TopPodcast.com
Menu
  • Home
  • Top Charts
  • Top Networks
  • Top Apps
  • Top Independents
  • Top Podfluencers
  • Top Picks
    • Top Business Podcasts
    • Top True Crime Podcasts
    • Top Finance Podcasts
    • Top Comedy Podcasts
    • Top Music Podcasts
    • Top Womens Podcasts
    • Top Kids Podcasts
    • Top Sports Podcasts
    • Top News Podcasts
    • Top Tech Podcasts
    • Top Crypto Podcasts
    • Top Entrepreneurial Podcasts
    • Top Fantasy Sports Podcasts
    • Top Political Podcasts
    • Top Science Podcasts
    • Top Self Help Podcasts
    • Top Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Top Stocks Podcasts
  • Podcast News
  • About Us
  • Podcast Advertising
  • Contact
Not in our directory?
Add Show Here
Podcast Equipment
Center

toppodcastlogoOur TOPPODCAST Picks

  • Comedy
  • Crypto
  • Sports
  • News
  • Politics
  • True Crime
  • Business
  • Finance

Follow Us

toppodcastlogoStay Connected

    View Top 200 Chart
    Back to Rankings Page
    Science

    Stories of Impact | Human Flourishing, Compassion & Connection

    What helps human flourishing take root when people face loneliness, conflict, uncertainty, or change? And what can compassion, cooperation, and human connection teach us about living well together?

    Stories of Impact explores the science of human flourishing through conversations with researchers, thinkers, and people whose experiences bring that science to life. We often look for answers to human wellbeing in personal happiness alone, yet flourishing also depends on our relationships, communities, and the ways we care for one another. We may also turn to inspiring stories without understanding what research can tell us about why hope, kindness, and cooperation matter. This podcast brings those approaches together, connecting real human experiences with research on human flourishing.

    Join writer Tavia Gilbert and journalist Richard Sergay as they travel the world and explore how people build compassion, practice mindfulness, find purpose, and strengthen human connection. Through stories of resilience, altruism, positive psychology, spirituality, and evidence-based hope, the show examines what supports human flourishing in everyday life and across communities. The conversations also sometimes reach beyond the human world, exploring diverse intelligences and what other forms of life and intelligence might teach us about cooperation, connection, and flourishing. From cooperation during crises to the role of spiritual practices in belonging, each episode offers another perspective on the science of human flourishing.

    Discover stories that make human flourishing more than an abstract idea—and invite us to rethink how we understand ourselves, one another, and the wider living world.

    Popular Episode Topics Include: Human Flourishing, Science of Human Flourishing, Compassion Science, Human Connection, Cooperation, Altruism, Positive Psychology, Wellbeing Science, Evidence-Based Hope, Mindfulness, Spirituality, Science and Spirituality, Prosocial Behavior, Purpose and Meaning, Resilience Research, Empathy Research, Global Wellbeing, Community Belonging

    Advertise
    • Apple Podcasts
    • Google Play
    • Spotify

    Latest Episodes:
    Ethical Fashion: The Hidden Human Cost of the Clothes We Wear | Robert Handfield & MD Rejaul Hasan Nov 03, 2026
    Show notes

    What is the hidden human cost of ethical fashion? Explore how clothing supply chains affect garment workers, human rights, and human flourishing.

    Every time we buy clothing, we participate in a global supply chain. But how much do we really know about the people who make what we wear?

    In this episode of Stories of Impact, Dr. Robert Handfield and Dr. MD Rejaul Hasan of North Carolina State University explain why ethical fashion requires more than environmental sustainability. It also demands safe workplaces, fair treatment, and respect for the human rights of garment workers.

    Drawing on decades of supply chain research and firsthand experience in apparel manufacturing, they examine the conditions behind global clothing production, including child labor, forced labor, unsafe factories, and the 2013 Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh.

    The researchers also introduce their proposed Ethical Apparel Index, a project designed to make information about factory working conditions more accessible to consumers and investors. They explain how greater transparency could help people make informed decisions, hold brands accountable, and support better treatment of workers.

    At its heart, this conversation is about human flourishing: how our everyday choices connect us to people around the world, and why dignity, safety, and opportunity should matter at every stage of the supply chain.

    Chapters:

    1. Global supply chains and human rights (2:48)
    2. Introducing the Ethical Apparel Index (7:10)
    3. The countries and workers behind our apparel (8:08)
    4. How transparency can change buying decisions (26:41)
    5. What ethical fashion means for human flourishing (28:29)

    Dr. Robert Handfield — Bank of America Professor of Supply Chain Management at North Carolina State University, with approximately 35 years of experience studying supply chains.

