Today we're sharing another podcast from TED: TEDx SHORTS. Chief Medical Officer of Moderna Tal Zaks offers a look into the future of personalized medicine and how tailored vaccines might someday be used in the fight against cancer. This talk was filmed at TEDxBeaconStreet. All TEDx events are organized independently by volunteers in the spirit of TED's mission of ideas worth spreading. If you enjoyed this episode, you can subscribe to TEDxSHORTS wherever you’re listening to this.

TED Health

TEDxSHORTS: Tal Zak

When catastrophe strikes, art prevails—and has done so for centuries. In this fascinating talk, writer and director Cara Greene Epstein places the closing of theaters during the coronavirus pandemic in a historical context, exploring how we can use this intermission to imagine a more just, representative and beautiful world, onstage and off.

How theater weathers wars, outlasts empires and survives pandemics | Cara Greene Epstein

Today we're sharing another podcast from TED: How to Be a Better Human. Have you been feeling isolated or emotionally vulnerable lately? Loneliness is universal and while we can experience it at any point in our lives, we may be feeling it now more than ever. In this first episode, Guy Winch explains why your emotional health is so important and how you can find the support you need right now—from cutting through the small talk to finding a deeper appreciation for what you already have. Drawing on extensive experience helping patients repair broken connections, we’ll explore how loneliness influences well-being—and Guy will offer strategies for practicing emotional self-care. Guy is a licensed psychologist who works with individuals, couples, and families. As an advocate for psychological health, he has spent the last two decades adapting the findings of scientific studies into tools his patients, readers, and audience members can use to enhance and maintain their mental health. As an identical twin with a keen eye for any signs of favoritism, he believes we need to practice emotional hygiene with the same diligence with which we practice personal and dental hygiene. If you enjoyed the episode, you can subscribe to How to Be a Better Human wherever you're listening to this.

How to Be a Better Human: The emotional support you need right now | Guy Winch‪

Alzheimer's doesn't have to be your brain's destiny, says neuroscientist and author of "Still Alice," Lisa Genova. She shares the latest science investigating the disease -- and some promising research on what each of us can do to build an Alzheimer's-resistant brain.

What you can do to prevent Alzheimer's | Lisa Genova

As a sex educator, Emily Nagoski is often asked: How do couples sustain a strong sexual connection over the long term? In this funny, insightful talk, she shares her answer -- drawing on (somewhat surprising) research to reveal why some couples stop having sex while others keep up a connection for a lifetime.

How couples can sustain a strong sexual connection for a lifetime | Emily Nagoski

In 1970, marijuana was classified as a schedule 1 drug in the United States: the strictest designation possible, meaning it was completely illegal and had no recognized medical uses. Today, marijuana's therapeutic benefits are widely acknowledged, but a growing recognition for its medical value doesn't answer the question: is recreational marijuana use bad for your brain? Anees Bahji investigates. This is a TED-Ed lesson directed by Anton Bogaty, narrated by Addison Anderson, with music by Bamm Bamm Wolfgang.

Is marijuana bad for your brain? | Anees Bahji

Trauma and PTSD rewire your brain -- especially your memory -- and can unearth destructive emotional responses when stirred. Could we eliminate these triggers without erasing the memories themselves? Enter neurologist Amy Milton's mind-blowing, memory-editing clinical research poised to defuse the damaging effects of painful remembered experiences and offer a potential path toward better mental health.

Can we edit memories? | Amy Milton

School can be rife with stress, anxiety, panic attacks and even burnout — but there's often no formal policy for students who need to prioritize their well-being. Hailey Hardcastle explains why schools should offer mental health days and allow students time to practice emotional hygiene without stigma. Follow along to learn how she and a team of fellow teens transformed their advocacy into law.

The case for student mental health days | Hailey Hardcastle

You use your brain's executive function every day -- it's how you do things like pay attention, plan ahead and control impulses. Can you improve it to change for the better? With highlights from her research on child development, cognitive scientist Sabine Doebel explores the factors that affect executive function -- and how you can use it to break bad habits and achieve your goals.

How your brain's executive function works -- and how to improve it | Sabine Doebel

Stories help you make sense of your life -- but when these narratives are incomplete or misleading, they can keep you stuck instead of providing clarity. In an actionable talk, psychotherapist and advice columnist Lori Gottlieb shows how to break free from the stories you've been telling yourself by becoming your own editor and rewriting your narrative from a different point of view.

How changing your story can change your life | Lori Gottlieb

"We've been promised a future of chrome -- but what if the future is fleshy?" asks biological designer Christina Agapakis. In this awe-inspiring talk, Agapakis details her work in synthetic biology -- a multidisciplinary area of research that pokes holes in the line between what's natural and artificial -- and shares how breaking down the boundaries between science, society, nature and technology can lead us to imagine different possible futures.

What happens when biology becomes technology? | Christina Agapakis

Health care workers are under more stress than ever before. How can they protect their mental health while handling new and complex pressures? TED Fellow Laurel Braitman shows how writing and sharing personal stories helps physicians, nurses, medical students and other health professionals connect more meaningfully with themselves and others -- and make their emotional well-being a priority.

The mental health benefits of storytelling for health care workers | Laurel Braitman

There are many different approaches to modern yoga— though most forms have three core elements: physical postures, breathing exercises, and spiritual contemplation.This blend of physical and mental exercise is widely believed to have a unique set of health advantages. But is yoga actually beneficial to your health? Krishna Sudhir examines how this ancient tradition impacts the body and mind. [Directed by Zsuzsanna Kreif, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Cem Misirlioglu / WORKPLAYWORK].

What yoga does to your body and brain | Krishna Sudhir

Did you know that almost 150 million people worldwide are born intersex -- with biology that doesn't fit the standard definition of male or female? (That's as many as the population of Russia.) At age 10, Emily Quinn found out she was intersex, and in this wise, funny talk, she shares eye-opening lessons from a life spent navigating society's thoughtless expectations, doctors who demanded she get unnecessary surgery -- and advocating for herself and the incredible variety that humans come in. (Contains mature content)

The way we think about biological sex is wrong | Emily Quinn

As prescription drug costs skyrocket in the US, thousands of people are forced to forgo lifesaving medications -- all while manufacturers and health care facilities systematically destroy perfectly good, surplus pills. Kiah Williams shares how SIRUM -- a nonprofit that delivers unused medications to families who need them most -- plans to drive down prescription prices by recycling almost a billion dollars' worth of medications in the next five years. (This ambitious plan is a part of the Audacious Project, TED's initiative to inspire and fund global change.)

You shouldn't have to choose between filling your prescriptions and paying bills | Kiah Williams

What does exercise do to your brain? Can psychedelics treat depression? From smart daily habits to new medical breakthroughs, welcome to TED Health. TED speakers answer questions you never even knew you had, and share ideas you won't hear anywhere else, all around how we can live healthier lives.

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