Stories of Impact

Talkbox
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  • SOCIAL SCIENCES
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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.

  1. Embracing Diverse Worldviews in the Classroom

    2D AGO

    Embracing Diverse Worldviews in the Classroom

    Last week we introduced you to Dr. Berry Billingsley, in a conversation about her work studying Big Questions in Religious and Science Education, and her efforts to support multidisciplinary classrooms. This week we're back with the second part of that episode, exploring another Big Questions in the Classroom initiative, in conversation with seven educators who are advancing Dr. Billingsley's work through a collaborative research project called Religion and Worldviews. Together, these research leaders are not only introducing innovative ideas into traditional curriculum, but they're educating the educators in how to teach them.  Why does the classroom need a refresh? Let’s discover together! Our guests include educators Dr. Michael Reiss, Dr. Trevor Cooling, Stephen Pett, Sarah Lane Cawte, Gillian Georgiou, Maureen Cutler, and Katie Gooch. Read the transcript of this episode Subscribe 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

    34 min
  2. Dr. Berry Billingsley: Big Questions That Change How We Learn

    JUN 3

    Dr. Berry Billingsley: Big Questions That Change How We Learn

    Is science fundamentally in opposition to religion, or do they just have little to do with each other? Is the way you engage with science and religion in your life informed by your core beliefs, or are your core beliefs informed by them? Do you think it's scientists or religious experts, or both, or neither, that are best equipped to help humans explore the meaning of life?   People might find these questions to be provocative or controversial. But our guest in today's episode, science educator and researcher Dr. Berry Billingsley, was raised in a family culture of curiosity, so she's been asking these sorts of really big questions all her life.   Now a professor in Education at the University of Swansea and the former Director of the Learning about Science and Religion Centre at Canterbury Christ Church University, Dr. Billingsley, as devoted as she has been to young people's science education  throughout her career as a researcher, has built a body of work critiquing the way science is traditionally taught and breaking down the siloes between religious education and science education classes.   Read the transcript of this episode Subscribe 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

    25 min
  3. Dr. Nicholas Bloom: What Remote Work Reveals About Equity and Innovation

    MAY 20

    Dr. Nicholas Bloom: What Remote Work Reveals About Equity and Innovation

    Did you know that you are part of one of the most significant revolutions in the last 85 years? If you’re one of the 180-million Americans in the labor force, and at some point since the 2020 pandemic, you joined the ranks of work-from-home, you are historically revolutionary. Today, we sit down with Dr. Nicholas Bloom, economist and professor of economics at Stanford University. He's studied work-from-home habits for over 20 years—so long before covid-19—and now, his data is showing how the revolutionary shift that happened during the pandemic, is reverberating through society and affecting everything from sports and real estate to crime, taxes, and politics. Read the transcript of this episode  Subscribe 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

    20 min
  4. Dr. Kurt Gray: What Polarization Teaches us About Harm and Human Understanding

    MAY 6

    Dr. Kurt Gray: What Polarization Teaches us About Harm and Human Understanding

    We’re back this episode for our second timely interview focusing on political polarization, wrapping up in conversation with Dr. Kurt Gray, professor of moral psychology and neuroscience at UNC Chapel Hill, and the director of the Deepest Beliefs Lab in the Center for the Science of Moral Understanding. Moral psychology is the descriptive understanding of our moral judgments, or concern with not just how people should make moral decisions, but how they actually do. Why does this matter?  In Dr. Gray’s words: "To understand our contentious and divided political moments where people are unwilling to discuss politics across the aisle or entertain even that the other side is a reasonable human being in the way that you feel about yourself and your own side. We do disagree already when it comes to politics. But where does this political disagreement come from? …Once you get that, then you can understand where this political animosity comes from. But it's really a question of moral disagreement. And for that you need to understand our moral psychology.” Read the transcript of this episode
 Subscribe 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

    36 min
  5. Dr. Sean Westwood: What Polarization Reveals About Democracy and the Human Spirit

    APR 15

    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 research Subscribe 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

    38 min
  6. Dr. Anna Corwin: Understanding Spiritual Intelligence Across Cultures

    MAR 18

    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 research Subscribe 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

    21 min
  7. Dr. Adam Cohen, Aliza Kline and Dr. Arielle Levites: Gathering at the Table for Connection and Belonging

    MAR 4

    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 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

    24 min
  8. Dr. Adam Cohen & Dr. Kathryn A. Johnson: Flourishing in the Yom Kippur Fast

    FEB 18

    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 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

    18 min
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About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Talkbox
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    112
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Stories of Impact

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