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Everyone is in favor of high self-esteem — but cultivating it can be a surprisingly perilous quest. Psychologist Guy Winch explains why — and describes smart ways we can help build ourselves up

When Dustin Yellin was eight years old, he buried a dollar bill, a pen and a fork inside a box, with the specific idea that aliens might find it in the future. It’s unclear what would happen then or, indeed, what happened to the box, but it did start Yellin on an artistic journey of discovery, one in which he still merrily makes boxes. Take a spin through the work (and mind) of a singular artist.

Robert Fischell invented the rechargeable pacemaker and the implantable insulin pump — not to mention created the precursor to GPS. The 87-year-old shares a peek into his creative process.

It’s Halloween — and the only thing scarier than Ebola this week is Ebola paranoia. Should you panic in bowling alleys? How justified is your fear of hospitals? Are mandatory quarantines even legal in the U.S., anyway? 3 ideas behind the news.

Not every conversation with a climate denier has to lead to raised voices and hurt feelings. Here’s how to do it constructively.

Filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg looks at nature in fine detail, often documenting what’s unseen to the human eye. Take a look at still images and video clips that show the natural world in all its glory.

Food feeds the soul. To the extent that we all eat food, and we all have souls, food is the single great unifier across cultures. But what feeds your soul?

En el año 2002, Ingrid Betancourt estaba haciendo campaña para convertirse en presidenta de Colombia cuando fue secuestrada por los guerrilleros. Ella estuvo en la jungla durante seis años. Con miedo como su compañero constante, aprendió a usarlo y a crecer.

This post is part of TED’s “Gift Guide: Books for all kinds of readers”.

Feel like you start the new year ready to reinvent your life, only to find that, a month later, you’ve given up on everything and are living a life that’s totally indistinguishable from last year?