TEDx Talks

Dr. Idrees Mughal explains how to identify health misinformation on social media by recognizing specific communication patterns. He argues that while online health information has benefits, the vast majority is scientifically inaccurate, with only 2% of TikTok health videos being accurate according to research.

Vigdis Morris Herrera describes the story of an 'ordinary man' who systematically controls, manipulates, and sexually assaults his wife while appearing as a model husband to the outside world. She argues that most sexual violence occurs within intimate relationships by seemingly normal men, not the monsters we typically imagine.

Jhanvi Patel shares how Oklahoma Votes, a student organization, dramatically increased voter registration by addressing three key barriers: complexity, irrelevance, and disillusionment. By meeting students where they are, making voting personally relevant, and building genuine relationships, they helped 9% of the student body register to vote.

Lt Col Manoj Kumar Sinha argues that modern definitions of success as individual achievement are a dangerous lie that leads to societal conflict. He advocates for redefining success as contribution to collective well-being, drawing from ancient Indian wisdom that viewed the world as one family.

Francesca O'Connor argues that workplaces consistently reward 'brilliant assholes' - charismatic, high-performing individuals who achieve results while leaving emotional damage in their wake. She explores why we enable this toxic brilliance through psychological biases and proposes micro-interventions to broaden our definition of workplace excellence.

Gala Díaz Langou argues that widespread disaffiliation and loss of belonging represents humanity's biggest threat, as declining trust and cooperation leave us ill-equipped to face 21st century challenges. She advocates for rebuilding connections through small acts of service and attention to others as a survival strategy.

Sleep researcher Diego Golombek argues that sleep is a powerful treatment for multiple health benefits, but modern society creates 'social jet lag' by forcing schedules that conflict with our biological clocks. He proposes viewing sleep through three lenses: sleep capital, sleep health diplomacy, and creating circadian-friendly cities.

Neuroscientist Adolfo García presents AI-powered speech analysis as a revolutionary tool for early Alzheimer's detection. His research team has achieved over 90% accuracy in detecting Alzheimer's by analyzing speech patterns, offering a fast, affordable alternative to traditional diagnostic methods that could democratize early detection globally.

Guadalupe Nogués explores how traditional communication rituals like sharing mate can foster better conversations in our increasingly connected but disconnected world. She argues that despite technological connectivity, we need intentionally designed contexts and rituals to create meaningful dialogue and rebuild trust between people.

Rakhshanda Jalil, speaking at her former college at age 62, encourages students to find their voice through reading, knowledge acquisition, and remaining open to learning throughout life. She emphasizes the distinction between information and knowledge, advocates for interdisciplinary education without rushing through degrees, and shares how translation became her pathway to a writing career spanning 51 books.

Nina Mago, speaking from lived experience, explains how epilepsy affects millions globally but argues that stigma and discrimination create even greater costs than the medical condition itself. She advocates for collective awareness as the solution to break down barriers that prevent people with epilepsy from accessing care, education, employment, and relationships.

Modern Karema, who grew up in rural Uganda and is now an education director, argues that while Uganda has achieved education equity through increased access, quality remains poor in rural schools due to inadequate financing, overcrowded classrooms, and lack of facilities. He advocates for better financing and infrastructure to ensure rural children receive the same educational opportunities as urban children.

Kangere argues that traditional education systems, particularly in Africa, are failing to prepare children for the future by suppressing creativity and not teaching holistically. He presents Sbururu school's model that combines academics, vocational skills, arts, and yoga through project-based learning to develop complete, confident learners.

Thomas Curto, a 21-year-old mathematical engineering student who was entirely homeschooled, argues that alternative education gave him ownership over his learning and the ability to develop authentic self-regulation. He challenges the common conflation of education with traditional institutions, emphasizing that homeschooling provided him time to discover his identity without constant external measurement.

Dr. Pooja Dubey Pandey discusses how India's agricultural waste problem, particularly crop residue burning, can be transformed into an opportunity using fungal biotechnology. She proposes using mycelium and enzymatic processes to convert crop stubble into nutritious mushrooms, simultaneously addressing pollution, malnutrition, and rural unemployment.

Neuroscientist Vasily Klucharev presents research demonstrating that conformism is a neurobiological mechanism: our brains detect when our opinions differ from others and signal this as an error, automatically prompting us to align with the group. Using brain imaging and magnetic stimulation, his team identified the cingulate cortex as the region responsible, activating within 240 milliseconds to drive conformist behavior.

Deborah Dubner shares her 3+ year practice of posting daily thank you messages on Facebook, which began with circle dancing and evolved into a community movement with hundreds of participants. She explores how gratitude is a transformative practice rather than innate personality trait, and demonstrates its power through a shared exercise with the audience.

Marcio Tavares D'Amaral argues that modern society has created a permanent form of exclusion where 3 billion people are defined outside consumption-based systems, frozen in time with no future. He traces the tension between Greek reason and Jewish faith as fundamental to Western culture, and calls for a ethical awakening through compassion to bridge the gap between the privileged and the suffering.

Sidnei Pereira da Rosa, a librarian, founded a community solidarity library in São Francisco Xavier, Brazil, starting from his parents' garage in 2002 after local government lacked resources. The library has grown into a reference institution serving 6,000 people in a town of 3,500 inhabitants, offering diverse programs including literacy, environmental education, digital inclusion, and community workshops.

Dmitry Glukhovsky recounts how his novel 'Metro 2033' was rejected by 10 publishers before he self-published it online for free, eventually reaching millions of readers and half a million print copies. He argues that the internet has ushered in a new era of 'Literature 2.0,' characterized by free distribution, reader interactivity, and collaborative, open-source creation.