Simon Conway Morris, a groundbreaking paleontologist whose outstanding scientific contributions have transformed our understanding of the deep patterns that shape the evolution of life, has won the 2026 Templeton Prize.
Find out more https://bit.ly/4d1fbnl
A new publication from the TWCF-funded “Rationality and Reason Beyond the Individual Project” found evidence that chimpanzees may be able to reason about mutually exclusive future possibilities.
Read more below. 👇
A recent article by a TWCF-funded Academic Writing Course participant found that breed and individual experience affect fear and aggressive behavior in pet dogs.
Read more here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-18226-0
@nature.com
A bumblebee is positioned on a yellow flower, collecting nectar. The text at the top right reads, "Flexible, abstract rhythm perception in bumblebees," followed by "Read the article in Science." The bottom right features the Templeton World Charity Foundation logo with a butterfly icon and the phrase "Diverse Intelligences."
Researchers from Macquarie University recently published an article in
@science.org showing that bumblebees can learn and recognize rhythmic patterns across speeds, and even across senses.
👉 Read the paper here: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adz2894
The image is a flyer for the Diverse Intelligences Summer Institute 2026, set from June 21 to July 11 at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY, USA. It invites scholars and storytellers interested in the origins, nature, and future of intelligences to apply at DISI.org. The background shows a scenic view of a college campus overlooking a body of water. The flyer features the Templeton World Charity Foundation logo.
Applications to the @divintelligence.bsky.social Summer Institute 2026 are open!
Held at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, from June 21 to July 11, attendees will develop new ways of engaging with questions about mind, cognition, and intelligence.
👉 Learn more and apply: https://disi.org/apply/
The image shows a large library space filled with people studying at long tables. Bookshelves line the sides of the room. A banner at the bottom reads, "TWCF's Commitment to Open Research & What It Might Look Like in the Future," featuring Dr. Nick Higgs & Kristin Eldon Whylly. The Templeton World Charity Foundation logo is also visible.
In a new blog post featuring insights from Dr @nickdhiggs.bsky.social, Vice President of Strategy & Programs, TWCF, and Kristin Eldon Whylly, Director of Operations, we explore what open research means for TWCF and how it’s central to our future direction.
https://bit.ly/4v81qeK
The relationship between forgiveness and happiness March 20 was the United Nation’s International Day of Happiness, but what does it have to do with forgiveness? Through TWCF-supported work, the Greater Good Science Center is breaking down the science of forgiveness–how it rewires the brain, eases the body, and helps us move forward. As part of this effort, GGSC has created forgiveness-focused podcast episodes featuring stories of cultivating forgiveness alongside guided practices.
What the Data Reveals About Wellbeing Across the World What does it mean to flourish, not just as individuals, but within communities and cultures? In a recent podcast, Dr. Tyler VanderWeele and Dr. Byron Johnson, explore the findings of The Global Human Flourishing Study. This is the first large-scale, multi-year effort to measure the distribution and determinants of wellbeing across the globe, surveying more than 200,000 people in 22 countries on six continents.
What Polarization Reveals About Democracy and the Human Spirit In a recent Stories of Impact podcast episode, Dr. Sean Westwood, Associate Professor of Government at Dartmouth College and director of the Polarization Research Lab, explores the nature and consequences of political polarization in the United States and globally. He found that American polarization is primarily "affective polarization," characterized by emotional rather than ideological divisions.
What Developmental Science Reveals About Care as Intelligence What if care is a distinct form of intelligence? In a recent video, psychologist Alison Gopnik highlighted her research on why caregiving has often been overlooked in science and philosophy. With one in four Americans being caregivers (a 50% increase since 2015), it’s essential to explore what care is, how it develops, and how societies might better support it.
"If we can make information more freely available, shareable and able to be challenged, we believe that will speed up the rate of human progress and speed up the benefits that we should be getting from all of this new research." - Dr. Nick Higgs, Vice President of Strategy programs, TWCF
Why We’re Committed To Open Research - And What’s Next As debates around transparency, reproducibility, and access intensify, open research continues to gain momentum across the global research community. In a new blog post featuring insights from Dr. Nick Higgs, Vice President of Strategy & Programs, TWCF, and Kristin Eldon Whylly, Director of Operations, we explore what open research means for TWCF and how it's central to our future direction.
What does it mean to build a future rooted in openness, humility, and shared knowledge? Quarterly Digest, March, 2026
1/8 We’re launching a Quarterly Insights Digest and it’s built with intention. 📩
This is a space for reflection and depth, where we take a closer look at the most impactful stories of the quarter.
🔗 Sign up here: templetonworldcharity.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=...
Read the first edition. 👇
Ambitious questions require meaningful, researched answers.
Stay tuned to learn more.
