Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Stories of Impact
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| Dr. Hafsat Abiola: Rebuilding Africa One Woman at a Time | 15 Oct 2024 | 00:33:53 | |
Today, we hear from Dr. Hafsat Abiola, native of Nigeria, President of the Women in Africa Initiative, Harvard-educated economist, expert in sustainable development, and civil rights and Democracy advocate. Dr. Abiola’s father, M.K.O. Abiola, was imprisoned after decisively winning the presidency in an election determined to be fair and free by Nigerian and international observers. Meanwhile her mother, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, fought publicly for his release and for her husband’s freedom, until she was murdered in retaliation. Dr. Abiola has carried on her parents’ legacy in her pro-democracy activism and her work in the Women in Africa Initiative, “the world's leading international platform for the economic development and the support of African women entrepreneurs.”
Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation | |||
| Dr. David Addiss: Fighting Diseases Beyond Borders | 01 Oct 2024 | 00:33:00 | |
In today’s episode, we welcome Dr. David Addiss, an expert in public health and preventive medicine. Dr. Addiss has spent his career thinking not only about science, but about service. In his early career, he cared for the health of migrants in the San Joaquin Valley of California, then later worked for nearly two decades the Centers for Disease Control in the Division of Parasitic Diseases, where he focused on controlling and eliminating diseases found not in the United States, but in communities of neglected people largely in the tropics. Hear what inspired him to spend his career caring for the needs of underserved and neglected people.
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| Dr. Frans de Waal & Dr. Michael Levin: Surprising Minds & the Nature of Intelligence | 17 Apr 2024 | 00:29:43 | |
In today's episode, we meet Dr. Frans de Waal, Emory University and Utrecht University primatologist Dr. Frans de Waal, a trailblazer in the science of animal cognition, and Dr. Michael Levin, distinguished professor of biology at Tufts University and associate faculty member at Harvard's Wyss Institute. Both researchers’ work roots them deeply in the curiosity about the wonder of the natural world of animals, organisms, and plants that make up the diverse intelligences of the universe. They've each spent decades asking questions about the minds of a variety of species and furthering the science of cognition.
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| Dr. Erica Cartmill: How to Laugh Like an Ape | 02 Apr 2024 | 00:23:20 | |
Any sentient, soulful being paying attention to the way humans are treating other humans has been feeling these hard times. But sometimes, amidst all this darkness, humor can offer a little bit of hope. Today we're back with a friend of the podcast, Dr. Erica Cartmill. You might remember her from past episodes as a leader in the science of diverse intelligences, the multi-disciplinary, open science study of cognition, whether it's found in humans, animals, plants, machines, or anywhere else. This time, we’re talking with Dr. Cartmill about the violation of expectations as a feature of primate intelligence, or in more down-to-earth terms: Funny monkeys. Actually, monkeys isn't technically right — it's actually apes. What Dr. Cartmill and her fellow researchers have discovered, in a study they call “The Humor Project," is that humans and apes share a lot of traits, including what we think is funny.
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| Dr. Sinnott-Armstrong, Dr. Borg, & Dr. Conitzer: Can Machines Make Ethical Decisions in Healthcare? | 19 Mar 2024 | 00:28:55 | |
Artificial intelligence is proliferating and entering new industries every day. And while it’s been used in healthcare for 50 years, researchers continue to look for new ways to use it to improve care. Today, we’re back in conversation with a team of researchers, including a philosopher, a neuroscientist, and a computer scientist. This trio might be familiar to long-time listeners from an episode a few years ago, when we explored the question of whether artificial intelligence could be programmed to be moral. Over the last five years, this research team has been studying how to use AI as an assistive tool in allocating kidneys to patients needing organ transfers. It’s a project partly funded by OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. Though the project is focused on integrating AI into evaluations of who gets a kidney transplant, the team is using that particular problem as the lens to explore more broadly the ethics of AI in decision-making. They’re asking whether it’s possible to imbue machines with a human value system, in what ways artificial intelligence can be employed to help humans make moral decisions, and how to ensure that when AI is involved in decision-making, the process retains humanity.
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| Virginia Cooper, Dr. Fiske, Dr. Kahneman, Dr. Koch, & Dr. Melloni: How Rival Collaborations Improve Science | 05 Mar 2024 | 00:37:55 | |
In the dozens of episodes we’ve shared with you over the last four years, you’ve heard stories of experts examining the science behind everything from bees to whales, video games to dance, education systems to communication networks. Today, we're zooming out further, speaking with researchers who are exploring ways to improve how we do science and how we cultivate and educate better scientists. When you think of a scientist, what image comes to mind? Do you imagine a genius laboring solo in a lab, displaying little emotion as they logically analyze data? Let’s challenge that stereotype — scientists are anything but dispassionate.
