Thanks for coming to my TED Talk (seriously)

On friendship's untapped potential

I know there’s a lot going on in the world now. If you’re in need of a 10-minute distraction — one that’ll remind you of how deeply people can care for one another — I’m really happy to share that my TED talk is now up!

You can watch the talk here. It’s called “Why friendship can be just as meaningful as romantic love.”

I gave the talk a few weeks ago at TEDNext in Atlanta. A wise friend advised me to imagine that during the talk I was speaking to one person. I decided to think about Joy, who’s one of the women in the photo on screen. Joy told me, after her beloved friend Hannah died, “I can’t believe the world still spins when she’s not here.” Hannah felt like her soulmate — a bond that wasn't romantic but was certainly profound. With Joy front of mind, I felt fully connected to the message of the talk: that we might find more support and love in our lives if we collectively expanded our definition of “significant other.”

I hope you'll watch the video and share it with a friend or two.

I can’t stop thinking about…

• this feature about a woman who was prosecuted for what she says was a miscarriage. The reporter’s access to the different players in the case makes this an exceptional story.

• this podcast series on the history of Fox News