The image features the profile of a white robotic figure with intricate detailing, set against a light background. Text on the left reads: "What Isn't Intelligence? Patrick House on Blaise Agüera y Arcas's 'What Is Intelligence?' Read the article in the LA Review of Books." The Templeton World Charity Foundation logo is at the bottom left.
What is – and isn’t – intelligence?
Patrick House, a @divintelligence.bsky.social alumnus, published a review of the new book “What is Intelligence? Lessons from AI About Evolution, Computing, and Minds” by @blaiseaguera.bsky.social.
👉 Article: https://bit.ly/4lFNDrm
👉 DISI: https://bit.ly/479359x
Illustration of a person in a flowing garment, reaching out towards a heart-shaped plant. Text below reads: "Greater Good Science Center Extends the Reach of Forgiveness Science Across Its Happiness-Focused Media" by Templeton Staff, with the Templeton World Charity Foundation logo at the bottom.
On this #InternationalDayOfHappiness, tune into the podcasts by the @greatergoodmag.bsky.social to discover how forgiveness reshapes the brain, eases the body, and helps us move forward with greater compassion and freedom.
👉 Listen here: https://bit.ly/47FlFpQ
Congratulations to Roger Koppl for being awarded the Duncan Black Prize for Best Paper in Public Choice by a Senior Scholar.
His paper found that governments’ political priorities shaped how public health research was organized during COVID-19.
👉 https://bit.ly/4amvj2l
👉 https://bit.ly/4uCZhap
Intelligent agents can still take irrational actions and, sometimes, groups of animals are better at making good decisions than their constituent individuals.
Read the latest article from the TWCF-funded project, “Rationality and Reason beyond the Individual“ project below.
The TWCF-funded Academic Writing Course supports grantees in publishing peer-reviewed articles, writing edited book chapters, delivering high-quality paper and poster presentations at academic conferences.
Here are new articles from previous participants.
👉 Learn more: https://bit.ly/49tAflM
The “Meanings of Life Project: The New Biology” project, funded by TWCF, seeks to identify a new scientific narrative that unites research at the level of genes, molecules, and cells to notions of agency, purpose, and meaning in living entities.
👉 Read the announcement: https://bit.ly/4bwWYy9
Headshot of Shruti Rajagopalan who is smiling at the camera and wearing glasses and a blue blouse. Text reads: "Her project is working to provide data on Indian women in the workforce and the subsequent effect on the Indian economy."
6/6 🟣Shruti Rajagopalan at Mercatus Center, Inc.
Today, and every day, we celebrate their leadership and contributions.
Image of Alexandra Bleile, with curly blond hair, standing against a beige wall. She is wearing glasses and smiling at the camera. Text reads: "Her project seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of the TeamUp intervention for conflict-affected youth in Burundi."
5/6 🟣Alexandra Bleile at Stichting War Child
Headshot of Claudia Passos Ferreira. She is wearing a black blazer and a white collared shirt. The text reads: "Her project explores whether existing theories on consciousness make clear predictions about consciousness in animals, infants, and machines."
4/6 🟣Claudia Passos Ferreira at NYU
Photo of Yuri Belfali smiling against a stone wall. Text reads: "Leads two TWCF-funded projects under the Building the Field of Human Flourishing priority."
3/6 🟣Yuri Belfali at the @oecd-ocde.bsky.social
Photo of Amalia Bastos, with dark long hair smiling at the camera. She has a puppy. Text reads: "Her project, under the Diverse Intelligences priority, aims to investigate the evolutionary origins of normative thinking."
2/6 At Templeton World Charity Foundation, we are proud to support and amplify incredible researchers and academics, such as:
🟣Amalia Bastos at the University of St Andrews
A woman collecting water samples at a riverbank. Below, two women in lab coats examine a document. At the bottom, a woman with braided hair stands in front of an audience. Text reads "International Women's Day."
1/6 #InternationalWomensDay is an opportunity to recognize the researchers, scholars, and leaders whose work is advancing discovery and deepening our understanding of the world.
Connecting with strangers can help build a kinder, more cooperative society.
Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are researching the benefits of micro-moments of positive connection.
👉 Read the article: https://bit.ly/3OTGFCP
👉Learn more here: https://bit.ly/4llwPWA
With the support of TWCF, @chriskrupenye.bluesky.social and Amalia Bastos, with the help of Kanzi, a language-trained bonobo, found that apes can play pretend.
This suggests that imagination is not unique to humans.
👉 Paper: https://bit.ly/40xbqQq
👉 Blog post: https://bit.ly/45TrfUR
Researchers published a review of how universities can incorporate sustainability into their training, research and management functions.
Concepción Naval, one of the leading authors, took part in the TWCF Academic Writing Course.
👉 Paper: https://bit.ly/3OKE7qs
👉 Course: https://bit.ly/49tAflM