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| Nina Callaghan: The Ubuntu Spirit in Youth Radio | 20 Feb 2024 | 00:50:35 | |
This week we're bringing back one of our favorite ever episodes. Today, we hear a fascinating and inspiring conversation having to do with the flourishing of young South Africans. Today’s episode features Richard’s conversation with Nina Callaghan, former Associate Director and current South African Chair of Children’s Radio Foundation. In a post-apartheid country still suffering the social, psychic, and economic wounds of decades of institutionalized racial segregation, the very act of teaching these youth basic journalism 101, including ethics, consent, and truth-telling, is a powerful healing act. Callaghan discusses her work with the youth reporters and their two-year exploration of the concept of Ubuntu—a Nguni Bantu term often translated as “I am because we are.” Callaghan shares the program’s outcomes, both expected and unexpected. Learn more about the Children’s Radio Foundation.
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| Dr. Jocelyn Dautel & Team: Reshaping the Legacy of Northern Ireland | 06 Feb 2024 | 00:41:03 | |
War and conflict is raging across the globe. From Europe and the Middle East to Africa and the Americas, divisions between and within nations are leaving civilians dead and displaced. Northern Ireland has seen its fair share of violence and bloodshed since its founding in 1921. Although the Good Friday peace agreement was signed more than 25 years ago, the peace process is still a work in progress. This week, however, we explore a ground-breaking research project led by Dr. Jocelyn Dautel, an American researcher and senior lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast, into how Northern Ireland’s past continues to impact the way young people consume and share “truths” about their nation’s history. Researchers are hopeful that if Northern Ireland can to evolve beyond sectarian division, the country — and its youth — could serve as a global model of peace and reconciliation.
Special thanks to Dr. Jocelyn Dautel and the entire Research Team: Dr. Bethany Corbett, Lecturer, Ulster University Prof. Kathleen Corriveau, Boston University Prof. Emma Flynn, Provost, Warwick University Eva Grew, Research Fellow, Queen’s University Belfast Dr. Mariah Kornbluh, Assistant Professor, Oregon University Caitlin McShane, Research Fellow, Queen’s University Belfast Dr. Christin Scholz, University of Amsterdam Prof. Jennifer Watling Neal, Michigan State University Dr. Lara Wood, Lecturer, Abertay University Dr. Jing Xu, University of Washington, Seattle | |||
| Dr. Wendy Cadge: Chaplains at the Heart of Human Support | 16 Jan 2024 | 00:21:41 | |
Before we ended 2023 we met two researchers, Dr. Emiliana Simon-Thomas and Dr. Timothy Lomas, who shared their research on human flourishing, and each touched on the importance of human connection and relationship as an antidote to loneliness. In our first episode of this new year, we continue that conversation, this time by exploring the unique role of chaplains, and how their purpose is to keep the people they serve from going through painful times, alone. To guide us on this journey, we are joined by Dr. Wendy Cadge, the Barbara Mandell professor of Humanistic Social Sciences at Brandeis University and founder of the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab, which supports, educates, and expands the vision of chaplains everywhere.
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| Dr. William Powell & Rex Mann: Bringing Back the American Chestnut Tree | 19 Dec 2023 | 00:30:34 | |
We’re celebrating the life of our friend Dr. William Powell, who passed away just before Thanksgiving. Dr. Powell’s American Chestnut Tree episode was one of our favorites of last year. This episode is an inspiring story about how bringing together vision, community, and cutting-edge science can make the impossible possible. It’s a story about American history, climate, globalization, and hope. It’s the story of the American Chestnut Foundation’s efforts to do something never before done: To restore a tree that is functionally extinct — the American Chestnut tree. You’ll hear from Rex Mann, retired from the U.S. Forest Service and now a chestnut evangelist, and ACF’s lead collaborating scientist, Dr. William A. Powell, professor at SUNY College of Environmental Science in Forestry.
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| Dr. Timothy Lomas: Whole-Person Paths to Flourishing | 05 Dec 2023 | 00:24:39 | |
Last time you heard from us, Dr. Emiliana Simon-Thomas shared her research on the complexity of the loneliness epidemic in America today, and what we all can do to feel less lonely. Something she said — “Everyone's happiness matters to my happiness” — stuck with us, and became the springboard for this episode. Today, together with psychology researcher Dr. Timothy Lomas at Harvard University’s Human Flourishing Program, we dive deep into the question of the interdependent nature of happiness and flourishing. Not only that, Dr. Lomas also invites us to ask who — and what — deserves to flourish. We’re also celebrating the life of our friend Dr. William Powell, who passed away just before Thanksgiving. Dr. Powell’s American Chestnut Tree episode was one of our favorites of last year. You can listen today, or come back in two weeks, when we rerun that conversation as the last episode of our year of Stories of Impact.
