TED 2026 Part One: The Human Connection — Justice, Altruism, and the Social Fabric
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TED 2026 was an intense conference, with over 90 talks, multiple and contradictory perspectives, and a way for me to get a sense of the world we are living in and moving towards, with all its beauty and challenges.
It was also a chance to have great conversations with my TED friends, old and new. And I had a chance to learn something new and have fun when I signed up for a Curling introduction in the old Olympic curling rink. I loved it!
I wanted to share the talks I found most interesting, and since there were so many, I split the newsletter into two: the first about human connections and the second about technology.
This edition explores the individuals dedicated to social reform, moral leadership, and the preservation of human empathy.
Voices for Justice and Freedom:
Malala Yousafzai opened the conference with an urgent call to recognize gender apartheid in Afghanistan as a crime against humanity, highlighting that the recent laws are making domestic violence towards daughters and wives legal in the country View her talk here.
Leopoldo Lopez, a Venezuelan opposition leader, shared his harrowing journey of a 28-day hunger strike and imprisonment. His organization, the World Liberty Congress, now supports "freedom fighters" from 60 countries using decentralization to bolster democracy.
Amy Bowers Cordalis, a member of the Yurok tribe and the first indigenous woman to attend law school, discussed her legal victory in removing dams on the Klamath River, which restored a century-old salmon ecosystem.
Susan Burton, after her own experiences with the prison system, founded safe houses that have expanded to 20 states and countries like Kenya and Nigeria to break the cycle of incarceration.
Reginald Dwayne Betts is complementing this work by building 600 "freedom libraries" in prisons to provide hope and education to incarcerated people.
Altruism and Resilience:
Gabriela Navarro Moynihan exemplified radical empathy by donating a kidney to a stranger at age 19, concluding that "there is a lot of joy on the other side of fear".
Jessica Irwin, a verbal speaker and artist with cerebral palsy, challenged medical practitioners and the public to use yes/no questions for better communication rather than assuming a lack of agency.
Nelly Attar, the first Saudi Arabian woman to climb the world’s five highest mountains, reminded the audience that only those willing to go far discover their true limits.
The Science of Empathy and Connection:
Michael Chorost, who is deaf and uses a cochlear implant, advocated for listening as a moral act, focusing on the "whole" person rather than just parts of a message.
Emily Kasriel, a trainer in deep listening, emphasized that "listening does not mean agreeing".
Joshua Johnson furthered this by encouraging us to move toward objectivity by asking those we disagree with who influenced their views.
Eli Finkel suggested couples use a unique "lovemotif" or private rituals to maintain long-term connections.
Paul Bloom warned that AI chatbots might become "imperfect companions" that discourage real-life (IRL) relationships.
Daniel Gilbert and Chris Anderson discussed the evolving "dance" between humans and AI, with Gilbert introducing the concept of "homo connectus."
Neal Kumar Katyal, a Supreme Court lawyer, detailed his preparation process using AI, improv coaches, and meditation to find the "human edge" in constitutional law.
Li Hongyi argued for more effective governance by empowering small, imaginative teams on the ground rather than relying on hierarchical systems.
Audrey Tang, Taiwan's Digital Minister, summarized the need for better tools, stating that "polarization is a design flaw" that can be fixed through collective intelligence.
Candice Odgers, a developmental psychologist, challenged the idea that social media is bad for children by arguing it is not a primary predictor of teen mental health, advocating instead for more school counselors and a chance for one-on-one interaction with adults that can help.
Redefining Value and Impact:
Randal Lane suggested a new approach, a new proposal for measuring the value of the billionaires, and encouraged me to give. He suggests a "True Net Worth" that includes total wealth, including their charitable giving. Under this metric, while Elon Musk remains the wealthiest (despite low giving), Bill Gates and Warren Buffett rank next, and MacKenzie Scott is noted as the "biggest mover" for her rapid donations. View his talk here.
Jen Loving, CEO of Destination: Home, demonstrated that preventing homelessness saves $227 for every $1 invested.
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