Communication is fundamental to how we relate and interact. But we receive signals from everywhere — other living creatures, the ecosystem, the earth itself, and the space beyond. In this session six speakers will explore how we send, and more importantly receive, those signals.

Here are the speakers who appeared in this session. Click below to read a full recap of each speaker’s talk:

Evolutionary ecologist Sara Lewis has had a long-term love affair with fireflies. Her talk on the wild variety of firefly behavior will leave you a-glow.

Deborah Gordon studies ants … and what they can teach us about networking.

Poet Billy Collins returns to the TED stage wearing the same red sweater and talks about the emotional life of dogs.

Randall Munroe is the cartoonist behind xkcd, who asks entertaining and thought-provoking “what if” questions.

Astronomer Andrew Connolly wrestles with the question, “What happens if you get too much data?”

Meanwhile, space scientist Will Marshall talks about on a new, low-cost, satellite system.

Louie Schwartzberg, the legendary filmmaker behind this talk, shows gorgeous new footage.