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| Dr. Emiliana Simon-Thomas: What Can Heal Widespread Loneliness | 21 Nov 2023 | 00:27:31 | |
It’s Thanksgiving week in the United States, and this Thursday, many of us will be with friends and family for the kick-off to six weeks of holiday cheer. But for so many people in America, the holidays can be a very lonely time. Loneliness and disconnection have consequences not only for individual health, but for the health of the nation. Dr. Emiliana Simon-Thomas is the Science Director at UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, which tracks cutting edge research studies that focus on how important our relationships, our tendency towards generosity and cooperation, and our sense of mattering or contribution to our communities are to our health and wellbeing over the course of our lives. She wants to understand the science of loneliness.
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| Dr. Laurance Doyle & Dr. Fred Sharpe: Whales Sing, Do Aliens Listen? | 17 Sep 2024 | 00:36:15 | |
Today’s episode features the collaborative exploration of Dr. Fred Sharpe, an expert in humpback whales and the Principal Investigator with the Alaska Whale Foundation, and Dr. Laurance Doyle, astrophysicist and Principal Investigator of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute. Drs. Sharpe and Doyle are investigating humpback whales’ complex, long-distance communication with the aim of learning about how alien intelligences, if they exist, might attempt to transmit their messages through the cosmos. Learn more about Dr. Fred Sharpe and the Alaska Whale Foundation, and Dr. Laurance Doyle and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute Mentioned in this episode:
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| Dr. Nap Hosang: Making Birth Control Accessible for All | 07 Nov 2023 | 00:26:28 | |
Today, we meet Dr. Nap Hosang, a Jamaican-born obstetrician and gynecologist with a long, distinguished career focused on preventing unintended pregnancies in the United States and globally. After decades of service in healthcare, Dr. Hosang has begun a new chapter of his career as the co-founder and CEO of Cadence Health, whose mission is to give people who don't want to become pregnant access to safe, effective, affordable contraceptives, without a prescription, wherever those people are located. Listen in to learn why Dr. Hosang believes Cadence’s success in the US will make a global impact.
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| Dr. Ahmad, Fr. Benanti, Rt Rev Dr. Croft, Rev Dr. Harris, Dr. Kalman, Fr. Larrey, R. Mitelman, Dr. Qadir, & Rinpoche: The Risks & Rewards of AI | 17 Oct 2023 | 00:36:32 | |
In our last episode, we learned about the Rome Call for AI Ethics, which asked representatives from world business, educational institutions, governments, and religions to support ethical principles around artificial intelligence, including transparency, fairness, inclusivity, impartiality, reliability, and security and privacy. We are back with the same guests again today: scientists and technology experts, aligned with Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Buddhist faith traditions. They’ll tell us more about what they have learned in the years since they first responded to that global call from the Vatican. They’ll also share what not only what concerns them about AI, but what gives them a sense of optimism and hope. And we’ll hear more about what they bring to the international dialogue around emerging technology from their perspective as persons of faith.
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| Dr. Ahmad, Fr. Benanti, Rt Rev Dr. Croft, Rev Dr. Harris, Dr. Kalman, Fr. Larrey, R. Mitelman, Dr. Qadir, & Rinpoche: What Makes AI Ethical | 03 Oct 2023 | 00:33:12 | |
Artificial intelligence is the ability of machines to perform tasks, such as learning and problem-solving, that are typically associated with human intelligence. And every single aspect of how we live our lives may ultimately be transformed by this technology. At the start of this year, it seemed as though AI shifted from a relatively niche technology known to industry insiders, into a subject that had suddenly captured broad public consciousness. Especially as ChatGPT burst on the scene as a tool available to virtually anyone, AI became a source of fascination, anxiety, and confusion. It’s happening fast. It’s on everybody’s mind. So what exactly is AI?
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| Dr. Addiss, Buesseler, Dr. Grant, & Dr. Reid: Compassion at the Heart of Systems | 19 Sep 2023 | 00:25:20 | |
In our last episode with Dr. David Addiss, Heather Buesseler, Dr. Liz Grant, and Dr. Corinne Reid, we explored the role of compassion in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and learned that the SDG’s were motivated by a compassionate desire to end global human suffering across a variety of sectors. This week we’re back with these four researchers, as they offer more personal insight about what draws them to study the science of compassion. This week the researchers’ objective is to encourage all of us to think about where we can make greater space for compassion in our own lives.
