Humans, ever-meaning-making creatures, will never cease to wonder: Why are things the way they are? Why do I think the way I do? And what does it all mean? Welcome to Session 7 of TED2014, in which speakers will ask big questions about how we — and the world — work.

Here are the speakers who appeared in this session. Click below to read a full recap of each speaker’s talk:

Geneticist Wendy Chung works at the Simons Foundation to characterize behavior, brain structure and function in people with genetic variations that may relate to autism.

The author of Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert has thought long and hard about some large topics. Her latest fascination: genius, and how we ruin it.

Allan Adams is a theoretical physicist working at the intersection of fluid dynamics, quantum field theory and string theory.

Jason Webley is a Seattle-based troubadour who has built a small following around the globe with his passionate uninhibited performances.

Why is there something rather than nothing? In his book Why Does the World Exist? Jim Holt dares to ask.

Using a deck of cards and other simple props, Helder Guimarães gets up close to play with your perceptions and preconceptions.