Think from KERA

Our lives are ruled by markets, but you don’t have to be an economist to understand these forces. Alex Mayyasi, host of the new podcast “Gastronomics” and a longtime contributor to “Planet Money,” joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the nuts and bolts of the economy – from how zoning codes create jobs to the cross purposes of dating apps – and breaks it down for the Average Joe to understand. His book is “Planet Money: A Guide...

 Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth believes America’s wars around the world are part of a holy Christian mission. Peter Wehner, contributing writer at The Atlantic and a senior fellow at the Trinity Forum, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the Psalms he quotes about smiting enemies, how he is taking inspiration from the Bible for military conquests and why he wants his entire chaplain corps to think this way. His article is ...

 The average new car in America costs $50,000, but how many people can actually afford one? Clifford Winston is an economist who specializes in transportation and microeconomic policy. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss where the low-priced cars have gone, how all the new bells and whistles are squeezing those on a budget, and why even repair bills are now sky high. His article for The New York Times is “The Death of the B...

The U.S. military attack on Venezuela was fast and surgical — so how is the country doing now? Missy Ryan, staff writer for The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss what Venezuelans on the ground think of the regime change, how the new government is faring and whether legitimate democracy now has a foothold there. Her article is called “Venezuela Seems to Be Going … Well?”

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 For children who felt responsible for their parents’ happiness: There’s a way to turn that into joy. Anna Konkle is co-creator and co-star of the Hulu series “Pen15,” and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her childhood – when her parents fought all the time and she felt like the peacemaker – her complicated relationship with her father and how she turned that experience into comedy for her critically acclaimed series. H...

President Trump’s threats to attack drug cartels inside Mexico have put the bilateral relationship on edge. Arturo Sarukhan served as Mexican Ambassador to the United States from 2007 to 2013, and he joins guest host John McCay to discuss why he believes the U.S.-Mexico relationship hasn’t been this fractured since the 1980s, how the previous Mexican president known as AMLO played into this, and how nations across the worl...

The super rich are wildly different than the rest of us, in part by the way they’ve designed their lives. New York Magazine features writer Lane Brown joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the frictionless world of the extremely wealthy – where access to just about anything is automatic – the differences between old and new money and the everyday stressors that they feel that those with less don’t. His article is “What Does Extr...

Many of us offload heavy thinking to A.I., and our brains are going soft in the process. Cal Newport, professor of computer science at Georgetown University, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how employing computers to do our deepest thinking dulls our ability to concentrate and the things we can do right now to keep us sharp and alert. His recent essay published in The New York Times is “There’s a Good Reason You Can’t Conc...

Recent graduates take heart: There is meaningful work out there for you.  Jodi Kantor, Pulitzer-prize winning New York Times investigative reporter, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how to find passion in your work, what it takes to find out what we’re good at and how to choose work that the world needs. Her book is “How to Start: Discovering Your Life's Work.”

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If you know someone who falls in love at first sight over and over again, there’s a word for that: emophilia. Daniel N. Jones is professor of management in the College of Business at the University of Nevada, Reno and core faculty within the Interdisciplinary Social Psychology Program. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the red flags for people in love with falling in love, why they might be missing huge pitfalls of potent...

 Putting your cute family on social media is clickbait gold — but what does it do to the kids? Journalist Fortesa Latifi joins guest host Courtney Collins to discuss family reality content and the perks, money and fame that come with it, the dangers of celebrity, and why, as viewers, we’re so hooked on the every move of total strangers. Her book is “Like, Follow, Subscribe: Influencer Kids and the Cost of a Childhood Onlin...

Schools around the country are shuttering their Black studies departments—often without regulatory prompting. Jafari S. Allen is a professor of African American and African diaspora studies at Columbia University. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why schools, now admitting less Black students than before DEI crackdowns, are blaming low enrollment for shutting down these departments, and why these cuts are often preemptiv...

We’ve heard a lot about the loneliness epidemic in this country, but it might be worth asking: Do we even like spending time with people anymore? Derek Thompson, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the phenomenon where we’re on our phones but digitally surrounded by people, and how this isolation is rewiring us to be more anti-social – including in both our personal relationships and political liv...

The manosphere is an undeniable force right now, and there are people who will teach you how to join it. Charles Bethea, staff writer at The New Yorker, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss immersive camps that teach men how to become alpha males, what that actually means, and the surprisingly emotional reaction men have once they dive into the grueling physical activities asked of them. His article is “How to Become an Alpha M...

In dating, finding “the one” might be easier if you stop assuming “the one” will be a perfect match. Paul Eastwick is professor of psychology at UC Davis, where he serves as the head of the Social-Personality Psychology program and the director of the Attraction and Relationships Research Laboratory. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why we need to look past imperfections when choosing a mate, why what we know about evolu...

If the definition of “green” is yellow plus blue, how do you define “yellow” and “blue”? Kory Stamper is a lexicographer who has written dictionaries for nearly 30 years at Merriam-Webster, Cambridge Dictionaries and Dictionary.com. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the difficulty of defining colors, why they are nearly indescribable, and why it took the help of scientists to create descriptions of everything around us. ...

Even in our darkest moments, we can build the skills to keep our spirits up. Deepika Chopra is a psychologist, visual imagery expert and founder of Things Are Looking Up, a consultancy devoted to the intersection of science and soul. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how to develop optimism, how it’s a key to optimal health, and why this isn’t about toxic positivity. Her book is “The Power of Real Optimism: A Practical, ...

 Nobody enjoys paying taxes, but how would our nation function without them? Vanessa S. Williamson is a senior fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings and a senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the history of taxation in this country, why your hard-earned tax dollars are critical to a functioning democracy, and why low taxes might mean lower interest in getting your ...

 There’s got to be a happy medium between free-range parenting and helicoptering. Simon Lewsen writes for Maclean’s, Toronto Life and Report on Business, and he teaches at the University of Toronto. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the courage parents must drum up to allow children to have age-appropriate autonomy – when they learn independence and problem-solving skills – and also where to draw the line on that freedom....