KERA's Think

The same traits that make autism a social and neurological challenge might also lead to great discoveries. Simon Baron-Cohen is professor of developmental psychopathology and director of the Autism Research Centre at the University of Cambridge. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why he believes innovation comes with certain brain patterns and why it’s time to celebrate those who think differently. His book, now out in paperback, is “The Pattern Seekers: How Autism Drives Human Invention.”

“To infinity … and beyond!” “To boldly go where no man has gone before.” The wonder of space has fueled movies and television shows for decades. Margaret A. Weitekamp is chair of the space history department at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, where she curates the Social and Cultural History of Spaceflight Collection. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how popular culture has tapped into our fascination with space – from Star Trek and Star Wars to Buck Rogers and Buzz...

Reducing the use of addictive opioids is a noble goal, but people in pain still need help. Maia Szalavitz is a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss policies that keep chronic pain patients from accessing their drugs and where they turn when prescriptions aren’t an option. Her article is “Entire Body Is Shaking’: Why Americans With Chronic Pain Are Dying.”

The U.S.-Mexico border is about much more than just heated immigration policy. Geraldo Cadava, professor of history and Latina and Latino Studies at Northwestern University, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the many symbiotic ways the United States and Mexico work together and why misinformation is distracting from the bigger picture. His essay “The Border” appears in “Myth America: Historians Take On the Biggest Legends and Lies About Our Past.”

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...

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.”

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.”

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.”

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.”

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....

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.

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.”

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...

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.”

When twin girls are adopted out, one remaining in Vietnam and one moving to America, notions of family are challenged. Erika Hayasaki is a professor in the Literary Journalism Department at the University of California, Irvine, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss two sisters raised worlds apart and the questions that arise about transnational adoption. Her book is “Somewhere Sisters: A Story of Adoption, Identity, and the Meaning of Family.”

The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in 1990, but there’s still more work to be done. Ben Mattlin is a journalist who is also disabled, and he joins guest host Courtney Collins to discuss the progress the disabled community has made to raise awareness about opportunities for increased access. His book is “Disability Pride: Dispatches from a Post-ADA World.”

When Rabia Chaudry’s family immigrated to the United States from Pakistan, they embraced all things American—including our love of fast food. Chaudry joins guest host Courtney Collins to talk about how the fat-filled and processed foods of her childhood have gradually given way to a love of Pakistani recipes – and how concerns about body image transcend the immigrant experience. Her book is “Fatty Fatty Boom Boom: A Memoir of Food, Fat, and Family.”

Neil deGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist who helps us find our place in the universe. The director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History and host and cofounder of the podcast “StarTalk” joins host Krys Boyd to make a case for the rationality of science – and to help us look at global challenges in new ways. His book is “Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization.”

Imagine if we all just embraced our anxiety rather than trying to seek to eradicate it. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary is a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Hunter College, the City University of New York, where she directs the Emotion Regulation Lab. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why, she says, anxiety is tied to hope, and why linking it to disease is an outmoded way of thinking. Her book is “Future Tense: Why Anxiety Is Good For You (Even Though It Feels Bad).”

One way to understand the immigrant experience is through food. Author Madhushree Ghosh joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her memoir, which takes us on a trip through America to South Asia, where she recounts the cooks and food stalls and recipes that have given her insight into her own rich lived experiences. Her book is “Khabaar: An Immigrant Journey of Food, Memory and Family.”