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.

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Timothy Dalrymple is the new president of the John Templeton Foundation. Before assuming this role, he served as CEO of Christianity Today. Tim has led several innovative media ventures and worked closely with writers, scholars, and philanthropists to elevate ideas that enrich public life. A former national champion gymnast turned philosopher of religion, he holds degrees from Stanford, Princeton Theological Seminary, and Harvard, where his doctoral work focused on the nature of suffering and religious knowledge. He joins to podcast to discuss his history, transition to the role as president, and hopes for the future.

What inspires you to travel? Could you design a journey around the experience of awe? To learn more, we invite you to read Alene Dawson's Templeton Ideas essay, The Awe-Seeker's Guide to Travel.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Kaitlin Yarnall is the Chief Storytelling Officer at the National Geographic Society, one of the largest funders of individual storytellers and journalists in the world. A cartographer by trade, Kaitlin travels the world helping NatGeo Explorers—exceptional individuals in their fields—share their work in science, exploration, and education with millions of people. She joins the podcast to discuss storytelling with impact, her partnership with the John Templeton Foundation, and the exciting initiatives being covered at the National Geographic Society.

Curiosity is a powerful force for exploring and understanding the world, but we also know the old saying, "Curiosity killed the cat." How do we resolve this paradox? To learn more, read Curiosity Has Two Faces by Annelise Jolley.

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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.

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David Bentley Hart is a scholar with wide-ranging interests in philosophy, theology, religions, and culture. He is the author of hundreds of literary essays and more than twenty books. Our conversation today focuses on two in particular; the first is The Experience of God: Being, Consciousness, and Bliss; and the second is David's most recent work entitled All Things Are Full of Gods: The Mysteries of Mind and Life. This book is playfully written in the form of a Platonic dialogue in which the characters explore questions of ultimate reality. David is also an avid fan of baseball, a subject that he eloquently praises in his popular essay "A Perfect Game".

Can we actually see the divine in nature? Or do we project meaning onto reality? Learn how to tell the difference in On Seeing Divinity in The World: Ultrasound Scans and The Canals of Mars by Stephen Law.

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