Why lakes and rivers should have the same rights as humans | Kelsey Leonard

Each Sunday, TED shares an episode of another podcast we think you'll love, handpicked for you … by us. Today: in celebration of Star Wars Day, we're sharing an episode from The Redemption of Jar Jar Binks, TED's first narrative show. It explores how Jar Jar Binks became one of the most polarizing figures in cinematic history when he made his debut in Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace. It’s 1999, and sixteen years after its original release, a new Star Wars is finally coming. Fans have been camping out in front of theaters across the country just to be the first to see it. The beloved intergalactic saga is set to debut a slew of brand new characters, one of whom is a revolutionary CGI creation named Jar Jar Binks. Whispers begin to spread about big changes coming to the galaxy far, far away — and not everyone’s happy about it. Transcripts for The Redemption of Jar Jar Binks are available at go.ted.com/jarjar

When it comes to climate, what are we doing right and where should we focus our efforts next? Systems innovator Ryan Panchadsaram and strategist Anjali Grover talk with TED science curator David Biello about the latest on the world's progress toward solving the climate crisis — and why there's more reason for optimism than you might think. Using strategic goal-setting tools that have transformed countless organizations, Panchadsaram and Grover explore the urgent actions needed to steer the planet toward a sustainable future and the pivotal roles of innovation, investment and policy. "The climate story isn't yet written," Grover says.

Marrying for love is a relatively recent phenomenon for humanity, and we still don't fully understand what it means for building successful relationships, says author and psychiatrist George Blair-West. Drawing from his extensive experience working with couples, he shares four questions every couple should ask themselves before tying the knot — and highlights surprising findings on how the way marriage starts impacts if it ends.

In a scorching talk, marketing professor and podcaster Scott Galloway dissects the data showing that, by many measures, young people in the US are worse off financially than ever before. He unpacks the root causes and effects of this "great intergenerational theft," asking why we let it continue and showing how we could make it end. (Note: This talk contains mature language.)

No one truly understands AI, not even experts, says Helen Toner, an AI policy researcher and former board member of OpenAI. But that doesn't mean we can't govern it. She shows how we can make smart policies to regulate this technology even as we struggle to predict where it's headed — and why the right actions, right now, can shape the future we want.