Pavithra shares a deeply personal story of growing up with hardship, family conflict, and constant rejection, and how she used those experiences to build unshakable self-belief. From being stopped from dancing as a child, to secretly performing in competitions, to working her way onto national television; her journey is marked by determination, setbacks, and resilience. She opens up about being thrown out of her home for choosing cinema, surviving without food, and rebuilding her life after a face injury left her with 27 fractures. Despite multiple surgeries, heartbreaks, and losing both her parents, she never gave up on herself or her dream of becoming an actor. This talk is a raw and honest look at what it means to keep going when everything falls apart. Pavithra speaks about self-worth, the power of blind faith, and why no one is bigger or smaller than you in life. Her story is a reminder that even when you have no support, no money, and no guarantees, choosing yourself - every single day - is the most powerful thing you can do. Pavithra Lakshmi is a multifaceted talent in the South Indian film industry, renowned for her versatility as a dancer, model, lyricist, and actress. Notably, she set a Guinness World Record for the Largest Ames Room Illusion on Maanada Mayilada.In 2015, she made a successful transition to modeling, earning titles like "Miss Perfect Smile – Face of Chennai" and "Queen of Madras 2016." Pavithra has appeared in over 50 short films.Her impressive performance in the Malayalam film Ullasam further established her as a rising star. Her journey reflects her dedication and passion for the arts, and she continues to inspire audiences with her relatable characters while sharing valuable insights on storytelling and women's representation in the evolving landscape of Indian cinema. 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

To many, aging is a quiet exit—slipping away from the spotlight, slowing down, settling into the background. Ni Ping offers a different view. Through her own journey and the lives of those she loves, she shows that the “second half” of life can be just as full of purpose, curiosity, and fire. She recalls her mother and grandmother, and both everyday and celebrated figures, who kept creating, contributing, and embracing life well into their later years. In her own retirement, she picked up painting and writing, learned to navigate the digital world, built connections with younger generations, and stood beside those who keep smiling through hardship. For Ni Ping, “midway perseverance” is a choice: to meet each stage of life with intention and heart. True brilliance isn’t about reclaiming the highest peak you once reached—it’s about carrying a light within you, so you remain young at heart, and moved by the world, for as long as you live. Host, Actress 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 thought-provoking talk, we delve into the paradox of creation and destruction, exploring about how the most significant beginnings and endings often happen in the blink of an eye. From the birth of the universe to groundbreaking scientific discoveries, Prof. Unnikrishnan explores how fleeting, ephemeral moments can carry immense weight, even in the realm of scientific discoveries among the most talented minds. Yet, amidst this constant flux, there’s one force that remains steady: gravity. Drawing on both philosophical insight and scientific research, this talk reminds us that while moments may pass in an instant, the forces that shape our reality often lie beneath the surface, not at all ephemeral.This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. C. S. Unnikrishnan, a physicist known for his work in gravity, quantum physics, and quantum optics, has made significant experimental and theoretical contributions. A former professor at TIFR and currently at DIAT, Pune, he pioneered gravitation experiments in India and led the creation of the country's first Bose-Einstein condensate. His key contributions include the Theory of Cosmic Relativity and Universal Action Mechanics, addressing fundamental issues in quantum mechanics. He was a key scientist in the LIGO-India project and shared prestigious prizes for gravitational wave detection. Unnikrishnan has published over 250 research papers and authored Gravity's Time. 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

Starting from her own artistic dreams, Lu Yi takes the audience on a journey through the history of human transportation, showing how each leap forward has redefined spatial patterns and reshaped society. As two-dimensional transport can no longer meet the demands of urban growth, the rise of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) opens new horizons for city mobility—with greater safety, lower noise, and improved performance and cost efficiency. She unpacks key industry challenges such as technological breakthroughs, noise control, and safety systems, and uses real accident cases to highlight the vital role of ducted design. Standing at the crossroads of electrification and digitalization, Lu sees the low-altitude economy not merely as a new transportation sector, but as a strategic frontier for global competition and a leap in human civilization. From this “midway” vantage point in the skies, she envisions not only untapped physical space, but also limitless new connections—between people, and between cultures. Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of INFLYNC 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

For over three decades, Liu Li Ping has been racing against stroke. She led the landmark “CHANCE” clinical trial—the first from China published in The New England Journal of Medicine—reducing patients’ 90-day recurrence rate from 11.7% to 8.2%, and further down to 6% in subsequent studies, rewriting global treatment guidelines and saving millions of lives. Her team developed domestically produced thrombolytic drugs, ending reliance on expensive imports, and combined them with AI imaging systems to cut treatment times from 120 minutes to just 20, extending the treatment window from 4.5 hours to 24. For Liu, victory in medicine is never a finish line—it is the courage to leave the comfort zone, to move from saving one life to transforming an entire field, and to keep going where the road runs long. Chief Scientist, Neurology Center, Beijing Tiantan Hospital 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

From the Sahara Desert to Antarctica, from the Amazon rainforest to the Himalayas, Chen Pen Bin has run through some of the harshest environments on Earth. In ultramarathons stretching hundreds of kilometers, he has faced freezing cold, searing heat, oxygen-thin altitudes, swamps, and brutal fatigue. Along the way, he has dealt with tactical missteps, injuries, and even penalties caused by language barriers. Yet, through constant adjustment and steady accumulation of experience, he has learned to turn unpredictable conditions into opportunities—using strategy to navigate the uncontrollable and calm to hold on to victory. For Chen, “victory in the midst of chaos” is not just crossing the finish line—it is the ongoing process of correcting course in the unknown, awakening the body’s instincts, and carrying the power of being seen as a Chinese athlete on the world stage. China’s Pioneer of Extreme Ultramarathons 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