From viral videos to wild conspiracy theories, AI is making it harder than ever to tell what is real. Students Meri Bertram and Aimée Goos explore how fake news is created, why people believe it, and how simple strategies like checking reliability and logic can help fight back against misinformation and make sense of what we see online. Meri Bertram, 17, is a final-year international school student in Berlin, currently completing her Abitur. Raised in a trilingual Finnish-German household, she has developed a deep interest in languages, cultures, and environmental issues. At school, she is actively involved as a class representative on the student council and takes part in a wide range of extracurricular activities. She also engages in educational trips, internships, and social initiatives that broaden her perspective beyond academics. After graduation, she plans to take a gap year to travel, volunteer, and gain hands-on experience before beginning her university studies. While still exploring potential fields of study, she is driven by curiosity, a love of learning, and ambitious goals.Aimee Goos, 17, is completing her Abitur in Berlin after growing up in Munich and Amsterdam. Moving to Berlin sparked her passion for medicine and space exploration. She has represented German youth at the excitingEDU conference, discussed the future of AI in education, and participated in the POCACITO podcast, raising awareness of climate change’s impact on the Global South. Aimee has participated in BERMUN I, BERMUN II, and BOLMUN, expanding her knowledge of diplomacy and passion for solving global issues. She was a BioOlympiade finalist, and to gain hands-on experience she completed an internship at the Deutsche Luft- und Raumfahrt, as well as joining ProTechnikale and TUMO, learning Python and exploring STEM fields. As a class representative and student council member, she advocates for her peers. Fluent in German and English, Aimee is learning Latin and Spanish, driven by curiosity for both human and cosmic systems. 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 Stories Crimes Tell: Listening Beyond the Evidence explores Jon’s experience as a detective who uncovered hidden narratives through the art of listening—not just to words, but to silence, body language, and emotion. Evidence can reveal the what, but only listening uncovers the why. A confession may confirm guilt, but the hesitation, the shift in tone, or the unspoken fear reveals the deeper truth. Through years of interviewing victims, witnesses, and suspects, Jon learned that his most powerful tools weren’t his badge or authority, but curiosity, empathy, and patience. During his talk, Jon will take the audience inside the mind of a detective, sharing real stories of how careful listening exposed motives, elicited confessions, and revealed truths that evidence alone could not. He will demonstrate how the same listening techniques used in investigations can help us navigate challenges, strengthen relationships, and better understand the world around us. Jon Carda served as a police officer for 31 years, including 11 years as a Detective in the Crimes Against Persons Unit, where he investigated cases of homicide, suicide, assault, and abuse. Jon has over 240 hours of specialized training in interview and interrogation techniques, he also completed advanced coursework in homicide investigation, statement analysis, and child forensic interviewing. As a lead detective on 22 homicides, Jon conducted more than 30 homicide suspectinterrogations and interviewed hundreds of individuals involved in child abuse cases. His expertise extends beyond investigation. Throughout his career, Jon ensured that every interview and interrogation he conducted stood up in court. His dedication to uncovering the truth through listening and analysis remains the foundation of his work. 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 Middle is where human beings are truly made. It's easy to show up at the start line, energised by the excitement of new beginnings, and we all love the thrill of celebrating a finish. But it's the Middle where our stories unfold, where challenges are overcome, and where endurance is built.In this presentation you will discover transformative insights designed to encourage and equip you for life's most challenging stretches. Whether in life or leadership, The Middle is the terrain that demands resilience and grit. The Middle Insights will encourage you to:Keep going when your motivation fades and quitting seems easier. Refuel from your own story, tapping into the power of your personal experiences. Protect your perspective to cultivate the right emotions in difficult times. Navigate your context with intention, moving forward strategically rather than letting circumstances dictate your path. Embrace detours with agility and openness, turning unexpected challenges into opportunities for growth. Collaborate with your tribe, knowing that no great journey is made alone. Leverage failures, transforming them into stepping stones that propel you toward success rather than holding you back.Drawing from his experience in ultra-endurance races, Travis connects the mental and emotional endurance required in these extreme challenges with the day-to-day choices we face. This talk will inspire you to not only survive The Middle but to thrive in it, ensuring that you run your race with purpose and finish well. Travis was born and raised in Durban. During 1999, the year after he finished school, he rode a bicycle 17000km across four continents, raising R1.7 million for children living with and affected by HIV / AIDS. On that tour he wrote a vision for an organisation called Appletree, a brand which would enable human potential. In 2004, after studying HR at UKZN, he lived and worked as an underwater videographer and dive professional on Koh Phi Phi Island in Thailand. After experiencing the devastating Tsunami, he returned home with a renewed fervour to activate his vision. For the past 20 years he has been developing the Appletree brand, partnering with many organisations to shape and sustain a healthy culture. In 2020 he published The Middle, a book which was written to encourage individuals and teams to navigate tough terrain and achieve ambitious goals. Through The Middle brand, he expresses his current passion; learning about and sharing on the topic of grit and resilience, drawing from 20 years of entrepreneurship, 4 decades of living in KZN, 15 years of marriage, 10 years of parenting two daughters, and his current goal of running ten 100 mile trail races of which he has completed six. 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

“Dad, are we rich?” A simple breakfast-table question sparks a powerful journey through the psychological and historical structures that lock up capital — and the urgent need to unlock it. Entrepreneur and author Felix Oldenburg blends personal stories, surprising facts, and a big idea for the future of giving. Felix Oldenburg has transformed social entrepreneurship and philanthropy in Germany as the former CEO of Ashoka and the Association of German Foundations. Growing up on a small island and studying philosophy, he gained insight into real-world injustices through social startups, impact investors, and major donors. With his startup bcause, he aims to unlock private wealth to fund solutions before societal problems become too costly. He speaks and writes about a vision of everyone being a philanthropist. 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

Criminologa, Serena Favarin smonta i falsi miti sull’insicurezza urbana. Partendo dai dati reali sui reati, ci accompagna in un viaggio tra percezione e realtà, spiegando come media e narrazioni influenzino il nostro modo di vivere e temere la città. Trevigiana di nascita e milanese d’adozione, è professoressa associata di Sociologia della devianza all’Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, dove insegna criminologia e metodi per analizzare i fenomeni sociali e criminali. Collabora da molti anni con Transcrime, il centro di ricerca interuniversitario su criminalità e innovazione, occupandosi di criminalità urbana, percezione dell’insicurezza, criminalità organizzata e crimini ambientali. Ha costruito il suo percorso tra l’Italia e l’estero, arricchendolo con esperienze di studio e ricerca in contesti internazionali e interdisciplinari. Ha una passione per i dati, soprattutto quando aiutano a comprendere meglio la realtà e le sue trasformazioni. Per lei, la ricerca criminologica non serve solo a contare i reati, ma è un modo per osservare da vicino la società, mettere in discussione le categorie con cui descriviamo la devianza e interrogarsi su come viviamo insieme. 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