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 KERAWho controls your destiny? (It’s not you)
Each of us is the product of a long string of decisions and even chance that occurred long before we were even born – a thought that can boggle the mind. Brian…
Think from KERAWhen defying the frontrunner feels dangerous
In the aftermath of the 2020 election, everyone from U.S. senators to local election workers have been threatened with physical violence. Zack Beauchamp is a…
Think from KERAThe right way to fail
It’s OK to fail at work, but there is a right way to do it. Amy Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School…
Think from KERAWhy the Democrats are losing working class voters
The Democrats used to be the party of the working class, but they’re increasingly losing that audience. George Packer is a staff writer at The Atlantic, and he…
Think from KERAWhat Africa’s coups mean for democracy
There have been seven coups across Africa from 2020 to 2023. Murithi Mutiga, director of the Africa Program at the International Crisis Group, joins host Krys…
Think from KERAThe benefits of working for the man
The idea that owning will make you happy and fulfilled is part of the self-determinism ideal of the American Dream. Benjamin C. Waterhouse, associate professor…
Think from KERAWhat could you get done with more energy?
So, you’ve already fallen short on your New Year’s resolutions. Time to reset, recharge and start again! Jancee Dunn is the Well columnist for The New York…
Think from KERAEven wanted pregnancies after Dobbs are fraught
Anyone who can get pregnant in America has been touched by the fall of Roe v. Wade. The 19th News health reporter Shefali Luthra joins host Krys Boyd to…
Think from KERAInside the Duterte Regime’s murderous war on drugs
As president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte ordered extrajudicial killings as part of his war on drugs. Patricia Evangelista is a trauma journalist and…
Think from KERAHow to give a speech without a script
You don’t have to be at TED Talk level to exhibit great public speaking skills. Matt Abrahams, lecturer in organizational behavior at Stanford University’s…
Think from KERAWhy signing that online petition isn’t enough
You may have signed a petition online, but what about actually meeting in-person with your representative to advocate for a public policy change? Sam…
Think from KERAA look at eyeliner
If the eyes are the windows to the soul, eyeliner is a signifier of power. Journalist Zahra Hankir joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the religiosity…
Think from KERAThe gift of buying less
You might’ve heard of the “slow food” movement – maybe it’s time to try the “slow buy” movement, too? Chip Colwell, lecturer in anthropology at the University…
Think from KERAWhat your child really needs from you
It isn’t hard for parents to love their children unconditionally, but they might not always like how they behave. Jeffrey Bernstein is a parent coach and…
Think from KERABest of 2023: Why we should put women in charge of climate change
Climate change affects us all, but women are often left to pick up the pieces of families in poverty and crisis caused by climate disasters. Zainab Salbi…
Think from KERABest of 2023: Chatbots say wild things, and they learn it from us
Chatbots are becoming more sophisticated and are better able to mimic human speech. That can be exciting … and problematic. Washington Post tech reporter…
Think from KERABest of 2023: How to keep going when it feels like you’re getting nowhere
Feeling stuck in life is common, but good news: There are tried and true strategies for greasing the wheels. Adam Alter is professor of marketing and the…
Think from KERABest of 2023: Do animals have inner lives?
For centuries, we humans have placed ourselves above other animals in part because of the belief that we are the only creatures with the cognitive ability to…
Think from KERABest of 2023: The many different lives of Latinos
The term “Latino” covers a vast array of experiences – new immigrants from Guatemala, third-generation Mexican-Americans and many, many others. Héctor Tobar…
Think from KERABest of 2023: The story of a recovering foodie
Many of us have a passion for good food and drink – but what happens when your high standards lead to disappointment more often than pleasure? Dan Ahdoot is a…
Think from KERAThe gender politics of pockets
If there’s one thing a woman loves, it’s pockets in her outfit. Hannah Carlson teaches dress history and material culture at the Rhode Island School of Design…
Think from KERAUnpacking passport privilege
It’s much easier to act on your wanderlust if you hold a U.S. passport. Shahnaz Habib is a writer and translator who consults for the United Nations. She joins…
Think from KERAJournalists of color carry extra burden
Black journalists may have the power of the pen, but that doesn’t shield them from racism while doing their jobs. James E. Causey is Ideas Lab reporter at the…
Think from KERAWhy do our bodies age?
As researchers continue their search for the fountain of youth, they’re turning their attention to an unlikely source: worms. Coleen T. Murphy is professor of…
Think from KERAAn astronaut’s guide to life
Astronaut Mike Massimino executed the most dangerous and complex mission in space shuttle history, so he knows a thing or two about leadership. He’s now a…
Think from KERAOur constitutional right to lie
If lying became illegal, that probably wouldn’t curb “fake news.” Jeff Kosseff, associate professor of cybersecurity law at the United States Naval Academy…
Think from KERAAn astronaut’s guide to life
Astronaut Mike Massimino executed the most dangerous and complex mission in space shuttle history, so he knows a thing or two about leadership. He’s now a…
Think from KERAGetting around your community is a right not a privilege
Transportation systems have been historically marred by inequality. Veronica O. Davis is a civil engineer, planner, public speaker and community activist. She…
Think from KERAOn comedy and cancel culture
The history of comedy is littered with pearl-clutching reactions to off-color bits. Historian Kliph Nesteroff joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how comedians…
Think from KERAThe geography of American Poverty
There are parts of the country where upward mobility is simply unobtainable. Kathryn J. Edin, William Church Osborne Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs…
Think from KERACould deep brain stimulation cure depression?
