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KERA's Think

KERA

Think is a daily, topic-driven interview and call-in program hosted by Krys Boyd covering a wide variety of topics ranging from history, politics, current events, science, technology and emerging trends to food and wine, travel, adventure, and entertainment.

071003

Think is a daily, topic-driven interview and call-in program hosted by Krys Boyd covering a wide variety of topics ranging from history, politics, current events, science, technology and emerging trends to food and wine, travel, adventure, and entertainment.

071003
73hr 35min
Thumbnail for "Why so many people love the suburbs".
Julie Beck, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why dismissing the suburbs discounts the very rich lives of those who choose to live there.
Thumbnail for "The business of veganism".
Nina Guilbeault joins host Krys Boyd to discuss companies working to make vegan foods more accessible to the general public, and how food movements catch on.
Thumbnail for "Why crowdfunding healthcare rarely works".
Nora Kenworthy is a professor at the University of Washington Bothell, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why so often GoFundMe campaigns fail and why even the most successful fundraising efforts mask the inequities of a health system that’s too expensive for most Americans.
Thumbnail for "Congress is not gridlocked. No really.".
Despite the charged rhetoric to the contrary, there actually is work getting done in Washington.
Thumbnail for "Life, liberty and the pursuit of grievances".
Frank Bruni, a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why Americans are finding identities in grievances, why hardships have become so performative, and how we are missing out on what’s working for the country, collectively.
Thumbnail for "The unfair hierarchy of eating disorders".
Emmeline Clein joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her own struggles with an eating disorder, how she didn’t meet the weight requirements to be considered anorexic, and how we judge people based on their relationship with food
Thumbnail for "The straight story about posture panic".
Beth Linker joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how posture ignited public health panics and race hierarchies of previous generations and why we should examine our previous beliefs to better understand fitness today.
Thumbnail for "The author of ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ on race, social satire and beach reads".
Kevin Kwan is back with a new summer read. The author joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his new novel – which again dives into themes of class, race, and money.
Thumbnail for "Are you too good at delaying gratification?".
Thumbnail for "Decoding your dreams".
Rahul Jandial 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.
Thumbnail for "Sexism in sports".
Macaela MacKenzie joins host Krys Boyd to discuss Title IX, the formation of professional women’s leagues, and their fight for equality on and off the playing field.
Thumbnail for "Cancer is becoming a younger person’s disease".
Dylan Scott, a reporter for Vox’s Future Perfect, and science journalist Jyoti Madhusoodanan, join host Krys Boyd to discuss the reasons why cancer is hitting earlier and earlier, and the scientific breakthroughs using the body’s own immune system to combat it.
Thumbnail for "How Nicholas Kristof still has hope for the world".
The op-ed columnist for The New York Times joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his memoir, which details the danger of war zones and oppressive regimes – and the exhilaration of telling the stories of unsung heroes.
Thumbnail for " A.I could drive most languages to extinction".
Matteo Wong is a staff writer for The Atlantic, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the looming extinction of some 7,000 languages since A.I. is only using about 10 to learn from.
Thumbnail for "You can love your kids but still regret having them".
R.O. Kwon, author of the novel “Exhibit,” joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her interviews with parents who are made to feel like monsters because they wish their lives had taken different paths, how love for offspring doesn’t play into the conversation, and her own certainty that she never wants to be a mother.
Thumbnail for "What makes a job worth doing?".
Christopher Wong Michaelson is Opus Distinguished Professor and academic director of the Melrose and The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership at the University of St. Thomas and on the Business and Society faculty at NYU’s Stern School of Business. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the differences between career and calling and how we assign meaning to our vocation.
Thumbnail for " The ancient inventions that made the modern world".
Roma Agrawal, an engineer, author and broadcaster, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss simple inventions such as the rivet and string that we don’t think of as particularly revolutionary but which carry all the innovations of today on their shoulders.
Thumbnail for "Living the Constitution’s many contradictions".
Author and journalist A.J. Jacobs joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his year of following the Constitution as closely as possible.
Thumbnail for "The grief of institutionalizing a child".
Jennifer Senior, a staff writer at The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the story of her aunt Adele, who was sent away at age 6 because of intellectual disabilities.
