Think from KERA

If everything happens for a reason, and those reasons are beyond our control, maybe we don’t have free will after all. Robert Sapolsky, professor of biology and neurology at Stanford University, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his case against free will, which he says is the logical choice if you look at the ways our lives are shaped by forces that start from our very biology. And we’ll hear why,...

In the national conversation about abortion rights, the voices of actual abortion providers are often unheard. Dr. Curtis Boyd was involved in establishing the National Abortion Federation (NAF) and is a founding member of the Federation’s board of directors; and Glenna Boyd, RN, is a counselor, trainer and consultant. They join host Krys Boyd to discuss their life’s work providing abortions for w...

Nobody actually enjoys feeling down in the dumps – but there’s a lot we can learn about ourselves when we’re not at our best. This hour, host Krys Boyd talks about how we can find fulfillment in experiencing the bittersweet parts of life, how sensitive people can use their temperament as a strength, and why being positive all the time isn’t actually very helpful.  Learn about your ad choices: dove...

After a long day when we lay down to rest, that’s when our brains really fire up to help us dream. Dr. Rahul Jandial is a neurosurgeon and neuroscientist who oversees the Jandial Lab at City of Hope Cancer Center in Los Angeles. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how dreams help or brains function, why they are essential to memory and why dreams across cultures are remarkably similar. His book is...

The best communicators aren’t always the ones who talk the most in meetings. Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative journalist Charles Duhigg joins host Krys Boyd to discuss what makes certain people so adept at facilitating the exchange of ideas, how we can make ourselves heard, and how we can better navigate tough conversations. His book is “ Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language o...

We trust the guidance of medical professionals so much – and it can be hard for both doctor and patient when new research recommends changing course on well-established treatments. Dr. Marty Makary is a Johns Hopkins professor and member of the National Academy of Medicine. He joins guest host Courtney Collins to discuss why physicians have recommended we avoid everything from hormone replacement...

NFL cheerleaders put in hours of practice, have thousands of fans and serve as ambassadors for the teams — and get paid next to nothing. Chabeli Carrazana is economy and childcare reporter for The 19th News. She joins guest host Courtney Collins to discuss why high-profile cheerleaders aren’t making a living wage, the lawsuits that are fighting for a pay increase, and why misogyny in sports is so...

Russia and China have formed a “no limits” partnership, bonding them on everything from manufacturing to technology to military might. And a major factor in the development of that partnership is a mutual disdain for a U.S.-led world order. This hour, we’ll talk with a former U.S. ambassador to Russia and other experts about what the budding alliance between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping means for...

For Uzo Aduba, shaping an identity as a daughter of Nigerian immigrants was fuel for a creative fire. The Emmy-award winning star of “Orange is the New Black” is Heifer International’s ambassador to Africa as well as an ambassador for Stand Up to Cancer. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss growing up in a mostly white suburb, the importance of keeping her native language alive, and how her role as...

Every day it seems there’s a headline about which candidate is surging in the polls — but how accurate are those assessments? Philip Elliott, senior correspondent for Time magazine, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how the layman can look at polls and glean the most relevant information, how polls gather their data and why that margin of error is super important. His article is “How to Read Politic...

The current vice president is making news as she runs for the top job, but past VPs have often been relegated to the sidelines. Michelle Ferrari, writer, producer and director for American Experience, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the history of the vice presidency, the 25th amendment that helped to solidify the role, and why the U.S. Constitution doesn’t offer much guidance on defining the posi...

Scientists are still trying to figure out why human ovaries have a shelf life — and how they can extend it. Celia Ford, Future Perfect Fellow at Vox, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss a new breakthrough that promises to delay menopause, what that means for healthy aging in women, and what the social implications might be if older women are still able to bear children. Her article is “We have a drug...