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| Dr. Addiss, Buesseler, Dr. Grant, & Dr. Reid: Why Compassion Belongs in Global Development | 05 Sep 2023 | 00:39:34 | |
We begin Season 7 with a friend of the podcast — Dr. David Addiss, who listeners will remember from an emotional episode last year about the role of compassion in healthcare. Dr. Addiss is back for another evocative discussion about compassion, and he’s joined by his research colleagues Heather Buesseler, Dr. Liz Grant, and Dr. Corinne Reid. In this conversation, these four public health experts discuss their research findings around the role of compassion in the international effort to meet the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
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| Dr. Andrew Serazin: Reflections on the Past & Possibilities Ahead | 01 Aug 2023 | 00:28:06 | |
Today is our final episode of the sixth season of Stories of Impact, and Richard Sergay is back in conversation with Templeton World Charity Foundation President Dr. Andrew Serazin, looking back over the year of stories we’re just wrapping up, and looking a little bit ahead at what’s to come.
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| Dr. Leandro Chernicoff & Dr. Mariana Gil-Veloz: Why Calm Matters in Medical Care | 18 Jul 2023 | 00:40:58 | |
Today’s episode is all about medical professionals — the hardship, overwhelm, and burnout that pre-existed the pandemic and only got worse when it started. It's about research measuring the effectiveness of a program that offers healthcare workers the support they need to flourish, even in the midst of intensely stressful circumstances. And it’s about the positive impact the programs’ simple tools have made, not only in the lives of those first responders, but in the lives of their patients. This is a hopeful story, led by Dr. Leandro Chernicoff, co-founder and Academic and Research Director of AtentaMente, a nonprofit based in Mexico City, which teaches social and emotional skills. We also hear from Dr. Mariana Gil-Veloz, pediatric infectious disease professional and AtentaMente Stress Toolbox instructor.
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| Dr. Sibel Erduran: Where Science and Religion Meet in Learning | 20 Jun 2023 | 00:24:26 | |
If you’ve been a long-time listener to the Stories of Impact podcast, you’ll expect by now to be surprised by the kinds of studies Templeton World Charity Foundation invests in. TWCF-funded projects are not only ground-breaking — they’re often “rule-breaking,” asking challenging questions often left untouched by other funders. Today’s story is about one of those cutting-edge scientific studies, one that explores the possibility of a paradigm shift in how educators not only educate students, but each other. The study we hear about in this episode is the kind of research project that Sir John Templeton himself would have enthusiastically embraced, one that sits at the intersection of science and religion, and is designed to tap into curiosity and passion for interdisciplinary and lifelong learning. Meet Dr. Sibel Erduran, a professor of Science Education at the University of Oxford, and the leader of a research project guided by the TWCF mission to explore Big Questions in the Classroom. Her research brings together science educators and religious educators who learn with and from each other. It’s a project that aims to break down divides between the space of scientific and religious study, in order to discover what happens when the silos disappear. Dr. Erduran’s study explores how argumentation can help students bridge disciplinary divides to achieve deep understanding.
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| Ld. Rees, Dr. Ingram, & Dr. Mani: Facing Existential Risk Together | 06 Jun 2023 | 00:51:52 | |
Today, we’re back with Richard’s fascinating interview with Lord Martin Rees, the UK’s Astronomer Royal and the co-founder of the Centre for Existential Risk at the University of Cambridge. Joining them in conversation are two of the Centre’s research associates, nuclear war expert Dr. Paul Ingram, and geohazards and geo-communications scholar Dr. Lara Mani. They discuss the Centre’s research around potential risks to civilization and life on Earth as we know it, from nuclear weapons to pandemics to natural disasters. And perhaps most importantly, they share what gives them a sense of hope — for the future of humanity and for the planet.
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| Dr. Christopher Hays: How Faith Can Sustain Displaced Communities | 16 May 2023 | 00:45:14 | |
Today, we’re speaking with Dr. Christopher Hays, the president of ScholarLeaders International and director of the Faith and Displacement Project at the Fundación Universitaria Seminario Biblio de Colombia. Dr. Hays explains how the Faith and Displacement Project is working with an established network of churches in Colombia to train people to help their fellow citizens who have been displaced from their homes due to political violence.
Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation | |||
| Dr. Mark Jordans: Healing in the Midst of War | 03 Sep 2024 | 00:27:31 | |
Over our last couple of episodes, we’ve told the inspiring story of decades of positive transformation the nation of Rwanda has sustained since the catastrophic 1994 genocide against the Tutsis. We learned that Rwanda’s peacemakers have for decades nurtured a culture of reconciliation and resilience, cultivating communities where citizens flourish. Deep healing and renewal like that can come only after conflict ends — it can’t happen in the midst of war. In order for children, families, and elders to have a real chance to recover from trauma in body and soul, violence has to cease. But the reality is today, hundreds of millions of people live in the midst of ongoing conflicts, and their mental and physical health are undermined by the indiscriminate brutality of wars that may not end anytime soon. Our guest today, Dr. Mark Jordans, is a professor of global mental health at the University of Amsterdam and King's College London, and Director of Research and Development at War Child, which, for thirty years, has worked to care for children affected by wars. He is not waiting for peace, but instead, is committed to doing everything he can to help children caught in the middle of violence cope with the crises they face.
