Theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli, in his work Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, wrote, “Here, on the edge of what we know, in contact with the ocean of the unknown, shines the mystery and beauty of the world. And it’s breathtaking.” Rovelli’s words describe the experience of encountering the Big Questions that can be found on the frontiers of human understanding. Sharing this experience with listeners has been a goal of our podcasting work since its founding. Thanks in part to the John Templeton Foundation’s partnership, the show has been committed to science investigations that approach big questions with academic rigor, curiosity, and the intellectual humility necessary to grapple with phenomena that are bigger than the world as we see it.
With renewed support from the Foundation, we will continue this tradition when the need for content grappling with science and big questions could not be greater. We face unprecedented circumstances that force us to reckon with the nature of humanity and our context in the universe, from a global pandemic to the existential threat of climate change and the advent of generative AI that has sparked questions about the nature of intelligence and the boundaries between human and machine.
This grant will support the creation of 18 podcast episodes that explore big questions across evolutionary biology, astrophysics, neuroscience, medical science, and more. Leaning on curiosity and intellectual humility, producers will explore the boundaries of science and philosophy, blending in-depth science reporting, audio composition, and storytelling. Our goal is to captivate and inspire interest in the wonders of the universe through investigations that stimulate engagement with human existence and the fundamental structures of our universe, illuminating how scientific inquiry can inspire profound reflection about meaning and purpose in our lives.
