Connect with us

Nonprofits & Activism

The secret weapon against pandemics | Georges C. Benjamin

Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more. The coronavirus pandemic won’t be the last crisis to test public health systems worldwide, says physician and health policy leader Georges C. Benjamin. He details what’s needed to lead us out of the pandemic and prevent future ones —…

Published

on

Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more.

The coronavirus pandemic won’t be the last crisis to test public health systems worldwide, says physician and health policy leader Georges C. Benjamin. He details what’s needed to lead us out of the pandemic and prevent future ones — including a robust governmental health entity equipped with updated technology and well-trained staff — and explains how citizens, businesses and political leaders can do their part to put public health first. (This virtual conversation, hosted by science curator David Biello and head of TED Chris Anderson, was recorded on May 20, 2020.)

The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. You’re welcome to link to or embed these videos, forward them to others and share these ideas with people you know. For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), submit a Media Request here:

Continue Reading
Advertisement
66 Comments

66 Comments

  1. Mā Jęđ

    June 9, 2020 at 7:55 pm

    Keep going

  2. DDPWE

    June 9, 2020 at 8:00 pm

    Funny, the majority of diseases come from animals. I wonder what THAT means……..almost like we shouldn’t be interacting with them in the current way we do. Almost like we should have never got to this point in the first place, if we cared about factual research. It’s all about making money(yay capitalism) and will be interesting to see how many companies continue to do the same thing, expecting a different result(the definition of insane) or they turn around and make money towards the BENEFIT of them and those they provide to.

    We’ve had many doctors, one being Dr Michael Greger trying to warn people for many years that pandemics will be occurring much more often. You talk about we’re a ‘pill society’ and know that rarely works, but you don’t want to talk about the real issues of why we’re here. You keep perpetuating the problem with these ‘interviews’ that never address the real reasons with real responses.

    Imagine, a health care system that cared more about keeping you out of the hospital system, than maintaining you in it so you’re a constant cash-flow for them. Imagine, being so healthy, that a hospital is so far from the equation, there will be beds all the time for when there are issues that we can’t avoid.

    Nutrionfacts.org or here on youtube @ http://www.youtube.com/user/NutritionFactsOrg for Dr Greger’s site to help you better understand current research for your health.

    Big Agri is the MAIN reason, not vehicles, get with the current research. Learn your field better, because this is getting ridiculous that a layperson like myself can research this stuff better than people IN THE PROFESSION?! Come on, you need to be honest to yourself and your audience that you’re avoiding the larger issue. Are you being funded by them maybe? hrmmm

  3. TJ Tampa

    June 9, 2020 at 8:18 pm

    I’m glad the world’s businesses are cleaning up bc they quit paying for regular maintenence personnel two decades ago. The companies then told cooks and cashiers to also clean rest rooms and parking lots and mop floors and take out the trash Then, go back and serve customers. Yuck! Plus, the work done was poorly done bc of lack of cleaning supplies and lack of reward for doing a good job (and in some cases, just poor employees).

  4. Muppet

    June 9, 2020 at 8:31 pm

    Good advices

  5. Brent Tanner

    June 9, 2020 at 9:00 pm

    a) turn off your tv
    b) end the strangle hold of Rothschild’s zionism agenda to dominate the earth with a “new world order” communist police state iron fist
    c) stop using their fiat paper

  6. Home Wall

    June 9, 2020 at 9:05 pm

    The secret is natural herd immunity. We seem to be arriving at this despite all the attempts to control it by tyrants.

  7. Home Wall

    June 9, 2020 at 9:07 pm

    So workers who show up sick just to make more money aren’t horrible, greedy people who only think about themselves? So selfish these workers, and then they demand another gives them money for not working.

  8. Johnny Blade

    June 9, 2020 at 9:09 pm

    What did they say? My ears only pick up frequencies of truth.

    • Tessie Rogers

      June 10, 2020 at 12:11 am

      Haha good one! Right on!

