A friend suggested that she use the movements to create art, so she did. She began with charcoal on paper. Then she moved to using colors and different mediums. Her artwork became more about getting out of her own way. #tedxtopeka

Started teaching others how to do this energy art. Then, wondered what it would be like to do Qigong while enveloped by colors, and tried it. Liked it, and moved to doing the movements with her own artwork projected. Now, well see that performance. #tedxtopeka

Too see her performance head on over to live stream NOW >> tedxtopeka.com/watch #tedxtopeka

Now Dr. Sharon Sullivan will present her talk on sex trafficking. At least 100K children are being trafficked for sex in the US each year. Some think it may be as high as 300K. -Sullivan #tedxtopeka

12-14 years old is the average age of entry into prostitution. Anyone can be a victim of sex trafficking. Runaways are a particularly high risk for trafficking. -Sullivan #tedxtopeka

Traffickers are con artists. They trick our children, they brainwash them, and they pull them in. -Sullivan #tedxtopeka

The trauma for trafficking victims is huge. With a quota of 5 customers per day, a trafficking victim will endure 1,820 forced sexual encounters each year. -Sullivan #tedxtopeka

Who are the traffickers? Anyone. Trafficking is the second most lucrative business in the world. Drugs are #1, but drugs are single-use. Humans are able to be sold over and over again. -Sullivan #tedxtopeka

Trafficking is a crime of greed. With a $500 a night quota, a trafficker will make over $500k a year. -Sullivan #tedxtopeka

Sex trafficking exists because there is a demand. 10-20% of American men buy sex. -Sullivan #tedxtopeka

How do we prevent trafficking? Address patriarchy and toxic masculinity. Cultivate positive self-esteem and a healthy body image. Stress consensual touch. Model or learn what a healthy relationship looks like. -Sullivan #tedxtopeka

Preventing sex trafficking part 2: make sure our children have healthy, consistent relationships with an adult who demonstrates that they care about them. Talk about pop culture and how it represents sexuality as the most important thing about a person. -Sullivan #tedxtopeka

Preventing trafficking #3: stop glorifying pimp culture. Be cautious with use of social media and online gaming. Help our children find healthy activities. Ensure youth in poverty have the things they need. Get children counseling if needed. -Sullivan #tedxtopeka

Now, we're moving on to "In the Really Really Long Run: The Future of Humanity in the Cosmos" with Dr. Brian Thomas. #tedxtopeka

Thomas is a scientist who thinks in the really long run - millions and billions of years. Something he's interested in is our future as a species. Where are we headed in the future? #tedxtopeka

Thomas speaks of the Fermi paradox. If life is statistically likely to develop, which it is, why haven't we seen any in the universe? One answer is that advanced civilizations just don't have a long life span. He thinks this is the most likely answer. #tedxtopeka

Why? We face a lot of threats as a species. What kind of threats? Humans are a threat to ourselves. Nuclear warheads, genetically engineered disease, artificial intelligence gone wrong, climate change, overpopulation. We can overcome these threats. -Thomas #tedxtopeka

But the universe itself is kind of dangerous. Meteor impact, volcanic activity, the sun will increase in luminosity and boil all water off the earth. What can we do? -Thomas #tedxtopeka

We can leave. The longer we stay on Earth, the more vulnerable we become. We must go to the stars. Most of us don't think about the really long run. But some of us should. We need to think about it now so we can come up w/ solutions to ensure survival. -Thomas #tedxtopeka

Now we are on to our last presenter, Annette Hope Billings who will present "Brava!", a spoken word poem. #tedxtopeka