Can we preserve knowledge … forever?

TED Radio Hour

NPR

Society & Culture, Social Sciences, Science, Technology

4.3 • 21.7K Ratings

🗓️ 24 April 2026

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Information feels more accessible than ever, but the ways we store data are surprisingly fragile. Can we save anything forever? This hour, TED speakers explore preserving our past, present and future. Guests include game designer CM Ralph, digital librarian Brewster Kayle, molecular biologist Dina Zielinksi and archeologist Chris Fisher.

Original air date: January 27, 2023

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This is the TED Radio Hour.
0:04.4	Each week, groundbreaking TED Talks.
0:06.8	Our job now is to dream big.
0:08.2	Delivered at TED conferences.
0:09.9	To bring about the future we want to see.
0:12.0	Around the world.
0:13.0	To understand who we are.
0:14.9	From those talks, we bring you speakers and ideas that will surprise you.
0:20.0	You just don't know what you're going to find.
0:21.9	Challenge you.
0:22.8	We truly have to ask ourselves, like, why is it noteworthy?
0:25.2	And even change you.
0:26.3	I literally feel like I'm a different person.
0:28.4	Yes.
0:29.4	Do you feel that way?
0:31.2	Ideas worth spreading.
0:33.5	From Ted and NPR.
0:37.3	I'm Manushe Zamoroti. and we are going to take you back to 1989
0:42.7	and to the first gay video game ever.
0:47.8	Oh, yeah.
0:49.3	Yeah, it was a big deal.
0:51.5	The sounds had to be kept very small. Everything had to fit on that
	...

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