Manoush Zomorodi (muh-NOOSH Zoh-moe-road-ee) is an award-winning journalist, bestselling author, and host of NPR's TED Radio Hour, where she explores fascinating ideas with the world's greatest thinkers. A 2025 Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center resident, she has established herself as a pioneering voice in examining technology's impact on our humanity. Her first book, "Bored and Brilliant" (St.Martin’s Press, 2017), became a cultural phenomenon, inspiring millions to reclaim their attention spans. As a sought-after TED speaker with over 6 million views, she’s a go-to expert for understanding our screen-saturated age.
But Zomorodi is more than just an observer—she's a fearless experimenter who makes her own life part of her reporting. Her "Body Electric" project, a groundbreaking collaboration between NPR and Columbia University Medical Center involving over 20,000 participants, represents one of the largest public health studies of its kind. With her "Body Electric" book (Flatiron, May 2026), she delivers her most important work yet: a roadmap for reclaiming our physical selves in the digital age.
Her exceptional work has earned her two Gracie Awards for Best Radio Host (2014, 2018), a Webby Award for Best Podcast Host (2020), and recognition as one of Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People in Business (2018). Under her leadership, TED Radio Hour won the 2023 Ambie Award for Best Knowledge, Science & Tech podcast, while her previous show Note to Self was named Best Tech Podcast of 2017 by the Academy of Podcasters.
She received a bachelor's degree from Georgetown University in English and Fine Arts. Manoush is half-Persian and half-Swiss and was born in New York City, where she lives with her family.