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.
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Kelly Corrigan (Family)
Kelly is the author of four New York Times bestselling memoirs, including Glitter and Glue, Lift, and The Middle Place, which take ordinary events and relationships and make them come alive in funny, memorable prose. Kelly hosts the podcast “Kelly Corrigan Wonders,” and the PBS television show “Tell Me More”, which have received grants from the John Templeton Foundation. She has also given a popular TED talk entitled “To Love is to Be Brave”. Most recently, she co-authored a children’s book with her daughter Claire called Marianne the Maker. She joins the podcast to discuss faith, family, and staying open to wonder. How does caregiving contribute to a meaningful life? Listen to a Templeton Ideas episode with Dr. Alison Gopnik, who discusses the flaws in our popular understanding of children and babies, the connection between children and awe. Join our growing community of 200,000+ listeners and be notified of new episodes of Templeton Ideas. Subscribe today.
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Kwame Appiah (Animism)
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.
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Miroslav Volf (Ambition)
Miroslav Volf is a theology professor and director of the Center for Faith and Culture at Yale University. His writing and teaching explore how Christian theology relates to culture, politics, and world religions. He has written and edited more than 20 books, including Life Worth Living: A Guide to What Matters Most. His newest book, which we will be discussing, is entitled The Cost of Ambition: How Striving to Be Better Than Others Makes Us Worse. He joins the podcast to discuss how striving for excellence is better than superiority. Want to learn more about striving? Listen to our insightful episode with Jennifer Wallace on "toxic achievement culture" from Season 2. 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.
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Mark Moffett (Insect Societies)
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.
The Templeton Ideas Podcast is a show about the most awe-inspiring ideas in our world and the people who investigate them. We sit down with thinkers like Gretchen Rubin, Ethan Kross, and David Brooks to explore how their work has transformed their lives — and how it may transform yours. These thoughtful conversations will take listeners on a journey through psychology, philosophy, physics, and more.
The Templeton Ideas Podcast is a project of the John Templeton Foundation.
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