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. 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

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.  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  

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. 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

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. Read the transcript of this episode Listen to Part 1 of our Forgiveness series 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

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.  Read the transcript of this episode Listen to our Season 4 episode featuring Dr. Everett Worthington 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

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. 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

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. 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

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. 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

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. 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

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. 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