Anika Paulson’s love for music permeates her understanding of herself, her surroundings and the mysteries that make up the smallest and biggest parts of life.

Why you should listen

Anika Paulson's escape is always music. A self-proclaimed nervous Minnesotan, music is the measure of her life's tempo. There's no doubt that whatever Paulson decides to do, she will use the power and metaphor of music to guide her future. After all, according to Paulson, whether it's friendships or string theory, everything is music.

Paulson studies biology at the University of Minnesota Morris. In December 2016, she was one of 18 students from around the world selected to speak at the first-ever TED-Ed Weekend at TED's headquarters in New York City. She then had the honor of presenting her talk at TED 2017 in Vancouver.

Anika Paulson’s TED talk