Cafe Health

It's November 15, 2013.Twenty-five thousand people descend on San Francisco. Online, two billion others join in. This massive crowd erupts with a collective display of public emotion rarely seen. With a Beatlemania-like intensity, people take to the streets and screens. They are all united to fulfill the wish of 5-year-old Miles Scott, who is recovering from Leukemia. It is his dream to become Batkid and save Gotham City. Batkid Begins chronicles the making of the overnight international phenomenon that is Batkid.

Some people love the feeling of cracking their knuckles, while others cringe at the sound. But what causes that trademark pop? And is it dangerous? Eleanor Nelsen gives the facts behind joint popping.

His talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. "The earth is flat". "Home computers are useless". "Humanity is condemned to be starved". "Women are born inferior". Throughout the years, pioneering scientific discoveries overturn established theories, vibrant societies transcend dominant perceptions, bold individuals expand physical and intellectual limits proving everything wrong: This is the way in which we seek to improve our lives and to deepen the understanding of the world around us. At TEDxLimassol we are searching for the next refute in small and large things: In the universe and subatomic particles. In our societies and in our bodies. In our behavior, attitudes and perceptions. In our mental, physical and personal capabilities. Proving everything wrong is always the right thing to do.

Is sitting too much killing you?

Are we entering the post-antibiotic era? Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are on the rise, with millions of infections reported every year and thousands of deaths. How does antibiotic resistance work? How did we get here? And what can we do in the future to make sure that papercuts don't spell a death sentence?

Which of your sick remedies are actually helping?

It's the season for sneezin'!

For most of history, scientists weren't quite sure why our hearts were beating or even what purpose they served. Eventually, we realized that these thumping organs serve the vital task of pumping clean blood throughout the body. But how? Edmond Hui investigates how it all works by taking a closer look at the heart's highly efficient ventricle system.

A weekly show where we endeavour to answer one of your big questions. This week, "bored during school" asks, "Why do we get dark bags under our eyes when we're tired?"

As more and more parents are choosing not to vaccinate their children or are vaccinating them later, diseases like measles are making a comeback. Are vaccines safe? How do they work? This week we look at why are people afraid of something that has saved so many lives, and look at the history and science of vaccines.

Can being cold give you a cold?

A weekly show where we endeavor to answer one of your big questions. This week, Emma R. asks, "Why do I get that weird ringing noise in my ears?"

Do cell phones cause brain tumors? Conflicting results are resolved by looking at the big picture.

This week, Jen Alexander asks, "Do your organs grow with you?"

Our skin is the largest organ in our bodies, with a surface area of about 20 square feet in adults. When we are cut or wounded, our skin begins to repair itself through a complex, well-coordinated process. Sarthak Sinha takes us past the epidermis and into the dermis to investigate this regenerative response.

Some people take aspirin or ibuprofen to treat everyday aches and pains, but how exactly do the different classes of pain relievers work? Learn about the basic physiology of how humans experience pain, and the mechanics of the medicines we've invented to block or circumvent that discomfort.

Why do we feel so tired all the time? Hannah Fry looks at the reasons modern life might be exhausting us, from irregular bedtimes to blue lights from our phones.

Everyone experiences pain -- but why do some people react to the same painful stimulus in different ways? And what exactly is pain, anyway? Karen D. Davis walks you through your brain on pain, illuminating why the "pain experience" differs from person to person.

See what a day at the gym is like with Willie Murphy, a 77-year-old power lifter and grandmother. Video by Lauren Petracca for the Democrat and Chronicle.

If you're looking to remove an ex's name or any unwanted tattoos, watch and learn how a laser tattoo removal can take ink out of your skin.

The Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation uses a digital billboard to show a girl's hair blowing every time a train arrives to raise the awareness of child cancer.