logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2019
9m 37s

How we’re building the world’s largest f...

TED
About this episode
Genealogist Yaniv Erlich helped build the world’s largest family tree -- comprising 13 million people and going back more than 500 years. He shares fascinating patterns that emerged from the work -- about our love lives, our health, even decades-old criminal cases -- and shows how crowdsourced genealogy databases can shed light not only on the past but also on the future.

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

Up next
Today
How to find humor in life's absurdity | Maira Kalman (re-release)
With levity and profound insight, artist Maira Kalman reflects on life, death, dinner parties, not knowing the right answers, the joys of eating a hot dog from a street vendor and more. This talk, interwoven with her delightful paintings, is itself an artwork that seems to hold t ... Show More
13m 45s
Yesterday
The most powerful predictor of team success | Rafael Chiuzi
Remember that gut-clenching fear of speaking up in class? Organizational psychologist Rafael Chiuzi reveals how that same feeling shows up in the workplace, limiting productivity and the free exchange of ideas. Backed by decades of research and hands-on consulting, he unpacks the ... Show More
16m 42s
Jul 10
A story of moral imagination and bold entrepreneurship | Sitoyo Lopokoiyit and Jacqueline Novogratz
In a conversation about visionary leadership, M-PESA CEO Sitoyo Lopokoiyit speaks with impact investor and Acumen CEO Jacqueline Novogratz about how he grew a nascent mobile payment service into Africa’s largest fintech platform — which now handles nearly 60 percent of Kenya's GD ... Show More
19m 36s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2022
A Humorous History of Genetics
What makes you... well, you? It's a question humanity has wrestled with since the dawn of recorded history all the way to the modern day. In today's special episode in partnership with 23andMe, Ben, Noel and Max dive into the history of genetic research from its ancient predecess ... Show More
49m 32s
Apr 2024
BUSINESS INTERVIEW: How To Hack DNA For Optimum Health
BUSINESS INTERVIEW: How To Hack DNA For Optimum Health Julian Hayes II is our guest today joining us on the Steve Jobs inspired Join Up Dots business podcast He is an author, executive health consultant, and epigenetic atelier. I'm the founder of The Art of Fitness & Life, a besp ... Show More
48m 8s
Aug 2021
Genetics and the longer arm of the law
It is almost 40 years since Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys discovered genetic fingerprints in his University of Leicester laboratory. Now DNA is an integral part of criminal investigations worldwide, providing vital evidence to secure convictions and exonerate the innocent.But the e ... Show More
38m 21s
Dec 2021
DAWN OF EVERYTHING: The True History of Humanity
What if everything we think we know about the history of our species is wrong? That’s the provocative question at the heart of a new book by today’s guest, David Wengrow. Hailed as fascinating, brilliant, and potentially revolutionary, “The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Hu ... Show More
1h 20m
Dec 2022
Piece together your family tree
If you're interested in learning more about your family history, genealogist Mica Anders says to get creative. Look through newspaper archives, census data, vital records and more. And who knows, you may find some unexpected gems in the process. Learn more about sponsor message c ... Show More
18m 51s
Jul 2020
Ancient DNA and the Human Story: Interview with Geneticist Eske Willerslev
Ancient DNA is the key that's unlocking the deep history of humanity, allowing us to answer questions about our collective past that we never dreamed of addressing even 20 years ago. Eske Willerslev is a pioneer in the field of extracting, sequencing, and analyzing the preserved ... Show More
41m 40s
Jul 2017
Genomics, Machine Learning, and the Future of Big Data in Medicine | Eric Schadt
In Episode 15 of Hidden Forces, host Demetri Kofinas speaks with Dr. Eric Schadt. Eric Schadt is founder and CEO of Sema4, as well as Dean of Precision Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. During the course of his 20-year career, Dr. Eric Schadt has built gene ... Show More
1h 4m
Dec 2023
Genealogies of Modernity Episode 3: What Is Genealogy
Genealogy, in Charles Darwin’s terms, is the study of “descent with modification.” Taken as an analogy for the study of history, genealogy can guard against the potential dangers of claiming modernity. Against the effort to erase the past, genealogy asserts that our ancestry will ... Show More
45m 48s
Dec 2021
How humanity doubled life expectancy in a century | Steven Johnson
Doubling human life expectancy in a century is our greatest achievement, says author Steven Johnson. How did we make it happen -- and can we keep it going? Backed by fascinating historical anecdotes, he shares some life-lengthening innovations and reminds us of three key things n ... Show More
11m 38s