Your brain is always changing and rebuilding itself according to your attitude and the words you say. We all have good and bad days and our brain takes note of them all.However, the good news is: these impacts are reversible. Your brain will not just get stuck in one way; you can reshape it. You achieve this by re-wiring your neural pathways, which is a process known as neuroplasticity.In this talk, Carla Winzer breaks down the science behind neuroplasticity, how to make use of it, and its effect on both your brain and your life. I, Carla Winzer, am a 12th grade student at Frankfurt International School and I am 18 years old. I am passionate about exploring the functions of the human brain. Specifically, neuroscience and its applications in our everyday lives is what I find intriguing. In my talk today, I will dive into the brain's power to rewire itself and how we can use this ability to our advantage, shaping our lives for growth and success. 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

Sports aren't just about winners and trophies. It’s about learning how to dream, to fail, and getting back up even stronger. William Wang describes in this talk that experiences from sports are not just limited to the court, or on the pitch, but rather, they extend outwards - and they become a rehearsal for life. My name is William Wang, a student here at FIS in the 11th grade. I was born in Taiwan but I have lived here in Germany for most of my life. Ever since I was little, I loved to play sports, especially basketball. Through basketball, I have learned many lessons about resilience and motivation, characteristics that extend far beyond the court. So my talk today is inspired by the idea that sports aren’t just a game, they're a rehearsal for life. And by exploring how elite athletes master the art of performance, each person can learn to perform better at school, work, and everyday life. 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

Illness is not just a medical condition, it is a human one. Behind every diagnosis, there’s always a person who is scared. A parent who is exhausted. A memory that still lingers. To heal a person, not just the symptoms, we have to consider all of those.We need doctors who understand that a patient’s fear can be as real as their fever. Julie Jung describes in this talk that being a doctor is not just to diagnose, prescribe, and walk away. It is to stand with patients in their most vulnerable moments. I am Heejae (Julie) Jung. I am from South Korea and have been in FIS for 6 years now. I am interested in medicine and psychology. My TEDx talk today is about how illness affects the patient and the people around them not just physically, but also emotionally. I would like to discuss the importance of sensitivity and compassion in healthcare. 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

Technology was supposed to make us faster, smarter and more efficient. But what if, in doing so, it also made us forget how to see? In fact, Zoe Zhang describes this talk that in it may have made us forget how to be mindful, and how to truly see the world around us. I am Zoe. I come from China and am currently an 18-year-old G12 IB Student at FIS. As a passionate student of computer science, I arrived in Berlin fully prepared for my CS class. Being informed that my course was canceled and I was moved to an art class, I was extremely disappointed. However, what began as frustration soon turned into a transformative journey. In my talk, I will share how slowing down, noticing the small details, and sketching instead of snapping photos helped me connect more deeply with the world around me, and why sometimes, the best way to remember a moment is simply to feel it. 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 most recent UN stocktaking of the SDG’s progress has revealed that nearly half of the goals are moving too slowly to meet the 2030 deadline, and critically, over one-fourth are in reverse. Are we truly alarmed by this statement, or is this just the status quo we are supposed to accept?While recent crises such as COVID-19 and the escalation of global conflicts have inhibited our progress, Henry Boisdequin describes in this talk that the underlying cause of our inability to meet the goals can be attributed to the free-rider problem. My name is Henry Boisdequin, and I am in 12th Grade at Frankfurt International School. Having lived in six different countries, issues of global significance interest me. When learning about the free-rider problem in economics class, I immediately drew the connection to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the world's lack of collective progress. The pragmatic priorities of modern governments are fundamentally misaligned with the global vision of the SDGs. Only through concerted recognition and action can meaningful progress toward our most daunting goals be realized. 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

When we think of genetic modification, our first thoughts are that it is something scary, and involves monsters with big teeth eating people.But in reality, genetic modification is less the story of humans against nature, but more humans working with nature to solve our problems. In this talk, Ewan Godfrey describes the vital importance of understanding how genetic engineering really works, and how it can be used to solve current problems. Hello and welcome to TEDx! My name is Ewan Godfrey, and I am a grade 12 student at FIS, originally from England. My talk will be about the mechanics and potential uses of CRISPR gene editing technology, which is a Nobel Prize winning tool capable of fundamentally altering living beings. However, this also raises serious ethical concerns about the use of this technology, drawing parallels between science fiction and science fact. 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