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| Dr. Ho, Dr. Joynt, Dr. VanderWeele, & Andrea Ortega Bechara: Forgiveness as a Path to Repair Part 2 | 02 May 2023 | 00:45:16 | |
Today is the second in a two-part series that explores the subject of forgiveness. We hear more about the ground-breaking, six-site, five-country, four-continent study of Dr. Everett Worthington’s REACH forgiveness method’s effectiveness. We’re joined in conversation with Dr. Tyler VanderWeele, project Research Director; Principal Investigator Dr. Man Yee Ho; and site directors Andrea Ortega Bechara (Columbia) and Dr. Shaun Joynt (South Africa). They describe the impact of the study on individual participants and their communities, how they hope to scale the study, and who they consider an exemplar of forgiveness.
Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation | |||
| Dr. Worthington, Dr. Shtanko & Dr. Tymchenko: Forgiveness as a Path to Repair Part 1 | 25 Apr 2023 | 00:43:24 | |
Today we bring you the first of a special two-part series that dives deep into the subject of forgiveness. Our guests include Dr. Everett Worthington, Science Director in a worldwide research project studying the REACH forgiveness method’s effectiveness in facilitating not only individual forgiveness, but community forgiveness, a study that he and several colleagues conducted across six sites, five countries, and four continents. We’ll also hear from two of those research collaborators today: Ukrainian citizens Dr. Liudmyla Shtanko and Dr. Sergiy Tymchenko, who were in the midst of the forgiveness research project when Russia began to wage war in their country. Dr. Shtanko and Dr. Tymchenko will open up about how they coped with the brutality being inflicted upon them, and how forgiveness played a role in their thinking and planning for a hopefully peaceful and free future.
Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation | |||
| Dr. Tymchenko, Dr. Shtanko & Dr. Worthington: Introducing Our Series on Forgiveness | 18 Apr 2023 | 00:04:57 | |
The Stories of Impact podcast is coming to you for the next two weeks for a special exploration of forgiveness. Long-time listeners to the podcast may recognize Dr. Everett Worthington, who returns to discuss the largest-ever scientific study of forgiveness in the world. He joins Ukrainian citizens and fellow researchers Dr. Liudmyla Shtanko and Dr. Sergiy Tymchenko, for these important and timely conversations. We will be honored to bring you these three courageous and thoughtful experts, and introduce you to their colleagues, as they discuss applying the science of forgiveness to their own pain and heartache, and share the findings of their research.
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| Dr. Keltner, ELEW, Dr. Ball, Dr. Wilczek, & Dr. Cotter: How Beauty & Purpose Shape a Flourishing Life | 04 Apr 2023 | 00:50:37 | |
In this episode of Stories of Impact, we’re listening to a session from the Templeton World Charity Foundation’s Global Scientific Conference on Human Flourishing, which took place last fall. The conference aimed to showcase the latest and most meaningful scientific advances in understanding how humans flourish across cultures and alongside innovative new tools and strategies. Today’s session is a remarkable discussion on the human need for beauty and purpose in order to flourish, featuring a presentation by Dr. Dacher Keltner, musician ELEW discussing his approach to his art and performing for us on piano, and a panel with Dr. Frank Wilczek and Dr. Katherine Cotter, moderated by Dr. Philip Ball.
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| Dr. Ball, Dr. Hayhoe, Dr. DeSteno, & Dekila Chungyalpa: Global Challenges That Threaten Flourishing | 21 Mar 2023 | 00:39:41 | |
In this episode of Stories of Impact, we’re listening to a session from the Templeton World Charity Foundation’s Global Scientific Conference on Human Flourishing, which took place last fall. The conference aimed to showcase the latest and most meaningful scientific advances in understanding how humans flourish across cultures and alongside innovative new tools and strategies. Today’s session is a discussion on climate change and other global challenges to human flourishing, featuring moderator Philip Ball, Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, Dr. David DeSteno, and Dekila Chungyalpa.
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| Dr. Serazin, Dr. Marshall, & Virginia Cooper: Polarization and the Future of Democratic Hope | 07 Mar 2023 | 00:27:17 | |
This the conclusion of a special three-part series on polarization. In today’s episode, we hear some good news from three leaders of Templeton World Charity Foundation’s Listening and Learning in a Polarized World Initiative. Dr. Andrew Serazin, president of TWCF; Virginia Cooper, project lead; and Dr. Eric Marshall, Principal Advisor, celebrate the $20 million investment in exploring polarization, and share what innovative tools and solutions will be discovered during the five year open-science, interdisciplinary study.
