Think from KERA

Latest Episodes:

Why maggot farming may be the next big thing Sep 16, 2025

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Maggots may be unappetizing, but they may play a key role in the future of what ends up on your plate. Nicolás Rivero, climate solutions reporter at The Washington Post, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss an operation in France using billions of maggots to process food waste and feed cattle, and what this novel approach to industrial farm waste says about the future of the industry. His article is “At the world’s biggest bug farm, 10 billion maggots recycle food waste.”

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As Texas goes, so goes the nation Sep 15, 2025

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President Trump’s request that Texas redraw its congressional districts has created a domino effect around the country. Robert T. Garrett is the former Austin bureau chief for The Dallas Morning News, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss redistricting and other challenges to the status quo Trump hopes start in Texas and spread from there. His article for ProPublica and The Texas Tribune is “The Texas Redistricting Fight Has Been the Testing Ground for the Trump Administration’s Latest Legal Strategy.”

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Who wants a Guinness World Record? Sep 12, 2025

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To set some world records, you need buy-in from a lot of people – and it’s harder than you might think to get thousands together just to play a kazoo. Lauren Larson, senior staff writer at Texas Monthly magazine, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the difficulty of setting wacky world records today, when lackadaisical participants prefer to stay at home post-lockdown and Guiness Book of World Records rules are stringent. Her article is “They Want You to Get Off Your Couch, and Go Set a World Record” was published in The New York Times Magazine.

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Why too many people die too young Sep 11, 2025

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Former CDC director and now CEO of Resolve to Save Lives Dr. Tom Frieden joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why we need the political will to transform an ailing system. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Surprise! Your dad is not your father Sep 10, 2025

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An at home DNA test might be a fun window into the past, but they can go sideways — so much so that a cottage industry has sprung up to deal with the fallout. Jennifer Wilson is a staff writer at The New Yorker, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss when home DNA kits like 23andMe reveal paternity secrets, children who feel like this new information has led to a “re-birth” and why anger is fueling a call for paternity testing at birth. Her article is “The Family Fallout of DNA Surprises.”

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Wear this not that – if you care about the planet Sep 09, 2025

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Did you know that the outfit you are wearing right now is a leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions? Laila Petrie, director general of the charity Future Earth Lab, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss what counts as sustainable in the fashion industry – where greenwashing is rampant – and how fast fashion contributes to climate change. Her article in Scientific American is “How to Be a Smarter Fashion Consumer in a World of Overstated Sustainability.”

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What the left and the right misunderstand about gun violence Sep 08, 2025

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Both the left and right have failed to craft policies that end gun violence — so what might work? Jens Ludwig is a professor of public policy at the University of Chicago, where he also directs the school’s crime lab. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how behavioral economics offers insight into what works to curb gun homicides. His new book is “Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence.”

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Here’s what to do if you’re lonely Sep 05, 2025

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Our current loneliness epidemic may seem insurmountable, but solutions to overcome the problem are out there. This episode, host Krys Boyd talks with three experts who take on loneliness head on, from why it’s so hard to address, to ways to use our creativity to connect with others, to a guide for making and keeping friends.

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The reboot of Silicon Valley Sep 04, 2025

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Today’s Silicon Valley is far from the tech utopia many of us may still have in our minds. Mike Isaac, Silicon Valley and technology reporter for The New York Times, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the transformation of the cushy Silicon Valley work style to a more serious tone where A.I. dominates the conversation, how the pandemic changed the work vibes there, and why it might be a harbinger for how we will all work in the near future. His article is “Silicon Valley Is in Its ‘Hard Tech’ Era.”

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Ozempic doesn’t work for everybody Sep 03, 2025

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For people seeking to lose weight, Ozempic can seem like a dream drug — but it doesn’t work for everyone. Andrea Javor is a freelance writer, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her journey using Ozempic, the disappointment that came when the scale didn’t budge for her, and why doctors think GLP-1s can regulate diabetes without the weight loss. Her article “Ozempic didn’t work for me. I was furious – and ashamed” was published by The Guardian.

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