How algorithms changed the way we communicate (w/ Adam Aleksic

How algorithms changed the way we communicate (w/ Adam Aleksic

Author: TED May 18, 2026 Duration: 41:27

A-1. Killer-diller. Outta sight. All that and a bag of chips. This slaps! From the 1940s to the early 2020s, these words and phrases are all generational slang that means the same thing—“excellent.” In this episode, Chris speaks with linguist and content creator Adam Aleksic on how technology and algorithms are changing language. They also discuss which age-group is experimenting the most with language, how social media is transforming how the deaf community communicates, and whether going completely offline does more harm than good.


Featured guest


Connect with the team

For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


You might find yourself wondering how small shifts in thinking or action could ripple out into your daily life, and that's precisely the space this How to Be a Better Human podcast occupies. Hosted by Chris Duffy, each episode is built from conversations with a range of insightful guests, including past speakers, who share practical wisdom that goes beyond typical advice. The discussions are grounded in real-world application, focusing on how we can all improve in tangible ways-not through grand gestures, but in the nuances of our interactions at work, within our families, and in our own internal dialogues. This isn't about abstract theory; it's about hearing specific stories and strategies that offer clear takeaways you can actually use. The How to Be a Better Human podcast, from TED, digs into those unexpected corners of life where genuine growth happens, exploring how we show up for others and ourselves with more intention. Listeners will find a thoughtful mix of humor, vulnerability, and sharp insights that challenge conventional self-improvement tropes, making the journey toward being better feel accessible and deeply human.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

How to Be a Better Human
Podcast Episodes
How to Eat with Awareness and Purpose (w/ Sean Sherman) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:13
If you remove ingredients like dairy, wheat, flour, cane sugar, beef, pork, and chicken from your diet—then what do you eat? For Sioux chef Sean Sherman, excluding colonial ingredients from his cuisines gives him the opp…
How to find belonging (w/ Hanif Abdurraqib) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:52
Where do you belong and what does community mean to you? These are the central questions Chris asks poet and cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib while visiting Hanif’s hometown of Columbus, Ohio. Hanif is a poet and essayis…
How to break bad habits (w/ Edith Zimmerman) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:32
Edith Zimmerman is a sketchbook cartoonist and writer of the Substack newsletter, Drawing Links. In this episode, she joins Chris to talk about honesty and self-discovery. From sharing her artwork to discussing her sobri…
How to use your muscles — or risk losing them (w/ Bonnie Tsui) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:34
Did you know that you start losing bone AND muscle mass as soon as the age of thirty? Or that your fingers and toes don’t have muscles? Or how women in Scotland are starting to compete in the lighting of Dinnie Stones –…
A practical guide to taking control of your life | TED Talks Daily [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:33
The real lever of a meaningful life isn’t intelligence or hustle — it’s personal agency, says Cate Hall, former Supreme Court attorney and once the world’s top-ranked female poker player. Sharing her journey from the thr…