Dr. Jack Templeton began his autobiography, John M. Templeton Jr: Physician, Philanthropist, Seeker, with a compelling story. While still a fledgling physician, he found himself charged with caring for a young girl who had been shot. “This is what it was all about—to care for others, to offer life and hope wherever possible,” he wrote.
ArticlesFinalist Evan Lehmann, former U.S. Senator Harris Wofford, finalist Edan Armas, Youth Service America President and CEO Steve Culbertson, and finalist Ifeoma White-Thorpe. Photo courtesy of the NLM.
The winners of the National Liberty Museum’s SELMA Speech and Essay Contest, supported by the John Templeton Foundation in partnership with Paramount Pictures, were announced on April 21, 2015. In the year that marked the 50th anniversary of the Selma march, the top prize was awarded jointly to two teens, who each received the $5,000 Grand Prize at a ceremony in Philadelphia.
Philosopher Immanuel Kant famously remarked that two things filled him with awe and wonder: “the starry heaven above me and the moral law within me.” While some will understand this meaning, the nature of awe remains something of a mystery to most. The task of mapping awe is explored in a recent cover story for the Observer, a publication of the Association for Psychological Science.
Recently, scientists and other thinkers gathered to discuss randomness at a conference in Barcelona, titled “Randomness in Quantum Physics and Beyond.” Organized by the Institute of Photonic Sciences and supported by the John Templeton Foundation, the conference encouraged participants to consider and discuss randomness with the goal of establishing bridges and commonalities between disciplines.
Is mathematics deeply ingrained in the structure of the universe? Or is the case that the universe can be modeled remarkably well by mathematics? Is math a human invention, or is it the language of the universe? The Great Math Mystery, broadcast on April 15 as part of the NOVA series on PBS and supported by the John Templeton Foundation, explored precisely these questions.
Sometimes appeals for money work, and sometimes they don’t; that much is understood by fundraisers. But science is beginning to reveal why, says John List of the University of Chicago and leader of the Science of Philanthropy Initiative, supported by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation.