In our sixth season of the Templeton Ideas Podcast, we heard from anthropologist Chip Colwell, epidemiologist Tyler VanderWeele, philosopher Helen De Cruz, and other thinkers on why the average human has accumulated so many personal possessions, the difference between the health of the human body and the health of a whole person, why activities like art, music, and spirituality are nearly universal among humans, even though they don’t seem necessary for survival, and more.

If you’re new to the show, welcome! Our host, Tom Burnett, explores the most awe-inspiring ideas in our world with the people who investigate them–and we’d love for you to join us! These thoughtful conversations take listeners on a journey through psychology, philosophy, physics, and more. Become part of our community of 45,000+ listeners on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Read on to see everything we covered in Season 6: 

Yujin Nagasawa (The Problem of Evil)

Yujin joins the podcast to explain just why the problem of evil is so perplexing, not just for people who believe in God, but also for people who don’t.

Francis Collins (Wisdom)

Francis joins the podcast to share his experience mapping the human genome, his journey directing the NIH, and how his life has been shaped by both scientific and spiritual exploration.

Dacher Keltner (Awe)

In this special episode from the archive, Dacher joins the podcast to discuss his personal experiences with awe, how awe relates to life and death, and the many ways people can cultivate awe in their daily lives.

Helen De Cruz (Wonder)

Helen joins the podcast to explain why activities like art, music, and spirituality are nearly universal among humans, even though they don’t seem necessary for survival.

Shadi Hamid & Samuel Kimbriel (Viewpoint Diversity)

In this special episode of Templeton Ideas, Shadi and Samuel join David Nassar, VP of Strategic Engagement at the John Templeton Foundation, to discuss what makes for a good society, where beliefs come from, and how disagreement can help us grow.

Chip Colwell (Stuff)

Chip joins the podcast to explain how we came to live in a society where no matter how much money we spend, it’s never enough and why the average human has accumulated so many personal possessions.

Tyler VandeerWeele (Human Flourishing)

Tyler joins the podcast to explain what it means to be healthy, and the difference between the health of the human body and the health of a whole person.

David Reich (Human Ancestry)

David joins the podcast to explain why every human outside of Africa has some Neanderthal ancestry and how human migration patterns for tens of thousands of years have reshuffled populations and cultures over millennia.