logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2025
13m 1s

How to build in space for life on Earth ...

TED Tech
About this episode

Is space the “final frontier” — or the perfect place to revolutionize life on Earth? Space architect Ariel Ekblaw reveals how self-assembling structures could build orbiting real estate in space dedicated to solving humanity’s greatest dilemmas on Earth, leading to scientific and medical breakthroughs only possible in zero gravity.

Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast


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

Up next
Today
The best thing that could happen to the energy industry | Matt Tilleard
History has been written by whoever controls the dominant fuel of the era — until now, says renewables entrepreneur Matt Tilleard. He explains why, as the clean energy transition ramps up, we’re moving from a world where energy comes from burning fuels to one where it will come f ... Show More
16m 23s
Jan 30
How to pull the emergency brake on global warming | Mohamed A. Sultan
Landfills across African cities are catching fire and releasing methane, an invisible greenhouse gas with more short-term warming potential than CO2. Sustainable strategist Mohamed A. Sultan reveals how local communities are turning this crisis into opportunity, diverting hundred ... Show More
15m 55s
Jan 23
Inside India's astonishing solar revolution | Kanika Chawla
In 2014, the world’s second largest coal consumer made a bold promise: to increase its solar capacity from three gigawatts to 100 gigawatts in just eight years. Many people called it overly ambitious, but energy expert Kanika Chawla saw the opportunity of a lifetime. She tells th ... Show More
12m 11s
Recommended Episodes
May 2025
How to build in space for life on Earth | Ariel Ekblaw
Is space the “final frontier” — or the perfect place to revolutionize life on Earth? Space architect Ariel Ekblaw reveals how self-assembling structures could build orbiting real estate in space dedicated to solving humanity’s greatest dilemmas on Earth, leading to scientific and ... Show More
12m 16s
May 2025
Beyond the Talk: Ariel Ekblaw on space-based technology and architecture
"We should be protecting the Earth — and we can use space technology to do that," says aerospace architect Ariel Ekblaw. Following her talk at TED2025, Ekblaw sat down for a special conversation with Elise Hu, host of TED Talks Daily, to discuss how space-based technology can imp ... Show More
21m 47s
Apr 2024
Is Space Exploration Worth the Cost?
<p><span>Join us on another enlightening clip of Earn Your Leisure, where we engage in a thought-provoking discussion about the true value of space exploration. In this clip, </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/eyl" rel="nofollow">#EYL</a><span> hosts Rashad Bilal, Tr ... Show More
11m 21s
Aug 2024
Space Policy Edition: Do we need a philosophy of space exploration?
<p>Why do we explore space? This is not an easy question to answer. Yet policy expert G. Ryan Faith believes there is value to be had in communal engagement with this question. While easy answers may elude us, the act of defining our values and goals in space can help avoid commo ... Show More
1h 8m
Jun 2011
So You Want To Be An Astronaut?
Robin Ince and Brian Cox are joined by comedian Helen Keen ("It is Rocket Science") and space medicine expert Dr Kevin Fong, to discuss the future of human space travel. As NASA's space shuttle program comes to a close, what does the future hold in terms of humans bid to leave th ... Show More
28 m
Nov 2024
EELS: AI-enabled snake robots and the search for life on Enceladus
<p dir="ltr">Morgan Cable and Hiro Ono from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory join Planetary Radio to discuss the Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor (EELS) robot concept, a snake-like AI-enabled device designed to navigate the vents of Enceladus. This technology could tell us more ab ... Show More
1h 2m
Sep 2023
Subsurface oceans: The hidden potential of Earth-like exoplanets
<p>Lujendra Ojha, assistant professor at Rutgers University, joins Planetary Radio to discuss how subsurface liquid water on exoplanets orbiting red dwarf stars could increase the likelihood of finding habitable worlds beyond our Solar System. Then we check in with Bruce Betts, c ... Show More
50m 28s
May 2020
Space Policy Edition: Our Moral Obligation to Explore Space
Are we morally obligated to pursue space exploration? What ethical considerations should we consider when creating space policy? Philosopher James Schwartz joins the show to address these questions and talk about his new book, The Value of Science in Space Exploration. Learn more ... Show More
1h 11m