KERA's Think
Channel Details
KERA's Think
Think is a daily, topic-driven interview and call-in program hosted by Krys Boyd covering a wide variety of topics ranging from history, politics, current events, science, technology and emerging trends to food and wine, travel, adventure, and entertainment.
Recent Episodes
253 episodes
What Trump wants with Iran
Nuclear negotiations with Iran seemed to be heading in the right direction – and then the U.S. and Israel decided it was time to strike. David Frum, s...
Are we breaking up with booze?
Raucous, alcohol-fueled parties have been around since the beginning of recorded history – and their end may be nigh. Natasha Loder, health editor for...
Michael Pollan: Your guide to consciousness
We often say that something has “a mind of its own,” but exactly is the consciousness we’re referring to? Michael Pollan, author and both a Guggenheim...
Is the world setting you up for failure?
We recycle and exercise and generally try to do the right thing — but what if it’s not our failings that hold us back, but systems? Nick Chater, profe...
Can science explain racism?
In order to better understand why racism still exists, it helps to study it like a science. Keon West, social psychologist at Goldsmiths at the Univer...
How novelist George Saunders thinks about free will
George Saunders’ latest novel takes readers into a journey of the soul—this time quite literally. The Booker Prize-winning author talks with host Krys...
What democrats could learn from MAGA
Organizing protests on a national scale? Democrats can do that in spades. Cultivating local candidates—not so much. Charles Duhigg, Pulitzer Prize-win...
If you were in a cult would you know it?
Cults are something other people join, right? Think again; you might be in one. Daniella Mestyanek Young is a cult survivor, U.S. Army veteran and Har...
We should hang out more. It’s healthy.
There’s a push toward frictionless interactions with other people, but our need for socialization is key to good health. Ben Rein is a neuroscientist,...
How the Smithsonian frames American history
The Smithsonian holds thousands of objects in their collection. The conversation about what to display can get contentious. Lily Meyer is a staff writ...
How vulnerability strengthens relationships
Ever feel embarrassed about oversharing at a cocktail party? Turns out, you might’ve been on the right track. Leslie John, James E. Burke Professor of...
How can the war in Ukraine end?
It’s been four years since the beginning of the Ukraine war, and the consequences continue to reverberate across Europe and the world. David Kramer, E...
Crime rates are actually falling. Really.
After a pandemic-era spike in crime, public safety numbers are improving. The reasons are surprising. Henry Grabar is a staff writer at The Atlantic a...
How healthy is President Trump?
Personal health information is usually considered private, but what kind of privacy should the president of the United States be afforded? Ben Terris,...
Who gets to be an American?
Behind the very public discourse about citizenship and how to achieve it are very personal family stories. Daisy Hernandez, associate professor of cre...
Assessing 250 years of U.S. foreign policy
As the nation nears its 250th anniversary, it’s a fitting time to consider the very best – and very worst – of our foreign policy decisions. James M....
The Black experience of Vietnam
Coretta Scott King fought to end the Vietnam War because of its outsized impact on the Black community. Matthew L. Demont, Sherman Fairchild Distingui...
How communities grow
The benefits of maintaining a neighborhood garden go well beyond the dinner plate. Kate Brown is distinguished professor in the history of science at...
Why America isn’t walkable
A plan to end pedestrian deaths worked in Europe – why has it failed here? Rachel Weiner, local transportation reporter for The Washington Post, joins...
The historic sentence that still defines America
Walter Isaacson joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how one sentence in the Declaration of Independence set out a promise of America.
Learn a...
You might be paying Amazon’s power bill
Big tech pretty much runs our lives; will these companies one day own power grids, too? Karen Weise, technology correspondent for The New York Times,...
Would you go to an A.I. doctor?
Your doctor might take weeks to diagnose a complicated set of symptoms when A.I. can do it in seconds. Dhruv Khullar is a physician and contributing w...
A.I. is writing obits now
When a loved one passes away, it can be difficult to find the right words. Enter A.I. Drew Harwell is a technology reporter for The Washington Post, a...
How A.I. is getting in the way of real learning
College students sometimes get in trouble for using A.I. to complete assignments, but is there a way to use it as a teaching tool? Clay Shirky, vice p...
When will A.I. want to kill us?
A.I. is becoming smarter without much help from humans, and that should worry us all. Nate Soares, president of Machine Intelligence Research Institut...
Why we haven’t fixed the racial wealth gap
Much of America’s racial wealth gap can be traced to economic policies dating back decades and even centuries. Mehrsa Baradaran is professor of law at...
Resisting the post-truth society
We may live in a post-truth society, but facts can still be verified. Michael Shermer is publisher of Skeptic magazine, the executive director of the...
One more reason we can’t talk to strangers
There was a time when people gathered around the watercooler to gab about the hottest show, but these days it might be tough to find a coworker who’s...
The mother who needed homeschooling
For some kids, homeschooling provides them with the one-on-one attention they need. For others, though, it can feel isolating. Author Stefan Merrill B...
Is the supreme court more powerful than congress now?
The balance of powers among the three branches of government is fading away, facilitated by the judicial branch. Duncan Hosie is a fellow at Stanford...
U.S. defense strategy from Washington to Trump
The U.S. has always told the world it is a protector of peace — even if that meant through violence. Michael O’Hanlon, Philip H. Knight Chair in Defen...
Will Trump make television great again?
The suspension of Jimmy Kimmel sent shockwaves across the TV landscape — but there are many other ways the FCC is using pressure to shape the media. J...
The U.N. Charter used to prevent war
For decades, treaties meant war could be avoided if everyone just followed the law. Oona A. Hathaway teaches law and political science at Yale and is...
Civilians v. ICE
As the federal government deploys thousands of ICE agents across the country, activists are finding ways to push back. Molly Hennessy-Fiske, national...
Dictionaries are not what they used to be
When was the last time you actually opened a dictionary and flipped through the pages to find the definition of a word? Journalist and author Stefan F...
Gen X has finally arrived
Members of Gen X are famously overlooked – maybe we’re sleeping on them? Writer Amanda Fortini joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how being a latch-key g...
Who is Gavin Newsom, really?
One Democrat already seems to be priming himself for a presidential run against all things MAGA: Gavin Newsom. Helen Lewis, staff writer at The Atlant...
Unpacking the Donroe Doctrine
First there was the Monroe Doctrine, now President Trump’s foreign policy approach is being dubbed the “Donroe Doctrine.” Joshua Keating is a senior c...
Why do only some drinkers become drunks?
Our complicated relationship with alcohol goes far beyond Dry January. Dr. Charles Knowles is professor of surgery at Queen Mary University of London...
Is football forever?
America’s pastime used to be baseball, but these days football is clearly king. Author Chuck Klosterman joins guest host Paige Phelps to discuss all t...