Think from KERA

Latest Episodes:

How campaigns define themselves Sep 03, 2024

Show notes

From Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” to Kamala Harris’ walkout song “Freedom” by Beyoncé, both presidential campaigns are trying to solidify their brands for larger audiences. Basil Smikle is a political strategist, policy advisor and professor of practice and director of the nonprofit management program in the school of professional studies at Columbia University. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how campaigns brand themselves, how they attempt to label each other, and what voters actually respond to in the end.

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What makes a job worth doing? Sep 02, 2024

Show notes

In pursuit of a distinguished career, are we missing out on a good life? Christopher Wong Michaelson is Opus Distinguished Professor and academic director of the Melrose and The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership at the University of St. Thomas and on the Business and Society faculty at NYU’s Stern School of Business. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the differences between career and calling and how we assign meaning to our vocation. His book, written with Jennifer Tosti-Kharas, is called “Is Your Work Worth It?: How to Think About Meaningful Work.”

This episode originally aired on May 27th, 2024.

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What the heck is a trad wife? Aug 30, 2024

Show notes

From hand-churned butter for the children to a full face of makeup in the kitchen, the role of the traditional wife is taking off online. Megan Agnew, senior features writer for The Times, joins guest host Courtney Collins to discuss the “trad wife” movement, its retro look at wifedom and motherhood, and one woman in particular with a huge following on Instagram who’s caught the curious attention of tens of millions. Her article is, “My day with the trad wife queen and what it taught me.“

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Decoding the secret language of animals Aug 29, 2024

Show notes

Dolphins call each other by name, wolves have accents — researchers are discovering all sorts of fascinating facts about animal communication. Arik Kershenbaum is a zoologist, college lecturer and fellow at Girton College, University of Cambridge. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss what we’re learning about how animals talk to one another, how that understanding also sheds light on human language, and how we might come to better understand animal identities and emotions. His book is “Why Animals Talk: The New Science of Animal Communication.”

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The cartels are dealing eels now Aug 28, 2024

Show notes

Eel smuggling is one of the most lucrative wildlife crimes — so what makes these slimy creatures so coveted? Ellen Ruppel Shell, professor emeritus of science journalism at Boston University, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss an animal that’s one of the most trafficked on Earth, a brief history of the significance of eels, and why they’re still somewhat mysterious. Her book is “Slippery Beast: A True Crime Natural History, with Eels.”

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How U.S policy drives immigrants to dangerous decisions Aug 27, 2024

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One of the most dangerous parts of a migrant’s journey to the U.S. border is a dense jungle region known as the Darién Gap. Caitlin Dickerson, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her journey to the Darién Gap – a stretch of land connecting South and North America – and the 800,000 migrants who will put their lives in danger this year to try to cross it. Her story is “Seventy Miles in the Darién Gap.”

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When loving your pet means letting them go Aug 26, 2024

Show notes

We love our pets so much it can be tempting to keep them alive with harsh treatments even as they’re deathly ill. Madeline Leung Coleman, a features writer for New York magazine, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the expensive and sometimes brutal treatments pets can be subjected to in order to extend their lives – and how to know when it’s time to say goodbye. Her article is “Are We Forcing Our Pets to Live Too Long?” was published by The Cut.

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Is A.I. music worth a listen? Aug 23, 2024

Show notes

Type in a couple of prompts and A.I. programs can spit out an original song based on your parameters. So should composers quit their jobs? Matteo Wong, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the changing face of the music industry now that A.I. music is on the scene and what separates music made by people from music made by algorithms. His article is “AI Can’t Make Music.”

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What successful risk takers have in common Aug 22, 2024

Show notes

To win a high-stakes poker game, the ability to calculate risk is essential – and it’s a skill that can carry over to everyday life. Nate Silver is a statistician and founder of The New York Times political blog FiveThirtyEight.com and writer of the Substack “Silver Bulletin.” He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how risk-takers win big, how to calculate pros and cons of major decisions, and to weigh in on what to expect in this year’s presidential election. His book is “On the Edge: The Art of Risking Everything.”

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The charm of politicians is a double-edged sword Aug 21, 2024

Show notes

Some people can get others to do what they want through the sheer strength of their charm – a quality many candidates running for office try to use to their advantage. Julia Sonnevend, associate professor of sociology and communications at The New School for Social Research, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how politicians tap into their own personal magnetism to earn your vote – and sometimes lead nations down the wrong path. Her book is “Charm: How Magnetic Personalities Shape Global Politics.”

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