Thumbnail for "Strategies to staying focused with ADHD".
Jeff Karp, a professor at Harvard Medical School and MIT, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his strategies for lengthening attention span coming from his experience with significant ADHD.
Thumbnail for "Why prisoners rarely get furloughed".
Reiko Hillyer, associate professor at Lewis & Clark College, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the history of prison furloughs in this nation.
Thumbnail for "What it takes to be top dog at a dog show".
Tommy Tomlinson joins guest host Courtney Collins to discuss the world of competitive dog shows, where the lives of dogs take on a new level of attention to detail.
Thumbnail for "When joy and heartbreak overlap".
Leslie Jamison joins guest host Courtney Collins to discuss her new memoir about the intense joy she felt watching her child grow coupled with the duality of sorrow as she faced divorce.
Thumbnail for "The bad advice you’re getting about concussions".
Science journalist Isobel Whitcomb joins guest host Courtney Collins to discuss the newest science of concussion and how medical science is working to better disseminate the newest, best advice.
Thumbnail for "How EV Batteries are getting a major upgrade".
Christopher Mims, technology columnist for The Wall Street Journal, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the growing life span of batteries for these high-tech cars, with a future promising as much mileage as gas-powered vehicles.
Thumbnail for "Paris through the eye of a food writer".
Ruth Reichl, former editor of Gourmet magazine joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her new novel, which tells the story of a woman one a life-changing culinary trip to France.
Thumbnail for "From Charley Pride to Beyoncé: The Black roots of country music".
Alice Randall, the first Black woman to write a No. 1 country hit, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the Black roots of country music.
Thumbnail for "Is your culture cool with therapy?".
Sahaj Kaur Kohli, advice columnist for the Washington Post, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why seeking out therapy is really difficult for the children of immigrants.
Thumbnail for "It’s 2024: Where are our flying cars?".
New Yorker staff writer Gideon Lewis-Kraus joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the industry trying to create “electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles”—a.k.a. flying cars.
Thumbnail for "You're not crazy: Gaslighters are real".
Kate Abramson, associate professor of philosophy at Indiana University Bloomington, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss what defines gaslighting, what motivates perpetrators, and why the idea intrigues us so.
Thumbnail for "Why screenwriters can’t make a living".
Daniel Bessner, contributor to Harper’s Magazine, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how investors are changing the business landscape for television and movie writers – and the ways writers hustle for any work.
Thumbnail for "Feathers, fur and freedom: The birth of the animal rights movement".
Bill Wasik from The NY Times Magazine joins host Krys Boyd to discuss a late 19th century wave of activism that moved our culture away from seeing animals as just property to a new way of viewing their lives with compassion.
Thumbnail for "Does spying on your kids really protect them?".
Devorah Heitner, an expert in young people’s relationship with digital media and technology, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how to balance protecting kids with allowing them to have some level of autonomy.
Thumbnail for "Is ‘less than lethal’ force by police actually safe?".
Serginho Roosblad, video producer for the Associated Press’ Global Investigations team, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss an investigation into why “nonlethal” techniques still led to more than a thousand deaths over a 10-year period.
Thumbnail for "For Asian Americans, affirmative action is complicated".
OiYan Poon, co-director of the College Admissions Futures Co-Laborative, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the diversity of feelings about the affirmative action ruling among Asian Americans.
Thumbnail for "How rich is too rich?".
Christine Emba, staff writer for The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how extreme wealth buys influence while not necessarily providing innovation.
Thumbnail for "Free will does not exist".
Robert Sapolsky, professor of biology and neurology at Stanford University, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his case against free will. We’ll hear why, even without this control, we are still bound to be moral and decent humans.
Thumbnail for "The unintended consequences of color-blind casting".
Writer and filmmaker Kabir Chibber joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why colorblind casting still has roots in Euro-centric thinking, and how it often distracts us from actually confronting racism.
Thumbnail for "She tried to abort her baby — it didn’t work".
Amber Ferguson of The Washington Post joins host Krys Boyd to discuss two women, one who didn’t want to give birth and another who couldn’t, and how the fall of Roe changed their lives.
Thumbnail for "You might have to move because of climate change".
