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Sanaz Meshkinpour
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Sanaz Meshkinpour

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Friday

TED Radio Hour

All democracies are fragile—here are the early signs of civil war at home and abroad

Based on her work for a CIA task force aimed at predicting civil wars, political scientist Barbara F. Walter examines the rise in extremism and threats to democracies around the globe and at home.

All democracies are fragile—here are the early signs of civil war at home and abroad

Listen · 13:48
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Who belongs in America? An undocumented journalist tells his story

José Antonio Vargas presentation on the TED MainStage, as part of TED2020 TED hide caption

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TED

TED Radio Hour

Who belongs in America? An undocumented journalist tells his story

At 16, Jose Antonio Vargas learned he was living in the U.S. illegally. As an adult, Vargas came out as undocumented and dedicated his career to broadening the idea of who belongs in America.

Who belongs in America? An undocumented journalist tells his story

Listen · 17:05
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The rise of populism and the crisis of liberal democracy
Ryan Lash / TED

TED Radio Hour

The rise of populism and the crisis of liberal democracy

Democracy is being challenged around the world. Political scientist Yascha Mounk says that to fight for democracy, we need to take a hard look at why so many nations are electing populist leaders.

The rise of populism and the crisis of liberal democracy

Listen · 17:48
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Friday

Over 20,000 joined the NPR/Columbia study to move throughout the day. Did it work?
Daniel Hertzberg

Body Electric

Over 20,000 joined the NPR/Columbia study to move throughout the day. Did it work?

In part six: host Manoush Zomorodi digs into the preliminary results of the listener study with Columbia University researcher Keith Diaz. He shares the surprising — and encouraging — initial findings from more than 20,000 listeners who tried to incorporate movement breaks into their day.

Over 20,000 joined the NPR/Columbia study to move throughout the day. Did it work?

Listen · 34:02
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Overwhelmed by doom scrolling? Time to check in with your body
Daniel Hertzberg

Body Electric

Overwhelmed by doom scrolling? Time to check in with your body

In part five: host Manoush Zomorodi investigates what information overload does to our physical and mental health. Could our tech use be interfering with the critical dialogue that takes place between the body and the brain? Psychiatrist and neuroscientist Sahib Khalsa shares his latest research on interoception — the brain's ability to sense how the body is feeling — and how finding time to unplug from our devices can help us tune into our body's natural signals.

Overwhelmed by doom scrolling? Time to check in with your body

Listen · 26:29
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Stressed out? It might not just be in your head. How your muscles affect your mood
Daniel Hertzberg

Body Electric

Stressed out? It might not just be in your head. How your muscles affect your mood

In part four: host Manoush Zomorodi explores the connection between our posture and our mood. A lot of us associate our neck and back pain with spending hours hunched over our phones and laptops. But what if that hunched posture is also making us feel tired, stressed, and anxious? Neuroscientist Peter Strick discusses his groundbreaking research on why exercising our core muscles lowers our stress.

Stressed out? It might not just be in your head. How your muscles affect your mood

Listen · 24:55
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The story behind soaring myopia among kids
Daniel Hertzberg

Body Electric

The story behind soaring myopia among kids

In part three: host Manoush Zomorodi explores how our tech habits are causing our eyes to change shape—to elongate—which causes nearsightedness. She investigates why rates of myopia among kids are soaring. She also speaks with Maria Liu, an optometrist with a quest to slow down the progression of myopia in children by opening the first ever myopia control clinic in the United States.

The story behind soaring myopia among kids

Listen · 24:12
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When human met desk: a toxic relationship for the ages
Daniel Hertzberg

Body Electric

When human met desk: a toxic relationship for the ages

In part two: host Manoush Zomorodi delves into how we met and fell hard for the personal computer—and why we continue to have this committed, yet tortuous relationship. We hear from historian Laine Nooney on how the computer revolution forever changed the way we use our bodies at work, at school and at home.

When human met desk: a toxic relationship for the ages

Listen · 23:30
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Friday

How a group home for seniors became a safe haven for healing
Justin Edmonds/Justin Edmonds / TED

TED Radio Hour

How a group home for seniors became a safe haven for healing

Following a devastating accident, a 22-year-old Ramona Pierson spent 18 months in a coma. She awoke unsure if she'd ever recover. But she did, in an unexpected safe haven — a group home for seniors.

How a group home for seniors became a safe haven for healing

Listen · 8:24
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Uruguay is a renewable energy utopia. How did it get there?
Gilberto Tadday/Gilberto Tadday / TED

TED Radio Hour

Uruguay is a renewable energy utopia. How did it get there?

In five years, Uruguay transformed its grid. Now 98% of its energy comes from renewables. Former national director of energy, Ramón Méndez Galain, recounts his country's path and how to replicate it.

Uruguay is a renewable energy utopia. How did it get there?

Listen · 9:25
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Amid conflict and difficulty, can we ever find paradise?
Bret Hartman/Bret Hartman / TED

TED Radio Hour

Amid conflict and difficulty, can we ever find paradise?

Writer Pico Iyer has crisscrossed the globe looking for paradise and different cultures' notions of it. Amid conflict and difficulty, he asks if it can ever be found.

Amid conflict and difficulty, can we ever find paradise?

Listen · 18:24
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What happens when Paradise goes up in flames?
Ryan Lash/Ryan Lash / TED

TED Radio Hour

What happens when Paradise goes up in flames?

Paradise is a real place, and for many, the California town was utopia--until the fire. We hear from residents and wildfire expert George Whitesides, who says a safer wildfire season is possible.

What happens when Paradise goes up in flames?

