TEDx Talks

Yoshinori Moriwaki, a Japanese professional who has lived in Turkey for 35 years, discusses his experiences with earthquakes in both countries and his mission to improve earthquake-resistant construction in Turkey. He shares his decision to permanently settle in Turkey and his goals to help other earthquake-prone countries learn from Turkey's building improvements.

Dipanshu Raj (Iqlipse Nova) shares his journey from a small town in Bihar to becoming a successful musician and content creator, despite family and societal pressure to pursue traditional careers like engineering. He argues that converting passion into profession requires balancing three elements: talent, resources, and time.

Ressham Somaya argues that knowing your priorities and putting yourself first is essential for building confidence and living authentically. She shares personal experiences of losing herself by conforming to others' expectations and toxic friendships, emphasizing that prioritizing yourself isn't selfish but necessary for genuine happiness.

Jasmine Tse shares her journey from perfectionist ballet dancer to embracing imperfection as a path to growth. She argues that perfectionism is toxic and proposes using Confucian principles of Ren and the Japanese art of Kintsugi to reframe imperfections as opportunities for improvement rather than failures.

Ophelia Wong explores why people struggle to care about climate change despite knowing it's important, explaining psychological barriers like the brain's self-centered design and the 'PAIN' criteria for human action. She argues that understanding how climate change personally affects daily life and taking collective group action can overcome these barriers.

16-year-old Peony Wang shares her journey from comparing herself to seemingly perfect peers on social media to realizing that happiness and self-worth matter more than external success. She argues that life is about living authentically for yourself rather than meeting others' expectations or chasing achievements that look good but feel empty.

Jax Hung, diagnosed with autism at age four, discusses how internalized ableism develops when disabled individuals adopt societal beliefs that they are incompetent or need to compensate for their disabilities. The speaker argues this mindset, reinforced by medical and parental expectations focusing on deficits rather than abilities, leads to burnout and self-hatred disguised as motivation to appear 'normal.'

The speaker reflects on how her understanding of feminism evolved from seeing it as a competition between men and women to recognizing it as a fight against systemic inequality. She argues that social media has distorted feminism by amplifying divisive narratives and creating echo chambers that fuel gender wars rather than promoting true equality.

A student shares how participating in an ethics olympiad transformed her understanding of ethics from simply choosing right over wrong to a complex process of questioning, listening, and understanding different perspectives. She argues that ethics is not an abstract concept but appears in daily decisions and teaches valuable skills for thinking with others rather than against them.

Naveen argues that society's pressure for constant productivity and overwork has created a mental health crisis, proposing that prioritizing well-being and emotional management represents a form of modern rebellion. He shares his personal struggle with academic stress and suggests that choosing wellness over societal expectations of productivity is the key to feeling truly alive.

Rahee Park, an 8th grader, shares her journey of learning English after starting international school in second grade with no English knowledge. Through determination and self-belief despite others' doubts, she overcame the fear and language barriers to find her voice and confidence.

Layla Kim shares her personal story of adjusting to a new school and town after being accepted to Chadwick International School. She describes how what she thought would be the easy part after admission actually became her biggest challenge, requiring courage and persistence to overcome.

Fifth grader Yuju Lee shares how six years of cello practice taught her to tackle challenges by starting with the hardest parts first. Through her experience at an intensive winter cello camp learning Bach's Suite No. 3 Prelude, she demonstrates how beginning with difficulties rather than easy sections leads to better outcomes.

Rahul Karandikar shares how waiting for perfect clarity prevented him from taking action throughout his life, until he learned that taking action first leads to clarity. He demonstrates through personal examples how jumping into unfamiliar situations and adapting along the way led to success in various careers from banking to photography to real estate.

Pokaraj Karia shares his experience of feeling lost despite external success in his family's interior design business. He argues that success isn't built on motivation or ideas alone, but on invisible systems and structures that most people don't develop or talk about.

Nnish Paahwa shares his journey of reinvention from a broke international student to successful entrepreneur, arguing that today's youth shouldn't be confined to one path but should embrace failure and adaptability. He emphasizes that reinvention is a skill, not a crisis, and advocates for investing in real estate while pursuing multiple interests rather than specializing in one area.

Satish Rao shares a personal story about claiming false taxi reimbursements early in his career and the profound lesson his father taught him about the 'mirror test' - looking at yourself in the mirror each night and asking if you'd be comfortable sharing your actions with someone close to you.

Schools are reporting concerning behaviors from boys influenced by new forms of messaging, likely from the manosphere. The speaker argues that both ignoring the problem and harsh punishment are ineffective approaches.

Ayra Masood shares her personal journey with an eating disorder that developed during the pandemic, showing how she lost connection to her culture, family, and herself through food restrictions. She describes how her parents helped her begin healing not through lectures but through a simple act of sharing gelato, demonstrating that connection and love are essential for recovery.

Christopher Mason discusses engineering human biology for space exploration, from analyzing molecular changes in astronauts to potentially modifying genes for survival on Mars and beyond. He argues that humanity has a duty to preserve and protect life across the universe, making space exploration not just an opportunity but a necessity.