  9. Kelly Berry

    June 9, 2020 at 9:10 pm

    NO SCHOOL TIL THEY ARE SAFE. SCHOOL ON LINE… WAKE UP… DAMN
    YOU SURE THIS IS TED TALK?!?!?????? Ridiculous.
    DO YOU REALLY THINK A WOMAN WOULD PLAY WITH THE LIFE OF HER CHILD?!?!?!???????

  10. Paul Picavet

    June 9, 2020 at 9:11 pm

    Finamy some honest answers. Certainly he creates trust by means of his honest fault recognition. I wished our politic people would do the same, certainly hete in Europ. On the other hand american politicians should be ashamed they use al crises for their elections. For example Obama, Bush and Bidden. Even the dead of a person is used by them to win votes. Shame on all of you.

  11. Kelly Berry

    June 9, 2020 at 9:12 pm

    WEAR A MASK OR STAY HOME. 🇺🇸

  12. Zinarul Islam

    June 9, 2020 at 9:12 pm

  13. MomasBoyOnline

    June 9, 2020 at 9:26 pm

    I’m not sure why South Korea are considered to be leading the way, when you look at Taiwan and Hong Kong who’ve both done even better than South Korea, and both countries are located closer to China. Hong Kong for example only has 1,100 cases and 4 deaths. Their initial reaction was incredible, they and Taiwan were so well prepared and they’ve got amazing stats to show for it

  14. مدرسة الصحة

    June 9, 2020 at 9:38 pm

    can we be friends

  15. Dan Lewis

    June 9, 2020 at 9:50 pm

    Wow. Even TED is low in basic-most empathy. Time for some folks to take an ethnicity sensitivity course.
    Dr. Benjamin certainly should have been given solo screen….that never happened during this so called TALK. That’s not the way TED TALKS are.
    He had much to say and was never allowed to be on the screen by himself.
    Not cool.
    The mule required a 2×4. Don’t be the mule.

  16. andre81946

    June 9, 2020 at 9:59 pm

    What a see as big problem on this pandemic is the conflict of information 5 month and we do not have a consensus how this virus works! Why the spreed numbers are so diferente in diferentes places?!

    • Insomnia

      June 9, 2020 at 11:06 pm

      I think it depends on the treatments, medication and medical services…

  17. Joseph Turner

    June 9, 2020 at 11:03 pm

    a very easy time for academics no? just take the current big deal everyone’s making about something and talk about it!

  18. Simon Simonsson

    June 9, 2020 at 11:45 pm

    If u are sick , stay home ! When healthy , dont weare mask , simply as that !

  19. Jennifer Lin

    June 9, 2020 at 11:53 pm

    Taiwan also doing well, and we have alleviated the epidemic soon.

    • Semper Fortis

      June 10, 2020 at 12:27 am

      你知道为什么有那么多中国人离开中国吗? 中共是原因。 询问任何外籍人士,他们都会告诉您。…对中国人民最大的威胁是中国政府。 世界爱中国,也爱中国人。。。但是中共却使事情变得困难。
      永久免费香港!
      永久免费台湾!
      从中共解放中国!

      民逮捕违反法律的警察是合法的。

      1.撤回引渡令

      2.停止将抗议者标记为“暴徒”

      3.撤回对抗议者的指控

      4.对警察行为的独立调查

      5.立法局和行政长官真正实行普选

  20. Blue

    June 9, 2020 at 11:53 pm

    Why are there so many jerks not wearing masks? I’d say it’s about 35% which is just about trumps base. Does God look after hateful fools?

  21. bbmblais

    June 10, 2020 at 1:00 am

    Your immune system… lol

  22. L Galina

    June 10, 2020 at 1:16 am

    Move along folks. Nothing here but a generic rehash of the same old personal hygene boiler plate. And totally missed? the real secret weapon? It’s the food. Get animal products and processed plant oils out of your diet and you’ll weather the Wuhan Flu and maybe even build up some immunity in anticipation of the next wave. Grains, tubers, legumes, vegies, and fruits.

  23. Not Josh Bowen

    June 10, 2020 at 1:25 am

    Are you telling me this guy is the secret weapon against pandemics?

    • Josefina Kinsey

      June 10, 2020 at 3:33 am

      No comments

  24. Shane Kline

    June 10, 2020 at 1:26 am

    The secret weapon is really Knowledge. And a bar of soap wouldn’t hurt, ehh?

