Podcast
Templeton Ideas Podcast
Hosted by John Templeton Foundation · EN
The Templeton Ideas Podcast is a show about the most awe-inspiring ideas in our world and the people who investigate them. We sit down with thinkers like Gretchen Rubin, Ethan Kross, and David Brooks to explore how their work has transformed their lives — and how it may transform yours. These thoughtful conversations will take listeners on a journey through psychology, philosophy, physics, and more.
The Templeton Ideas Podcast is a project of the John Templeton Foundation.
18episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Michael McCullough (Forgiveness)
Jan 1500:33:27Tap to summarizeMichael McCullough is a psychology professor at UC San Diego who explores the ways our evolutionary past illuminates how humans today think, feel, and behave. For 25 years, he has pioneered experimental work on forgiveness, gratitude, empathy, religion, and morality. With the support from the Templeton philanthropies, he directs an international effort to better understand the role of gratitude in many different cultures. Among his many publications, Mike has authored the book The Kindness of Strangers: How a Selfish Ape Invented a New Moral Code, as well as Beyond Revenge: The Evolution of the Forgiveness Instinct. Mike joins the podcast to discuss forgiveness, revenge, and our evolutionary and cultural tendencies toward each. In the aftermath of apartheid in South Africa, it's hard to imagine how they could rebuild the fabric of their society–and yet they've done so through an arduous process of truth and reconciliation. To learn more, check out the Templeton Ideas essay Beyond Forgiveness: The Reparative Quest in South Africa, featuring Templeton Prize winner Pumla Godobo-Madikizela. Join our growing community of 140,000+ listeners and be notified of new episodes of Templeton Ideas. Subscribe today. Follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.
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Olga Khazan (Enhancing Personality) | From the Archive
Jan 100:32:45Tap to summarizeOlga Khazan is an author and staff writer at The Atlantic, where she publishes stories on health, social science, psychology, and other thought-provoking topics. In 2020, she published her first book, Weird: The Power of Being an Outsider in an Insider World, which draws on her experiences as both an immigrant and a natural introvert. Olga's latest book, Me, But Better: The Science and Promise of Personality Change, chronicles her year-long personal experiment to reshape her personality. Olga joins the podcast to discuss how she intentionally became more extroverted and how becoming a parent can change our personalities. Does being a parent make you miserable, happy, or is that the wrong question entirely? Explore these ideas, and more, in an essay by psychologist Kendra Thomas entitled "Parenting is About Hope, Not Happiness." Join our growing community of 140,000+ listeners and be notified of new episodes of Templeton Ideas. Subscribe today. Follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.
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Jason Marsh (Intellectual Humility)
Dec 1800:29:53Tap to summarizeJason Marsh is the executive director of the Greater Good Science Center at UC-Berkeley. Greater Good is committed to sharing science-based insights with educators, parents, and other professionals to foster meaningful lives and a thriving society. In recent years, Greater Good has received grants from the John Templeton Foundation to engage and promote virtues such as intellectual humility and love. He joins the podcast to discuss their research and how your life can be improved by practicing intellectual humility. At their best, holidays fill us with hope, wonder, generosity, love, and joy. But what is joy, really, and can we experience it even when life is turbulent and tough going? To learn more, check out Alene Dawson's Templeton Ideas essay Unwrapping the Science of Joy. Join our growing community of 200,000+ listeners and be notified of new episodes of Templeton Ideas. Subscribe today. Follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn , and YouTube.
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Colin Allen (Animal Emotion)
Dec 400:31:51Tap to summarizeColin Allen is a professor of philosophy at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he specializes in cognitive science, particularly animal cognition and artificial intelligence. Among his many publications, Colin has authored books such as Moral Machines: Teaching Robots Right From Wrong. In his efforts to study diverse intelligences, Colin received Templeton funding for a project called "Joyful by Nature," which explores the evolution and function of joy in various animals. Colin joins the podcast to discuss the research behind animal emotion and behavior. When it comes to animal emotions, no person stands out more than the naturalist Jane Goodall; Jane dedicated her life to studying the lives of primates and advocating for their dignity. To learn more about how Jane saw the world and our place in it, we invite you to watch a short video in honor of her winning the Templeton Prize. Join our growing community of 200,000+ listeners and be notified of new episodes of Templeton Ideas. Subscribe today. Follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn , and YouTube.
