logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2023
28m 28s

So much sitting, looking at screens. Can...

TED Tech
About this episode
This is an episode of Body Electric a series airing over at the TED Radio Hour. 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?

Part one kicks off with an exploration into how economic eras have shaped the human body in the past with author Vybarr Cregan-Reid. Then, Columbia University researcher and exercise physiologist Keith Diaz and Manoush discuss his findings and propose a challenge to listeners: Let's see if we can end this cycle of type, tap, collapse together.

Click here to find out more about the project: npr.org/bodyelectric

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Jul 4
Are we still human if robots help raise our babies? | Sarah Blaffer Hrdy (Kelly Corrigan takeover)
AI is transforming the way we work — could it also reshape what makes us human? In this quick and insightful talk, evolutionary anthropologist Sarah Blaffer Hrdy explores how the human brain was shaped by millions of years of shared childcare and mutually supportive communities, ... Show More
24m 43s
Jun 27
Can AI companions help heal loneliness? | Eugenia Kuyda
AI companions could either be the cure to our loneliness epidemic … or humanity’s final downfall, says Eugenia Kuyda, creator of Replika — an app that allows you to create AI friends. She explores the potential of this technology to either exacerbate isolation or encourage connec ... Show More
14m 48s
Jun 20
Why are we sending critical metals to the dump? | Jeff More
The world is heading toward a massive copper shortage that could derail the clean energy transition, says mining expert Jeff More. He shows how advanced sensing technology could get us back on the right track, drastically cutting down on the wasted materials from traditional mini ... Show More
8m 35s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2024
So much sitting, looking at screens. Can we combat our sedentary lives? | Body Electric
This is an episode we think you might enjoy of Body Electric. TED Radio Hour 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 ut ... Show More
28m 56s
Oct 2023
Body Electric Part 1: The Body Through The Ages
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 devic ... Show More
28m 28s
Oct 2023
From the TED Radio Hour | Body Electric
Hello my fellow suffering human beings! I’ve got something very special for you. My friend, Manoush Zomorodi – host of TED Radio Hour from NPR – has been working on a special series called Body Electric: an interactive investigation into the relationship between our technology an ... Show More
29m 25s
Oct 2023
The Sunday Story: Body Electric
For years, medical experts have raised the alarm about the effects of sedentary behavior on the human body. Sitting too much has been linked with numerous health concerns including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and early death. Days filled with sitting and screen time leave us ... Show More
33m 42s
Oct 2023
Introducing Body Electric
We've got a special 6-part series with an interactive twist coming your way: On Body Electric, TED Radio Hour host Manoush Zomorodi investigates the relationship between our technology and our bodies... and she has a challenge for YOU. Starts Tuesday, October 3rd. Learn more abou ... Show More
2 m
Oct 2023
Body Electric: The Body Through The Ages
Being inside, hunching in front of a computer screen for hours at a time – these things take a toll on our minds and our bodies. Today on the show, TED Radio Hour's Manoush Zomorodi brings their new series Body Electric to Short Wave's Regina G. Barber. We learn about the negativ ... Show More
15m 16s
Oct 2023
Introducing Body Electric
We’ve got a special 6-part series with an interactive twist coming your way: On Body Electric, TED Radio Hour host Manoush Zomorodi investigates the relationship between our bodies and our technology…and she has a challenge for YOU. Starts Tuesday, October 3rd Hosted on Acast. Se ... Show More
2 m
Oct 2023
Body Electric Part 4: Below the Belt
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 ... Show More
24m 55s
Oct 2023
Body Electric Part 3: Why Our Eyes Are Elongating
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 pr ... Show More
24m 12s