    • 50 Shades of 40

      June 10, 2020 at 4:21 am

      Shane Kline that’s one of the best comments on YouTube I have read 👍👍👍🔥❤️

  25. かんさば

    June 10, 2020 at 2:32 am

    13:22

  26. GAURAV VERMA

    June 10, 2020 at 2:35 am

    Keep it secret

  27. Josefina Kinsey

    June 10, 2020 at 3:32 am

    I am agree.instead spend time on work to help to stop what is infested our air

    • Marcus Mostrales

      June 10, 2020 at 7:38 pm

      Air is not the thing infested, the coronavirus travels on droplets when you speak, sneeze and cough.

  28. alice 4theroblox

    June 10, 2020 at 5:18 am

    Keep spreading fear and unsubstantiated info masquerading as science. Great job.

    • Squatchburger 1

      June 10, 2020 at 6:05 am

      Keep spreading bollocks masquerading as bollocks

    • The Hunt For pigs

      June 11, 2020 at 3:07 am

      :0 it’s a Karen!

  29. alice 4theroblox

    June 10, 2020 at 5:19 am

    I’ve been overseas and 1 in 1000 people wear masks and only when sick

    • Mellissa Marie

      June 10, 2020 at 2:12 pm

      I live in Spain: people wear masks when they are sick here normally, this is before the pandemic.

  30. Alexander Kirpichnikov

    June 10, 2020 at 5:39 am

    Lol TED is click baiting now there is no secret in this 32m video

  31. Daniel Matthews

    June 10, 2020 at 6:56 am

    This could be the “secret weapon” against such viral diseases that humanity has been looking for for a very long time, entirely “doable with current technologies too.

  32. Tanya Adlakha

    June 10, 2020 at 7:07 am

    Don’t tell ur secrets 🤫🤭

  33. Apna collection Motivation

    June 10, 2020 at 7:09 am

    how to control your mind

  34. Moe

    June 10, 2020 at 8:10 am

    More like the secret weapon: pandemics ahaha jks…or am I?

  35. Brendan K

    June 10, 2020 at 8:57 am

    He just brushed off the possibility of it coming from a lab. What is the possibility that it actually came from a lab?

  36. Rizz Dizz

    June 10, 2020 at 10:32 am

    Bill gates?

  37. joe.public

    June 10, 2020 at 11:44 am

    Shame on TED for supporting a fake pandemic !
    more people were murdered in the USA by doctors putting people on ventilators when they knew it was a death sentence.
    The first I learned of Covid was from Italian Doctors call foul with falsified death certificates.
    TED has sunk to knew depths of scumbaggery

    • Mellissa Marie

      June 10, 2020 at 2:14 pm

      Trump lump alert! ! !

    • Marcus Mostrales

      June 10, 2020 at 7:41 pm

      I do hope you are a troll because this just doesnt make sense. This is full of lies and has no evidence.

  38. dingo1666

    June 10, 2020 at 2:08 pm

    The secret weapon is to be aware, careful yet at the same time rational. I hope the scenario we are living right now [losing most of our human rights because of a 0.004% deadly flu virus] will never, ever happen again. By all means start of careful, by all means have a short lockdown if it seems to be a pandemic rather than an epidemic, but also educate people and don’t lock them up once known that we are not dealing with Ebola or the bubonic plague. I want it all to go back to how it used to be only half a year ago. Flu season? Wash your hands and don’t cough or sneeze on others, keep the vulnerable and elderly out of harms way and go on with your life like we have done for millennia. The deaths and implications of this lockdown have already killed more than the virus itself is capable of and there will be millions more because it seems at the moment that no other illnesses are of any importance apart from this poxy flu virus. Meanwhile people with cancer are ignored.

  39. Mellissa Marie

    June 10, 2020 at 2:11 pm

    Shame Georges C. Benjamin. : If I can find data published that indicates a lab accident so can you. This binding receptor does not even belong to the animal it came from. Trying not to shake the boat is still lying.

