The Best of TED Talks India: Nayi Soch

When Vikas Khanna was born, the doctor told his mother he would never walk or run. It was the first of the tough challenges in life that eventually shaped him into the world-famous chef, author and filmmaker he is today. Hear his inspiring story of the three challenges that pushed him to learn who he is and reach for greater things.

Many nations have attempted to send spacecraft to Mars -- but not one ever succeeded on the first try. That is, until India's Mars orbital mission, Mangalyaan. Ritu Karidhal was deputy operations director on the project, and she tells the story of how a young girl from Lucknow became a leader on this important scientific mission to explore the solar system.

Professor Manu Prakash, a physicist and inventor, is creating low-cost scientific instruments that kids can use to do real science -- including a microscope folded out of paper that costs about 100 rupees to make, and a paper centrifuge that costs even less and works like instruments that cost thousands. "Science is not meant only for an exam or the lab," he says. "Science is meant to be in your homes, in your kitchens, and in your heart. If we all make science a part of our lives, we can probably change a lot." (In Hindi with English subtitles)