Think from KERA

Latest Episodes:

From the archives: Why does the government care about labeling your gender? Jan 20, 2023

Show notes

A person’s sex designation on official documents has a lot to do with the state they live in. Paisley Currah is professor of political science and women’s & gender studies at Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the category of “sex” on government documents and what that says about the future of transgender rights. His book is “Sex Is as Sex Does: Governing Transgender Identity.”

This episode originally aired on August 16, 2022.

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The new Gold Rush? Prospecting solar power Jan 19, 2023

Show notes

In the rapidly expanding solar industry, a lack of oversight has some crying foul. Harper’s contributor Hillary Angelo joins host Krys Boyd to discuss Nye County, Nevada, where 20,000 acres of public land have been earmarked for solar-farm construction—a potential weapon against climate change that also threatens the local ecology, and angers neighbors. Her Harper’s article is called “Boomtown.”

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

How you can stop wasting food Jan 18, 2023

Show notes

One lesser-discussed strategy to fight climate change: clean your plate. Susan Shain is a reporting fellow for Headway, a section of The New York Times. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how food waste is responsible for twice as many greenhouse gas emissions as commercial aviation, and how one public awareness campaign in Ohio is taking on the battle and winning. Her article is “How Central Ohio Got People to Eat Their Leftovers.”

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

How our attention warps American politics Jan 17, 2023

Show notes

Social media can act as a sounding board for issues in American politics, and it can also add to those problems. Megan Garber, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the media landscape that has brought us to this divided point in American history, and how our desire to be constantly entertained feeds into the cycle. Her Atlantic Editions book is “On Misdirection: Magic, Mayhem, American Politics.”

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Why you should be scheduling time for fun Jan 13, 2023

Show notes

Of all the things on our daily to-do list, one thing most of us probably leave off is: Have fun. Mike Rucker, organizational psychologist and charter member of the International Positive Psychology Association, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why adding fun back into the daily grind will make you more productive and lead to a happier life. His book is “The Fun Habit: How the Pursuit of Joy and Wonder Can Change Your Life.”

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Do your friends hold the key to your happiness? Jan 12, 2023

Show notes

The research is pretty clear that to live a happy life, we’ve got to connect deeply with other people. Robert Waldinger is professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development at Massachusetts General Hospital and cofounder of the Lifespan Research Foundation. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why friendships, marriages, even book groups, form the basis for a more meaningful existence, and why it’s never too late to form new, lasting bonds. His book, written with co-author Marc Schulz, is called “The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness.”

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

What Dry January can do for you Jan 11, 2023

Show notes

After the excess of the holidays, Dry January is a popular way for people to experiment with sobriety and reset their habits. Richard De Visser, Reader in Psychology at Brighton & Sussex Medical School and the School of Psychology at the University of Sussex, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the benefits of abstaining from alcohol, who participates and why, and if the practice really produces a healthier relationship with drinking in the long run.

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The real science of James Bond Jan 10, 2023

Show notes

James Bond has escaped many a sinister plot to kill him, but how many of those methods could actually work in real life? Kathryn Harkup is a scientist-turned-author, and she joins host Krys Boyd to explore the wild world of 007 – from whether gold paint could really kill you to the feasibility of volcano lairs for bad guys. Her book is “Superspy Science: Science, Death and Tech in the World of James Bond.”

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Kids need to talk about death, too Jan 10, 2023

Show notes

Conversations about death are difficult, but with a child, they can be especially hard. Elena Lister is associate professor of clinical psychiatry at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and senior consulting analyst for grief at Columbia University Psychoanalytic Center. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how parents and educators can talk about grief with a child in a nurturing way. Her book, co-written by Michael Schwartzman, is called “Giving Hope: Conversations with Children About Illness, Death, and Loss.”

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

What’s in store for the world in 2023? Jan 06, 2023

Show notes

As we begin 2023, it’s time to look into our crystal balls and anticipate what the coming year will bring. Tom Standage is an editor at The Economist, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the top 10 issues the magazine predicts will make the biggest headlines this year, from Ukraine and China to inflation to what might be a bright spot in combating climate change. The series of articles is “The World Ahead.”

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices