The Public Commons

Original broadcast date: November 12, 2021. We hear calls for systemic change, but what does that look like? This hour, TED speakers share stories of taking on institutions — from schools, to medicine, to policing — so they work for everyone. Guests include economist Emily Oster, ...  Show more

Artificial intelligence is powerful, but what about natural intelligence? This hour, TED speakers explore the intrinsic genius in animal language, insect behavior, plant anatomy and our immune system. Guests include neuroscientist Greg Gage, computational neuroscientist Frances C ...  Show more

At a time when public libraries and librarians are facing budget headwinds and sometimes intense political scrutiny for the roles they play in their communities, the Times photo editor Erica Ackerb ...

How To Citizen with Baratunde reimagines the word “citizen” as a verb and reminds us how to wield our collective power. With humor and empathy, Baratunde explores societal topics that affect us all, speaks with people using their relationships and power for the benefit of the man ...  Show more

Most Americans can agree that society isn't perfect -- in fact, most people in other parts of the world can say the same about their own societies. But how can we attempt to address these issues? Is there genuinely a conspiracy between the world's wealthiest people to keep the ...

Coffee shops, churches, libraries, and concert venues are all shared spaces where mingling can take place. Yet the hustle and bustle of modern social life can pose challenges to relationship-building—even in spaces designed for exactly that. In this episode of How to Talk to Peop ...  Show more