Treatment resistant mental illness is a debilitating condition, and scientists are searching for breakthroughs. Laura Sanders writes about neuroscience for…
Think from KERACould facial recognition software send you to jail?
A.I. facial recognition software is not infallible, but law enforcement is using it as if it is. Eyal Press is a contributing writer for The New Yorker. He…
Think from KERAWhat the Hamas-Israel war means for Iran, Saudi Arabia and us
The recent hostage negotiations led by Qatar and Egypt are a window into how the Middle East as a whole is affected by the war in Gaza. Maria Fantappie, head…
Think from KERAWhy we like politicians who talk tough
Although most Americans polled say they don’t want an aggressive U.S. foreign policy, the voting record tells a different story. Jeffrey A. Friedman, associate…
Think from KERAMusician and comedian Reggie Watts on the joy of being weird
Comedian and musician Reggie Watts has embraced his weirdness and made a career of it. Watts starred as the bandleader on CBS’s The Late Late Show with James…
Think from KERADavid Brooks wants us to reconnect
David Brooks is on a mission to open hearts and minds. The New York Times columnist joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the skills we can learn to improve…
Think from KERAWar through the eyes of a child
Children who live in war zones face untold horrors that strip them of innocence. Zarlasht Halaimzai, writer and founder of Amna, which specializes in…
Think from KERAThe brave college kids who saved the Negro spiritual
The end of Reconstruction can be chronicled by listening to the music of the era. Vann Newkirk, senior editor at The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss…
Think from KERAWhen will Millennials start having kids?
The demographic charts are clear: childlessness started to rise as soon as Millennials hit childbearing age. Andrew Van Dam writes the Department of Data…
Think from KERAYou don’t want to live on Mars
Visiting Mars one day is the ultimate trip from some tourists, but is that a good idea? Kelly Weinersmith, adjunct faculty member in the BioSciences department…
Think from KERAWhat personalized medicine promised and what it delivered
Genetic medicine once looked like the future of health care, but its promises have yet to materialize. James Tabery is a professor at the University of Utah in…
Think from KERAHate flying? Blame deregulation
Want to know why your flight was delayed and your baggage lost? Blame capitalism. Ganesh Sitaraman is a law professor and director of the Vanderbilt Policy…
Think from KERAWhy your commute just keeps getting longer
How is it that we can travel anywhere in the world faster than ever before, but actual travel times have become slower? David Leonhardt writes The Morning, the…
Think from KERARemember Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
There was a time in the early 1990s when everyone seemed to have carpal tunnel syndrome—now, not so much. Health and science reporter Benjamin Ryan joins host…
Think from KERAWhy twins really are special
We have a fascination with identical twins, and twins themselves also grapple with ideas of selfhood. Helena de Bres is a philosophy professor at Wellesley…
Think from KERAWanting a gun isn’t about fear
Gun ownership in this country is as much about one’s identity as it is about self-protection. Alexandra Filindra is associate professor of political science at…
Think from KERADid you know that curiosity is your superpower?
One way to bridge deep divides is to get curious about the people on the other side. Scott Shigeoka has taught at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center and…
Think from KERABeyoncé, Björk and Donald Trump: What makes divas tick
Divas fill stadiums with screaming fans, and we still can’t get enough of their star power. Spencer Kornhaber, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins host Krys…
Think from KERAHow to get better at self-improvement
The difference between top performers and the rest of us can often be traced back to an ability to maximize potential. Adam Grant is an organizational…
Think from KERACan a democracy survive minority rule?
Nowhere else in the world does a presidential candidate win the popular vote but lose the election due to an electoral college. Harvard government professor…
Think from KERAThink America’s too divided? Blame the Founding Fathers
The framers of the Constitution warned against forming political parties, buy they happened anyway. H.W. Brands is Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History at the…
Think from KERAWhat it’s like to survive cardiac arrest
The ability to remain aware during cardiac arrest is little understood. Sam Parnia, Director of Critical Care and Resuscitation Research in the Department of…
Think from KERAIn small town Texas, cops ask a psychic for help
In best-selling author Julia Heaberlin’s latest page-turner, a heroine is pulled between science and psychic visions. She joins guest host Courtney Collins to…
Think from KERACould we some day create new living things in a lab?
The medical field has been pretty successful in creating insulin pumps, dialysis machines, pacemakers and other instruments to assist organs with their natural…
Think from KERAThe evolution of marriage
Marriage is as old as recorded history, but philosophers and other intellectuals have been mostly quiet on the subject. Devorah Baum is a writer, film director…
Think from KERAWhen social movements march into your relationship
Since the death of George Floyd and advent of #metoo, societal movements are making their way into couples counseling sessions. Orna Guralnik is a clinical…
Think from KERAMDMA’s journey from dancefloor to doctor’s office
Once known only as an illicit party drug, MDMA is now being seriously studied as a tool to help treat patients’ mental health. Science journalist Rachel Nuwer…
Think from KERAThe devilish decade: A look back at the 2000s
When looking back at the 2000s, is the decade defined more by George W. Bush or “Gossip Girl”? Kristian Vistrup Madsen is a writer based in Berlin, and he…
Think from KERAThe beauty of the bilingual brain
Bilingual speakers effortlessly mix multiple languages into conversation – but something much more complex and fascinating is happening in their minds…
Think from KERAWho would benefit from breaking up Big Tech?
There’s a growing call for the federal government to consider breaking up some of the country’s largest tech companies – similar to how it went after railroad…