You love sports stats and rewatch classic games for the nuance. These talks on the math, science and evolution of sports are for you.

Amazing, inspiring feats of daring and determination that will bring you everywhere from the high skies to the deep sea.

Stadiums are not just a place for sports fans to cheer on the home team -- they're also concert venues, convention centers and even serve as makeshift shelters in emergencies. Stadiums are important. So why does it seem that instead of enjoying them, cities end up dealing with the mess (and the bill) that dealmakers leave behind? This is an epi...

Whether you love to swim, run, ski, shoot hoops or play cricket, these talks will make you wish you had a foam finger to hoist in the air.

"Muck City," Florida. Kinston, North Carolina. The courts of New York City in the 80s and 90s. These places share one unique trait: they found a way to produce a particular kind of great athlete, over and over. Is there something in the water – or is it something else? In our first episode, host Jody Avirgan talks to sports journalist Bomani Jon...

No one loves to lose. But even if you are a GOAT on a great AND lucky team, no one wins every time. So how do people who face loss after loss keep fighting to win? Jody speaks with Nikky McCray, a retired WNBA player who played on three All-Star teams and now coaches at Rutgers, about the secrets to perseverance. Then he chats with psychologist ...

What does it take to be a sports hot-take artist? And, could Jody do it? Sports debate shows aren't always about facts – they're about getting people to watch by any means necessary. And these shows pretty much wrote the playbook on how we debate across the media. In this episode, Jody gets coached on how to argue like a sportscaster from sports...

Stadiums are not just a place for sports fans to cheer on the home team -- they're also concert venues, convention centers and even serve as makeshift shelters in emergencies. Stadiums are important. So why does it seem that instead of enjoying them, cities end up dealing with the mess (and the bill) that dealmakers leave behind? This is an epi...

When it comes to sports, is there anything more evocative –and elusive– than "the zone"? That mythical place an athlete goes to where focus is laser-sharp, nothing can go wrong, and time just vanishes. In this episode, Jody talks to NBA All-Star great Steph Curry about what "the zone" means for him – and whether or not it even exists. Then Jody ...

The victory of the underdog. The last minute penalty shot that wins the tournament. The training montage. Many people love to glorify victory on the field, cheer for teams, and play sports. But should we be obsessed with sports? Are sports as good for us as we make them out to be, or are they just a fun and entertaining pastime? Leah Lagos and J...

Sure, sports are about athleticism -- but what actually keeps fans invested? Journalist Kate Fagan takes a fascinating deep-dive into lesser-known moments in women's sports history and its media coverage, revealing why stakes and storylines are at the heart of what makes sports riveting.

As the line between the physical and digital worlds blur, so does the line between real-world and virtual sports. Reframing our understanding of competition, data-driven technologist James Hodge explains how far esports (like virtual Formula 1 race car driving) have come in replicating the conditions of physical sports, making elite competition ...

Sports should be the great racial equalizer, a place where meritocracy reigns and skin color is irrelevant. But journalist Patrick Ferrucci begs to differ. Using sports journalism as his lens, he demonstrates how racial stereotypes have infiltrated the language we use to discuss athletes -- and how everyday racism bleeds into other aspects of li...

In this deeply personal talk, Jenna Weiner draws from her experiences as a transgender woman and college athlete to advocate for greater gender inclusivity in sports, a development that would benefit both athletes and the culture around them.

In March 2023, 17 speakers from across the world gathered in Doha for the inaugural TEDinArabic Summit. From climate change and politics to sports and fashion, enjoy this sweeping selection of talks.

ReThinking with Adam Grant Life lessons from sports with Jody Avirgan February 20, 2023 [00:00:00] Adam Grant: Hey everyone, it's Adam Grant. Welcome back to ReThinking, my podcast on the science of what makes us tick. I'm an organizational psychologist, and I'm taking you inside the minds of fascinating people to explore new thoughts and new w...

As a sports scientist, athlete and director of the Female Athlete Program at Boston Children's Hospital, Kate Ackerman understands that women athletes need more than pretty sports bras or new sneakers to achieve peak performance -- they need true investment committed to their health and well-being. Ackerman advocates for a long overdue sports me...

Each year in the United States, players of sports and recreational activities receive between 2.5 and 4 million concussions. How dangerous are all those concussions? The answer is complicated and lies in how the brain responds when something strikes it. Clifford Robbins explains the science behind concussions. [Directed by Rémi Cans, narrated by...

As a punter, most recently for the Minnesota Vikings, Chris Kluwe consistently set team records. As an advocate for equality, he proudly and profanely broke the NFL's code of omertà around locker-room politics. He tweets a lot about World of Warcraft.

Using advanced data analysis tools, Rajiv Maheswaran and Second Spectrum help make basketball teams smarter.

Chris Kluwe wants to look into the future of sports and think about how technology will help not just players and coaches, but fans. Here the former NFL punter envisions a future in which augmented reality will help people experience sports as if they are directly on the field -- and maybe even help them see others in a new light, too.

Ready for a change? These well-researched (and heartfelt) talks offer ideas and inspiration for all aspects of your life, from creativity to vulnerability, from competitive sports to collaborative games.

Having won an Olympic gold medal and two Women's World Cups, Megan Rapinoe is among the most decorated and world famous athletes of our time. She joins Design Matters host Debbie Millman to talk about her legendary soccer career, activism, and New York Times Best-Selling book. Design Matters is another podcast from the TED Audio Collective. If y...

How to Be a Better Human Jody Avirgan learned everything from sports February 6, 2023 [00:00:00] Chris Duffy: You are listening to How to Be a Better Human. I'm your host, Chris Duffy. When it comes to sports, I know nothing. I really cannot overstate how little I know about sports. There was a period of several years in a row where I kept putt...

David Epstein obsesses over mistranslations of scientific research, and tries to temper the misconceptions that follow them.

In the course of a career studying the limits of athletic performance, John Brenkus kept encountering one persistent myth: that physical strength is the best measure of success. In this passionate talk, he takes on an insidious effect of that myth, the idea that boys shouldn't compete with girls. He makes a bold call for kids to play together on...

For someone who doesn't believe in goal setting, Emmanuel Acho is highly accomplished. He's a former NFL linebacker, a TV sports analyst and the bestselling author of "Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man" -- and hosts a video series and podcast of the same name. In this episode, he shares why he's "anti-goals," how he consistently achie...

Colleges and universities in the US make billions of dollars each year from sports, compromising the health and education of athletes -- who are disproportionately Black -- in the name of money, power and pride. Sports lawyer and former NCAA investigator Tim Nevius exposes how the system exploits young talent and identifies fundamental reforms n...

What challenges lie ahead of a staggering 12,700-kilometer paddle around the entire continent of Australia? Crocodiles and sharks were just the beginning, says Ironwoman Bonnie Hancock. Reflecting on her remarkable feat of becoming the fastest person to paddle around Australia, she shares lessons on perseverance, resilience and finding meaning i...

Billie Jean King won 39 Grand Slam titles during her tennis career, and has long been a pioneer for equality and social justice.