What we — and AI — can learn from nature's intelligence

TED Radio Hour

NPR

Society & Culture, Social Sciences, Science, Technology

4.3 • 21.7K Ratings

🗓️ 16 January 2026

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Artificial intelligence is powerful, but what about natural intelligence? This hour, TED speakers explore the intrinsic genius in animal language, insect behavior, plant anatomy and our immune system. Guests include neuroscientist Greg Gage, computational neuroscientist Frances Chance, social psychoneuroimmunologist Keely Muscatell and environmental researcher Karen Bakker. We want to dedicate this episode to Bakker who passed away in August 2023, only a few months after giving her TED Talk. Her research and legacy continue to inspire.

Original broadcast date: March 8, 2024

TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

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.
0:12.9	To understand who we are.
0:14.8	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.
0:22.7	We truly have to ask ourselves, like, why is it noteworthy?
0:25.1	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.
0:33.4	From Ted and NPR.
0:42.7	I'm Anoush Zamoroti, and on the show today, natural intelligence.
0:49.6	And we're going to kick things off by going back in time to the 1750s.
1:00.8	And a marshy, swampy, subtropical wetland in North Carolina, where a man named Arthur Dobbs lived.
1:03.7	Yeah, no, I like Arthur Dobbs.
1:06.2	This is our tour guide, Greg Gage.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from NPR, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of NPR and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.