Abrahm Lustgarten, an investigative reporter for The New York Times, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss where people might eventually resettle and the cities that could capitalize on that forced migration.
Thumbnail for "Guiding souls: The compassionate journey of a death doula".
Alua Arthur, founder of Going with Grace, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how she’s devoted her career ushering individuals and families through the process of death and why she believes it’s a sacred moment.
Thumbnail for "Climate change and its new ethical dilemmas".
Travis Rieder, faculty member at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss our everyday challenges and the moral quandaries they put us in, and how to do the decent thing in a global and complex world.
Thumbnail for "Is there a cure for medical racism?".
Uché Blackstock MD, founder of Advancing Health Equity, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her family how she’s devoted her career to understanding and addressing health inequities of different races.
Thumbnail for "How the science of dying can help us live longer".
Venki Ramakrishnan, structural biologist and Nobel Prize winner, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the quest to live forever, if that’s even ethical, and what it looks like to alter our physiology.
Thumbnail for "Why no third party candidate has won the White House".
Jeffrey Engle, Director of the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the history of third-party candidates and how they’ve impacted – or not – presidential elections.
Thumbnail for "How probation and parole feed mass incarceration".
Vincent Schiraldi, founder of the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice and the Justice Policy Institute, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss parole and probation, which he calls a “recidivism trap,” and make the case that these practices should be abolished.
Thumbnail for "Kids aren’t weak unless we make them that way".
Author and journalist Abigail Shrier joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why, even as more adolescents are receiving mental health care than ever before, the numbers for those suffering continues to rise.
Thumbnail for "Medical science is still catching up on women’s health".
Dr. Elizabeth Comen, an oncologist specializing in breast cancer, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the history of sexism in medicine and why lingering stereotypes still affect women’s medical care.
Thumbnail for " From foster care to fostering hope".
David Ambroz joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his life’s work of fighting for child welfare, the subject of his new memoir.
Thumbnail for "The bizarre history of Space Science".
Harry Cliff, a particle physicist based at the University of Cambridge, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the reasons we only understand about five percent of what makes up the vast reaches of outer space.
Thumbnail for "Between the Earth and the Sun: A guide to the Eclipse".
In this special edition of Think, host Krys Boyd will prime listeners to have their best viewing experience and talk through the science of what’s actually happening 223,000 miles above our heads.
Thumbnail for "Are you really retired if you’re still working?".
Teresa Ghilarducci, professor at the New School, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why our golden years only look rosy for the wealthiest among us, why social security can’t keep up, and why going back to work is the only option for so many.
Thumbnail for "Who has the right to choose their sex?".
Andrea Long Chu, book critic for New York magazine, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why she believes it is an inalienable right to choose one’s sex and why children need to have agency in their own lives.
Thumbnail for "Why the best Presidents were the best Presidents".
Historian Talmage Boston joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his dive into the lives and leadership styles of eight presidents, from Washington to Reagan, and the ways they shaped American society.
Thumbnail for "Small-town America is doing just fine, thanks".
USC professor Elizabeth Currid-Halkett discusses the small towns across America that are thriving and, by many metrics, outperforming much larger urban centers.
Thumbnail for "Wild fun: How animals play".
University of Massachusetts, Amherst professor David Toomey joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why piglets flop, dogs slide and octopuses play, and what that tells us about animal cognition and biology.
Thumbnail for "Why Evan Gershkovich remains in Russian jail".
Wall Street Journal assistant editor Paul Beckett joins host Krys Boyd to discuss what is known about Gershkovich’s condition in prison, the efforts to free him, and what journalism looks like in Putin’s Russia now.
Thumbnail for "Could Ozempic some day treat addiction, too?".
Brian Resnick is science correspondent at Vox, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why new GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy seem to target appetite but actually work with brain chemistry.
Thumbnail for "How to have one-on-one meetings like a boss".
Steven Rogelberg, professor at UNC Charlotte, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why one-on-one check-ins with employees are proven to increase job performance – and why we avoid them anyway.
Thumbnail for "The psychology of the American voter".
Michael Bruter, professor of political science at the London School of Economics, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the psychology of voting, why it helps us feel connected to a larger purpose in life, and how voters make their choices.
Thumbnail for "Leaving the white evangelical church".
