What Anne Madden has said about Microbiology
4 quotes · 1 episode · Oct 9, 2026
Anne Madden, Microbiologist and founder and chief scientist of the Microbe Institute, has been quoted on Microbiology 4 times in 1 episode of TED Radio Hour, most recently on October 9, 2026. Each quote below is verbatim and links to the moment it was said.
In their words
Madden argues that the diversity of microbes in homes represents a vast source of solutions to human problems.
“It is 100,000 new sources of solutions to human problems”
TED Radio Hour: The shocking power of tiny things (Oct 9, 2026) · Listen from 5:27
Madden estimates scientists know only a small fraction of microbial species.
“Maybe we know 1 to 10% of what these species are”
TED Radio Hour: The shocking power of tiny things (Oct 9, 2026) · Listen from 2:36
Madden predicts microbes will solve more human problems over the next century.
“the next 100 years will feature these microscopic creatures solving more of our problems”
TED Radio Hour: The shocking power of tiny things (Oct 9, 2026) · Listen from 10:56
Madden worries about microbes lost to extinction through habitat destruction such as clear-cutting forests.
“what keeps me up at night sometimes is thinking about all the microbes that have gone extinct”
TED Radio Hour: The shocking power of tiny things (Oct 9, 2026) · Listen from 17:07
Episodes
The shocking power of tiny thingsTED Radio Hour · Oct 9, 2026 · 50 min
Manoush Zomorodi and TED speakers Anne Madden, Lera Boroditsky, YeYoon Kim and Bart Weetjens explore how tiny things—microbes, words, moments, rats—wield outsized power.
Anne Madden on other topics
- Lactic acid yeast in sour beer brewing · 2 quotes
- Plastic-degrading microbes · 1 quote
- Antibiotic discovery · 1 quote