Shows / Think from KERA
Think from 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.
Episodes
Think from KERAIran is a forever war
President Trump has said the Iran War will end after the mid-terms, but there is no sign either side is willing to come to the table. Ali Vaez, deputy program…
Think from KERAThe CDC is barely hanging on
Thirty percent of the Centers for Disease Control staff has either resigned, retired or been laid off. Apoorva Mandavilli, science and global health reporter…
Think from KERAWe want to believe in UFOs
The search for life outside our planet can be seen as a yearning to find out what makes us human. Adam Kirsch is a poet, literary critic and senior editor at…
Think from KERAWe’ve gutted voting rights
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a landmark bill. So why has a conservative Supreme Court been so willing to knock it down? Kevin Morris, senior research…
Think from KERAEven blueberries aren’t safe from China’s IP thieves
Companies looking to expand in the Chinese market face a looming problem: intellectual property theft. Wall Street Journal reporter Jon Emont joins host Krys…
Think from KERAIt's way too easy for chat bots to make bioweapons
In September, Anthropic blocked attempts to create a biological weapon with A.I., but biosecurity experts have been alarmed ever since. Carl Zimmer writes the…
Think from KERAAll y’all have accents
Whether you notice it or not, you speak with an accent. Valerie Fridland, professor of linguistics in the English Department at the University of Nevada, Reno…
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Your perfect person doesn’t have to be perfect
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…
Think from KERAThe government insiders who rebelled against DOGE
When DOGE slashed and burned the federal workforce, those who stood up to the carnage were called “Blockers.” Best-selling author Michael Lewis joins host Krys…
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How do you define color?
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…
Think from KERALike — literally the most misunderstood word
Grammar hounds might despise it, but “like” is both ubiquitous and necessary in our everyday speech. Megan C. Reynolds, editor at Dwell magazine, joins host…
Think from KERAHow vulnerability strengthens relationships
Ever feel embarrassed about oversharing at a cocktail party? Turns out, you might’ve been on the right track. Leslie John, James E. Burke Professor of Business…
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Should pseudoscience be taken seriously?
There is a growing number of people who think studying ghosts or alien abductions should be serious science. Journalist Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling joins host…
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It’s easy to bet on sports. It’s hard not to get hooked
If you were given thousands of dollars in free money to gamble, would you find yourself a little — or a lot — addicted to the games? McKay Coppins, staff…
Think from KERAThe spy who saved us from nuclear war
As President Trump threatens Iranian annihilation today, there was actually another nuclear threat there in the 1980s, thwarted by a Russian spy. Ben McIntyre…
Think from KERAWho’s getting rich off of U.S. foreign policy?
U.S. foreign policy was once focused on spreading democracy, but that has changed. Anne Applebaum, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins guest host John McCaa to…
Think from KERAHow natural disasters survivors connect with each other
After devastating floods, fires, heat and hurricanes changed their lives, a support group was formed to connect families affected by climate change. David…
Think from KERAWhere are the working class candidates?
It’s not just exorbitant amounts of money that’s needed to win elections – they also take time – something working people are often short on. Nicholas Carnes…
Think from KERAWhat does your social media say about you?
When we hold up our phones to film a concert for our feeds, we’re not just capturing the action, we’re signaling to followers who we are. Kathryn Jezer-Morton…
Think from KERAThe Big Little Lies sequel is out
For the millions of readers who couldn’t get enough of “Big Little Lies,” there’s good news: A sequel is here. Best-selling author Liane Moriarty joins host…
Think from KERAElection denial is reaching the grass roots
Slowly, and at the grassroots level, election deniers have cemented power over federal, state and local elections. Atlantic staff writer Toluse Olorunnipa…
Think from KERAWhy do we want what we can't have?
For one best-selling author, the longing for a family leaves big dreams unfulfilled. Sarah Hepola is co-host of the weekly culture podcast “Smoke 'Em If You…
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Personalized pricing is costing you more
Prices on just about everything are up – so where is all of that extra money going? Lindsay Owens, president and CEO of the Groundwork Collaborative, joins…
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What a single family can reveal about dementia
In a family that has a genetic pre-disposition to dementia, scientists are searching for a cure for Alzheimer’s. Robert Kolker, contributing writer at The New…
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Sometimes you have to quit to win
One thing winners have in common: they know when to quit. Lindsay Crouse is an author, producer, and journalist. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the…
Think from KERACan we fix Social Security in time?
Social Security will run out of money in seven years. Even some Republicans think this it’s crucial to raise taxes. Steve Thompson covers the U.S. economy for…
Think from KERAWhen meditation goes wrong
It’s big business to sell us meditation and mindfulness, but there are significant side effects no one is talking about. Olga Khazan, staff writer at The…
Think from KERAMore nukes, more problems
The idea of nuclear deterrence—possessing weapons so that others don’t attack—doesn’t mean building up the arsenal makes us safer. Erin D. Dumbacher is Stanton…
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How to look forward to midlife
Mid-life doesn’t need to mean crisis. Instead, it can be a chance to lean-in to all your strengths and grow. Allison Aubrey is science and health correspondent…
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The new prime real estate? Earth’s orbit
There are 15,000 satellites orbiting planet Earth. Just one accident could be calamitous. Jonathan O'Callaghan joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the enormous…
Think from KERAIt’s expensive to be lonely
Are you one of many Americans stuck in the loneliness epidemic? There’s an app for that. Vox correspondent Allie Volpe joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how tech…
Think from KERAWhy consciousness evolved
Did consciousness lead to us having feelings, or was it the other way around? Antonio Damasio is David Dornsife Professor of Neuroscience, Psychology, and…
Think from KERAThe man who taught Trump everything he knows
The legacy of the notorious lawyer Roy Cohn reverberates in politics today. Kai Bird is a Pulitzer-Prize winning biographer and journalist and executive…
Think from KERAIs al-Qaeda functionally dead — or just dormant?
