Seth Berkley explains how smart advances in vaccine design, production and distribution are bringing us closer than ever to eliminating a host of global threats -- from AIDS to malaria to flu pandemics.

Measles, mumps, and polio are things we can prevent with vaccines, but scientists are looking to add a surprising entry to that list: Type 1 diabetes.

The news of several promising COVID-19 vaccines over the past few weeks has been very exciting, but so far, none have received emergency authorization for general use in the US. We'll talk about what that means, and also, why these...

As COVID-19 spread, BioNTech cofounders Uğur Şahin and Özlem Türeci had one goal: to make a safe, effective vaccine faster than ever before. In this illuminating conversation with head of TED Chris Anderson, the immunologists (and...

You might be wondering what we know about Sputnik V, the world’s first vaccine for widespread use against COVID-19. Well, so is everyone. Many experts are skeptical as to whether the vaccine actually works, because it’s been tested in a...

In this factual talk, geneticist Wendy Chung shares what we know about autism spectrum disorder — for example, that autism has multiple, perhaps interlocking, causes. Looking beyond the worry and concern that can surround a diagnosis,...

COVID-19 has the potential to ebb and flow with the seasons, but because it's a novel pandemic, that doesn't mean we're off the hook this summer.

Several COVID-19 variants are acting uniquely enough to qualify as a distinct strain. And you might have heard about one on the news: the Delta variant. Today we’re going to talk about what it is, why it’s here, and what you need to know...

Some potentially good news on the COVID-19 treatment front: Thanks to a technique that’s more than a century old, recovered COVID-19 patients may be in a position to help the rest of us -- with their blood plasma.

The people behind fake posts can rely on a few tricks to get you on board. But there are ways to spot them, and ways to avoid falling for what they have to say.

Nathan Myhrvold and team's latest inventions -- as brilliant as they are bold -- remind us that the world needs wild creativity to tackle big problems like malaria. And just as that idea sinks in, he rolls out a live demo of a new,...

For some people, fava beans can be deadly. What is it about this little legume that makes it so?

Recent research has offered some new insights into our biochemistry -- from a proposed drug for sexual arousal to a possible link between the flu and narcolepsy.

An effective COVID-19 vaccine is just the first step in ending the pandemic, says global health strategist Johanna Benesty. In this illuminating talk, she explores the various barriers to "equitable access" -- making sure COVID-19...

Adam Grosser talks about a project to build a refrigerator that works without electricity -- to bring the vital tool to villages and clinics worldwide. Tweaking some old technology, he's come up with a system that works.

We've been to the moon, we've mapped the continents, we've even been to the deepest point in the ocean -- twice. What's left for the next generation to explore? Biologist and explorer Nathan Wolfe suggests this answer: Almost everything....

When you think about the technology that helps us prevent outbreaks, what do you think of? Vaccines? Lab tests? Medications? What about toilets? That's right! Toilets are an important piece of technology that can help us prevent...

Refrigerators do much more than store your groceries -- they're also vital to preserving and distributing vaccines. Illustrating the realities of (and threats to) global vaccine supply chains, technologist and TED Fellow Nithya...

Multiple companies and organizations have announced early results about their COVID-19 vaccines. Here's what we know about Pfizer's.

Hank talks with MacArthur Fellow Dr. Rebecca Richards-Kortum of Rice University who co-founded Beyond Traditional Borders: An interdisciplinary undergrad curriculum focused on solutions to global health problems.

In today's news, Michael Aranda stands in for Hank to talk about this year's flu season. <br/>
And no, Hank isn't out sick with the flu - he's on the road and out of the studio for a few weeks!

Proteins are remarkable molecular machines: they digest your food, fire your neurons, power your immune system and so much more. What if we could design new ones, with functions never before seen in nature? In this remarkable glimpse of...

We will get out of this pandemic, says Maria Van Kerkhove, the COVID-19 Technical Lead of the World Health Organization (WHO). The question is how fast -- and if we'll take what we've learned from the past two years and apply it to the...

New variants of SARS-CoV-2 have emerged throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, with the latest one being Omicron. We’re still trying to learn about its effects and what it means for the overall course of the pandemic, but here’s what we know...