Sarah McCammon, national political correspondent for NPR, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss when politics get in the way of religious beliefs in evangelical churches, and how that’s driving some members away.
Thumbnail for "What drives young people to vote".
Sara Suzuki, senior researcher at CIRCLE, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the issues that are most important to young voters and how candidates can best reach them.
Thumbnail for "How to speak up for yourself".
Elaine Lin Hering joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how to voice an opinion, even when it’s uncomfortable, and how you can advocate for yourself and others.
Thumbnail for "When your life partner is not your lover".
Rhaina Cohen, producer and editor at NPR, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss when friends become non-romantic partners, teaming up to weather finances and aging, and why we should work to protect these significant bonds.
Thumbnail for "Why America won’t tax the rich".
Michael J. Graetz, professor emeritus at Columbia Law School, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the history of how we got to the enormous partisan divide we see today about taxation, and how race and class play into it.
Thumbnail for "Inside the siege of Mariupol".
Frontline producer and editor Michelle Mizner joins host Krys Boyd to discuss Mstyslav Chernov’s first-person account of life under siege, the horrors of a bombed maternity hospital and, ultimately, the power of the press.
Thumbnail for "What counts as sober today?".
Ernesto Londoño, a New York Times reporter, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the changing views of sobriety, why some in the medical community feel like total abstinence is unrealistic, and how this is changing addiction treatment.
Thumbnail for " The economy is working despite what you think".
Rogé Karma, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why food and fuel prices don’t factor into core inflation numbers but do influence how Americans feel about the economy.
Thumbnail for "The balancing act of a healthy brain".
Camilla Nord, who leads the Mental Health Neuroscience Lab at the University of Cambridge, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the latest science of brain health – what works to return to equilibrium and why it sometimes doesn’t.
Thumbnail for "Femme Fatale: Why women kill".
Anna Motz, a forensic psychologist, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the traumas that lead to unspeakable crimes committed by women, her work inside the prison system, and why denying female violence is denying female agency.
Thumbnail for "The best communicators don’t talk much".
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.
Thumbnail for "A.I. is coming for knowledge workers".
Dennis Yi Tenen, associate professor at Columbia University, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why we shouldn’t be afraid that A.I. is coming for jobs.
Thumbnail for "How Ashli Babbitt became a martyr for the right".
Jeff Sharlet, professor at Dartmouth College, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how American political leanings are taking the form of religious devotion – and how Ashli Babbitt, who was killed during the January 6 insurrection, has become a martyr for many on the far right.
Thumbnail for "Would Trump really go to prison?".
Ankush Khardori, senior writer for Politico Magazine, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the Supreme Court’s decision to weigh in on Trump’s immunity claims and the upheaval the justice system would see if a Trump conviction actually resulted in jail time.
Thumbnail for "Copyrights are out of control".
David Bellos, professor of Comparative Literature at Princeton University, joins host Krys Boyd for a history lesson on how copyrights came to be, and what happens now that generative A.I. has entered the picture.
Thumbnail for "You can learn to be more confident".
Ian Robertson, professor at the Center for BrainHealth at UTD, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the science of confidence, how it positively influences both the mind and body, and how it can make us both more innovative and happier.
Thumbnail for "Guaranteeing your right to vote".
Richard L. Hasen, professor at UCLA, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why he feels we need a Constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to vote, and why leaving it to the courts to decide who can vote is a bad idea.
Thumbnail for "You won’t believe how much plastic you eat".
Lauren F. Friedman, an editor at Consumer Reports, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss CR’s rigorous testing of fast foods and supermarket products to find the harmful chemicals that enter our bodies. READ MORE
Thumbnail for "Breaking up with romance".
Sabrina Strings, professor at the University of California, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why she believes the relatively low numbers of Black women in relationships and marriages is a backlash to the Civil Rights movement.
Thumbnail for "Why gay people deserve an apology".
Jonathan Rauch, contributing writer to The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the lasting harms had on not only career diplomats but the broader LGBTQ community across the country – and why he says it’s time for a reckoning.
Thumbnail for "Who gets to make art and who gets to own it".
Bianca Bosker, a contributing writer at The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how the art world operates and the role of gatekeeping in who gets shown and who can buy art.
