logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2020
44 m

Why pandemics are not inevitable with So...

TED
About this episode

What can past pandemics teach us how to tackle the current one? Tracing the history of contagions from cholera to Ebola and beyond, science journalist Sonia Shah explains why we’re more vulnerable to outbreaks now than ever before, what we can do to minimize the spread of coronavirus and how to prevent future pandemics. This virtual conversation is part of the TED Connects series, hosted by science curator David Biello and current affairs curator Whitney Pennington Rodgers. It was recorded on March 31, 2020. To learn more, visit go.ted.com/tedconnects

Up next
Feb 2023
Introducing Good Sport
This week on The TED Interview we’re excited to introduce TED’s newest podcast, Good Sport, hosted by veteran sports producer Jody Avirgan. What can sports teach us about life – and each other? Good Sport brings you invigorating stories from on and off the field to argue that spo ... Show More
3m 34s
Jan 2023
Our Predictions for 2023 | After Hours
Curious about 2023? Youngme, Mihir and Felix from the podcast After Hours are back with their celebrated predictions episode. Who will acquire Spotify? Will Twitter implode? What’s the trend in inflation and energy prices? Who will top the music charts? Space travel for all? List ... Show More
45m 44s
Nov 2022
The music of David Byrne’s mind
David Byrne views life through many lenses. He’s a musician, author, filmmaker, curator, conservationist, digital music theorist, bicycle advocate, visual artist... the list goes on. But through his many trajectories – from co-founding the acclaimed band Talking Heads to his late ... Show More
39m 21s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2022
The Pandemic Lessons We Clearly Haven’t Learned
I remember thinking, as Covid ravaged the country in December 2020, that at least the holidays the next year would be better. There would be more vaccines, more treatments, more immunity. Instead, we got Omicron and a confusing new phase of the pandemic. What do you do with a var ... Show More
1h 15m
Oct 2022
A future without pandemics? with Mark Smolinski
In 2011, when medical doctor and epidemiologist Mark Smolinski was working as a science advisor for the blockbuster film “Contagion,” the film ran a campaign that asked communities: “What are you gonna do to prepare for the next pandemic?” A decade later, as the president of Endi ... Show More
33m 20s
Apr 2021
Dr. Sanjay Gupta on how to build a better brain
This past (very long) year, Dr. Sanjay Gupta has been immersed in all things COVID-19, as CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent reporting on the front lines of this novel virus. “All I think about is COVID,” he told Katie, “Viral transmission, how people evaluate risk, social behavio ... Show More
1h 1m
Sep 2020
How to think about coronavirus risk in your life
Coronavirus has turned life into an endless series of risk calculations. Can I take my child to see his grandparents, even if it means getting on a plane? Is it okay to begin seeing friends or dating? Should I attend religious services even if they are held inside? Do I have to w ... Show More
1h 9m
Jul 2021
Ep 920 | The Successful COVID Treatment the Government Is Blocking | Guest: Dr. Ryan Cole
We’re joined once again by Dr. Ryan Cole, a Mayo Clinic-trained anatomic and clinical pathologist who has lived and breathed this virus for months. He offers a spellbinding presentation on how to treat the virus at every stage and how the government is consigning people to death ... Show More
1h 2m
Mar 2020
What we do (and don't) know about the coronavirus | David Heymann
What happens if you get infected with the coronavirus? Who's most at risk? How can you protect yourself? Public health expert David Heymann, who led the global response to the SARS outbreak in 2003, shares the latest findings about COVID-19 and what the future may hold. Hosted on ... Show More
9m 46s