  40. Leocram Vinci

    June 10, 2020 at 6:18 pm

    I don’t consider myself a conspiranoid person but taking China’s words about the pandemic is risky to say the least. I need to see to believe them that they did a great work controlling the virus.

  41. R. Anderson

    June 10, 2020 at 6:22 pm

    What’s holding us back is disbelief by a large faction, mostly young, in the U.S. that they should be in anyway inconvenienced by a potentially lethal disease.

    • Trainable Monkey

      June 12, 2020 at 5:39 pm

      If the shoe were on the other foot, say the disease kills young people and people who quarantine like a bad chain letter, do you think unaffected people would behave differently? Let’s be honest, instead of destroying the economy and having unemployment insurance crash we could have quarantined high risk people and those coming from disease hot spots.

      The majority of high risk people do not have to work to meet basic needs. We have contactless grocery delivery and other services that make quarantining at home viable. Giving Granny an extra $30 a week for grocery delivery sure is cheaper isn’t it? Heck Granny could have been given a smart phone for less than the stimulus check.

  42. ITouchTheSky 8GladysWorld8

    June 10, 2020 at 6:24 pm

    Thanks to both of you for talking how to prevent this crisis. Lovely watching and listening to both of you here on the top of Italian mountain.

  43. Trevor AngELo StryderZ

    June 10, 2020 at 6:52 pm

    Still waiting for Ted to showed up. Is he/she some kind of final boss or something?

  44. Clarence Martens

    June 10, 2020 at 7:54 pm

    The Big expert, missed the most important thing to do….Stop eating comfort food (aka Crap). I have learned that public health doesn’t know it’s “you know what” from a hole in the ground. 60 years of bad “expert advice.” He needs to get healthy and no “magic wand” will undo insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome . I KNOW! ask Dr Aseem Malhotra.

  45. Jessica Murphy

    June 11, 2020 at 12:09 am

    I have family members with health issues, chronic, who are relying on telemedicine and she was told the insurance and healthcare system would not allow her the telemedicine. She would need to risk her life i. Order to save her childs. American healthcare does not care.. and that is all the way from Medicaid to the well known top insurances..

  46. Jessica Murphy

    June 11, 2020 at 12:11 am

    And our restaurants still do not care. And many other business owners do not care. You will not get any paid time off for being sick.

  47. Jessica Murphy

    June 11, 2020 at 12:14 am

    Climate change is real!!! Wake up! So glad you touched on this!

  48. Al Bizzle

    June 11, 2020 at 3:23 am

    Is this the black Dr. Phil?

  49. agung

    June 11, 2020 at 4:15 am

    Don’t call it secret pls

  50. Pamuk Mavis

    June 11, 2020 at 8:33 am

    The only solution for all civilisation problems is getting beyond monetary economy. The alternatif sistem to that is ‘resource based economy’! Only with this sistem advanced technologies will be possible, like ‘nano-robots’!

  51. dinh manh Pham

    June 11, 2020 at 8:41 am

    Vietnamese government has been controlling and saving its citizens in the best way.

  52. Johannes Reiss

    June 13, 2020 at 2:40 am

    However those Discussions were not REALLY revealing something NEW
    Becauce REALITY is that is in Fact my understanding as “social learning” and how open to those proces PEOPLE are AWARE but while WORLD as a Village is not seen clear enought- WE aren’t at the core- WE HAVE NO SECURITY IF IT IS NOT FOR THE H
    WHOLE WORLD !!!!!

  53. Juan Luis Espinoza Quinlan

    June 13, 2020 at 3:44 pm

    The great North American scientists have finally fulfilled their dream, they have everyone sick, to be able to sell us their cure, that is the business of Bill Gates and the United States, they created AIDS and who knows how many biological weapons. Unfortunately, the silence of the lambs (the citizens), of so many North American citizens who remain complicit in their policies in their country. 500 military bases around the world, the more pain and suffering they give to the world

