
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

Oct 4, 2022 • 31min
Dr. Granic, Dr. Scholten, & Ken Koontz: Can Games Help Young People Heal
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: MindLight Read the transcript of this episode Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube Comments, questions and suggestions info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

Sep 20, 2022 • 42min
Dr. Seed, Dr. Hobaiter, Dr. Biro, Dr. Muthukrishna, Dr. Andrews, & Dr. Griffiths: What We Learn from Minds Unlike Our Own
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. Read the transcript of this episode Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube Comments, questions and suggestions info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

Sep 6, 2022 • 39min
Dr. Serazin, Dr. Cartmill, Dr. Das, & Dr. Foster: A School Where Every Kind of Mind Belongs
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. Read the transcript of this episode Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube Comments, questions and suggestions info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

Jul 26, 2022 • 33min
Dr. Serazin: Reflecting on Human Flourishing Past & Future
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. Read the transcript of this episode Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube Comments, questions and suggestions info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

Jul 12, 2022 • 28min
Dr. Powell & Rex Mann: Bringing Back the American Chestnut Tree
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. Read the transcript of this episode Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube Comments, questions and suggestions info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

Jun 28, 2022 • 36min
Cristine Legare: How Culture Shapes the Way We Flourish
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. Read the transcript of this episode Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube Comments, questions and suggestions info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

Jun 7, 2022 • 32min
Dr. Hafsat Abiola: Uplifting Democracy Through Resilience & Vision
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 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

May 17, 2022 • 32min
Dr. Brie Linkenhoker: Why the Stories We Tell Shape Who We Become
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. More about this episode Read the transcript of this episode Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube Comments, questions and suggestions info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

May 3, 2022 • 31min
Dr. David Addiss: Compassion as a Pillar of Medical Practice
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. Mentioned in this episode: Tavia Gilbert’s Tedx Talk More about this episode Read the transcript of this episode Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube Comments, questions and suggestions info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

Apr 19, 2022 • 31min
Professor Kenneth Pargament: How Science and Spirituality Shape Meaning
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. More about this episode Read the transcript of this episode Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube Comments, questions and suggestions info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation