Who counts as a significant other?

TED Radio Hour

NPR

Science, Society & Culture, Social Sciences, Technology

4.4 • 21.3K Ratings

🗓️ 26 December 2025

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Finding "the one" can seem like life's ultimate goal—but should it be? This hour, TED speakers expand the definition of life partnership, whether it's with a friend, a spouse, a pet, or no one at all.

Guest include journalist Rhaina Cohen, marriage and family therapist Stephanie Yates-Anyabwile, social psychologist Bella DePaulo and photographer Elias Weiss Friedman of "The Dogist."

Original broadcast date: February 7, 2025

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, it's Manoosh Zamoroti here, host of NPR's TED Radio Hour. Can you believe that
0:05.0	2025 is almost over? There were times when it felt like this year would never end, right?
0:11.4	Oh, 2025 was a seriously tough year for NPR and local stations. Despite the loss of federal funding
0:19.3	for public media, despite attacks on the free press, we're still here.
0:24.2	NPR won't shy away from exercising its critical right to editorial independence guaranteed by the First Amendment.
0:32.1	And with your support, NPR will keep bringing you the news without fear or favor.
0:38.2	Here at TED Radio Hour, that includes bringing you science, technology, human behavior, neuroscience, and nature, topics that help you navigate and find meaning in a world that is changing so fast.
0:50.0	If you are already an NPR Plus supporter, thank you so much.
0:54.9	We are so grateful.
0:56.7	If not, please join the community of public radio supporters right now before the end of the year at plus.npr.org.
1:05.3	Signing up means you are directly supporting public media and you also get a bunch of perks like bonus episodes
1:11.9	from some of NPR's podcasts.
1:14.3	End your year on a high note.
1:16.6	Invest in a public service that matters to you.
1:19.6	Please visit plus.npr.org today, and thank you.
1:25.7	This is the TED Radio Hour.
1:29.7	Each week, groundbreaking TED Talks.
1:32.4	Our job now is to dream big.
1:33.8	Delivered at TED conferences.
1:35.5	To bring about the future we want to see.
1:37.6	Around the world.
1:38.5	To understand who we are.
	...

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