Albuquerque, NM, July 14, 2015 —  TED talks – TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design – are all about ideas worth spreading. Some of the more popular talks focus on death and end-of-life issues.

On September 12, 2015, Gail Rubin, Certified Thanatologist, will present a TEDx talk on taking death out of the closet, talking frankly with your family and making end-of-life plans. Those include advance medical directives and pre-need funeral planning. She’ll also share her big idea to help make that happen.

“While modern medicine’s life-saving strides are impressive, humans still have a 100 percent mortality rate. Yet only 30 percent of adults make end-of-life plans: wills, advanced medical directives and preneed funeral planning. That leaves 70 percent of the population unprepared and devastated, not if, but when there’s a death in the family,” said Rubin.

As a pioneering death educator, Gail Rubin starts conversations about end-of-life issues using funny films. Humor helps people relax about these stress-inducing topics and take much-needed action before someone goes and dies.

Albuquerque has one of America’s top locally-organized TED events. TEDxABQ brings people together to share a TED-like experience, a day of live talks, videos, and deep discussions.

For six years running, TEDxABQ has showcased New Mexico’s biggest ideas to sold-out audiences. Since the first event in 2009, response has been overwhelming, with exponential growth. More than two thousand people pack Popejoy Hall at UNM for this annual event.

This year, the event will highlight 20 remarkable homegrown ideas from New Mexico’s most passionate scientists, artists, activists, educators, healthcare advocates, and community members. TEDxABQ is about celebrating what is great about New Mexico.

Created in the spirit of TED’s mission, ideas worth spreading, TEDxABQ events are designed to give New Mexico’s communities, organizations, and individuals the opportunity to stimulate dialogue through locally organized TED-like experiences.

The 2015 TEDxABQ will be held on Saturday, September 12 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Popejoy Hall. Tickets include coffee, lunch, interactive experiences and post-party included. Free parking (using UNM shuttle service). Early bird tickets are $60 until August 12 ($50 each for groups of 10 or more), with discounts for UNM students, staff and faculty.