From Siri to Alexa to Google, virtual assistants already permeate our lives. What will the next generation of these digital helpers look and sound like? Customer experience professional Karen Lellouche Tordjman gives us a glimpse of where they're headed -- and breaks down the two key challenges engineers need to crack in order to usher in a new age of truly smart voice assistants.
TED Fellow Tom Osborn wants more young people to have access to the mental health support they need. With the Shamiri Institute, he and his team are training 18- to 22-year-olds to deliver evidence-based mental health care to their peers in Kenya -- which has only two clinicians for every million people. Hear how their community-first, youth-oriented model could become a template to help kids across the world lead successful, independent lives.
Having trouble falling asleep -- or staying asleep? Alcohol, sleeping pills or drugs like cannabis may help you in the short-term, but they're only a quick fix, says sleep scientist Matt Walker. There is, however, one proven way to treat your insomnia and help you get the zzz's you need.
By 2100, the UN estimates that the world's population will grow to just over 11 billion people. Architect Vishaan Chakrabarti wants us to start thinking about how we'll house all these people -- and how new construction can fight climate change rather than make it worse. In this visionary talk, Chakrabarti proposes a "Goldilocks" solution to sustainable housing that exists in the sweet spot between single-family homes and towering skyscrapers.
What if we treated the risk of pandemics the same way we treat the risk of fires? In this eye-opening talk, infectious disease epidemiologist Jennifer B. Nuzzo unpacks how the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904 sparked a cultural shift in how we defend against fires -- and explains why pandemics demand the same sort of reaction. She breaks down the data we need to gather when facing possible danger, the drills we need to ready ourselves and the defenses that could keep future threats at bay -- so next time, we're prepared.
Whether you have one follower or a million, we've all witnessed nastiness and hate speech on social media. YouTube content creator and mental well-being motivator Peachy Liv advocates for a kinder, more respectful digital world -- and urges us all to reflect before we share our thoughts online. Hear her tips for dealing with cyberbullying and personal insights on how we can all make the internet a safer place.
"This chair is my legs -- this chair is my life," says accessibility champion Jane Velkovski, who uses a wheelchair after being diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). With clarity and poise, he shares how his first motorized wheelchair empowered him with independence and ability -- and why assistive technology should be available to anyone who needs it. "Freedom of movement, no matter on legs or on wheels, is a human right," he says.
"I want all families to be made whole, to be reunified, to be together -- as is our right," says writer, poet and student Elizabeth Zion. In this profoundly moving talk, Zion shares the impacts of family separation, including her personal struggles with homelessness and poverty -- and points a way toward moral and just policies that recognize the human rights of migrant families.
