Ideas change everything

Global issues

A collection of TED Talks (and more) on the topic of Global issues.

Video playlists about Global issues

TED Explains the World with Ian Bremmer

TED Explains the World with Ian Bremmer dives into complex geopolitical issues to explore what really matters in the critical news stories of the day. This special series — a partnership with political scientist Ian Bremmer, president and founder of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media — takes us behind the scenes of global affairs to offer a more comprehensive understanding of the news than soundbites could ever offer.

How innovation changes the world

The big and small ways invention and transformation can bring about new eras of inspired action, thought and change.

Talks that will make you think twice

Everyday sights and experiences that are not as innocuous and innocent as they may seem.

How data can save lives

An exploration of what we can do to save the world with the massive amounts of data collected every day.

See all playlists on Global issues

Talks about Global issues

Karthik Muralidharan

Why spending smarter beats bigger budgets

Ian Bremmer

Trump’s 2024 election win — and what’s next

Nikolaus S. Lang

5 ways leaders can adapt to shifting geopolitics

Carolyn Beans

How do heat waves affect your body?

Huiyi Lin

What does poverty look like on a plate?

Norah Magero

This refrigerator is saving lives

Angus Hervey

Break the bad news bubble (Part 1)

Dana Gunders

How to turn the tables on food waste

Gabrielle Rifkind

How to prevent — or stop — a war

Victor Ochen

The intersection of war and climate change

Jerusalem Youth Chorus

An anthem for peace and justice from Israeli and Palestinian youth

Aline Sousa

The unsung heroes putting climate solutions into practice

Ian Bremmer

Can America come together after the Trump assassination attempt?

Saleem Ali

The fight over minerals for green energy — and a better way forward

Dorcas Naishorua

Lessons from people already adapting to the climate crisis

David Friedberg

A scientific breakthrough that could transform how we produce food

See all talks on Global issues

Exclusive articles about Global issues

The world’s refugees need all the help they can get. Here are 7 ways that businesses can support them

Want to do something to help the world’s more than 22 million refugees? Any business -- no matter its size -- can give them a boost, says Melissa Fleming, chief spokesperson for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

Posted Jun 2018

Cultures, nations and religions are not rocks — they’re always changing

“Africa is doomed to be poor” -- that wrongheaded statement is an example of the destiny instinct, the belief that innate characteristics determine the destinies of countries or cultures, says the late global health expert Hans Rosling. Here’s why it happens and how to overcome it.

Posted May 2018

Why ideas matter … now more than ever

It might seem as if our interconnected world is unraveling, if last week's Brexit vote is anything to go by. But it's now, says TED curator Chris Anderson, that great ideas can help knit humanity together.

Posted Jun 2016

See all articles on Global issues