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| Dr. Packer, Dr. Van Bavel, Dr. Han, Evan Mawarire, Uriel Epshein & Joshua Fryday: What Fuels Political Division Part 2 | 21 Feb 2023 | 00:39:41 | |
This the second of a special three-part series on polarization. In today’s episode, we consider what writers, researchers, and scholars say we can learn from the history of polarization in other countries and learn about some of their potential solutions for polarization. Today’s episode features researchers Jay J. Van Bavel and Dominic J. Packer, co-authors of The Power of Us: Harnessing Our Shared Identities to Improve Performance, Increase Cooperation, and Promote Social Harmony. We also hear from Dr. Hahrie Han, Professor of Political Science and the Director of the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University; Uriel Epshtein, Executive Director of the Renew Democracy Initiative; Joshua Fryday, Chief Service Officer for the State of California with California Volunteers; and Evan Mawarire, a Zimbabwean clergyman who founded #ThisFlag Citizen’s Movement.
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| Dr. Packer, Dr. Van Bavel, Dr. Han, Alison Taylor, Uriel Epshein, & Joshua Fryday: What Fuels Political Division Part 1 | 07 Feb 2023 | 00:32:02 | |
The first of a special three-part series, this episode defines polarization and explores its causes and effects. Next, we consider what we can learn from the history of polarization in other countries, share the antidotes to polarization that research has uncovered, and finally, explain why it’s important to make a long-term investment in polarization research. Today’s episode features researchers Jay J. Van Bavel and Dominic J. Packer, co-authors of The Power of Us: Harnessing Our Shared Identities to Improve Performance, Increase Cooperation, and Promote Social Harmony. We also hear from Alison Taylor, Executive Director at Ethical Systems, a research collaborative affiliated with NYU; Dr. Hahrie Han, Professor of Political Science and the Director of the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University; Uriel Epshtein, Executive Director of the Renew Democracy Initiative; and Joshua Fryday, Chief Service Officer for the State of California with California Volunteers.
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| Or Taicher, Michal Shahaf, Ben Yaffet, & Dr. Gabriel: How Shared Joy Creates Collective Energy | 17 Jan 2023 | 00:43:38 | |
Have you ever been in a group of people, everyone focused on the same thing — a sports competition or a sermon or a performance — and you’ve had a feeling that you’re being transported or transformed by what you’re experiencing? It’s when you’re been a part of a collective moment of being that is so powerful and so meaningful that you forget about any self-consciousness or shyness or hesitation, and you feel swept up in what might be called celebration or rapture, or joy, or love. Music for this episode courtesy of Koolulam, featuring One Day and other choral works
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| Dr. Serazin, Heather Templeton Dill, Dr. Astle, & Maritza Trejo: What We Learned from the Human Flourishing Conference | 13 Dec 2022 | 00:37:47 | |
Today’s episode features Templeton World Charity Foundation President Dr. Andrew Serazin and John Templeton Foundation President Heather Templeton Dill, as they discuss Sir John Templeton’s legacy while considering human flourishing at TWCF’s first-annual Global Scientific Conference on Human Flourishing.
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| Freddy Mutanguha & Dr. Elizabeth Dowling: The Science of Forgiveness | 06 Aug 2024 | 00:21:37 | |
In our last episode, we met Rwandan leader Freddy Mutanguha, who shared his remarkable journey to finding meaning and forgiveness after dozens of his family members, including his parents and sisters, were murdered during the genocide against the Tutsis in 1994. Freddy’s powerful and timely testimony underscored the importance of truth, remembrance, and community organizing in helping genocide victims — and perpetrators — find healing and peace. Today we hear again from Freddy Mutanguha, and from Dr. Elizabeth Dowling, about what she’s learned from her research collaboration with Freddy and his team at the Aegis Trust, which works to prevent genocide and mass atrocities worldwide, and its projects supporting reconciliation across Rwanda, including the Kigali Genocide Memorial. Dr. Dowling shares how a nation with a recent history of polarization and violence has become a model for peace-making.
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| Sir Richard Branson: Richard Branson on What Human Flourishing Requires | 06 Dec 2022 | 00:02:40 | |
We’re excited to report that the first-annual global Human Flourishing Conference was a tremendous success, with over 4,000 people attending sessions with luminaries like author Cheryl Strayed, social scientist Arthur Brooks, and more. We’re going to bring you a more in-depth exploration next week of the conference, including remarks from Templeton World Charity Foundation President Dr. Andrew Serazin, as President of the John Templeton Foundation, Heather Templeton Dill. In the meantime, we’ll share the brief welcome message to the conference, delivered by Sir Richard Branson, before we return with a full-length special Human Flourishing Conference episode next week.
