What happens when health makes room for pleasure, beauty, imagination, and the parts of life that help us keep going?
In the latest TEDMED Now, Kelly Thomas revisits A.J. Jacobs’s quest for perfect health and asks what gets lost when wellness becomes another system to optimize. The episode reframes joy, pleasure, recovery, and connection as essential parts of resilience, not rewards we earn after doing everything “right.”
A.J. Jacobs set out to become the healthiest person alive, testing every habit, theory, and intervention he could find. His TEDMED Talk turns that experiment into a sharp, funny reminder that health is not only measured by what we improve, but by what we make room for.
From the Walker Library of the History of Human Imagination, Jay Walker reveals how beauty has long helped people see, understand, and care about scientific discovery. It's is a vivid reminder that wonder can be a powerful way into science. Curiosity needs beauty, too.
A lighter, restorative set on art, connection, sound, nature, and the ways people rebuild attention and meaning.
From the beep of cardiac monitors to the blare of alarms, hospitals are often jarring places to be from an auditory perspective. And for patients, the combined dissonant…
Our connection to nature – and to the world around us – is difficult to measure. Yet, it is being documented in marvelous ways by Nordic Nature Artists…
Violinist Robert Gupta’s experience in neurobiology drives him to search for and to share the powerful connection between music and healing, particularly for mental illness.
Zoë Keating was working as a successful cellist and composer when her husband, Jeff, got sick with stage IV non-smokers lung cancer. Her life was turned upside down—she…
In both presentations and grant writing, I’ve referenced Dr. Nadine Burke Harris’ TEDMED Talk to support the need for our work. These talks are so helpful, always well received and have led to really meaningful discussions.
Adam Carley, Executive, Director Reach Western CT
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The most awesome thing about TEDMED talks is that they ignite our imagination, spark new ideas, and lead to innovations that enhance science and health care.
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Theresa Santoro, President and CEO, RVNAhealth
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