Thumbnail for "The mysteries of the moon".
Science journalist Rebecca Boyle joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why the partnership between the Earth and the Moon is so critical for life on our planet.
Thumbnail for "A just world starts with imagination".
Ruha Benjamin, a professor at Princeton University, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why we are failing at imagining a better world and how thinking big is the path to unlocking good.
Thumbnail for "If you think driving is getting worse, you’re right".
Matthew Shaer, contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how distracted and angry drivers are causing more crashes and automobile fatalities.
Thumbnail for "Xi Jinping is in trouble".
Simone Gao is a journalist and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how China’s economic woes affect the larger global economy, and why the Chinese populace might be losing patience with its leader.
Thumbnail for "The extraordinary influence of HBCUs".
Ayesha Rascoe is the host of NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the many reasons why Black students turned to these institutions – a decision the Howard University graduate once made herself.
Thumbnail for " How big a deal is the Vatican’s decision to bless same-sex couples?".
Host Krys Boyd talks with Francis X. Rocca and Eder Díaz Santillan about how the new ruling is being put into practice worldwide and about how gay Catholics are receiving the news.
Thumbnail for "Fighting unjust policing from the inside".
Edwin Raymond, a veteran of the New York Police Department, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss practices inside police departments that contribute to unequal patterns of enforcement, and his ideas on how these can change.
Thumbnail for "Why are we so polarized? Science has the answer".
Joel Achenbach, reporter for The Washington Post, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why our emotions are getting the better of us when it comes to discussing politics
Thumbnail for "The history of Gospel music".
Shayla Harris, director and producer of a new PBS documentary series called “Gospel,” joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the legacy of this American art form, from its birth in churches to its rise to the mainstream.
Thumbnail for "The decision to have kids feels more complicated than ever".
Host Krys Boyd talks with guests Andrew Van Dam, Bryan Walsh, and William MacAskill on population projections and what factors people consider when deciding to have children or not.
Thumbnail for "The anxiety of going off Ozempic".
Brad Olson, news editor for The Wall Street Journal, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the ways a semaglutide drug transformed his life and – now that he’s facing a future without it – his anxiety over gaining the weight back.
Thumbnail for "Look out tastemakers—algorithms are coming for you".
New Yorker staff writer Kyle Chayka joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how algorithms are homogenizing our design choices, how our desires are being anticipated by computers, and what this says for creativity and innovation.
Thumbnail for "Everything everywhere all at once: The threats to global democracy".
NPR’s Global Democracy correspondent, Frank Langfitt, joins host Krys Boyd to talk about how these seismic shifts upend the lives of everyday people – and about how they challenge American power around the world.
Thumbnail for "How public schools got so political".
Education journalist Laura Pappano joins host Krys Boyd to discuss this evolution – which dates back to at least the 1990s – and how school boards are now ground zero for much of the culture wars.
Thumbnail for "Calling out the colonizers ".
In our modern world, the term “colonizer” is as pejorative as it’s ever been.
Thumbnail for "The story of Volodymyr Zelensky".
Time correspondent Simon Shuster joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his new biography of the comedian-turned-Ukrainian president.
Thumbnail for " Why you need fear in your life".
Dr. Arash Javanbakht, psychiatrist and neuroscientist, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how fear works in the brain, its relationship to PTSD and trauma, and how we can tame it.
Thumbnail for "The battle over free speech on college campuses".
Len Gutkin, senior editor at The Chronicle Review, joins host Krys Boyd to talk about how universities are struggling to maintain the tradition of being places that welcome the free exchange of ideas.
Thumbnail for "Opposing parties’ governors vow to disagree better".
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (Republican) and Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (Democrat) join host Krys Boyd to talk about how we can have more productive political conversations.

Why so many people love the suburbs

Thumbnail for "Why so many people love the suburbs".
May 9, 202446min 27sec

More than half the U.S. population lives in the suburbs—so why all the dissing? Julie Beck is a staff writer at The Atlantic, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how dismissing the suburbs discounts the very rich lives of those who choose to live there—plus we’ll examine how nostalgia and convenience play a part in what makes a place feel like home. Her article is “What the Suburb Haters Don’t Understand.”