Season 5

Dec. 16, 2024

Profs. Guy Itzchakov & Netta Weinstein: The Science of Listening

Please take our listener survey: 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...

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Oct. 15, 2024

Dr. Hafsat Abiola: Rebuilding Africa One Woman at a Time

Today, we hear from , native of Nigeria, President of the , 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...

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Oct. 1, 2024

Dr. David Addiss: Fighting Diseases Beyond Borders

In today’s episode, we welcome , 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...

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July 26, 2022

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, ...

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July 12, 2022

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 stor...

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June 28, 2022

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...

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June 7, 2022

Dr. Hafsat Abiola: Uplifting Democracy Through Resilience & Vision

Today, we hear from , native of Nigeria, President of the , 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...

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May 17, 2022

Dr. Brie Linkenhoker: Why the Stories We Tell Shape Who We Become

In today’s episode, we welcome , founder of , 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...

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May 3, 2022

Dr. David Addiss: Compassion as a Pillar of Medical Practice

In today’s episode, we welcome , 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...

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April 19, 2022

Professor Kenneth Pargament: How Science and Spirituality Shape Meani…

Today’s episode is a discussion of the intersections of religion, spirituality, and science, with , Professor Emeritus at Bowling Green State University. Dr. Pargament was named in 2022 one of the 50 Most Influential Living Psychologists in the...

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April 5, 2022

Bishop Steven Croft: Faith as a Bridge to Human Flourishing

This week’s episode highlights the relationship between religion, faith, and human flourishing. Our conversation today is with Steven Croft, Bishop of Oxford , Church of England, for whom a belief in God and human flourishing...

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March 15, 2022

Agnes Kalibata: How Food and Farming Shape a Flourishing Future

This week we hear from Dr. Agnes Kalibata, a Rwandan agricultural scientist and policymaker. Dr. Kalibata draws on her personal history growing up in a refugee camp to shape her work as both UN Secretary-General’s Special Env...

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Feb. 28, 2022

Angela Duckworth: What Grit Reveals About Flourishing

This week we bring you a conversation with Dr. Angela Duckworth, pioneering professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and the CEO of Character Lab, a nonprofit that advances science to help children thrive. Sh...

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Feb. 14, 2022

Vint Cerf: How the Digital Age Is Reshaping Human Potential

This week we’re bringing you a conversation about human flourishing with Vint Cerf, a man globally recognized as one of the “fathers of the Internet.” In recognition for his extraordinary contributions to the creation of Inte...

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Feb. 1, 2022

Deepak Chopra: How Wellbeing Supports a Flourishing Life

Our guest today is Dr. Deepak Chopra, founder of The Chopra Foundation, a non-profit entity for research on well-being and humanitarianism, and Chopra Global, a modern-day health company at the intersection of science and spi...

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Jan. 19, 2022

Profs. Guy Itzchakov & Netta Weinstein: What Deep Listening Makes Pos…

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 ...

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Nov. 30, 2021

Mary Robinson: Why Climate Justice Is Central to Human Flourishing

Today, we’re talking about a pursuit of well-being that impacts us all — climate health. Today’s guest is Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and the first woman to hold that elected office and former United Nations Co...

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Nov. 15, 2021

Judith Jamison: How Movement Can Express the Soul

Today’s guest is international superstar dancer/choreographer Judith Jamison. In 1964, at just 21 years old, Jamison made her dance debut in New York with the American Ballet Theater. She soon joined the Alvin Ailey American ...

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Nov. 2, 2021

Wynton Marsalis: What Music and Listening Teach Us About Ourselves

In today’s episode, we delve into how humans flourish through music and listening with internationally acclaimed musician, composer, and bandleader Wynton Marsalis. At the age of 60, after a long, international career, Marsal...

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Oct. 19, 2021

Laurie Santos & Arthur C. Brooks: What Science & Spirit Say About Tru…

Today, we hear about human happiness from two of the world’s foremost researchers on the subject: Dr. Laurie Santos and Dr. Arthur Brooks. Dr. Santos hosts The Happiness Lab, a podcast “that will forever alter the way you thi...

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Oct. 5, 2021

The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson & Andreas Schleicher: How Education…

In today’s episode, we hear from The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson, the first African-American woman to lead a top-ranked research university — Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute — and Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education...

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Sept. 20, 2021

Rev. Sue Phillips & Casper ter Kuile: Why Spiritual Practice Shapes O…

Today, we’re delving into a discussion with Casper ter Kuile and Reverend Sue Phillips, two of the co-founders of Sacred Design Lab, which describes itself as a “soul-centered research and development lab.” If you’re thinking...

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Sept. 6, 2021

Dr. Andrew Serazin: New Ideas That Support Human Flourishing

Our new season begins with scientist, entrepreneur, and philanthropy leader Dr. Andrew Serazin, President of Templeton World Charity Foundation. Dr. Serazin discusses TWCF's latest initiative, the Grand Challenges for Human F...

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Aug. 26, 2021

Stories of Impact Returns September 7

The birthright of every human being is not just to survive, but to thrive. This year on the Stories of Impact Podcast, we bring you conversations about the science behind innovative tools that help human beings flourish. Join...

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