PodcastsEducationHow to Be a Better Human

How to Be a Better Human

TED
How to Be a Better Human
Latest episode

245 episodes

  • How to Be a Better Human

    How to add more exploration in your life (w/ Alex Hutchinson)

    30/03/2026 | 40 mins.
    “When was the last time you did something you didn’t do yesterday?” asks journalist and explorer Alex Hutchinson. Alex joins Chris to examine whether the desire to explore is baked into our genes, how he intentionally tries to get lost in his neighborhood, and what he learns from following his curiosity.

    Host & Guest
    Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | https://chrisduffycomedy.com/)
    Alex Hutchinson (Instagram: @sweat_science | Website: https://www.alexhutchinson.net/)

    Links
    Humor Me by Chris Duffy
    The Explorer’s Gene by Alex Hutchinson
    For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts

    Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • How to Be a Better Human

    How to understand your own consciousness (w/ Michael Pollan)

    23/03/2026 | 38 mins.
    What is consciousness? Humans and animals have it, but do plants have sentience? These are the questions journalist Michael Pollan studies. Michael is the author of ten books on the relationship between food, consciousness, and psychedelics. Michael joins Chris to discuss why humans ruminate, how people should get comfortable with boredom, and whether we can really trust our own memories?

    Host & Guest
    Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | https://chrisduffycomedy.com/)
    Michael Pollan (Instagram: @michael.pollan | Website: https://michaelpollan.com/)

    Links
    Buy Chris’ book, Humor Me, at https://t.ted.com/ZGuYfcL
    For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts

    Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • How to Be a Better Human

    How to find your purpose (w/ Yara Shahidi) (video)

    16/03/2026 | 40 mins.
    “Optimism is not what exists in a vacuum on your best day, but how you're pulling through for yourself on your worst days,” says actress Yara Shahidi. Yara is known for her sitcoms Black-ish and its spinoff Grown-ish. She shares what she learned from creating a “Hard Yes” list, why she chose to attend Harvard after acting, and why she thinks anyone can find their highest order if they pay attention.

    Host & Guest
    Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | https://chrisduffycomedy.com/)
    Yara Shahidi (Instagram: @yarashahidi | Website: https://www.yarashahidi.com/)

    Links
    Humor Me by Chris Duffy - https://t.ted.com/ZGuYfcL
    The Optimist Podcast (Instagram: @theoptimistprojectpod)
    For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts

    Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • How to Be a Better Human

    How to find your purpose (w/ Yara Shahidi)

    16/03/2026 | 40 mins.
    “Optimism is not what exists in a vacuum on your best day, but how you're pulling through for yourself on your worst days,” says actress Yara Shahidi. Yara is known for her sitcoms Black-ish and its spinoff Grown-ish. She shares what she learned from creating a “Hard Yes” list, why she chose to attend Harvard after acting, and why she thinks anyone can find their highest order if they pay attention.

    Host & Guest
    Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | https://chrisduffycomedy.com/)
    Yara Shahidi (Instagram: @yarashahidi | Website: https://www.yarashahidi.com/)

    Links
    Humor Me by Chris Duffy - https://t.ted.com/ZGuYfcL
    The Optimist Podcast (Instagram: @theoptimistprojectpod)
    For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts

    Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • How to Be a Better Human

    How to understand money stuff (w/ Matt Levine)

    09/03/2026 | 38 mins.
    Matt Levine is the author of Bloomberg’s “Money Stuff” newsletter where he writes about Wall Street and finances. Matt joins Chris to break down common money questions such as what exactly is commodity trading? How do AI companies make money? How do companies balance ethics and virtues with increasing profits for shareholders? They also discuss how Matt uses comedy and humor to make complicated money topics accessible.

    Host & Guest
    Chris Duffy (Instagram: @chrisiduffy | https://chrisduffycomedy.com/)
    Matt Levine (Website: https://mattlevine.co/work)

    Links
    Humor Me by Chris Duffy - https://t.ted.com/ZGuYfcL
    Bloomberg Money Stuff newsletter
    For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts

    Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More Education podcasts

About How to Be a Better Human

How To Be A Better Human isn’t your average self improvement podcast. Each week join Chris Duffy in conversation with guests and past speakers as they uncover sharp insights and give clear takeaways on how YOU can be a better human. From your work to your home and your head to your heart, How To Be a Better Human looks in unexpected places for new ways to improve and show up for one another. Inspired by the popular series of the same name on TED’s Ideas blog, How to Be a Better Human will help you become a better person from the comfort of your own headphones.Follow Chris on Instagram and TikTok at @chrisiduffy. Buy his book Humor Me at https://t.ted.com/ZGuYfcL Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Podcast website

Listen to How to Be a Better Human, The Jefferson Fisher Podcast and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app

Get the free radio.net app

  • Stations and podcasts to bookmark
  • Stream via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
  • Supports Carplay & Android Auto
  • Many other app features

How to Be a Better Human: Podcasts in Family

  • Podcast The TED AI Show
    The TED AI Show
    Technology