Think from KERA

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The beauty of beetles Jun 12, 2023

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Insects can give us the creepy-crawlies, but they can also fascinate and spark innovation in the human world. Entomologist Arthur V. Evans joins host Krys Boyd for a primer on the world of beetles – some 400,000 species strong – their ability to survive, and their importance to ecosystems. His book is “The Lives of Beetles: A Natural History of Coleoptera.”

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It’s time to check in with your senses Jun 09, 2023

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Our eyes and ears do a lot of the heavy lifting to guide us through the world – what if we attempted to engage with all of our senses equally? Author Gretchen Rubin joins guest host Courtney Collins to discuss her awaking to relearn how to see, taste, touch, smell, and hear, and why she found life richer and more fulfilling when she slowed down. Her book is “Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World.”

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You don’t need the best of everything Jun 08, 2023

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We’re awash in a world of rankings – but is acquiring the best hair dryer or washing machine always worth the effort? Writer and critic Rachel Connolly joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the best-of lists we consume to make sense of our lives and how we use them to gain a false sense of control over a world with limitless choice. Her piece in The New York Times Opinion section is “The Tyranny of ‘the Best.”

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When bad people make great art Jun 07, 2023

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When great artists do very bad things, do we discard their work wholesale? Claire Dederer joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the lens #metoo has put on work created by flawed men, and how we balance our sense of morality and ethics with a love of what are widely considered masterpieces. Her book is “Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma.”

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Your watery eyes don’t deceive you: Allergies are on the rise Jun 06, 2023

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With all the TV commercials for treatments for hay fever to eczema it’s clear that many people suffer from allergies. Theresa MacPhail is a medical anthropologist and associate professor of science and technology studies who researches and writes about global health, biomedicine and disease. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why allergies are getting worse and what the world’s best allergy clinicians are doing to combat them. Her book is “Allergic: Our Irritated Bodies in a Changing World.”

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You should schedule more time to do nothing with your friends Jun 05, 2023

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We are all scheduled to the gills, but actually setting aside time dedicated to nothing in particular is key to both maintaining relationships and your health. Sheila Liming teaches at Champlain College, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why we need to ditch the calendars and find time to just sit with friends and strangers – and how that strategy is a potential solution to our epidemic of loneliness. Her book is “Hanging Out: The Radical Power of Killing Time.”

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The alliances and rivalries of Cold War-era journalists Jun 02, 2023

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During the early years of the Cold War, the Washington press corps was quick to deliver the U.S. company line without much public skepticism. Kathryn J. McGarr is an assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why the media after WWII often presented a monolithic view of the world while keeping their readers and listeners in the dark about the truth. Her book is “City of Newsmen: Public Lies and Professional Secrets in Cold War Washington.”

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How toxic masculinity reads to a gay man Jun 01, 2023

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Models of macho masculinity are everywhere —but for young, gay men, are they meant to be how-to manuals or merely thirst traps? Manuel Betancourt is a queer culture writer and film critic, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his upbringing in Colombia and how that shaped his views on being a man and his deconstruction of modern male toxicity. His book is “The Male Gazed: On Hunks, Heartthrobs, and What Pop Culture Taught Me About (Desiring) Men.”

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Deception is a part of our nature (and nature itself) May 31, 2023

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Nature is full of imposters – from animals that impersonate other animals down to genes and even individual cells that get by through dishonest means. Lixing Sun is a distinguished research professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Central Washington University, and he joins host Krys Boyd to talk about the role of deceit in the lives of plants and animals. His book is called “The Liars of Nature and the Nature of Liars: Cheating and Deception in the Living World.”

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The many identities of Gen Z May 30, 2023

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Gen Z-ers are more likely to identify as gender fluid, trans or nonbinary than older generations. The question is: Why? Jean M. Twenge, professor of psychology at San Diego State University, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the various theories as to why this generation seems more comfortable with an array of identities. Her book is “Generations: The Real Difference Between Gen Z, Millenials, Gen X, Boomers and the Silent Generation.”

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