We often think of how our diets contribute to our physical fitness, but we shouldn’t discount how they impact our brain health, too. Dr. Annie Fenn is the founder of the Brain Health Kitchen and, in partnership with the University of Texas at Dallas Center for Brain Health, she talks to host Krys Boyd about brain-friendly eating patterns, understanding how “good” and “bad” fats affect us, and offe...

 Democrats have traditionally relied on Latino voters, but voting patterns show many Latinos shifting to the right. Paola Ramos is a contributor for Telemundo News and MSNBC, where she is the host of “Field Report,” and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her examination of why Latinos voted for Trump in greater numbers in 2020 vs. 2016 and why this powerful electorate is continually misunderstood...

The Body Neutrality movement is about focusing on more than the physical shape we hold in the world. Bethany C. Meyers is the founder and CEO of the be.come project and joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how they came to embrace the body neutrality ethos, why we need to move away from body positivity, and the calm that can come from allowing yourself to just simply be . Meyers is the author of “ I Am...

Apple pie is an American staple…but apples themselves are going extinct. Sarah Lohman works with institutions around the country to create public programs focused on food. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the foods we love that are in danger of disappearing and travels the country to take part in food traditions that might not be here for long unless we protect them. Her book is “Endangered Eat...

George Washington may have set the standard for American presidents, but those precedents wouldn’t have mattered if John Adams hadn’t followed through on them. Lindsay Chervinsky, executive director of the George Washington Presidential Library, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the second U.S. president, how he solidified many of the functions of the chief executive we still know in the 21st Centur...

At one summer camp, canoeing and camaraderie take on new meaning as a gathering place for trans men. Journalist Sandy Ernest Allen joins host Krys Boyd to discuss what it was like to take on traditional activities with the comfort of knowing he was surrounded by his trans community, how the experience challenged his notions of manhood, and the surprising things he learned about himself during the...

Race has long been a factor in how doctors approach diagnoses— removing it has proved a challenge. Katie Palmer, Health Tech Correspondent for Stat News, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the bias baked into medicine for decades, how it contributes to system disparities, and why the work to change it is so difficult. Her series “Embedded Bias” is written with co-author Usha Lee McFarling. Learn abou...

With new technologies, paleontologists are starting to learn more about how dinosaurs lived by connecting them to animals alive today. Amy M. Balanoff, assistant professor at the Center for Functional Anatomy & Evolution at Johns Hopkins, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the T. Rex and its brain – how paleontologists are piecing together what abilities they had, and why the modern housecat migh...

Of all the human emotions to explore, wonder may be low on the list – but it’s essential to our survival as a species. Helen De Cruz, Danforth Chair in the humanities and a professor of philosophy at Saint Louis University, Missouri, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how wonder pushes us to explore the world around us, leads us to love more fully and helps us to get the most out of our brains. Her b...

We know that loneliness takes a toll on mental and physical health, but solutions for the problem are hard to come by. Matthew Shaer is contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, an Emerson Collective fellow at New America and a founder of the podcast studio Campside Media. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how our phones and computers might have made the problem worse – but aren’t the...

As artificial intelligence becomes more sophisticated, are we in danger of creating a world in which people turn to computers for companionship instead of living, breathing humans? Robert Mahari, JD-PhD Researcher at MIT Media Lab and Harvard Law School, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why the doom and gloom of A.I. taking over has got it all wrong — that the real problem is we might actually like...

Shame might work as a deterrent, but it also affects self-esteem deeply and can backfire as a tool. Journalist Melissa Petro joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her own story as a sex worker-turned-elementary school teacher until she was outed by a newspaper, and how she had to grow to be shame resilient. Her book is “Shame on You: How to Be a Woman in the Age of Mortification.” Learn about your ad ch...

For three years, a thousand people receiving an extra $1,000 a month were tracked — and now we know how that income changed their lives. Chabeli Carrazana, economy and childcare reporter for the 19th News, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how guaranteed income meant people could move beyond paycheck-to-paycheck, contribute to the economy and help support other family members. Plus, we’ll consider w...