“The Palestine Comedy Club is a platform for every Palestinian comedian, artist and actor to share their perspectives”, explains co-founder Alaa Shehada. In conversation with stand up comedian, Nish Kumar they explore how comedy is a way to challenge stereotypes, survive conflicts and hardship and connect with others. Alaa is a Palestinian actor, comedian and a graduate of The Freedom Theatre acting school in Jenin camp, a theatre company nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2024. He is also the co-founder of The Palestine Comedy Club - a platform for Palestinian comedians to share their stories, humour and Palestinian culture. Alaa’s new comedy show, The Horse of Jenin, is a profound and imaginative performance about humour, history and resilience.Nish Kumar has achieved huge success on the stand-up circuit with five rave reviewed solo stand-up shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, two of which have been nominated for the prestigious Comedy Award for Best Show in 2015 and 2016. Nish’s last show, Your Power, Your Control, is available on Sky and he is touring his latest show Nish: Don’t Kill My Vibe. 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

What does a better, fairer future look like for young people today? A group of young artists and performers from Hackney answer via spoken word and music. They explore how race, class, gender and politics impact on how they are perceived and the future possibilities open to them. Reflecting what matters to a younger generation of people that are too often undermined and ignored, this piece balances the young people’s frustration with the status quo and the future they aspire to. Hackney Empire Creative Futures is designed to support and fuel young artists and creative entrepreneurs. TEDxLondon experienced an exclusive original piece created by a small number of young participants from the programme ranging from 16-18. Everything was composed, written and directed by the young artists. Moving away from the notions of young people not having the wisdom to speak up, this is a group willing to express and prove those people wrong. 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

Why do we find it easier to trust some concepts and ideas over others? Professor Adam Kucharski delves into the science of uncertainty and why the need for clear explanations about how things work is becoming more important. In his work, Adam has found a lack of explainability enables more disinformation and conspiracy theories as people attempt to fill the gaps in their knowledge. This matters, because increasingly we’re going to have to navigate a world that most of us will struggle to fully understand. As a consequence, Adam argues, we must find better ways to trust things that we can’t explain and better ways to explain the things that we don’t trust.Adam is a professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and bestselling author of The Rules of Contagion, which was Book of the Year in The Times, Guardian and Financial Times. A mathematician by training, his work on global outbreaks has included Ebola, Zika and COVID, and he has advised multiple governments and health agencies. His new book, Proof: The Uncertain Science of Certainty, will be published in March 2025.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

In this inspiring TEDx Talk, Bindiya a fitness model and powerlifter reflects on her incredible journey of overcoming adversity, both in her sport and in her personal life. As a woman in a male-dominated field, she faced countless challenges, from constant criticism to being overlooked and underestimated. Yet, she chose to push forward, not allowing external judgment to define her worth or abilities. With unwavering courage, she turned every failure into a stepping stone, embracing each setback as an opportunity for growth.Her story extends beyond the gym, where her personal life also tested her strength. She opens up about enduring the heartbreak of a failed marriage, finding the strength to rebuild herself, and ultimately finding love once again. Throughout her journey, she learned that true power is not just physical—it’s the resilience of the human spirit.This talk is a testament to the power of persistence, resilience, and the courage to continue moving forward, no matter the odds. A trailblazer in the world of fitness and empowerment, Bindiya Sharma is a name synonymous with breaking barriers and redefining strength. As India's First WBFF PRO Diva (2017), Bindiya carved a niche for herself, transitioning from a successful commercial model to a celebrated fitness icon.Her accolades include being crowned JEARI Winner 2017 and FitFactor Winner 2017, followed the Olympia Amateur Gold Medal (2019) and multiple Sheru Classic Gold Medals (2019, 2021, 2022, 2023). Bindiya also earned the title of Strong Woman Champion for three consecutive years (2021, 2022, 2023) and has established herself as a powerhouse in competitive lifting as a State and National Powerlifting Champion.Bindiya’s journey exemplifies the courage it takes to challenge stereotypes, push boundaries, and create a legacy of resilience and empowerment. Her story inspires countless individuals highlighting that strength—both physical and mental—is the key to creating a life of purpose and impact. 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

A physicist turned cheesemaker shares a journey of passion and perseverance. After leaving academia, he traveled extensively to learn about Indian cuisine and mastered cheesemaking in Italy and France. This talk explores how cheese connects cultures and traditions, contrasting mass-produced cheeses with indigenous varieties like bandel and chhurpi. Through personal anecdotes, the speaker inspires audiences to pursue their dreams fearlessly, using cheese as a metaphor for life's richness and complexity. The narrative weaves together stories of travel, cultural connections, and the art of cheesemaking. Chef Dr. Aditya Raghavan has worn several hats: an executive chef of a boutique hotel, a cheese making consultant, a food writer, and of course, a scientist. He received his PhD in Physics in 2009 but left academia in 2013, pursuing has passion for food. After spending a summer on a sheep dairy farm in Canada, he returned to India in 2013 and started working as a cheese and dairy consultant. In the span of 12 years, traveling around the country, frequent trips back to Canada, as well as cheese making journeys in Europe, he has raised his profile as a respected chef and cheese maker in the country. 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

Dr. Yaqoob Bangash takes the audience on a journey through history, emphasizing the importance of reconnecting with the past to shape a better future.In this insightful TEDx talk, he explores how historical actions—and inactions—have led to significant consequences, offering valuable lessons for today’s world. Dr. Yaqoob K. Bangash is an experienced academic and researcher with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry. He is skilled in Nonprofit Organizations, Lecturing, International Relations, Policy Analysis, and Research.Dr. Bangash has a BA from the University of Notre Dame, a DPhil from Oxford, and a Postdoc from Harvard. He is a Fulbright Fellow of Harvard University, a Chevening Fellow of Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, and the British Academy Visiting Fellow of the Royal Holloway, University of London. He is a Historian of Modern South Asia and the Founder of ThinkFest.He is currently serving as the Dean, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and an Associate Professor for the Department of Governance and Global Studies at the Information Technology University. 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