There are certain experiences that leave such an indelible impact, and being at the TED annual conference in Vancouver with LUMEBOX was definitely one of them…sharing some insights and a new feature on my Substack today!
True story: When TED reached out and wanted to feature LUMEBOX at their annual flagship conference in Vancouver this year, I initially thought it was a prank! But I’m glad I answered that email. Getting LUMEBOX in front of thought leaders and attendees felt surreal.
📢 Speaking of which, LUMEBOX is currently 50% off for the next 3 days - the lowest price you will find it. If you’ve been considering red light therapy for things like temporary pain relief, skin and collagen support, faster healing and recovery, this is one of the few 3rd-party tested, FDA-registered devices, and you can snag it at the LOWEST price 🏃♀️ for 3 more days - you can use FSA, and there is a payment plan too.
💐P.S. If you’re looking for a Mother’s Day gift, I pulled together a few of my mom’s (and my) favorite things here 🎁, the ones she always asks me to bring back to the UK. A lot of them are currently on sale too 🙌
I’ll be back to my regular health & wellness content with my next email, but I truly relished how much TED stimulated my brain and made me think and look outside the box.
Here are two of the talks they have published from the conference, in case you wanted to take a peek:
The Power of Prediction - A thought-provoking talk by an Oxford professor on how predictions can be used as ‘weapons of power” - important to be aware of this in the age of AI.
What I got wrong about changing the world - by the incredible Malala.
“The bigger the fight, the bolder you have to be. I don’t have all the answers on how to change the world; I don’t think anybody does. But if we start with something, work together, and stay ambitious, hope stops being the thing we wait to feel and becomes something we create.”
There were also many talks about AI, of course. It’s an uncertain time, especially for young people and parents of youngsters. Will AI take my job? Will my kids have a job when they graduate?
If I’m honest, I’ve never loved the idea of AI. If anything, I feel like it’s eroding our brains. But I’ve come to realize that whether I like it or not, it’s here to stay. So the question isn’t whether to use it. It’s how to work and pivot with it.
We’re living in a time where information is no longer scarce. If anything, it’s overwhelming.
The skill is no longer gathering information. It’s discernment.
What’s real? What’s misinformation? What can I trust?
You can access studies and summaries in seconds - but what does it actually mean?
Nuance, context, discernment? That’s the challenging but important part.
After 15 years in medicine, I’ve learned that clinical experience matters - it’s what gives some seasoned doctors that ‘gut hunch,’ which I’ve come to learn is not random, but the accumulation of knowledge with real-world experiences to inform a decision.
Combining that with science-backed information is probably how I can best serve you. So I’m starting something new here:
A space where you can bring your questions: See something online but don’t quite know whether to trust it? Have a burning question about a hot trend? Bring it.
If you’re a free subscriber, I’m so glad you’re here. You’ll be able to read these as they’re published.
If you want to submit a question, this will be a paid subscriber perk - please drop your question into our community chat!
Not because the problems we’re facing have simple solutions.
But because what my internet and social algorithms feed me isn’t the full truth.
The world can feel divided, disrupted, and upside down.
But here’s what I don’t see enough of: the MANY people, everywhere, doing thoughtful, meaningful work to make this world a better place.
People like Drew McCarter, founder of Pure Earth, are working to remove lead from contaminated soil and protect an estimated 550 million children from lead poisoning by 2033.
Or Robbie Schingler, co-founder of Planet Labs, which operates the world’s largest network of Earth-imaging satellites, capturing the entire planet daily and using AI to turn that data into real-world action, like directing support to farmers in drought-affected regions without them having to ask for it.
And so many more…
These incredible change makers moved me in a visceral way and lit a fire in me I didn’t know I needed.
And here’s something I want to hold onto: We are more alike than we are different.
Find common ground with the person you don’t see eye to eye with. There is far more that unites us than divides us. And when we push in the same direction, not pulling apart, we can do great things together.
A beautiful example of this was in Washington this week, where a (terrible) proposal to extend legal protections for pesticide manufacturers was scrapped after pushback from public health advocates, environmental groups, and people across the political spectrum who came together around one shared goal: protecting human and planetary health.
The TED talk left me feeling genuinely uplifted in a way that surprised me a little.
And I do not think that would have happened through a screen.
There is something about being in a room with people, sharing ideas, and feeling the energy shift, that simply does not translate virtually.
So one thing I am leaning into more intentionally this year is building more of that - cultivating in-person community and connection that exists beyond comments and DMs.
I would love to plan a small meetup this fall and actually meet some of you in person. ❤️
Comment below if you would be interested in something like that!
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