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| Dr. Andrew Serazin & Dr. Brie Linkenhoker: Exploring Big Ideas from the Human Flourishing Conference | 15 Nov 2022 | 00:31:35 | |
Today’s episode features TWCF President Dr. Andrew Serazin and Dr. Brie Linkenhoker, founder of Worldview Studio, discussing another collective celebration and exploration of human flourishing — TWCF’s Global Scientific Conference on Human Flourishing. This first annual world-wide conference will take place on November 28 - 29, and will include dynamic dialogues with leading scientists, policymakers, practitioners, influencers, and advocates working on the scientific frontiers of human flourishing. It’s free for any attendee and open to the public. This virtual event will feature the latest scientific advances in understanding human flourishing across cultures, and showcase innovative new tools and strategies to promote greater flourishing around the world. We hope you’ll plan to attend!
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| Dr. Handfield & Dr. MD Hasan: How Ethics Shapes the Future of Fashion | 01 Nov 2022 | 00:39:27 | |
Today’s episode is all about the impact we can have when we make informed, ethical choices. It can be nearly impossible as a consumer to know where your clothes are coming from and to ensure that they were ethically and sustainably produced, from the spinner of the cloth to the dyer of the fabric to the person sewing the garment together. This is why Dr. Robert Handfield and Dr. MD Rejaul Hasan of North Carolina State University Poole College of Management are creating an Ethical Apparel Index, which will create transparency around apparel manufacturing for both consumers and investors. They’re hoping the EAI will promote human rights in the garment supply chain around the world.
Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation | |||
| Tom Osborn: Mental Health as a Foundation for Flourishing | 20 Oct 2022 | 00:33:01 | |
This week’s episode takes us to Kenya, where we meet Tom Osborn, community mobilizer, entrepreneur and research scientist, and Harvard psychology graduate. In his long list of accolades and successes, he is most recently co-founder and executive director of the Shamiri Institute. Shamiri’s innovative, interdisciplinary, youth-led caregiving model is increasing student levels of success and student mental health in schools in Kibera, the urban slums of Nairobi.
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| Dr. Granic, Dr. Scholten, & Ken Koontz: Can Games Help Young People Heal | 04 Oct 2022 | 00:31:05 | |
What if we told you that by the end of this unusual episode, you could find yourself thinking completely differently about the role of video games in the lives of children and teens, and that you might actually look forward to playing video games yourself, as a way to become a healthier, happier, and more resilient human being? Today, we’ll meet a team of researchers and video game makers from the Games for Emotional and Mental Health (GEMH) Lab — Director Dr. Isabela Granic, Co-Director Dr. Hanneke Scholten, and Creative Director Ken Koontz — who will change your perspective on gaming. Ready? Mentioned in this episode:
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| Dr. Seed, Dr. Hobaiter, Dr. Biro, Dr. Muthukrishna, Dr. Andrews, & Dr. Griffiths: What We Learn from Minds Unlike Our Own | 20 Sep 2022 | 00:41:57 | |
Today we bring you the voices of more members of the Diverse Intelligences Summer Institute (DISI) community — Dr. Amanda Seed, Dr. Cat Hobaiter, Dr. Dora Biro, Dr. Michael Muthukrishna, Dr. Kristin Andrews, and Dr. Tom Griffiths. They share some of their fascinating research that has been funded by Templeton World Charity Foundation grants. They talk about why they love what we affectionately call “adult summer science camp,” and why interdisciplinary conversations and collaborations about diverse intelligences are more important now than ever.
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| Dr. Serazin, Dr. Cartmill, Dr. Das, & Dr. Foster: A School Where Every Kind of Mind Belongs | 06 Sep 2022 | 00:38:55 | |
Today’s episode is our version of a back to school episode celebrating one of the coolest schools on the planet — the Diverse Intelligences Summer Institute (DISI). We’re back with four friends from Season 2 of the podcast to further explore Diverse Intelligences: Drs. Andrew Serazin, Erica Cartmill, Pranab Das, and Jacob Foster. These researchers tell us about their work to build a community of scientists who have come together every summer for the last five years to explore together different kinds of cognition, whether their specialty is plant, animal, human, or machine.
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| Dr. Serazin: Reflecting on Human Flourishing Past & Future | 26 Jul 2022 | 00:33:18 | |
Today is our 20th and final episode of the Luminaries of Human Flourishing season on the Stories of Impact podcast. All season, we’ve been in conversation with artists, politicians, technologists, environmentalists, doctors, faith leaders, educators, sociologists, and other luminaries. And today we circle back to the beginning, in conversation with President of Templeton World Charity Foundation, biomedical scientist Andrew Serazin, whose focus on human flourishing opened the door for us to create this special series. We’re going to take a summer break before we return in the fall with a new year of programming, but before we leave this season, we wanted Dr. Serazin to share more about the genesis of TWCF’s Human Flourishing Initiative, and where the foundation is heading next. Here’s our friend, Dr. Andrew Serazin.