  54. Frances Bernard

    June 14, 2020 at 12:46 am

    What is it that the Australian government is doing better than almost the whole western hemisphere and China too when it comes to preventing COVID-19 infections and deaths from the same despite the fact that they have in recent years experienced widespread runnaway grass and forest fires wiping out so much of their wildlife that now a whole bunch of feral roosters are now crowing away while trying to take over territory for themselves? What is there secret weapon? Having not as many biases when hearing truths maybe?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Nonprofits & Activism

A New National Park to Reclaim Indigenous Land | Tracie Revis | TED

In a part of the United States with more than 17,000 years of human history, cultural preservation advocate Tracie Revis is working to turn the Ocmulgee Mounds into Georgia’s first national park and preserve. This park would be co-managed by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, bringing the tribal voice back to an area they were forcibly…

Published

on

In a part of the United States with more than 17,000 years of human history, cultural preservation advocate Tracie Revis is working to turn the Ocmulgee Mounds into Georgia’s first national park and preserve. This park would be co-managed by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, bringing the tribal voice back to an area they were forcibly removed from 200 years ago. Revis explores the complex feelings of caring for this land and shows how it’s fostering healing in return.

If you love watching TED Talks like this one, become a TED Member to support our mission of spreading ideas:

Follow TED!
X:
Instagram:
Facebook:
LinkedIn:
TikTok:

The TED Talks channel features talks, performances and original series from the world’s leading thinkers and doers. Subscribe to our channel for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more.

Watch more:

TED’s videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy: . For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at

#TED #TEDTalks #OcmulgeeMounds

Continue Reading

Nonprofits & Activism

Your Invitation to Help Build a Sustainable Future | Jim Snabe | TED

“If we want to avoid a climate disaster, we need much more radical leadership,” says Jim Snabe, who knows a thing or two about leadership as chairman of the world’s largest maritime shipping company. In a stirring talk, he encourages companies to take big, bold actions to tackle climate change — and invites anyone to…

Published

on

“If we want to avoid a climate disaster, we need much more radical leadership,” says Jim Snabe, who knows a thing or two about leadership as chairman of the world’s largest maritime shipping company. In a stirring talk, he encourages companies to take big, bold actions to tackle climate change — and invites anyone to join the TED Future Forum, a new initiative focused on the role of business in advancing solutions to the climate crisis.

Countdown is TED’s global initiative to accelerate solutions to the climate crisis. The goal: to build a better future by cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030, in the race to a zero-carbon world. Get involved at

Learn more about #TEDCountdown:
Twitter:
Instagram:
Facebook:
Website:

If you love watching TED Talks like this one, become a TED Member to support our mission of spreading ideas:

Follow TED!
X:
Instagram:
Facebook:
LinkedIn:
TikTok:

The TED Talks channel features talks, performances and original series from the world’s leading thinkers and doers. Subscribe to our channel for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more.

Watch more:

TED’s videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy: . For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at

#TED #TEDTalks #leadership #climatechange

Continue Reading

Nonprofits & Activism

A Path to Social Safety for Migrant Workers | Ashif Shaikh | TED

Hundreds of millions of migrant workers travel within their countries to seek out means of survival — often leaving behind all they know for months or even years. Many face poverty and exploitation, and they need a robust social safety net to protect them, says migrant advocate and 2023 Audacious Project grantee Ashif Shaikh. He…

Published

on

Hundreds of millions of migrant workers travel within their countries to seek out means of survival — often leaving behind all they know for months or even years. Many face poverty and exploitation, and they need a robust social safety net to protect them, says migrant advocate and 2023 Audacious Project grantee Ashif Shaikh. He shares how his grassroots organization Migrants Resilience Collaborative is making life-changing benefits like social security and health care accessible to those who need them while also amplifying migrant voices — paving the way towards a world that supports the workers actually building it. (This ambitious idea is a part of the Audacious Project, TED’s initiative to inspire and fund global change.)

If you love watching TED Talks like this one, become a TED Member to support our mission of spreading ideas:

Follow TED!
X:
Instagram:
Facebook:
LinkedIn:
TikTok:

The TED Talks channel features talks, performances and original series from the world’s leading thinkers and doers. Subscribe to our channel for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more.

Watch more:

TED’s videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy: . For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at

#TED #TEDTalks #migrants

Continue Reading

Trending