How imaginary worlds help kids learn | Anna Rainio

When parents first have kids, some risk entering “the loneliest decade,” where they fall out of touch with friends. Writer Stacey McLachlan decided to do something different when she had her daughter, refusing to let her social life slip away. In this witty talk, she shares her solution — and why it matters for all of us.Vote for our show in the Signal Awards for Most Inspirational podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Technology has been promising to revolutionize education for a long time. Online learning, smartphones, and even asynchronous classes during COVID seemed for a while like they might finally transform what learning can look like, but all we really learned was that changing education is slower and harder than anyone wants it to be. Could AI finally be the unlock we’ve been looking for? Leah Belsky has spent nearly 20 years at the intersection of education and technology. She helped lead Coursera during the rise of online learning, and is now the head of education at OpenAI. In this episode, Molly sits down with Leah to find out what AI really has to offer as a learning tool, and where it falls short of the hype. Leah shares what she’s learned as both a leader in the ed tech world and a parent of AI-curious kids, and offers tips for how to coach kids to use AI as an empowering tool without getting in the way of their learning. Vote for our show in the Signal Awards for Most Inspirational podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As AI reshapes work, school and love, what part of being human can't a machine take over? In a wide-ranging conversation, psychotherapist Esther Perel and TED's vision steward Sal Khan provide their unique takes on the answer. From personalized learning and AI companions to "emotional capitalism" and the rituals we create to live with uncertainty, the two explore if we're getting better at living or just getting better at optimizing. (This conversation is part of “TED Intersections,” a series featuring thought-provoking conversations between experts navigating the ideas shaping our world.)Vote for our show in the Signal Awards for Most Inspirational podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On paper, Blake Mycoskie is a glowing success story: he founded TOMS Shoes, building a global brand that has given away more than 100 million pairs of shoes to children in need. Yet despite his success, his struggle with depression nearly cost him his life. In this personal talk, he explores the all-too-common shame that keeps people suffering in silence — and shares his new mission to spread the simple yet powerful message that each of us is inherently enough. (Note: This talk includes discussion of suicide and depression.)More resourcesResources for suicide prevention, post-attempt survivors and their familiesVote for our show in the Signal Awards for Most Inspirational podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All children develop at different paces — so why do schools expect every student to learn the same way? Early education researcher Anna Rainio introduces "playworlds," a learning activity where adults and kids create imaginary stories together. She shows how pretend play helps students find their place — and the power of a teacher or parent starting with a simple question: Why not?Vote for our show in the Signal Awards for Most Inspirational podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tami Pyfer has five kids who belong to five different political parties, and sometimes family conversations get heated. Drawing on her work as a former policy advisor to the governor of Utah, she wanted to find a healthier way for people to talk about politics without contempt. The result is the Dignity Index: an eight-point scale that measures the language we use to disagree, aiming to ease political divisions. What score do you think your last conversation would get?Vote for our show in the Signal Awards for Most Inspirational podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With humor and hard science, obstetrician and gynecologist Jaime Seeman reveals why building muscle is one of the best ways to combat women’s top health risks. Learn the truth behind three weightlifting myths that prevent women from getting serious about strength training — and why your future self will thank you for picking up those dumbbells.(This episode originally aired in 2025.)Vote for our show in the Signal Awards for Most Inspirational podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Social psychologist Eli J. Finkel has spent decades studying what makes partnerships successful. In a practical talk drawing on lessons from pop culture, he explores why so many of us struggle to be true to ourselves in our relationships — and what the happiest couples do differently.Vote for our show in the Signal Awards for Most Inspirational podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From group chats to video calls, technology should make social connection easier than ever. So, why is everyone so lonely? In this special featured episode from the new TED podcast, Corner Piece, host Sabrina sets out to investigate the "loneliness epidemic" that is sweeping the globe and impacting her friends and cohosts. She interviews Professor Fay Bound-Alberti, author of "A Biography of Loneliness: The History of an Emotion" to understand what loneliness is, where it comes from, and whether there is a "cure". In the process, co-hosts Taha and Melissa challenge Sabrina to tackle her own loneliness through a sidequest that reveals just how hard connection can be in modern life. Hear more episodes of Corner Piece on your favorite podcast app or here: https://link.mgln.ai/G4KvuV Vote for our show in the Signal Awards for Most Inspirational podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's a whole world of food growing right outside our doors — in our backyards, on sidewalks, in the parks we walk through every day — and most of us pass by it without a second glance. Alexis Nikole Nelson wants to change that. A self-described “ethnobotany nerd,” she’s spent years teaching people how to forage the wild food hiding in plain sight. She explores how paying closer attention to what’s already around us can reconnect us to the land, our communities and each other. (This conversation, hosted by TED’s Whitney Pennington Rodgers, was part of an exclusive TED Membership event. TED Membership is the best way to support and engage with the big ideas you love from TED. To learn more, visit ted.com/membership.)Vote for our show in the Signal Awards for Most Inspirational podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.