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| Dr. Powell & Rex Mann: Bringing Back the American Chestnut Tree | 12 Jul 2022 | 00:27:55 | |
This episode is an inspiring story about how bringing together vision, community, and cutting-edge science can make the impossible possible. It’s a story about American history, climate, globalization, and hope. It’s the story of the American Chestnut Foundation’s efforts to do something never before done: To restore a tree that is functionally extinct — the American Chestnut tree. You’ll hear from Rex Mann, retired from the U.S. Forest Service and now a chestnut evangelist, and ACF’s lead collaborating scientist, Dr. William A. Powell, professor at SUNY College of Environmental Science in Forestry.
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| Cristine Legare: How Culture Shapes the Way We Flourish | 28 Jun 2022 | 00:36:01 | |
What is culture? How is culture transmitted? And what is unique about human culture, compared to our closest animal species relatives? Today’s conversation with Dr. Cristine Legare, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin whose research focuses on the foundations of cultural intelligence, answers all these questions.
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| Freddy Mutanguha: Forgiveness & Reconciliation in Post-Genocide Rwanda | 16 Jul 2024 | 00:36:44 | |
Today’s episode offers a powerful example of courage, peace, and forgiveness. Our story looks back thirty years, to one of the most violent periods in modern history — the genocide against the Tutsi — and to the resilience and wisdom of the Rwandan spirit and heart. On April 6, 1994, beautiful Rwanda, known as the Land of a Thousand Hills, became a hell on Earth. Between April and July 1994, hundreds of thousands of Rwandans were slaughtered in a horrifying frenzy of state-sponsored terror. Freddy Mutanguha, an ethnic Tutsi, was just eighteen years old when the genocide began. Today, Freddy shares the story of his unimaginable losses, the miracle of his survival, and his life’s work nurturing peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation in his country and across the world.
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| Dr. Hafsat Abiola: Uplifting Democracy Through Resilience & Vision | 07 Jun 2022 | 00:32:06 | |
Today, we hear from Dr. Hafsat Abiola, native of Nigeria, President of the Women in Africa Initiative, Harvard-educated economist, expert in sustainable development, and civil rights and Democracy advocate. Dr. Abiola’s father, M.K.O. Abiola, was imprisoned after decisively winning the presidency in an election determined to be fair and free by Nigerian and international observers. Meanwhile her mother, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, fought publicly for his release and for her husband’s freedom, until she was murdered in retaliation. Dr. Abiola has carried on her parents’ legacy in her pro-democracy activism and her work in the Women in Africa Initiative, “the world's leading international platform for the economic development and the support of African women entrepreneurs.” Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts
Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation | |||
| Dr. Brie Linkenhoker: Why the Stories We Tell Shape Who We Become | 17 May 2022 | 00:32:24 | |
In today’s episode, we welcome Dr. Brie Linkenhoker, founder of Worldview Studio, a collective of brain and behavioral scientists, human-centered designers, and multimedia producers who create innovative learning experiences. Dr. Linkenhoker is the recipient of grant funding from Templeton World Charity Foundation’s Grand Challenges for Human Flourishing program. Her ground-breaking research is centered on the stories we tell ourselves. Through the scientific research of personal narratives, Dr. Linkenhoker explores the influence of our personal story-telling on our behavior, well-being and achievement; how stories differ across cultures and generations; and how they change with meaningful intervention from families, mentors, and media.
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| Dr. David Addiss: Compassion as a Pillar of Medical Practice | 03 May 2022 | 00:31:24 | |
In today’s episode, we welcome Dr. David Addiss, an expert in public health and preventive medicine. Dr. Addiss has spent his career thinking not only about science, but about service. In his early career, he cared for the health of migrants in the San Joaquin Valley of California, then later worked for nearly two decades the Centers for Disease Control in the Division of Parasitic Diseases, where he focused on controlling and eliminating diseases found not in the United States, but in communities of neglected people largely in the tropics. Hear what inspired him to spend his career caring for the needs of underserved and neglected people.
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| Professor Kenneth Pargament: How Science and Spirituality Shape Meaning | 19 Apr 2022 | 00:30:40 | |
Today’s episode is a discussion of the intersections of religion, spirituality, and science, with Dr. Kenneth Pargament, Professor Emeritus at Bowling Green State University. Dr. Pargament was named in 2022 one of the 50 Most Influential Living Psychologists in the World, and his internationally-acclaimed research addresses the relationship between health and spirituality and religious faith.
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