Fictions are life giving, hidden lies we tell ourselves to give life a narrative and purpose. The fictions we invent and live with to go on living our lives range from the tiniest personal convictions to the way societies talk about their pasts. But what happens when we confront and drag our fictions out of hiding? Krishna Thiagarajan is a Chinese Public Policy and Economic Analyst in training, and a third-year student in the Philosophy Department at Duke Kunshan University. Having spent a good 20 years as a human person, Krishna is fascinated and interested by the human experience. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Sauna, as an easily accessible therapy, is believed to have many health benefits, including promoting blood circulation, accelerating metabolism, eliminating toxins from the body, relieving stress, and improving sleep and skin. These "benefits" make sauna a choice for modern people to relax and improve their health. However, is it true? Let's find it out together! Menglu Jiang is a second-year graduate student in the Global Health program. Her academic and research background is closely related to health promotion and health-related behavior. She is particularly passionate about nutrition and physiotherapy, with a focus on athletes and the elderly. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

66% of Slovak students are susceptible to disinformation, which makes them easy targets for Russian propaganda. Despite this recent data output, the Slovak education system is not dedicating enough time to education on critical thinking and manipulation strategies. Civic society members, such as Matej Čačík, have therefore established non-governmental organizations to educate the youth and promote democracy at schools. In his TEDx talk, he describes why non-formal education methods, in-person workshops and peer-to-peer approach is efficient at teaching media literacy in the current polarized world. Matej Čačík is a passionate advocate for bridging the urban-rural divide in Slovakia through innovative, community-centered initiatives. Currently studying at Central European University in Vienna, he has been involved in various non-profit projects aimed at empowering underserved communities and creating opportunities for growth in rural areas. Čačík's work focuses on fostering collaboration between diverse social groups and enhancing access to essential resources. With a NATO grant supporting his efforts, he has also developed strong connections with key stakeholders, including government officials like the Prime Minister of Slovakia. His projects have garnered attention for their forward-thinking approach to addressing inequality and fostering a more inclusive society. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Your brain is highly adaptive, it can trick you, but if you trick it first, you can unlock new possibilities, build better habits, and do just about anything you want. If you can think it, you can do it. Hailing from a small Moroccan city of Errachidia, Ilias is passionate about figuring out how the human brain functions. Fueled with creativity, Ilias is experienced in filmmaking, music production, and public speaking, and is constantly exploring new ways to blend his diverse talents. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Regenerative farmers celebrate life on their farms. They grow food for their families and communities with human feet touching every acre of land. The 1000 Farms initiative has measured these regenerative food systems at an unprecedented scale, and has found that when biodiversity goes up, so does soil carbon storage potential. Regenerative cropland soils in the U.S. can store twice the annual emissions without losing profitability. But to accurately measure the potential of regenerative agriculture, researchers need to truly connect with the farmers that are doing it in practice. Agroecosystems currently occupy 35% of the terrestrial land surface of our planet, and decisions made on farms have important implications for the health of biological communities. We can solve the biodiversity crisis by focusing on reforming food production systems along ecological principles. This requires involving farmers as actors of change. Dr. Lundgren is an agroecologist, Executive Director of Ecdysis Foundation, and CEO for Blue Dasher Farm. Lundgren’s research and education programs are helping applied science evolve in ways that foster the evolution of a regenerative food system. He regularly interacts with the public and farmers around the world regarding ecologically intensive farming and how biodiversity fuels the resilience and productivity of an agroecosystem and rural communities. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Some found love during the COVID pandemic, but celebrated author Sy Montgomery was not expecting to fall for a this bachelor. While volunteering at a turtle rescue facility amid lockdowns and uncertainties, an injured 42-pound wild snapping turtle taught the author that we all have the power to help mend our shattered world. When the student is ready, the turtle appears. Researching articles, films, and her 38 books for adults and children, nationally bestselling author Sy Montgomery has been chased by an angry silverback gorilla in Rwanda, hunted by a tiger in India, and swum with piranhas, electric eels and pink dolphins in the Amazon. Her work has taken her from the cloud forest of Papua New Guinea (for a book on tree kangaroos) to the Altai Mountains of the Gobi (for another on snow leopards.) For THE SOUL OF AN OCTOPUS (a National Book Award finalist) she befriended octopuses at the New England aquarium and scuba dived and snorkeled with wild octopuses in Mexico and French Polynesia; next she drew on her scuba skills to cage dive with great white sharksand swim freely with giant oceanic manta rays.For her most recent national bestseller for adults, Of Time and Turtles, she befriended a 42-pound wild snapping turtle named Fire Chief, who shows his extraordinary trust by allowing her to feed him by hand. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx