Think from KERA

Latest Episodes:

Copyrights are out of control Mar 04, 2024

Show notes

All around us is intellectual property covered by copyright laws. David Bellos, Meredith Howland Pyne Professor of French and Comparative Literature at Princeton University, joins host Krys Boyd for a history lesson on how copyrights came to be, and what happens now that generative A.I. has entered the picture. His book is “Who Owns this Sentence? A History of Copyrights and Wrongs.”

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You can learn to be more confident Mar 02, 2024

Show notes

Walking into a room confidently can affect not only your performance in a meeting or presentation but also your overall brain health. Ian Robertson is co-director of the Global Brain Health Institute and T. Boone Pickens Distinguished Professor at the Center for BrainHealth at the University of Texas at Dallas. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the science of confidence, how it positively influences both the mind and body, and how it can make us both more innovative and happier. His book is “How Confidence Works: The New Science of Self-Belief.”

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Guaranteeing your right to vote Feb 29, 2024

Show notes

As the Supreme Court has chipped away at the Voting Rights Act, renewed calls have been made for ways to protect all Americans’ right to vote. Richard L. Hasen is professor of law and political science at UCLA and director of UCLA Law’s Safeguarding Democracy Project. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why he feels we need a Constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to vote, and why leaving it to the courts to decide who can vote is a bad idea. His book is “A Real Right to Vote: How a Constitutional Amendment Can Safeguard American Democracy.”

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You won’t believe how much plastic you eat Feb 28, 2024

Show notes

If you’re able to bend a durable food container easily, it’s got plasticizer in it — and that means some of that container is ending up inside of you. Lauren F. Friedman leads the health and food content team at Consumer Reports. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss CR’s rigorous testing of fast foods and supermarket products to find the harmful chemicals that enter our bodies, and how we can reduce exposure to them. Her article is “The Plastic Chemicals Hiding in Your Food.”

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Breaking up with romance Feb 27, 2024

Show notes

The ideal woman to swipe right on is rooted in ideals of whiteness. Sabrina Strings, professor and North Hall Chair of Black Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why she believes the relatively low numbers of Black women in relationships and marriages is a backlash to the Civil Rights movement and feminism, and why it’s time for a reworking of what modern love looks like now. Her book is “The End of Love: Racism, Sexism, and the Death of Romance.”

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Why gay people deserve an apology Feb 26, 2024

Show notes

Jonathan Rauch, contributing writer to The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the lasting harms had on not only career diplomats but the broader LGBTQ community across the country – and why he says it’s time for a reckoning.

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Who gets to make art and who gets to own it Feb 23, 2024

Show notes

In the elite art world, status is key to success—and not everyone can obtain it. Bianca Bosker is a contributing writer at The Atlantic, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how the art world operates, the role of gatekeeping in who gets shown and who can buy art, and how anyone can become a more discerning patron of the arts. Her book is “Get the Picture: A Mind-Bending Journey among the Inspired Artists and Obsessive Art Fiends Who Taught Me How to See.”

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The mysteries of the moon Feb 22, 2024

Show notes

With all the attention spent on learning more about the far reaches of space, the moon can be a forgotten wonder of our sky. Rebecca Boyle, science journalist and columnist at Atlas Obscura, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why the partnership between the Earth and the Moon is so critical for life on our planet, and why there are still so many mysteries to uncover about our celestial sister. Her book is “Our Moon: How Earth’s Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are.”

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A just world starts with imagination Feb 21, 2024

Show notes

Real progress on racism and other social issues requires the imagination to think beyond our current approach. Ruha Benjamin is a professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, where she is the founding director of the Ida B. Wells Just Data Lab. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why we are failing at imagining a better world and how thinking big is the path to unlocking good. Her book is “Imagination: A Manifesto.”

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If you think driving is getting worse, you’re right Feb 20, 2024

Show notes

After years of improving safety numbers, American streets are becoming more dangerous. Matthew Shaer is contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine and an Emerson Collective fellow at New America. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how distracted and angry drivers are causing more crashes and automobile fatalities, why larger SUVs and trucks are part of the problem, and what can be done to reverse the trend. His article is “Why Are American Drivers So Deadly?”

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