Think from KERA

Latest Episodes:

The right questions for better health Jul 13, 2023

Show notes

Who makes the best doctor? When is the best time of year to have a baby? Answers to questions like these are in medical data. Dr. Anupam B. Jena is an economist, physician, the Joseph P. Newhouse Professor of Health Care Policy at Harvard and host of the Freakonomics, MD podcast. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss questions you can consider in advance of a health event to be better prepared to make solid decisions when the time comes to see a doctor. His book, co-authored with Dr. Christopher M Worsham, is “Random Acts of Medicine: The Hidden Forces That Sway Doctors, Impact Patients, and Shape Our Health.”

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What we could learn from Vienna’s public housing Jul 12, 2023

Show notes

For a great example of public housing practices, look to Vienna, Austria. Francesca Mari, contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the way housing is set up in Vienna and why it’s become a model for building wealth and security for even low-income renters. Her article is “Imagine a Renters’ Utopia. It Might Look Like Vienna.”

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What our quest for alien life says about humanity Jul 11, 2023

Show notes

The search for life in the universe helps reaffirm what it means to be human. Jaime Green is a science writer and series editor of The Best American Science and Nature Writing. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the science, even science fiction, that inspires astronomers to look for life in the cosmos and what it means for those of us living back on Earth. Her book is “The Possibility of Life: Science, Imagination, and Our Quest for Kinship in the Cosmos.”

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Are we deluding ourselves about the value of travel? Jul 10, 2023

Show notes

If you need a souvenir from a great trip, was it all that memorable to begin with? Agnes Callard, associate professor in philosophy at the University of Chicago, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why our wanderlust might be just a panacea for staving off the hands of time and how we may need to rethink our global adventures. Her essay “The Case Against Travel” was published in The New Yorker.

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The real beneficiaries of affirmative action Jul 07, 2023

Show notes

Affirmative action had been in place for decades, now schools must fine-tune the process. Bertrand Cooper joins host Krys Boyd to make the case that race-conscious admissions by universities frequently benefit students who are already from elite backgrounds and that it’s time to also consider socioeconomic status if we’re ever going to actually level the playing field. His article in The Atlantic is “The Failure of Affirmative Action.”

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How to keep going when it feels like you’re getting nowhere Jul 06, 2023

Show notes

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 Stansky Teaching Excellence Faculty Fellow at New York University’s Stern School of Business. He also holds an affiliated professorship in social psychology at NYU’s psychology department. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the emotions, thoughts and behaviors that hold us back — and tricks for flourishing amid our anxiety. His book is “Anatomy of a Breakthrough: How to Get Unstuck When It Matters Most.”

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How criminals do their banking Jul 05, 2023

Show notes

Billions of dollars are being stolen from individuals, businesses and governments … and banks are turning a blind eye. Kurt Eichenwald, senior investigative editor at The Conversation, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his reporting into sham bank accounts being opened by crime rings with real and fake identities and the large profits they make for financial institutions. His article written with David Maimon is called “Heists Worth Billions.”

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How South Korea became the beauty capital of the world Jun 30, 2023

Show notes

Whether you realize it or not, your beauty routine is very likely imported from South Korea. Elise Hu is a correspondent and host-at-large for NPR and host of TED Talks Daily. She joined host Krys Boyd to discuss K-beauty – which prioritizes perfection – its reach across the globe, and the consumerism that has crept into our very skin. Her book is “Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital.”

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Translating trauma for asylum seekers Jun 29, 2023

Show notes

Translating the credible fear interviews of asylum seekers means finding the language to accurately relay trauma. Alejandra Oliva is an essayist, translator and immigrant justice advocate, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her work as a translator on the border, how it relates to her life as a Mexican-American woman, and what it takes to actually become a U.S. citizen. Her book is “Rivermouth: A Chronicle of Language, Faith, and Migration.”

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Fixing what the Fair Housing Act didn’t Jun 28, 2023

Show notes

The Fair Housing Act recognized more than half a century ago that with redlining and racist policies, neighborhoods were never segregated by choice. Leah Rothstein is a consultant to affordable housing developers and local governments, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss solutions to alleviate inequalities that remain in communities to this day. Her book, written with her co-author and father Richard Rothstein, is called “Just Action: How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under the Color of Law.”

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