TED Tech

“In climate tech, we don’t like talking about money,” says TED Tech host Sherrell Dorsey, but what if avoiding money talk is hurting the planet more than we realize? In this episode, Sherrell is sharing two talks on the past and future of farming and sustainability. Entrepreneur Yi Li speaks on why prioritizing her company’s bottom line is crucial in her work to help Kenyan farmers. Then, Bret Loken explores what farming would look like if it considered profit and scale alongside climate.

Talks featured
The missing piece in climate action (it's not what you think) | Yi Li
Can we create the "perfect" farm? | Brent Loken
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What if we live in a world where infrastructure maintenance is regenerative? Roads, bridges, and buildings won’t have to rely on taxes or tolls to finance repair, but are constructed with materials capable for self-repair? In this episode, Sherrell is sharing two talks on how two engineers are rethinking ways to design infrastructure that’s greener and more sustainable.

Talks featured
The brilliance of bridges and roads that repair themselves | Mark Miodownik
What if cracks in concrete could fix themselves? | Congrui Jin
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From its life-sustaining energy to its explosive geomagnetic storms, the Sun has many mysteries, says astrophysicist Nour E. Rawafi. He sheds light on NASA's latest endeavor to better understand our fiery neighbor and its impact on the future of society: sending the cutting-edge Parker Solar Probe deep into the Sun's atmosphere in humanity's closest-ever approach to a star.

This episode originally aired in 2025.
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Algorithms and AI don’t show us reality, but that doesn’t stop people from treating ChatGPT and online bots as our personalized therapists, travel planners, and editors. In this episode, Sherrell is sharing two talks on how AI is changing the way we’re influenced. From shaping our language to becoming “middle managers of our own thoughts,” these speakers ask what happens when we offload critical thinking to a machine.

Talks featured
Why are people starting to sound like ChatGPT? | Adam Aleksic
How to stop AI from killing your critical thinking | Advait Sarkar
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From local parks to the Amazon rainforest, trees provide shade and shelters for humans, animals, insects, and many other living creatures. They’re the lungs of our planets, but they’re being threatened by deforestation. In this episode, Sherrell is sharing two talks on what happens if the entire Amazon rainforest disappears… and how one land reformer is using satellite imagery to hold tree cutters accountable.

Talk featured
Is the Amazon Rainforest disappearing? | Anna Rothschild
How to see (and stop) deforestation from space | Tasso Azevedo
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