Think from KERA

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...

When a loved one passes away, it can be difficult to find the right words. Enter A.I. Drew Harwell is a technology reporter for The Washington Post, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the rise of obituary-writing artificial intelligence, how funeral homes are eager to embrace it – and if a computer can find the right words to truly capture a human life. His article is “The rise of AI tools that write about you when you...

College students sometimes get in trouble for using A.I. to complete assignments, but is there a way to use it as a teaching tool? Clay Shirky, vice provost for A.I. and technology in education at New York University, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how professors are using A.I. in the classroom and whether or not the technology gets in the way of critical thinking. His article “Is AI Enhancing Education or Replacing It?” ...

A.I. is becoming smarter without much help from humans, and that should worry us all. Nate Soares, president of Machine Intelligence Research Institute (MIRI), joins host Krys Boyd to discuss what happens when A.I. brain power surpasses what humans are capable of, why we don’t have the technology yet to understand what we’re building, and why everything will be just fine … until it isn’t. His book, co-written with Eliezer ...

Much of America’s racial wealth gap can be traced to economic policies dating back decades and even centuries. Mehrsa Baradaran is professor of law at the University of California, Irvine. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the history of the wealth gap, why she believes politics keeps that gap alive for Black Americans and solutions that could alleviate the disparity. Her book is “The Racial Wealth Gap: A Brief History.”

We may live in a post-truth society, but facts can still be verified. Michael Shermer is publisher of Skeptic magazine, the executive director of the Skeptics Society and the host of the podcast The Michael Shermer Show. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss misinformation and how to spot it, why we’re vulnerable to believing falsehoods and why it’s essential we reject the idea that nothing can be verified as truth. His book ...

There was a time when people gathered around the watercooler to gab about the hottest show, but these days it might be tough to find a coworker who’s watching the same thing as you are. Ben Fritz, entertainment industry reporter for The Wall Street Journal, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the end of an era in which Americans tuned into the same TV, movies and music and why hyper-individualized content is coming at the expe...

For some kids, homeschooling provides them with the one-on-one attention they need. For others, though, it can feel isolating. Author Stefan Merrill Block joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why his mother, adoring but complicated, thought public school would kill his creativity, how his daily curriculum was left up to him as a small boy to craft, and how he thinks of homeschooling today. His book is “Homeschooled: A Memoir.”

The balance of powers among the three branches of government is fading away, facilitated by the judicial branch. Duncan Hosie is a fellow at Stanford Law School, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how the Supreme Court is stripping Congress of its influence, what we lose when we allow unelected judges to be the sole interpreters of the Constitution, and which branch is most powerful now. His article “How the Supreme Co...

The U.S. has always told the world it is a protector of peace — even if that meant through violence. Michael O’Hanlon, Philip H. Knight Chair in Defense and Strategy at the Brookings Institution, joins guest host John McCaa to discuss the evolution of how the nation approaches defense – from fledgling republic to global superpower. His book is “To Dare Mighty Things: U.S. Defense Strategy Since the Revolution.”

The suspension of Jimmy Kimmel sent shockwaves across the TV landscape — but there are many other ways the FCC is using pressure to shape the media. Jim Rutenberg, writer at large for The New York Times Magazine, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the role of the FCC during President Trump’s time in office, the degree to which the agency is able to regulate programming it deems too partisan, and why local stations face the br...

For decades, treaties meant war could be avoided if everyone just followed the law. Oona A. Hathaway teaches law and political science at Yale and is a nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the president-elect of the American Society of International Law. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why a golden age of treaties seems to be tarnishing, how the legal basis for entering conflicts is...

As the federal government deploys thousands of ICE agents across the country, activists are finding ways to push back. Molly Hennessy-Fiske, national reporter for The Washington Post, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how the killing of Renée Good has put new focus on the tactics protestors use, how tactics like tailing unmarked cars used by agents has put activists in murky legal territory, and what legal experts say about ...

When was the last time you actually opened a dictionary and flipped through the pages to find the definition of a word? Journalist and author Stefan Fatsis joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how A.I. is changing the traditional dictionary, why dictionaries are more complicated and controversial than you might think, and how you might be able to get a word added to the record. His book is “Unabridged: The Thrill of (and Threat...

Members of Gen X are famously overlooked – maybe we’re sleeping on them? Writer Amanda Fortini joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how being a latch-key generation fostered creativity, why this generation is (finally) having an influence, and why it’s significant that Gen Xers had the last fully analog childhood. Her article “Is Gen X Actually the Greatest Generation?” was published in T Magazine.

One Democrat already seems to be priming himself for a presidential run against all things MAGA: Gavin Newsom. Helen Lewis, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss Newsom’s positioning as a leading candidate to run for president in 2028, his track record as governor of California and if Democrats are excited about his prospects. Her article is “The Front-Runner.”

First there was the Monroe Doctrine, now President Trump’s foreign policy approach is being dubbed the “Donroe Doctrine.” Joshua Keating is a senior correspondent at Vox covering foreign policy and world news with a focus on the future of international conflict. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why Trump believes the U.S. has a right to intervene in global affairs across the Western hemisphere, how that differs from his ...

 Our complicated relationship with alcohol goes far beyond Dry January. Dr. Charles Knowles is professor of surgery at Queen Mary University of London, chief academic officer at the Cleveland Clinic London and a consultant colorectal surgeon. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his own problem drinking and the steps he took to finally stop, what science says about addiction, and how we can reset our own relationships with a...