How do you fix broken public systems? You spark people's competitive spirit. In a talk about getting people motivated to make change, public sector strategist Abhishek Gopalka discusses how he helped improve the health system of Rajasthan, a state in India home to more than 80 million people, using the powers of transparency and public accountability. "Motivation doesn't just appear," Gopalka says. "Something needs to change to make you care."

On the heels of the breakout success of his film "Crazy Rich Asians," director Jon M. Chu reflects on what drives him to create -- and makes a resounding case for the power of connection and on-screen representation.

Mangrove forests are crucial to the health of the planet, gobbling up CO2 from the atmosphere and providing a home for a diverse array of species. But these rich habitats are under continual threat from deforestation and industry. In an empowering talk, conservationist and TED Fellow Ashwin Naidu shares how community-driven efforts in South and Southeast Asia are working to protect mangroves -- all with a little help from the mysterious and endangered fishing cat.

Hephaestus, god of technology, was hard at work on his most ingenious invention yet. He was creating a new defense system for King Minos, who wanted fewer intruders on his island kingdom of Crete. But mortal guards and ordinary weapons wouldn't suffice, so the visionary god devised an indomitable new defender. Adrienna Mayor dives into the myth of Talos: the first robot. [Directed by Cabong Studios, narrated by Alexandra Panzer, music by Matheus Wittmann].

How can we stop the spread of misleading, sometimes dangerous content while maintaining an internet with freedom of expression at its core? Misinformation expert Claire Wardle explores the new challenges of our polluted online environment and maps out a plan to transform the internet into a place of trust -- with the help everyday users. "Together, let's rebuild our information commons," she says.

Neuroscientist Beau Lotto conducted an ambitious study with Cirque du Soleil on the emotion of awe and its psychological and behavioral benefits. In this talk and live performance, he shares some of their findings -- and stands back as Cirque du Soleil dancers create their own awe-inducing spectacle.

Filmmaker, biologist and TED Fellow Alexis Gambis makes films grounded in fact, straddling the genres of experimental, documentary and fiction. Showing clips of his work, Gambis demonstrates how storytelling helps explain important scientific advancements and social issues -- and how it can be a lens on our own humanity. "We need more real science in fictional movies, to create more eclectic, more inclusive, more poetic portrayals of science and scientists in the world," he says.

Recent scientific developments have made possible things once attributed only to gods and mythologies. Artist and TED Fellow Hiromi Ozaki shows how she worked with scientists in biotechnology and genetic engineering to turn one myth -- the Red String of Fate -- into a reality.

The audio aspect of tap dancing is just as essential as the visual. Listen and watch as TED Fellow Andrew Nemr performs a choose-your-own-adventure dance, joined by an ensemble from the Vancouver Tap Dance Society.

In a hopeful talk followed by an empowering performance, musician and TED Fellow Muthoni Drummer Queen shares how industries like music, film and fashion provide a platform for Africans to broadcast their rich and diverse talents -- and explains how the shared experience of creativity can replace attitudes of exclusionism and othering with acceptance and self-love.