Think from KERA

When looking back at the 2000s, is the decade defined more by George W. Bush or “Gossip Girl”? Kristian Vistrup Madsen is a writer based in Berlin, and he joins host Krys Boyd to make the case that the aughts were marked by sexualization, obscenity and war – and why we ate it up. His article published in The White Review is “ Chains or Whips? The Cruel Decade and its Aftermath .” Learn about your...

Bilingual speakers effortlessly mix multiple languages into conversation – but something much more complex and fascinating is happening in their minds. Washington Post columnist Theresa Vargas and Sarah Phillips, a postdoctoral scholar in the neurology department at Georgetown University Medical Center, join host Krys Boyd to discuss bilingualism in our culture and the neurological pathways that a...

There’s a growing call for the federal government to consider breaking up some of the country’s largest tech companies – similar to how it went after railroad barons of the 19th century. Elizabeth Nolan Brown is a senior editor at Reason and the main author of Reason’s morning newsletter, the Reason Roundup. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why this focus on anti-trust lawsuits isn’t popular wi...

With a president in his 80s and an election season looming, where is Kamala Harris? Elaina Plott Calabro, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the work the vice president has been doing the last three years, why it’s been mostly invisible, and her struggle to convey her readiness for the top job to voters. Her article is “ The Kamala Harris Problem .” Learn about your ad c...

When we’re feeling lonely, maybe the best thing to do is pick up a paint brush or pen and express how we’re feeling. Dr. Jeremy Nobel is a primary-care physician, public health practitioner and poet with faculty appointments at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Harvard Medical School. He is the founder and president of the Foundation for Art & Healing, and he joins host Kry...

If you instantly feel better when a favorite song comes on the radio – or just feel seen when a sad song plays – you’re tapping into humankind’s deep connection with music. Larry Sherman is professor of neuroscience at the Oregon Health and Science University, and he joins host Krys Boyd to talk about how music works in the brain and how it affects our emotions. His new book is “ Every Brain Needs...

A vast network of volunteers and professionals alike is connected by a love of animals and a duty to protect them from harm. Kendra Coulter is professor in management and organizational studies at Huron University College at Western University and a fellow at the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the animal advocates battling abuse and pushing for pro-animal poli...

In 1964, President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights Act with The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. standing at his side. Peniel Joseph is the Barbara Jordan Chair in Political Values and Ethics at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and professor of history and the founding director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy at the University of Texas at Austin. He joins host Krys Boy...

Policies created by both the left and right have failed to curb illegal immigration. Marcela Valdes, a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the continued inflow of international migrants to the U.S. and how employers here benefit from their arrival. Her article is “ Why Can’t We Stop Unauthorized Immigration? Because It Works .” Learn about your ad choices:...

Stories of deadly predators abound, but often those animals fear humans much more than we must fear them. Adam Hart is professor of science communication at the University of Gloucestershire. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the realities of people who live among predators and why the line between conservation and eradication is a difficult tightrope to walk. His book is “ The Deadly Balance: Pr...

For centuries, we humans have placed ourselves above other animals in part because of the belief that we are the only creatures with the cognitive ability to turn thought into speech. Science journalist Sonia Shah joins host Krys Boyd to discuss what it means now that researchers are discovering that animals communicate in languages, too, and the moral dilemmas that is bringing up for biologists....

The internet is not free – we pay for it with our personal information sold with every click. Atlantic staff writer Charlie Warzel joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the vast and unregulated systems set up to capture our data, and why even stricter data capture policies in the E.U. won’t help repair breaches of our privacy. His recent article on the topic is called “ What is Privacy? ” Learn about yo...

For Aparna Nancherla, the hardest part of performing for a crowd is believing she should even be there in the first place. The L.A.-based comedian’s work has been seen on late-night television, HBO, Netflix and Comedy Central. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how depression, anxiety and imposter syndrome make it into her work – and the ways her art reflects her mental state. Her book is “ Unrel...

We’ve come a long way as a species from hunter-gatherers to sedentary jobs at a keyboard. Manoush Zomorodi is host of NPR’s TED Radio Hour, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss a six-part series exploring the relationship between technology and the body, and the tools we can use to offset the harms screens and sitting are doing to our health. The NPR podcast is called “Body Electric.” Learn abo...

When asked to deliver his father’s eulogy, Rev. Esau McCaulley realized he needed to figure out how to understand the relationship between his dad’s many shortcomings and the obstacles he faced during his lifetime. McCaulley is associate professor of New Testament at Wheaton College and theologian in residence at Progressive Baptist Church, a historically Black congregation in Chicago. He joins ho...

After billions of years of Earth’s development, it’s still the same five elements that shape so much of human evolution. Stephen Porder is associate provost for sustainability and professor of ecology, evolution and organismal biology at Brown University. He is also a fellow in the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitr...

Even in the face of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln engaged constructively with his political adversaries. Steve Inskeep, cohost of NPR’s Morning Edition, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss Lincoln as the politician, deftly negotiating encounters with his critics as he sought to build a social revolution and hold the nation together. His book is “ Differ We Must: How Lincoln Succeeded in a Divided Ame...

The temperature range that can sustain human life on Earth is incredibly narrow. Michael Mann is Presidential Distinguished Professor and Director of the Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media at the University of Pennsylvania. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the precarity of human evolution and how previous changes in temperatures have affected life on the planet. His book is “ Our F...

When the Supreme Court knocked down Roe v Wade, it seemed like the question of where someone could seek an abortion was settled. Emily Bazelon is a staff writer at The New York Times Magazine and the Truman Capote Fellow for Creative Writing and Law at Yale Law School. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss efforts to get abortion rights on the ballot in several states, and how those pushes are resul...

We’ve all told the occasional white lie, but what makes someone a true liar? Christian L. Hart is professor of psychology at Texas Woman’s University, where he is director of the Psychological Science program and director of the Human Deception Laboratory. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the psychology of people who lie all the time and how we can make sure we don’t become their next victim. Hi...

Is it possible to take our five senses to new, heightened levels? Maureen Seaberg is a columnist for Psychology Today, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the science of the senses; understanding how we see, hear and touch at the molecular level; and what it means for human potential. Her book is “ Fearfully and Wonderfully Made: The Astonishing New Science of the Senses .” Learn about your ad...

A decade ago, a large majority of Americans believed in the value of a college education. More recently, that sentiment has fallen off a cliff. Paul Tough is a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why only a third of Americans now say they have a lot of confidence in higher education and why the U.S. is an outlier globally when it comes to col...

Nationally, about 43 million people are believed to need treatment for substance abuse – and if they actually seek it out, many will hit real barriers to finding care. Wilson M. Sims is a writer and behavioral health worker, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his own journey from addict to working for a behavioral health company helping fellow addicts navigate the roadblocks to becoming sober....

Undocumented immigrants face daily worries about government surveillance. Asad L. Asad is assistant professor of sociology at Stanford University, where he is a faculty affiliate of the Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his research into the ways immigrants take part in U.S. systems – like registering with the IRS – while also fearing they wil...

In trying to reconcile human impact on nature, perhaps we should turn to one of our planet’s longest living creatures. Sy Montgomery joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her visit to the Turtle Rescue League, where injured turtles are given a second chance at life, and asks why these creatures have such a treasured place in our hearts. Her book is “ Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shat...