Think from KERA

Latest Episodes:

Free will does not exist Oct 15, 2024

Show notes

If everything happens for a reason, and those reasons are beyond our control, maybe we don’t have free will after all. Robert Sapolsky, professor of biology and neurology at Stanford University, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his case against free will, which he says is the logical choice if you look at the ways our lives are shaped by forces that start from our very biology. And we’ll hear why, even without this control, we are still bound to be moral and decent humans. His book is “Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will.”

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They provided abortions for five decades Oct 14, 2024

Show notes

In the national conversation about abortion rights, the voices of actual abortion providers are often unheard. Dr. Curtis Boyd was involved in establishing the National Abortion Federation (NAF) and is a founding member of the Federation’s board of directors; and Glenna Boyd, RN, is a counselor, trainer and consultant. They join host Krys Boyd to discuss their life’s work providing abortions for women in need, why they say a healthy democracy needs compromise on complex issues, and how the Dobbs decision felt like a death. Their book is “We Choose To: A Memoir of Providing Abortion Care Before, During, and After Roe.”

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The benefits of being in your feels Oct 11, 2024

Show notes

Nobody actually enjoys feeling down in the dumps – but there’s a lot we can learn about ourselves when we’re not at our best. This hour, host Krys Boyd talks about how we can find fulfillment in experiencing the bittersweet parts of life, how sensitive people can use their temperament as a strength, and why being positive all the time isn’t actually very helpful.

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Decoding your dreams Oct 10, 2024

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After a long day when we lay down to rest, that’s when our brains really fire up to help us dream. Dr. Rahul Jandial is a neurosurgeon and neuroscientist who oversees the Jandial Lab at City of Hope Cancer Center in Los Angeles. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how dreams help or brains function, why they are essential to memory and why dreams across cultures are remarkably similar. His book is “This Is Why You Dream: What Your Sleeping Brain Reveals About Your Waking Life.”

This episode originally aired on June 4th, 2024.

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The best communicators don’t talk much Oct 09, 2024

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The best communicators aren’t always the ones who talk the most in meetings. Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative journalist Charles Duhigg joins host Krys Boyd to discuss what makes certain people so adept at facilitating the exchange of ideas, how we can make ourselves heard, and how we can better navigate tough conversations. His book is “Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection.”

This episode originally aired on March 8th, 2024.

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How medical groupthink harms our health Oct 08, 2024

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We trust the guidance of medical professionals so much – and it can be hard for both doctor and patient when new research recommends changing course on well-established treatments. Dr. Marty Makary is a Johns Hopkins professor and member of the National Academy of Medicine. He joins guest host Courtney Collins to discuss why physicians have recommended we avoid everything from hormone replacement therapy to eggs and why it’s so hard to correct flaws in previous studies. His book is “Blind Spots: When Medicine Gets It Wrong, and What It Means for Our Health.”

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Why don’t NFL cheerleaders make more money? Oct 07, 2024

Show notes

NFL cheerleaders put in hours of practice, have thousands of fans and serve as ambassadors for the teams — and get paid next to nothing. Chabeli Carrazana is economy and childcare reporter for The 19th News. She joins guest host Courtney Collins to discuss why high-profile cheerleaders aren’t making a living wage, the lawsuits that are fighting for a pay increase, and why misogyny in sports is so hard to eradicate. Her article is “NFL cheerleaders have been fighting for better pay for 10 years. They’re still being sidelined.”

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What the ‘no limits’ partnership between Russia and China means for the U.S. Oct 04, 2024

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Russia and China have formed a “no limits” partnership, bonding them on everything from manufacturing to technology to military might. And a major factor in the development of that partnership is a mutual disdain for a U.S.-led world order. This hour, we’ll talk with a former U.S. ambassador to Russia and other experts about what the budding alliance between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping means for American global leadership.

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Actress Uzo Aduba tells her own story Oct 03, 2024

Show notes

For Uzo Aduba, shaping an identity as a daughter of Nigerian immigrants was fuel for a creative fire. The Emmy-award winning star of “Orange is the New Black” is Heifer International’s ambassador to Africa as well as an ambassador for Stand Up to Cancer. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss growing up in a mostly white suburb, the importance of keeping her native language alive, and how her role as unofficial family historian has shaped her career. Her memoir is “The Road is Good: How a Mother’s Strength Became a Daughter’s Purpose.”

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How to interpret political polls Oct 02, 2024

Show notes

Every day it seems there’s a headline about which candidate is surging in the polls — but how accurate are those assessments? Philip Elliott, senior correspondent for Time magazine, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how the layman can look at polls and glean the most relevant information, how polls gather their data and why that margin of error is super important. His article is “How to Read Political Polls Like a Pro.”

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