teeth and bones reveal the hidden history of human migration throughout centuries, challenging modern perceptions of migrants.

This episode explores the creation of a virus-resistant organism by redesigning the genetic code to eliminate synonymous codons, potentially enabling cleaner industrial production.