As a growing epidemic, male infertility is responsible for roughly 50% of couples’ fertility issues. As a leading researcher on the topic, Dr. Charles Easley highlights research findings and shares practical measures for prevention.Dr. Easley is the Associate Dean for Research at the College of Public Health and a member of the Regenerative Bioscience Center. As an independent investigator, he focuses on developing novel stem cell-based therapies to treat male factor infertility and researches the effects of environmental exposures and lifestyle choices on male fertility.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

Cultured meat is meat made from cells, instead of animals. To make cultured meat, a tiny sample of cells is taken from an animal and multiplied exponentially outside of the animal to make (theoretically) infinite amounts of meat. You can make chicken by culturing chicken skeletal muscle cells, pork fat from pig adipocytes, foie gras from duck liver cells. Meat made without animals but composed of the same stuff. It is a weird yet fascinating concept, and a feat easier said than done. In college, Natalie Rubio, a Chemical & Biological Engineering student at CU Boulder, was largely unenthused with her post-grad job prospects – until she read an article about cultured meat, fell in love with the idea, and chased it desperately. In 2016, Natalie started her PhD on cultured meat at Tufts University – one of the first universities in the world to support research on the topic. In this TEDxTufts talk, Natalie reflects on the ups and downs of her career in cultured meat - an industry wrought with technical challenges and controversy. Dr. Natalie Rubio is the Co-Founder & CEO of Deco Labs, a Tufts spin-out company focused on commercializing enabling technologies for the cellular agriculture industry. Natalie has a B.S. in Chemical & Biological Engineering from the University of Colorado, Boulder (2015) and a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Tufts University (2021). Her career is dedicated to replacing the role of animals in our food systems via innovations in biotechnology. 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

Every second, tiny particles from outer space pass through your body - harmless, and completely unnoticed. These tiny particles, called muons, are now revolutionizing science in ways we never imagined. In this talk, you’ll discover how these invisible messengers from space can see through walls, predict earthquakes, and help keep our cities safe. They are invisible, but their impact is real. Dr. Noemi Zabari is an astrophysicist, entrepreneur, and R&D leader specializing in dense nuclear matter and cosmic radiation with practical applications in emerging technologies. She is the CEO and co-founder of Muotech.io, COO and co-founder of Astroteq.ai, and co-leads the space-seismic research group within the CREDO project at the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Her work bridges scientific innovation and business strategy, with a focus on space technologies and their terrestrial applications. Dr. Zabari holds a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the Polish Academy of Sciences, and has academic backgrounds in Applied Mathematics and Technical Physics. She previously contributed to the development of nanosatellite constellations and research on the effects of space weather on satellite electronics. 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

The human need to question why fuels our imagination and inspires innovation and creativity. From asking “Why can birds fly?” to “Why do bad things happen to good people?” the critical interrogation of the world around us leads to understanding and resolution. Tracing his journey as a Texas-born Mexican to becoming a professor of Russian and an advocate for social justice in education, Dr. Thomas Jesús Garza discusses the crucial role of the humanities and the transformative power of learning to ask “Why?” - the H-Factor - as an essential part of one’s education and personal development. From growing up in the small town of Refugio to negotiating the political and cultural complexities of Soviet-era Russia, Garza shows how the “H-Factor” and serendipity can change our lives. Dr. Thomas Jesús Garza is Associate Professor and UT Regents’ and University Distinguished Teaching Associate Professor in the Department of Slavic and Eurasian Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. He is also the founding Director of the College of Liberal Arts Texas Language Center (2009-present), and past director of the UT Arabic Flagship Program (2015-2018). From 2004 to 2009 he served as Chair of the Slavic Department and Director of the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies from 2002 to 2009. He teaches, conducts research, and publishes on Russian language and cultures, world language pedagogies, comparative cultures, and critical pedagogies in world languages education. His research has been published in scholarly journals including Foreign Language Annals, Russian Language Journal, Modern Language Journal, Slavic and East European Journal, and Current History, and has authored several Russian and ESL textbooks, including Breakthrough! American English for Speakers of Russian (1995), the first Russian-American collaborative textbook project on American English, and has contributed chapters to numerous volumes language and culture. He also recently coedited with Rachel Stauffer a volume of essays, Diversity and Decolonization in Russian Studies (2025).During his nearly 35-year tenure at the University of Texas at Austin, he received numerous prizes for undergraduate and graduate teaching, including the Harry Ransom Teaching Award, the President’s Award for Teaching Excellence, and the Liberal Arts Student Council Endowed Teaching Award. In 2003, he was inducted into the University Academy of Distinguished Teachers, selected for a U Texas Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award in 2009, and chosen a “Texas Top Ten” instructor by the Texas Exes in 2018. He led study abroad programs for UT undergraduate students to Russia from 1981 to 2020 under the auspices of the American Council of Teachers of Russian, of which he is also past president. In 2024, Dr. Garza was selected as one of “50 Alumni for 50 Years” by the American Councils for International Education for his work in promoting the study of Russian in the U.S. Dr. Garza earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Haverford College, Masters of Arts degrees from Bryn Mawr College and Harvard University, and his doctoral degree from Harvard Graduate School of Education. His current research is on critical pedagogy in world languages instruction, masculinity in contemporary Russian and Latino cultures, and Russian singer/songwriter/actor Vladimir Vysotsky’s travels to the Americas in the 1970s. 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

This is the story of a completely ordinary person building a community of hope. The most important lesson that Chris Baker, Founder of The Other Ones Foundation, learned on his journey was the importance of having his ideas challenged and listening to those society has pushed to the fringes. From a chance encounter with a benevolent stranger, to an unexpected partnership with the state of Texas, Chris learned to set aside his preconceived notions and got to work changing his little corner of the world. Chris Baker is the founder and Executive Director of The Other Ones Foundation, a nonprofit on a mission to transition Austin's unhoused neighbors into an engaged community through shelter, opportunity, and support. Since graduating from the State University of New York at Oneonta in 2007, Chris has worked many different jobs in the field of homeless services and activism, but also as a musician, writer, and even paralegal. He started The Other Ones Foundation in the summer of 2017 to bring his innovative ideas for addressing homelessness to life via a client centered, people first approach. 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