The United States accounts for five percent of the worlds population but consumes almost 70 percent of the total global opioid supply, creating an epidemic that has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths each year. How did we get here, and what can we do about it? In this personal talk, Travis Rieder recounts the painful, often-hidden struggle of opioid withdrawal and reveals how doctors who are quick to prescribe (and overprescribe) opioids arent equipped with the tools to eventually get people off the meds. Travis Rieder, PhD, is the Assistant Director for Education Initiatives, Director of the Master of Bioethics degree program and Research Scholar at the Berman Institute of Bioethics.

Travis’ work tends to fall into one of two, quite distinct research programs. The first concerns ethical and policy questions about sustainability and planetary limits. Much of this research has been on issues in climate change ethics and procreative ethics with a particular focus on the intersection of the two – that is, on the question of responsible procreation in the era of climate change. The second research program concerns ethical and policy issues surrounding America’s opioid epidemic.

In addition to his more scholarly writing, Travis is firmly committed to doing bioethics with the public. He writes regularly for The Conversation and blogs occasionally at The Huffington Post and the Berman Institute Bioethics Bulletin. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

Learn why people tend to reactively treat their weirdness as a dangerous liability. Perspectives will be shared on how weirdness is actually one’s greatest asset, serving as a bridge into one’s authenticity. How to take action on finding the courage to say YES! to weirdness will be presented so that more meaning and fulfillment can be encountered by reclaiming the asset of weirdness.

JP Sears is an emotional healing coach, YouTuber, author, international teacher, speaker at events, world traveler, and curious student of life. His work empowers people to live more meaningful lives. JP is the author of “How To Be Ultra Spiritual,” (Sounds True Publishing, released March 7th, 2017). He is very active with his online videos where he encourages healing and growth through his humorous and entertainingly informative videos, including his hit Ultra Spiritual comedy series, which has accumulated over 250 million views. You can learn more about JP and his work at AwakenWithJP.com.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

Everything you know about time-management is wrong. In this challenging and counter-intuitive video, Self-Discipline Strategist and New York Times bestselling author of Rory Vaden, shows you why you cant solve todays time-management challenges with yesterdays time-management strategies. More importantly he explains why procrastinating on purpose is the key to being able to Multiply your time.

Self-Discipline Strategist Rory Vaden’s book Take the Stairs is a #1 Wall St Journal and #2 New York Times bestseller. Rory is also Co-Founder of Southwestern Consulting™, an 8-figure global consulting practice. His new book Procrastinate On Purpose: 5 Permissions to Multiply Your Time came out in January of 2015 and was an instant National Bestseller. Free insights at www.roryvadenblog.com.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx

He is the known as the DNA of YouTube India and “Culinary Ambassador” for The Indian Federation of Culinary Associations, IFCA India. Sanjay Thumma, better known as Vahchef, is among the top 10 YouTube stars from India. YouTube honoured him the lifetime views in the YouTube channel which has reached up to over 290 million viewers. vahrehvah.com is the most watched chef across the globe. However, what is it that pulls so many viewers towards Sanjay? Is it his ability to cook alone, or is it his skill to touch the heart of his viewers? Sanjay, at many points in his life had to Rethink how his culinary art impacted individuals and made a difference to their lives. Following your passion can be extremely rewarding. When you put your heart and soul into your passion, the returns are higher than expected and you establish your brand, effectively. Experience his passion in this talk! Sanjay Thumma better known as Vahchef, is an admirable Indian Chef and Entrepreneur in culinary arts in Indian cooking. He is among the top 10 YouTube stars from India. YouTube honored him the lifetime views in the YouTube channel which has reached up to over 290 million viewers. vahrehvah.com is the most watched chef across the globe as Sanjay, shares an inseparable bond with his audience. In fact, YouTube calls him DNA of YouTube India. Recently, Vahchef is assigned as a “Culinary Ambassador” for The Indian Federation of Culinary Associations, IFCA India This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

What part of your illnesses are genetic, and what part of them are environmental? B.M. Hegde breaks down misconceptions about health, and leaves us questioning what health actually means.

Professor B.M. Hegde is a medical scientist, educationist and author who has contributed immensely in the field of healthcare medical science, and is known for his holistic approach. He has been bestowed the prestigious Padma Bhushan award in 2010. He works towards putting together a system of medical care delivery which is authentic, inexpensive, patient friendly and easily accessible.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

Noam Chomsky, a world-renowned linguist, intellectual and political activist, spoke at the University of Arizona on Feb. 8, 2012. His lecture, «Education: For Whom and For What?» featured a talk on the state of higher education, followed by a question-and-answer session.

Chomsky, an Institute Professor and a Professor Emeritus of Linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he worked for more than 50 years, has been concerned with a range of education-related issues in recent years. Among them: How do we characterize the contemporary state of the American education system? What happens to the quality of education when public universities become more privatized? Are public universities in danger of being converted into facilities that produce graduates-as-commodities for the job market? What is the role of activism in education? With unprecedented tuition increases and budget struggles occurring across American campuses, these are questions that are more relevant than ever.

1 out of 4 people suffer from mental illness. Look around you, and chances are out of the closest 3 people, 1 of you may be suffering from mental illness. Elizabeth speaks volumes from her own experience battling mental illness and how it is not a personal problem, but a communal one for which we are all responsible to address.

Elizabeth is a junior at the University of Texas at Austin studying Chemistry. She is a pre-medical student hoping to one day run her own practice and use a combination of diet, therapy, and medicine to heal the physical and psychological wounds of her patients. She is the proud owner of her mini wiener dog Bella, who helped her heal and grow through some of her lifes toughest battles.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx

Kevin Bacon has starred in some of the most influential films in cinema history. Ingrained into our popular culture forever, Bacons films span every genre of the human condition. In true Bacon style, he embraced the «Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon» trivia phenomenon and founded SixDegrees.org, a charitable initiative that links people to charities and each other for the purpose of making a difference.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

Why is it that so many people think they can’t draw? Where did we learn to believe that? Graham Shaw will shatter this illusion – quite literally — in a very practical way. He’ll demonstrate how the simple act of drawing has the power to make a positive difference in the world.

Graham specialises in the art of communication and has helped thousands of people to make important presentations. He is perhaps best known for his use of fast cartoon drawings to communicate ideas and is the author of ‘The Art of Business Communication’.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx

The Ukraine Yatra is one of the most successful in ISKCON with over 15,000 devotees. We first visited Kharkiv where we participated in an amazing Ratha Yatra and then went on to Kiev, the capitol, where we had darshan of Radha Madhava in our movement’s biggest temple in the country. There we had several days of kirtan and lectures in an ocean of blissful devotees!