    Dr. MD Rejaul Hasan — Textile engineer and researcher working on the Ethical Apparel Index at North Carolina State University's Poole College of Management. His research draws on experience in the garment manufacturing industry.

    • Read the transcript of this episode
    • Catch the video edition of this episode here: The Ethical Apparel Index
    • Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts
    • Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube
    • Comments, questions and suggestions info@storiesofimpact.org

    Stories of Impact explores the art and science of human flourishing through conversations about wellbeing, hope, compassion, altruism, mindfulness, spirituality, positive psychology, and human connection. Presented by journalist Richard Sergay and writer-producer Tavia Gilbert, the podcast brings together research, personal stories, and conversations with experts to explore how individuals and communities can flourish.


    Mary Robinson: Why Climate Justice Is Central to Human Flourishing Oct 20, 2026
    Show notes

    Stories of Impact brings back some of our favorite conversations this season. In the next two episodes, we dive into the climate crisis. Today, we hear from Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and tireless advocate for climate justice. She explains why we must include everyone — young people, indigenous groups, women, the natural world — when we talk about the future of our planet.

    Learn more:

    • Mary Robinson
    • The Elders
    • Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice
    • Climate Justice: Hope, Resilience, and the Fight for a Sustainable Future
    • More about Constance Okollet
    • "East Biloxi loses an icon. She shared MS Coast climate issues across the world."
    • Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts
    • More about this episode
    • Read the transcript of this episode
    • Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube
    • Comments, questions and suggestions info@storiesofimpact.org
    • Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

    Dr. Berry Billingsley: Big Questions That Change How We Learn Oct 06, 2026
    Show notes

    Stories of Impact brings back some of our favorite conversations this season. Today, we revisit an episode from last season, where we heard from Dr. Berry Billingsley, an education researcher in Swansea in the UK. Frustrated by the lack of questions in her science class, she began a quest to encourage students to think, about themselves, life, and the universe.

    Read the transcript of this episode Catch the video edition of this episode here: Big Questions in Classrooms

    Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts Find us on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube Share your comments, questions and suggestions at info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation


    Freddy Mutanguha: Forgiveness & Reconciliation in Post-Genocide Rwanda Sep 15, 2026
    Show notes

    Stories of Impact brings back some of our favorite conversations this season. In our last episode, we visited Medellín, Colombia. Today, we travel to Rwanda, a country that was ravaged by the genocide against the Tutsis in 1990, for a story about how a path to forgiveness and piece is possible even after the worst of tragedies.

    Today's episode offers a powerful example of courage, peace, and forgiveness. Our story looks back thirty years, to one of the most violent periods in modern history — the genocide against the Tutsi — and to the resilience and wisdom of the Rwandan spirit and heart.

    On April 6, 1994, beautiful Rwanda, known as the Land of a Thousand Hills, became a hell on Earth. Between April and July 1994, hundreds of thousands of Rwandans were slaughtered in a horrifying frenzy of state-sponsored terror.

    Freddy Mutanguha, an ethnic Tutsi, was just eighteen years old when the genocide began. Today, Freddy shares the story of his unimaginable losses, the miracle of his survival, and his life's work nurturing peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation in his country and across the world. A warning: this episode includes descriptions of murders – it's a difficult listen, but an important one.

    • Read the transcript of this episode
    • Learn more about the Kigali Genocide Memorial and the Aegis Trust
    • Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts
    • Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube
    • Share your comments, questions and suggestions at info@storiesofimpact.org

    • • Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation


    Judith Jamison: How Movement Can Express the Soul Sep 02, 2026
    Show notes

    Stories of Impact brings back some of our favorite conversations this season. Our expert today is not a researcher, but a former world-class dancer: Judith Jamison. Judith sadly passed away in 2024, but when we spoke with her in 2021, she shared the incredible story of revered Black dancer Alvin Ailey and what she's learned from a life spent in the arts.

    Learn more:

    • Judith Jamison
    • Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
    • Alvin Ailey
    • Video: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performing Revelations
    • Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts
    • More about this episode
    • Read the transcript of this episode

    Dr. Santiago Tobón – From Gangs to Growth: Fighting for the Future of Medellín's Teens Sep 01, 2026
    Show notes

    Stories of Impact brings back some of our favorite conversations this season. This time, we travel to Medellín, Colombia, to meet Dr. Santiago Tobón. He has dedicated his life to understanding the structures and societal role of Medellín's criminal gangs, why teenagers want to join them, and how to help them see that a lawful life can be prosperous, too.

