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TED Talks Daily Book Club: Love Letter to a Garden | Debbie Millman
Debbie Millman, host of the Design Matters podcast, another podcast in the TED Audio Collective, doesn’t have a natural green thumb. But when the pandemic hit, she embraced the challenge and picked up gardening as a new hobby. As she learned to grow vegetables in her home garden, she realized the earth had much to teach her about growing as a human being, too.
Debbie documents this journey in her new book, “Love Letter to a Garden” — a visual story with bright illustrations and recipes from her partner, Roxane Gay. Joining host Elise Hu for this TED Talks Daily Book Club interview, Debbie shares the lessons she learned from her failures and successes in the garden. She also digs into reconnecting with the earth amid a climate crisis and getting inspired by the resilience of nature growing all around us.
The TED Talks Daily Book Club series features TED speakers discussing their latest books and exploring their ideas beyond the page. Stay tuned to our feed for more interviews like this one and for special live book club events open exclusively to TED members.
This interview was recorded live as part of the TED Membership program. TED Members are invited to attend our live recordings and participate in Q&As with authors. To join in on the fun, sign up at go.ted.com/membership
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How to rewire your brain — and find your flow | Heather Berlin
16:40|When life gets uncertain, do you grip a little tighter? Neuroscientist Heather Berlin explores a surprising paradox: the harder you try to control everything, the more likely you are to get in your own way. Drawing on brain research and her own struggles with uncertainty, she shares practical ways to let go and make room for creativity, calm and flow.
Sunday Pick: The science on improving your brain health with Dr. Ayesha and Dean Sherzai
34:12|When does normal aging end and something more concerning begins? In this episode Shoshana invites neurologist Drs. Ayesha and Dean Sherzai to discuss their studies on Alzheimer’s and Dementia. They debunk myths around Alzheimer, discuss what a brain-healthy way of eating looks like, and share why good sleep hygiene is more crucial for brain health than you thinkLearn more about TED Health at https://link.mgln.ai/kqazojHow to build the next wave of clean energy | Jennifer Granholm, Ryan Panchadsaram
19:12|Jennifer Granholm steered Michigan through the auto industry's near-collapse and later ran the US Department of Energy during the largest clean energy investment in the country's history. In conversation with climate investor Ryan Panchadsaram, she explains why the next chapter of clean energy is all about construction — and why local communities have more power than they may think.The surprising beauty of mosquitos | Felix Hol
31:48|Most people hate mosquitoes, but biotechnologist and TED Fellow Felix Hol thinks they're beautiful. He takes us inside his lab, where his team developed some unusual ways to study how these blood-sucking insects find us and feed so fast. He also explains why insecticides may send certain mosquitoes into overdrive — and how we can find smarter ways to curb the diseases they spread.(Following his story, pulled from a short film he made for TED, Hol speaks with Lily James Olds, director of the TED Fellows program, on why he’s relying on open source to share data and how he’s excited to learn more about mosquitoes navigating different temperature landscapes.)Why great art requires risk | Alex Van Halen, David Lee Roth, Robert Vargas
17:12|Alex Van Halen and David Lee Roth — two of the rock stars behind the legendary band Van Halen — sit down with visual artist Robert Vargas to reveal the two-step recipe for great art: do your homework, then break every rule. Along the way, they swap stories about heartbreak, good luck charms and why you should rehearse for what goes wrong.5 ideas for better government in the US | Jeff Maurer
16:14|Should the US Constitution protect your DNA? Your voice? Your data? Entrepreneur Jeff Maurer spent his youth fighting fires alongside World War II veterans, and he thinks the spirit that united them can power America's next 250 years. He proposes five new amendments to the US Constitution — from protecting privacy to holding politicians accountable — and shares what it would take to get them passed.What kids wish their parents knew about fun | Mila Rojas
08:34|When was the last time you played, just for fun? Eleven-year-old Mila Rojas has noticed that adults — buried under schedules, expectations and the pressure to be serious — often see play as unproductive. In this delightful talk, she shows why having fun is key for families to connect and shares some simple ways to bring more joy into everyday life.The couples therapists who nearly got divorced | Harville Hendrix
17:02|Couples therapists Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt spent decades teaching the world how to love well … even as their own marriage was falling apart. In this candid, funny talk, Hendrix recounts the yearlong experiment in listening that saved their relationship — and shows how any couple can break the cycle of criticism to rediscover joy.
Sunday Pick: Do all my friends secretly hate me? | from Corner Piece
41:18|Why does making friends as an adult feel like mission impossible?In today’s Sunday Pick, Corner Piece, host Melissa Fernandes explores what it means to be a friend while grappling with a friendship break up. Along the way, she interviews Anna Goldfarb, journalist and author of “Modern Friendship: How to Nurture Our Most Valuable Connections,” and Dr. Marisa G. Franco, professor and author of “Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make—And Keep—Friends”. They explain why friendship can get so complicated as you get older and how to build closer bonds. Melissa also explores with her co-hosts Taha Khan and Sabrina Cruz what their different types of friendships mean to them.Find more episodes of Corner Piece on your favorite podcast app or here: https://link.mgln.ai/9hQ2JB