Think from KERA

Latest Episodes:

Ari Shapiro on journalism, music and being human Mar 31, 2023

Show notes

Ari Shapiro, host of NPR’s All Things Considered, has stories to tell from his years in journalism. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his new memoir, a collection of essays that tell poignant stories ranging from his time on Air Force One, to fleeing with Syrian refugees, to performing cabaret with Alan Cumming. It’s called “The Best Strangers in the World: Stories from a Life Spent Listening.”

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The mental health effects of caring for dementia patients Mar 30, 2023

Show notes

Often, the challenge for caring with those with forms of dementia is trying to understand the loss of time and context of one’s mind. Dasha Kiper is consulting clinical director of support groups at CaringKind (formerly the Alzheimer’s Association). She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the disconnect between the healthy mind of a caregiver and the ailing mind of a patient, and the counterproductive ways we try to help but cause harm instead. Her book is “Travelers to Unimaginable Lands: Stories of Dementia, the Caregiver, and the Human Brain.”

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Making U.S. cities more pedestrian-friendly is an uphill battle Mar 29, 2023

Show notes

The pandemic lockdown emptied roadways of cars and provided a brief look at what cities could look like with less-congested streets. Reis Thebault is a West Coast correspondent for The Washington Post. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the battles cities are waging to permanently ban cars in certain places in order to create public spaces for walkers and bicyclists, and why this is a watershed moment for the future of public works. His article is “Inside the movement to remake America’s city streets.”

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Unscrambling the science and history of eggs Mar 28, 2023

Show notes

The simple egg is a universal symbol of power and nourishment. Designer and author Lizzie Stark joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the history and culture of eggs – from world cuisine to motherhood – and how we’re still awed by such a humble object. Her book is “Egg: A Dozen Ovatures.”

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From the Archive: The jobs used to deny disability benefits are stuck in 1977 Mar 27, 2023

Show notes

The Social Security Administration is using decades-old job data to bar applicants from disability benefits. Lisa Rein covers federal agencies and the management of government in the Biden administration for The Washington Post. She joins host Krys Boyd to detail how the administration has spent $250 million to modernize its vocational services but still uses outdated market data to determine benefits for 15 million people. Her article is “Social Security denies disability benefits based on list with jobs from 1977.”

This episode originally aired on January 18, 2023

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Plenty of people hear voices nobody else can hear Mar 24, 2023

Show notes

Have you ever felt like another being was near you even when you were completely alone? Ben Alderson-Day is an associate professor of psychology and a fellow of the Wolfson Research Institute for Health and Wellbeing at Durham University. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the psychology and neuroscience of feeling watched or hearing voices as he tries to unravel a phenomenon felt by people the world over. His book is “Presence: The Strange Science and True Stories of the Unseen Other.”

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Is the state too quick to remove children from their families? Mar 23, 2023

Show notes

When a murder-suicide of parents and six children occurred in California, questions about the foster care and adoption system were raised. Journalist Roxanna Asgarian joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the family that adopted those children from the foster system in Texas, and why checks and balances on child removal from birth families aren’t as thorough as they should be. Her book is “We Were Once a Family: A Story of Love, Death, and Child Removal in America.”

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Why an online community for exchanging free stuff became controversial Mar 22, 2023

Show notes

The Buy Nothing movement started as a way to share items between strangers. The trouble came when corporations wanted in. Wired contributing writer Vauhini Vara joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the founders of The Buy Nothing Project, Inc, a movement with fervent followers that were mad when the platform went to an app backed by investors, and the questions that raises about what makes something called free, actually free. Her article is “The Battle for the Soul of Buy Nothing.”

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The big business of blood: Exploitation in the plasma industry Mar 21, 2023

Show notes

Twenty-million people sell their plasma each year, and the most vulnerable populations are usually the first in line. Journalist Kathleen McLaughlin joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her own journey with an auto-immune disease and her research into where blood plasma really comes from – a journey through the for-profit blood industry that stretches all the way to China. Her book is “Blood Money: The Story of Life, Death, and Profit Inside America’s Blood Industry.”

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Technology has racial biases—and its human developers are responsible Mar 21, 2023

Show notes

Implicit bias is a problem for humans, and humans are programming it into computer algorithms. Meredith Broussard is an associate professor at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute of New York University and research director at the NYU Alliance for Public Interest Technology. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why net neutrality is a myth, the racism and ableism built into systems, and why A.I. needs more diverse human role models. Her book is “More than a Glitch: Confronting Race, Gender, and Ability Bias in Tech.”

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