    • Read the transcript of this episode
    • Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts
    • Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube
    • Share your comments, questions and suggestions at info@storiesofimpact.org
    • Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

    Dr. David Sloan Wilson: What Makes Human Cooperation Possible Aug 04, 2026
    Show notes

    Stories of Impact brings back some of our favorite conversations this season. Today we revisit an episode from our first season, aired during the Covid-19 pandemic. Dr. David Sloan Wilson is a biological sciences researcher at Binghamton University, and he explains what actually makes teamwork dream work, how cultures engender or discourage cooperation, and how to get people from different backgrounds to cooperate during times of crisis.

    Learn more about David Sloan Wilson and the Evolution Institute.

    Mentioned in this episode:

    • Elinor Ostrom
    • Michelle Gelfand's Tight and Loose Cultures
    • Robert Putnuam's Bowling Alone
    • Subscribe to​ ​Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts.
    • Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube
    • More about this episode
    • Read the transcript of this episode
    • Keep up with the podcast series at storiesofimpact.org
    • See the full Stories of Impact video series
    • Comments, questions and suggestions info@storiesofimpact.org
    • Supported by the​ Templeton World Charity Foundation

    Dr. Emiliana Simon-Thomas: What Can Heal Widespread Loneliness Jul 21, 2026
    Show notes

    Stories of Impact brings back some of our favorite conversations this season. In our last episode, we heard about the positive effects of coming together and sharing a meal. But for millions of Americans, that rarely happens. In fact, some 20 million people in the US today say they don't have any friends. So how do we solve this loneliness epidemic? Today, we revisit a conversation with Dr. Emiliana Simon-Thomas, who studies just that.

    Dr. Emiliana Simon-Thomas is the Science Director at UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, which tracks cutting edge research studies that focus on how important our relationships, our tendency towards generosity and cooperation, and our sense of mattering or contribution to our communities are to our health and wellbeing over the course of our lives. She wants to understand the science of loneliness.

    • Read the transcript of this episode
    • Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts
    • Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube
    • Share your comments, questions and suggestions at info@storiesofimpact.org
    • Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

    Dr. Adam Cohen, Aliza Kline and Dr. Arielle Levites: Gathering at the Table for Connection and Belonging Jul 07, 2026
    Show notes

    Today we're back in conversation with Dr. Adam Cohen, social psychologist and psychologist of religion at Arizona State University, who shares another research project that explores the way religious ritual connects participants more deeply not only with faith, but with community — this time, not through the practice of abstaining from food, but from breaking bread together.

    Dr. Arielle Levites, Managing Director of the Collaborative for Applied Studies in Jewish Education and a Research Assistant Professor in the Graduate School of Education and Human Development at George Washington University had the same idea — that observing Shabbat wasn't just a nice idea, it was a practice with measurable impact.

    So the team designed a study, enlisting the participation of Aliza Kline, founding President and then-CEO of OneTable, an organization designed to help young Jews develop independence and confidence in observing the ritual of Shabbat dinner in their homes. The question they wanted to answer? Does Shabbat dinner as a spiritual practice increase social connectedness?

    Read the transcript of this episode Learn more about the research Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts Find us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube Share your comments, questions and suggestions at info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation


    Dr. Athena Aktipis: How Cooperation Emerges in Crisis Jun 16, 2026
    Show notes

    In today's episode we speak to Athena Aktipis, co-director of the Human Generosity Project, about the current results of her study of cooperation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Professor Aktipis discusses the insights both past and current research offer about the extent and the limits of human generosity during catastrophic events.

    This is the third episode in a special, five-part Covid-19 conversation series.

    Learn more about Athena Aktipis and The Human Generosity Project

    Mentioned in this episode:

    A Paradise Built in Hell by Rebecca Solnit

    • Subscribe to​ ​Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts.
    • More about this episode
    • Read the transcript of this episode
    • Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube
    • Comments, questions and suggestions info@storiesofimpact.org
    • Supported by the​ Templeton World Charity Foundation

    1 2 3 15 Next

    Related Podcasts

    Invisibilia

    1

    Invisibilia Personal Journals
    Hidden Brain – Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

    2

    Hidden Brain – Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam Science
    How To Do Everything

    3

    How To Do Everything Science
    Hidden Brain

    4

    Hidden Brain Games & Hobbies
    Something You Should Know

    5

    Something You Should Know Education
    Sword and Scale – Sword and Scale

    6

    Sword and Scale – Sword and Scale Alternative Health
    footer-logo

    Contact Us

    Toll Free: 844-670-7747

    Links

    • Home
    • Top Charts
    • Networks
    • Apps
    • Independents Podcasts
    • Podcast Advertising
    • Podcast News
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Analytics & Insights

    Stay Connected

      Privacy, Terms of Use & Our Code of Ethics Protecting Content Creators Copyrights