Templeton Ideas Podcast

Christof Koch is a neuroscientist at the Allen Institute for Brain Science and the Chief Scientist of the Tiny Blue Dot Foundation. As a professor for 25 years at Cal Tech, he pioneered research on the neural basis of consciousness, and he has advanced one of the leading theories of consciousness called Integrated Information Theory. Among his many publications, Christof's most recent book is entitled Then I Am Myself the World: What Consciousness Is and How to Expand It. In our mini-series on the nature of intelligence, we have talked with Simon Conway Morris about the evolution of intelligence, with Susan Schneider about the rise of artificial intelligence, and with Laszlo Barabasi about the structure of collective intelligence. Check our Templeton Ideas podcast feed to listen to these episodes. Follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Susan Schneider is a philosophy professor at Florida Atlantic University, and the founding director of the Center for the Future of AI, Mind, & Society. She has also worked at NASA as the chair of Astrobiology, Exploration, and Scientific Innovation. Susan's book, Artificial You: AI and the Future of Your Mind, explores whether advanced AI systems could become conscious, and how we might design ways to test whether they truly are. In our mini-series on the nature of intelligence, we have talked with Simon Conway Morris about how intelligence naturally arose from billions of years of evolution. In upcoming episodes, we will also talk with Lazslo Barabasi and Christof Koch about the nature of consciousness, and how networks of individuals can produce collective intelligence that vastly exceeds the sum of its parts. Check our Templeton Ideas feed for new episodes. Follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Dr. Shannon Vallor is a professor at the University of Edinburgh, where she serves as chair of the Ethics of Data and Artificial Intelligence at the Edinburgh Futures Institute. Her research explores how new technologies, especially AI, robotics, and data science, reshape human character, habits, and practices. She also advises policymakers and industry on the ethical design and use of AI. Her latest book, The AI Mirror: Reclaiming Our Humanity in an Age of Machine Thinking, argues that AI can be a tool to enhance our humanity, not replace it. Shannon joins the podcast to discuss artificial intelligence, both what it is and what it could be if we step back and rethink what technology is for. Are you curious about artificial intelligence? Don't miss out on our story "Predicting and Controlling Bad Actor Artificial Intelligence" by Alene Dawson on Templeton Ideas. 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.

Jennifer is an accomplished journalist and a best-selling author. Jennifer's first book, Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic, sounded the alarm about a troubling trend in our society. She has followed up with a new book entitled Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose, which offers an alternative to precarious, achievement-based identities, and shows how to construct more meaningful lives. Jennifer joins the podcast today to discuss the concept of "mattering" and our core human needs. Do you feel exhausted by the hyper-competitive nature of our society? Job applications, college admissions, extracurriculars, even enrolling children in the right summer camp? If you haven't heard it yet, check out our first Templeton Ideas episode with Jennifer Wallace on Breaking the Cycle of Toxic Achievement Culture. 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.

Dr. Seth is a Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom. The author of over 200 research papers, Anil integrates psychology, philosophy, computer science, and neuroscience to explore how our brains generate subjective experiences. Outside the laboratory, Anil has a knack for communication, too. His TED Talk has reached nearly 15 million viewers, and his bestselling book Being You: A New Science of Consciousness takes a baffling topic and makes it relatable and engaging for general readers. Anil joins the podcast to explain why animals may be conscious, but artificial intelligence is not, and why, despite the potential for technological dystopias, he is optimistic about the future. Are you curious about consciousness? Don't miss out on our intriguing story "Can Digital Computers Ever Achieve Consciousness?" by Marcus Arvan on Templeton Ideas. What did you think of this episode? Let us know with a rating and a review! Join the conversation on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Michael 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.

Jason 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.

Vera 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.

David 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.

Kwame Appiah is a professor of philosophy and law at New York University. Over his long career he has written about topics including political philosophy, ethics, literature, African and African-American studies. As the author of more than 20 books, his notable works include Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers and The Honor Code: How Moral Revolutions Happen. His newest book, and the subject of our conversation today, is entitled Captive Gods: Religion and the Rise of Social Science. Kwame was also recently featured in an episode of Wisdom Keepers, a PBS show exploring life's fundamental questions. How do we express our religious commitments? Some may say faith, but this article proposes another idea. Learn what role hope plays in belief by reading Religious Commitment: A Hopeful Approach by Daniel Speak. 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.

Mark Moffett is an explorer, naturalist, and photographer who has traveled to more than a hundred countries to document new species in extremely remote places. He takes a special interest in insect societies, especially ants. Affectionately known as Dr. Bugs, Mark has published extensively in outlets like National Geographic and been a frequent guest on TV and Radio, including Stephen Colbert, Conan O'Brien, and RadioLab. Mark has also authored several popular books, including The Human Swarm, which explores what insect societies have in common with primates and humans. Mark joins the podcast to discuss insect and animal societies and how they relate to humans. "How can we build resilient communities amid myriad risks?" A study on cooperation sheds light on how we can use cooperation to address unavoidable risks. Read Cooperation—The Ancient Technology That Never Goes Obsolete. 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.

Simran Jeet Singh is a professor of religious history at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. He is also a senior advisor at the Aspen Institute and host of the podcast Wisdom & Practice. Simran is the author of three books, including The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life, which introduces readers to the religious tradition of Sikhism and its practical relevance for all of us today. Simran joins the podcast to share the history, beliefs, and practices of the Sikh faith. How do the people of India feel about other faiths? A survey shows interesting findings about the beliefs and perspectives of those who live near each other, yet belong to different religions. Read the survey results in India's Patchwork Pluralism. 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.

Heather is the President and CEO of the John Templeton Foundation, one of the world's largest funders of research at the intersection of science, philosophy, and faith. Over the past decade, she has helped broaden the Foundation's global reach while championing topics such as intellectual humility, the psychology of purpose, and human flourishing. She is also the granddaughter of Sir John Templeton, whose legacy continues to shape the Foundation's mission. Learn more about Heather's key takeaways and initiatives in her article A Reflection on My Presidency of the John Templeton Foundation. 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.