
Stories of Impact
In every episode, we travel the world and dive deep into the intersection of spirituality and science on Stories of Impact, The American Writing Awards Science Podcast of the Year.
Every first and third Tuesday of the month, writer, performer, producer Tavia Gilbert and journalist Richard Sergay bring you a new conversation that offers uplifting explorations about the art and science of human flourishing.
This project was made possible through the generous support of a grant from Templeton World Charity Foundation.
Latest episodes

Apr 15, 2025 • 38min
Dr. Sean Westwood: What Polarization Reveals About Democracy and the Human Spirit
When we spoke recently with Dr. Sean Westwood, associate professor of government at Dartmouth College and the director of the Polarization Research Lab, we knew we wanted to share the conversation with you as quickly as possible, because it speaks so directly to the current moment. Dr. studies American politics and how partisan conflict manifests in the United States, its consequences and its origins. Read the transcript of this episode
Learn more about the researchSubscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts
Find us on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube Share your comments, questions and suggestions at info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

Mar 18, 2025 • 21min
Dr. Anna Corwin: Understanding Spiritual Intelligence Across Cultures
Today we wrap up an enlightening series of conversations on religious ritual as a pathway to human flourishing with Dr. Anna Corwin. When Dr. Corwin became connected to the Diverse Intelligences initiative and researchers who collaboratively examine the variety of intelligence on the planet or beyond, whether plant, animal, human, alien, or artificial, she was inspired to see new possibilities for her own unique research interest, and to embark on a scientific exploration into spiritual intelligence. Read the transcript of this episode
Learn more about the researchSubscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts
Find us on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube Share your comments, questions and suggestions at info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

Mar 4, 2025 • 24min
Dr. Adam Cohen, Aliza Kline and Dr. Arielle Levites: Gathering at the Table for Connection and Belonging
Today we’re back in conversation with Dr. Adam Cohen, social psychologist and psychologist of religion at Arizona State University, who shares another research project that explores the way religious ritual connects participants more deeply not only with faith, but with community — this time, not through the practice of abstaining from food, but from breaking bread together. Dr. Arielle Levites, Managing Director of the Collaborative for Applied Studies in Jewish Education and a Research Assistant Professor in the Graduate School of Education and Human Development at George Washington University had the same idea — that observing Shabbat wasn’t just a nice idea, it was a practice with measurable impact. So the team designed a study, enlisting the participation of Aliza Kline, founding President and then-CEO of OneTable, an organization designed to help young Jews develop independence and confidence in observing the ritual of Shabbat dinner in their homes. The question they wanted to answer? Does Shabbat dinner as a spiritual practice increase social connectedness? Read the transcript of this episode
Learn more about the researchSubscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts
Find us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube Share your comments, questions and suggestions at info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

Feb 18, 2025 • 18min
Dr. Adam Cohen & Dr. Kathryn A. Johnson: Flourishing in the Yom Kippur Fast
In today's episode, we continue the discussion about fasting, as we hear from two scholars about research focusing on what is considered the holiest day of the year in Judaism: Yom Kippur. During the 25-hour Day of Atonement, observant Jews focus on deepening their relationship with God through prayer, community connection, and by fasting. Over the last three years, two Arizona State University researchers, professor of psychology Dr. Adam Cohen and associate research professor Dr. Kathryn A. Johnson, have been on a scientific mission to understand the universal impact of the fasting ritual, asking whether abstaining from food and drink during this Jewish High Holiday deepens virtue, social cohesion, and personal well-being. Read the transcript of this episode
Learn more about the researchSubscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts
Find us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTubeShare your comments, questions and suggestions at info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

Feb 4, 2025 • 21min
Dr. Mostafa Salari Rad: The Hidden Powers of Ramadan Fasting
Meet Dr. Mostafa Salari Rad, a postdoctoral fellow in psychology at the New School in New York City. Born in Iran in a Shia Muslim practicing family, he always had an interest in philosophy, psychology, social science. He wondered why people behaved the way they did, why countries developed the way they did, and later, as a high school student in Japan, when he was the only person observing Ramadan, he started asking deeper questions about the self control he had to exert to fast, as Ramadan asked of him, from sunrise to sunset. Perhaps the first time, Dr. Rad questioned, why am I doing this? Why isn’t anyone else doing this? What does this ritual mean? When Dr. Rad decided to pursue a PhD in psychology, he focused his research on the fasting during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which the vast majority of the 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide observe. He wanted to find out more about the psychological, behavioral, and social benefits of fasting, and he especially wanted to better understand the self-control Ramadan requires. Listen and learn more. • Read the transcript of this episode • Learn more about Dr. Rad's research • Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts • Find us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube • Share your comments, questions and suggestions at info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