Listen · 12:29
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Tuesday

Over 20,000 joined the NPR/Columbia study to move throughout the day. Did it work?
Daniel Hertzberg

TED Radio Hour

Over 20,000 joined the NPR/Columbia study to move throughout the day. Did it work?

In part six: host Manoush Zomorodi digs into the preliminary results of the listener study with Columbia University researcher Keith Diaz. He shares the surprising — and encouraging — initial findings from more than 20,000 listeners who tried to incorporate movement breaks into their day.

Over 20,000 joined the NPR/Columbia study to move throughout the day. Did it work?

Listen · 34:02
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1200611641/1211112228" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Tuesday

Overwhelmed by doom scrolling? Time to check in with your body
Daniel Hertzberg

TED Radio Hour

Overwhelmed by doom scrolling? Time to check in with your body

In part five: host Manoush Zomorodi investigates what information overload does to our physical and mental health. Could our tech use be interfering with the critical dialogue that takes place between the body and the brain? Psychiatrist and neuroscientist Sahib Khalsa shares his latest research on interoception — the brain's ability to sense how the body is feeling — and how finding time to unplug from our devices can help us tune into our body's natural signals.

Overwhelmed by doom scrolling? Time to check in with your body

Listen · 26:29
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1200611639/1209527532" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Tuesday

Stressed out? It might not just be in your head. How your muscles affect your mood
Daniel Hertzberg

TED Radio Hour

Stressed out? It might not just be in your head. How your muscles affect your mood

In part four: host Manoush Zomorodi explores the connection between our posture and our mood. A lot of us associate our neck and back pain with spending hours hunched over our phones and laptops. But what if that hunched posture is also making us feel tired, stressed, and anxious? Neuroscientist Peter Strick discusses his groundbreaking research on why exercising our core muscles lowers our stress.

Stressed out? It might not just be in your head. How your muscles affect your mood

Listen · 24:55
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1200611637/1208011975" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friday

Battling Putin with punk rock — Pussy Riot and the consequences of protest
Gilberto Tadday / TED

TED Radio Hour

Battling Putin with punk rock — Pussy Riot and the consequences of protest

The feminist punk music group, Pussy Riot, is a symbol of resistance against Putin's regime. Co-founder Nadya Tolokonnikova tells the story of her arrest and her ongoing fight for a freer Russia.

Battling Putin with punk rock — Pussy Riot and the consequences of protest

Listen · 18:24
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Who is allowed to tell certain stories?
Bret Hartman/ TED

TED Radio Hour

Who is allowed to tell certain stories?

Sarah Jones' film Sell/Buy/Date explored different perspectives on sex work. Critics said she had no place in that conversation, sparking an important debate: Who is allowed to tell certain stories?

Who is allowed to tell certain stories?

Listen · 17:04
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When the proverbial 'seat at the table' is not what you expect it to be
Marla Aufmuth / TED

TED Radio Hour

When the proverbial 'seat at the table' is not what you expect it to be

When Lilly Singh became the first bisexual woman of color to host a late-night network TV show, she thought she got a seat at the table. But she found a situation where it was impossible to succeed.

When the proverbial 'seat at the table' is not what you expect it to be

Listen · 12:29
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Tuesday

The story behind soaring myopia among kids
Daniel Hertzberg

TED Radio Hour

The story behind soaring myopia among kids

In part three: host Manoush Zomorodi explores how our tech habits are causing our eyes to change shape—to elongate—which causes nearsightedness. She investigates why rates of myopia among kids are soaring. She speaks with Maria Liu, an optometrist with a quest to slow down the progression of myopia in children by opening the first ever myopia control clinic in the United States.

The story behind soaring myopia among kids

Listen · 24:12
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  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1200611635/1206112743" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Tuesday

When human met desk: a toxic relationship for the ages
Daniel Hertzberg

TED Radio Hour

When human met desk: a toxic relationship for the ages

In part two: host Manoush Zomorodi delves into how we met and fell hard for the personal computer—and why we continue to have this committed, yet tortuous relationship. We hear from historian Laine Nooney on how the computer revolution forever changed the way we use our bodies at work, at school and at home.

When human met desk: a toxic relationship for the ages

Listen · 23:30
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1200611619/1204353018" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friday

No parent is perfect! So try to get good at repair
Ryan Lash / TED

TED Radio Hour

No parent is perfect! So try to get good at repair

No parent is perfect. We all make mistakes. That's why clinical psychologist Becky Kennedy says repairing a relationship with a child is the most important skill a parent can have.

No parent is perfect! So try to get good at repair

Listen · 22:53
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How Indigenous guardian programs can help the land and the people taking care of it
Gilberto Tadday / TED

TED Radio Hour

How Indigenous guardian programs can help the land and the people taking care of it

Valérie Courtois works with Indigenous Nations to preserve and protect lands and waters across Canada, and she says healing our relationship to the land can help us heal too.

How Indigenous guardian programs can help the land and the people taking care of it

Listen · 8:06
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Death is inevitable—why don't we talk about it more
Jasmina Tomic / TED

TED Radio Hour

Death is inevitable—why don't we talk about it more

Death is hard to talk about. But death doula Alua Arthur says if we want to live presently and die peacefully, we have to radically reshape our relationship with death.

Death is inevitable—why don't we talk about it more

Listen · 17:43
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Tuesday

So much sitting, looking at screens. Can we combat our sedentary lives?
Daniel Hertzberg

TED Radio Hour

So much sitting, looking at screens. Can we combat our sedentary lives?

In this special series, host Manoush Zomorodi investigates the relationship between our technology and our bodies and asks: How are we physically adapting to meet the demands of the Information Age? Why do so many of us feel utterly drained after a day spent attached to our devices?

So much sitting, looking at screens. Can we combat our sedentary lives?

Listen · 28:28
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