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Vera Gluscevic (Dark Matter)
Nov 2000:33:12Tap to summarizeVera is a professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Southern California. As a cosmologist, she studies the entire universe as a physical system. In doing so, she explores the nature of dark matter, dark energy, and the birth of the universe. Vera is the project leader of a new $4M grant from the John Templeton Foundation that will bring together astrophysicists, computer scientists, artists, and philosophers in a new research hub to explore the nature of dark matter and the early universe. She joins the podcast to discuss dark matter, collaboration among scientists, observatories, and more. What are the strangest objects in the universe? It's almost certainly black holes, objects that are so powerful that even light cannot escape them. To learn more, check out our podcast episode with Shep Doelman, whose team produced the first-ever images of a black hole. Join our growing community of 200,000+ listeners and be notified of new episodes of Templeton Ideas. Subscribe today. Follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn , and YouTube.
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Timothy Dalrymple (Leadership)
Nov 600:29:53Tap to summarizeTimothy Dalrymple is the new president of the John Templeton Foundation. Before assuming this role, he served as CEO of Christianity Today. Tim has led several innovative media ventures and worked closely with writers, scholars, and philanthropists to elevate ideas that enrich public life. A former national champion gymnast turned philosopher of religion, he holds degrees from Stanford, Princeton Theological Seminary, and Harvard, where his doctoral work focused on the nature of suffering and religious knowledge. He joins to podcast to discuss his history, transition to the role as president, and hopes for the future. What inspires you to travel? Could you design a journey around the experience of awe? To learn more, we invite you to read Alene Dawson's Templeton Ideas essay, The Awe-Seeker's Guide to Travel. Join our growing community of 200,000+ listeners and be notified of new episodes of Templeton Ideas. Subscribe today.
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David Goyer (Heroes) | From the Archive
Oct 2300:28:42Tap to summarizeDavid Goyer is a screenwriter, director, and producer best known for his role in films like Blade, Batman Begins, and The Dark Knight trilogy, in which he redefined superhero storytelling. Goyer has also brought Isaac Asimov's iconic Foundation novels to television and introduced science-infused, thought-provoking narratives to the big screen. With decades of experience in Hollywood, he continues to push the boundaries of storytelling. Goyer joins the podcast to discuss the fine line between being a hero and being a villain. At a recent event in Los Angeles called "A Night of Awe & Wonder," David spoke about his origin story and how awe invites us to "look for connections in the most unlikely places." Read about the event here. Join our growing community of 200,000+ listeners and be notified of new episodes of Templeton Ideas. Subscribe today.
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Kelly Corrigan (Family)
Oct 9Tap to summarizeKelly is the author of four New York Times bestselling memoirs, including Glitter and Glue, Lift, and The Middle Place, which take ordinary events and relationships and make them come alive in funny, memorable prose. Kelly hosts the podcast "Kelly Corrigan Wonders," and the PBS television show "Tell Me More", which have received grants from the John Templeton Foundation. She has also given a popular TED talk entitled "To Love is to Be Brave". Most recently, she co-authored a children's book with her daughter Claire called Marianne the Maker. She joins the podcast to discuss faith, family, and staying open to wonder. How does caregiving contribute to a meaningful life? Listen to a Templeton Ideas episode with Dr. Alison Gopnik, who discusses the flaws in our popular understanding of children and babies, the connection between children and awe. Join our growing community of 200,000+ listeners and be notified of new episodes of Templeton Ideas. Subscribe today.
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