In this special series, host Manoush Zomorodi investigates the relationship between our technology and our bodies and asks: How are we physically adapting to meet the demands of the Information Age? Why do so many of us feel utterly drained after a day spent attached to our devices?

Part one kicks off with an exploration into how economic eras have shaped the human body in the past with author Vybarr Cregan-Reid. Then, Columbia University researcher and exercise physiologist Keith Diaz and Manoush discuss his findings and propose a challenge to listeners: Let's see if we can end this cycle of type, tap, collapse together. 

Click here to find out more about the project: npr.org/bodyelectric

Talk to us on Instagram @ManoushZ, and on Facebook @tedradiohour, or record a voice memo and email it to us at BodyElectric@npr.org.

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Body Electric Part 1: The Body Through The Ages

Exploring the biggest questions of our time with the help of the world's greatest thinkers. Host Manoush Zomorodi inspires us to learn more about the world, our communities, and most importantly, ourselves.

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Original broadcast date: July 23, 2021. How can we create public places that feel welcoming and safe for everyone? This hour, TED speakers examine our physical and digital spaces—how they run, who they serve, and how to make them better. Guests include community organizer Shari Davis, researcher Eli Pariser, Wikipedia Library founder Jake Orlowitz, Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales, and artist Matthew Mazzotta.

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The Public Commons: Building public spaces that actually serve the public

Forgetting a name, a poorly executed hug, the 7th grade — awkwardness is part of our lives whether we like it or not. But what if we put the embarrassment aside and embraced our awkward selves? Guests include social scientist Ty Tashiro, cartoonist Liana Finck, journalist Melissa Dahl and sex and relationship counselor Erin Chen. 

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So Awkward: How to embrace the embarrassing

Original broadcast date: December 9, 2022. We think our faces are our own. But technology can use them to identify, influence and mimic us. This week, TED speakers explore the promise and peril of turning the human face into a digital tool. Guests include super recognizer Yenny Seo, Bloomberg columnist Parmy Olson, visual researcher Mike Seymour and investigative journalist Alison Killing.

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What's In A Face: How technology uses our faces

Writer Anne Lamott has garnered a cult following with her shockingly honest prose on love, death, faith, writing and more. This hour, her wisdom from a career that has spanned 20 books and 40 years.

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Addiction, Motherhood, and Jesus with writer Anne Lamott

Original broadcast date: July 14, 2023. From the bugs in our backyards to prehistoric reptiles, animal biology and behavior are full of puzzles and conundrums. On this episode, we hear from experts solving the mysteries of the animal kingdom. Guests include paleontologist Dean Lomax, biochemical engineer Saad Bhamla, herpetologist Gowri Shankar and conservation biologist Patrícia Medici. 

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Body Electric Part 1: The Body Through The Ages

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