KERA's Think

Why are we following the lead of tech billionaires when it comes to guiding public policy? Science journalist Adam Becker joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the ways Silicon Valley scions might have A.I. all wrong, the obsession with space colonies and why we aren’t asking more critical questions for their version of the future. His book is, “More Everything Forever: AI Overlords, Space Empires, and Silicon Valley’s Crusade t...

For scientists to solve the mysteries of the ocean, they need to start with questions like “how do fish float?” Duke University biology professor Sönke Johnsen joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the wonders of vertical migration, why sharks must keep swimming to stay alive, and the clues offered to biologists that help piece together the questions of aquatic life evolution. His book is “Into the Great Wide Ocean: Life in the ...

The culture war around trans rights has many headlines, but one hot button issue is gun rights. Writer and critic Grace Byron joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why gun ownership for trans individuals is becoming a political talking point, why owning a gun can affirm sexuality, and why gun violence is being blamed without merit on transgender ideology. Her article, “The Complexities of Trans Gun Ownership” was published in Th...

The spooky season is here, and we might have Christian theology to thank for that. Bryan P. Stone is Leighton K. Farrell Endowed Dean at Southern Methodist University’s Perkins School of Theology. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss ghosts, witches, vampires and more and how they germinate from Christian imagery, subvert traditional teachings and play on Chrisitan anxieties. His book is “Christianity and Horror Cinema.”

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 Two years of war ended when a U.S.-brokered ceasefire was signed between Israel and Hamas. Will it hold? Natasha Hall, senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how President Trump’s strong demands on Israel and Hamas forced both sides to the table, and what happens to any future deals if both sides can’t keep to the terms of the agreement. Her Foreign Affairs ...

Ready to travel to Mars? Doctors specializing in space medicine are working to get you there. Shayna Korol is a Future Perfect fellow at Vox, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the new field of space medicine, where doctors try to anticipate and treat the many ways space travel affects and ails the body – from radiation to muscle loss – and how their research and breakthroughs might also help those of us who stay Eart...

Big tech pretty much runs our lives; will these companies one day own power grids, too? Karen Weise, technology correspondent for The New York Times, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how tech is driving up electricity costs for everyone, why municipalities are scrambling to upgrade their grids, and the prospects for selling power to cities that need it most. Her article is “Big Tech’s A.I. Data Centers Are Driving Up Electr...

The cost of paying out Veterans Administration disability claims is more than the budget of the entire U.S. Army. Craig Whitlock is an investigative reporter who specializes in national security issues for The Washington Post. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how the veteran disability claim process works, the wide array of conditions covered and why administrators are reluctant to change how it operates. His article is ...

There was a time when NGOs were revered, but now they’re often eyed with suspicion. Suparna Chaudhry is an associate professor of international affairs at Lewis & Clark and the author of the forthcoming book “Civil Societies, Uncivil States: State Repression of NGOs.” She joins guest host John McCaa to discuss what happened to the reputation of NGOs – which once were seen as philanthropic lifelines and now are accused ...

When someone decides to move to a new city, the top reasons are likely not what you would imagine. Patience Fairbrother, senior vice president of talent attraction at Development Counsellors International (DCI), joins host Krys Boyd to discuss their research into where highly-skilled talent lands and how cities can attract those in-demand workers. The DCI study is called “Talent Wars.”

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Mothers who opt for open adoption relationships hope for a future with their child — but it doesn’t always end up that way. Author Nicole Chung joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why open adoptions are more complicated than it may look from the outset, why some mothers find themselves shut out of their biological children’s lives, and how the experience of birth mothers in these arrangements has been understudied. Her article...

 On a planet with 8 billion people, what’s the argument for an individual doing the right thing if it’s barely a drop in the bucket? Travis Rieder is a faculty member at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, where he directs the Master of Bioethics degree program. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how individuals should consider their approach to climate change, eating animals and other moral questions when one...

 For a Native American girl growing up, finding your voice is finding your power. Joy Harjo is a former poet laureate of the United States and member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her life dedicated to words and music, opening her eyes of life beyond traditional Western thought, and why artists are the culture point people for troubled times. Her book is “Girl Warrior: On Coming of Age...

Every time you type a query into your A.I. program, you’re ticking up the cost of your electricity bill. Brian Deese is Institute Innovation Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and he joins guest host John McCaa to discuss how energy hungry A.I. is putting pressure on the grid – potentially to the point of breaking – and the solutions that are being sought to curb this growing problem. His article, co-writ...

For many, “The Great British Bakeoff” is must-see TV – and watching it has taught us a lot about food. Ruby Tandoh is a journalist who was also a finalist on the show, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how everyone is a “foodie” now, why hard-to-find ingredients are all the rage even in the Average Joe’s kitchen, and how unlimited access to recipes online has made us more discerning. Her book is “All Consuming: Why W...

When you think about the challenges of the U.S. southern border, mosquitoes are probably not top of mind – but they should be. Umair Irfan is a correspondent at Vox, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why climate change is making the mosquitoes population boom, why keeping them in check is essential for combating disease, and how the government is attacking the problem with an eye toward keeping people and animals safe...

With satellites above our heads, we can easily forget about the cables that connect us along the ocean floor. Samanth Subramanian, author of “The Web Beneath the Waves: The Fragile Cables that Connect Our World,” joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how internet access, online banking and even making simple calls all happens because of fragile cables running along the bottom of the ocean. The companion piece to his book called ...

Your doctor might take weeks to diagnose a complicated set of symptoms when A.I. can do it in seconds. Dhruv Khullar is a physician and contributing writer at The New Yorker, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the use of A.I. in medicine, whether doctors will lose the skills to properly diagnose, and how accurate these new computer-aided diagnoses actually are. His article is “If A.I. Can Diagnose Patients, What Are Do...

A year ago, two dire wolf puppies were born — the first ones in more than 10,000 years. Matt James, chief animal officer for Colossal Biosciences, joins host Krys Boyd to talk about the company’s success bringing back the dire wolf in what it calls a de-extinction process, why he feels inaction on conservation outweighs the risk of Colossal’s work, and plans the company has to bring back the wooly mammoth and other long-ex...