Jan 21, 2025 • 25min
Dr. Santiago Tobón — From Gangs to Growth: Fighting for the Future of Medellín's Teens
Meet Dr. Santiago Tobón. Born and raised in Medellin, Colombia, Dr. Tobón grew up in the 80's and 90's while the country surged with gang violence. As a kid, young Santiago was lucky to have enough privilege to keep himself safe and to give him a promising future of education and employment. But there was no denying the impact that gang violence was having on kids — kids his own age. When he graduated from college with a degree in computer science, and got a job working in rural economic development, it was the first time he saw gang activity up close. For four years he witnessed violent conflict around the local drug trade. Dr. Tobón started to dream of finding a way to stop gang violence and stop kids from sacrificing their lives to gang culture. He wondered how kids could instead find a path to a flourishing future? What could he do to keep gangs from bringing in hundreds of new teenage recruits each year? He decided to arm himself with PhD in economics. Read the transcript of this episode Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Share your comments, questions and suggestions at info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

Jan 7, 2025 • 4min
Season 8 full length trailer: Stories of Impact
This season on Stories of Impact, we look through a new lens at old traditions, see new generations explore new solutions, and search for new ways to help kids make sense of modern life. Over the last seven seasons, Stories of Impact has brought listeners conversations about the art and science of human flourishing. We've met luminary artists like dancer Judith Jamison, pioneering researchers like Dr. Jane Goodall, and national leaders like Freddy Mutanguha. In this year's programming, we bring you a whole new series of inspiring stories, like our conversation on how ancient practices continue to have a purpose today. We learn how citizens are solving systemic problems like violence, and find hope in hearing about the research that will help kids in Colombia have a brighter future. We hear from educators working to increase agency and choice in kids’ classrooms, so that students are empowered to follow their individual spark of curiosity. In every episode, we travel the world and dive deep into the intersection of spirituality and science on Stories of Impact, The American Writing Awards Science Podcast of the Year, generously supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation. I'm writer, performer, producer Tavia Gilbert, and along with journalist Richard Sergay, every first and third Tuesday of the month, I'll bring you a new conversation on the Stories of Impact podcast, which offers uplifting explorations about the art and science of human flourishing. You can find the award-winning Stories of Impact podcast wherever you find the podcasts you love. Be sure to follow us so you don't miss an episode.

Dec 17, 2024 • 39min
Profs. Guy Itzchakov & Netta Weinstein: The Science of Listening
Please take our listener survey: https://bit.ly/3YxfDm2 THANK YOU! Today, we’re in conversation about the act of listening. Our guests are researchers Netta Weinstein, Associate Professor in Psychology at the University of Reading, and Guy Itzchakov, an assistant professor in the Department of Human Services at the University of Haifa. Profs. Weinstein and Itzhchakov are part of a research team working to develop a scientific understanding of what listening is, what its benefits are, and why it matters so much to our well-being. Learn more: Guy Itzchakov Netta Weinstein The Power of Listening in a Polarized World with Netta Weinstein and Guy Itzchakov (video by Richard Sergay) The Significance of Listening Well: Why the Listener is at the Heart of Social Agency by Netta Weinstein and Guy Itzchakov Templeton World Charity Foundation's Grand Challenges for Human Flourishing Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts More about this episode Read the transcript of this episode Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube Comments, questions and suggestions info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

Dec 3, 2024 • 43min
Dr. Sue Fletcher-Watson & Dr. Catherine Crompton: Autism Belonging & Connection
Please take our listener survey: https://bit.ly/3YxfDm2 THANK YOU! In today’s episode, we explore the social cognition found within our own species, and what the benefit to every person might be if we deepen our understanding of the wide variety of intelligences of human beings. We hear from two researchers at the University of Edinburgh, Dr. Sue Fletcher-Watson, and her colleague, Dr. Catherine Crompton, about their study examining the social cognition of autism, which shines new light on the comfort and confidence that autistic people can experience in communication and community with other neurodivergent people, and how everyone benefits when autistic people’s needs are supported. We’ll also hear from three participants in the doctors’ research, who discuss their own experiences as autistic people in a world designed for and by the non-autistic. Learn more about Dr. Sue Fletcher-Watson and Dr. Catherine Crompton. Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts More about this episode Read the transcript of this episode Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube Comments, questions and suggestions info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

Nov 19, 2024 • 47min
Dr. Everett Worthington: The REACH Method of Forgiveness
Please take our listener survey: https://bit.ly/3YxfDm2 THANK YOU! Today’s episode highlights Richard’s conversation with Dr. Everett Worthington. Dr. Worthington is Commonwealth Professor Emeritus at Virginia Commonwealth University. For the last 30 years, Dr. Worthington has been studying forgiveness, and he has written more than a dozen books on the subject. In 2001, he developed the pioneering REACH Forgiveness method, which has helped thousands of people—including himself—reap the mental and physical benefits of forgiveness. Learn more about Dr. Everett Worthington and the REACH Forgiveness method. Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts More about this episode Read the transcript of this episode Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube Comments, questions and suggestions info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation
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