Twenty-five years after the world-altering terrorism of 9/11, is al-Qaeda still a threat? Graeme Wood is a staff writer at The Atlantic, and he joins host Krys…
Think from KERAEurope isn’t built for the heat
Paris used to be a cool 70 degrees in summer. Now it’s often 95 and climbing —with no A/C to help. Eric Klinenberg is Helen Gould Shepard Professor in the…
Think from KERASome dementia patients ‘come back’ at the very end
Days or even hours before death, some dementia patients become lucid again – and scientists want to know why. Journalist Billy Brennan joins host Krys Boyd to…
Think from KERADo we still need post-9/11 surveillance?
After the Sept. 11 attacks, the Federal government enacted laws that aimed at both protecting Americans and keeping tabs on what we do. Now that 25 years have…
Think from KERAWhy we haven't fixed the racial wealth gap
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…
Think from KERAThe wild sex lives of animals
Same-sex coupledom is surprisingly frequent in the animal kingdom – scientists have found 1500 species and counting that pair up in this way. Perrin Roosevelt…
Think from KERAHow the government wastes your time
Have you ever stopped to consider just how much time you spend participating in government bureaucracy? Annie Lowrey is a staff writer at The Atlantic, and she…
Think from KERAHow masculinity falls apart
Masculinity is on display in our country in all sorts of interesting – and weird – ways. After his only son was lured into this world, Jon Ronson turned his…
Think from KERAA former Black professor quit because of DEI
Tyler Austin Harper was on a tenure track at a college in Maine when he began to realize that the school’s DEI policies were actually burdening him as a Black…
Think from KERAWe’re one lab leak away from a pandemic
Even after a global pandemic, researchers are fairly free to study and enhance deadly viruses in labs that have fairly low biosafety standards. Alina Chan is a…
Think from KERAThe Wisdom of Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton created and image that was glittery and bubbly, blonde wigs and rhinestone dresses – which belies the powerful brand of feminism that attracts her…
Think from KERAThe downside of safe havens for drug users
Some cities across the U.S. enacted harm-reduction, drug-friendly policies to stop overdose deaths – but that approach hasn’t always benefitted the general…
Think from KERAThe real reason adult kids go no contact
To understand why people go “no contact” with their families, it helps to define what a modern family is. Rin Reczek is professor of sociology and co-director…
Think from KERAIs Chinese science better than ours?
From A.I. to E.V.s to pharmaceuticals and energy, China is outpacing the U.S. for global dominance. New Yorker staff writer Evan Osnos joins host Krys Boyd to…
Think from KERAWhen children have to take care of their parents
Across the country, millions of children take on the job of primary caregiver to ailing family members. Dr. Helen Ouyang is a physician and associate professor…
Think from KERAYou’re underestimating your brain
We’ve all heard of “imposter syndrome” and something similar is going on in your brain in regard to your intelligence. Dr. Josh Turknett, M.D. is a…
Think from KERAWrongful conviction harms victims, too
For every exonerated individual in the criminal justice system, there is another forgotten victim: the original victim’s family who now has no closure. Barbara…
Think from KERAThe IRS isn’t getting its work done
If you need to call the IRS to answer a tax question, you could wait hours on the line thanks to funding cuts. Stephanie Mencimer, staff reporter in Mother…
Think from KERAIf we’re going to fight a trade war, we might as well win
President Trump’s frequent tariff announcements have put global trade in a new, precarious position. Chad P. Bown is Reginald Jones Senior Fellow at the…
Think from KERAGen Z’s work-life balance looks different
We’ve all heard the advice to “do what we love” for our careers, but burnout and low wages make that advice seem like a cruel joke. Journalist Emi Nietfeld…
Think from KERATrump’s three paths out of the Iran war
President Trump thought defeating Iran would be a clean and easy operation. He now finds himself in a quagmire. David E. Sanger, White House and National…
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Where does language come from?
A language that was spoken thousands of years ago eventually morphed into nearly all of the languages spoken today in the West. Science writer Laura Spinney…
Think from KERAWhy you can’t afford health insurance
For millions of Americans, health care benefits come from their jobs and now small businesses are finding they can no longer afford to offer them. Bob Herman…
Think from KERAIs California overdue for the Big One?
The San Andreas fault in California should produce a sizeable earthquake about every 150 years and it’s starting to worry some that it hasn’t. Rong-Gong Lin II…
Think from KERAThe high-tech weapons changing how we fight wars
A.I. and drones are changing warfare are the U.S. and its allies ready to meet the challenge? Yaroslav Trofimov, Chief Foreign-Affairs Correspondent for The…
Think from KERAColombia’s counterfeit cartel
Colombia is known for its illicit drug trade and now cartels there are counterfeiting U.S. dollars. Yudhijit Bhattacharjee is a contributing writer for The New…
Think from KERAYour grandparents had skills. Do you?
Long before A.I., people have worried about technology taking away the ability to work with our hands. Joshua Habgood-Coote is a lecturer in the School of…