KERA's Think

If the definition of “green” is yellow plus blue, how do you define “yellow” and “blue”? Kory Stamper is a lexicographer who has written dictionaries for nearly 30 years at Merriam-Webster, Cambridge Dictionaries and Dictionary.com. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the difficulty of defining colors, why they are nearly indescribable, and why it took the help of scientists to create descriptions of everything around us. Her book is “True Color: The Strange and Spectacular Quest to Define Color – from Azure to Zinc Pink.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Even in our darkest moments, we can build the skills to keep our spirits up. Deepika Chopra is a psychologist, visual imagery expert and founder of Things Are Looking Up, a consultancy devoted to the intersection of science and soul. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how to develop optimism, how it's a key to optimal health, and why this isn't about toxic positivity. Her book is “The Power of Real Optimism: A Practical, Science-Based Guide to Staying Resilient, Curious, and Open Even When Life Is Hard.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

 Nobody enjoys paying taxes, but how would our nation function without them? Vanessa S. Williamson is a senior fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings and a senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the history of taxation in this country, why your hard-earned tax dollars are critical to a functioning democracy, and why low taxes might mean lower interest in getting your civic needs met. Her book is “The Price of Democracy: The Revolutionary Power of Taxation in American History.”  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

 There's got to be a happy medium between free-range parenting and helicoptering. Simon Lewsen writes for Maclean's, Toronto Life and Report on Business, and he teaches at the University of Toronto. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the courage parents must drum up to allow children to have age-appropriate autonomy – when they learn independence and problem-solving skills – and also where to draw the line on that freedom. His article “Is It Dangerous to Let Kids Be Free?” was published by The Walrus.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Constitutional law is a different animal than civil or criminal law — and a president can subvert it. Duncan Hosie is a fellow at Stanford Law School, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why the judicial branch shouldn't be the end game for dealing with a president's executive orders, why the legislative branch needs to get more involved, and why hoping that the Supreme Court will definitively decide hot-button issues is a mistake. His article in The New York Times is “The Courts Cannot Save Us from Trump.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Screen time and junk food offer dopamine hits — and our kids are not immune. Michaeleen Doucleff reports on children's health for NPR's science desk, and she joins guest host Courtney Collins to discuss misconceptions about dopamine, why it's making kids lonely and anxious, and ways to introduce healthier habits into your family's lifestyle. Her book is “Dopamine Kids: A Science-Based Plan to Rewire Your Child's Brain and Take Back Your Family in the Age of Screens and Ultraprocessed Foods.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Social security benefits help children and spouses survive after a death — but accessing them is a Sisyphean task. Chabeli Carrazana, The 19th's economy and childcare reporter, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how DOGE gutted the Social Security Administration so there's not enough staff to process claims, the hours on hold families must wait and how women and children are impacted disproportionately by these failures. Her article is “Widows are waiting months for the benefits meant to help them after loss.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Dutch teens with mental illness can choose to end their lives though euthanasia. Charles Lane, nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how the Netherlands came to the decision to grant assisted suicide to teenagers with parental approval, what makes a mental illness diagnosis so controversial for this method of dying and to discuss a doctor who says granting these requests is the moral option. His article “When Mentally Ill Teenagers Ask to Be Put to Death” was published in The Atlantic. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The U.S. has conducted military operations in Venezuela and Iran – will Cuba be next on the list? Jon Lee Anderson, staff writer at The New Yorker, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why Cuba was declared a threat to U.S. national security, the dire situation of its citizens now that the island nation has been cut off from supplies, and how this all compares to 1962's Cuban Missile Crisis. His article is “Is Cuba Next?” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Life-saving advancements have come a long way, but engineering artificial blood has been a challenge. Nicola Twilley is a New Yorker contributor and co-host of the podcast Gastropod. She talks to Krys Boyd about the breakthroughs — and setbacks — in the quest for artificial blood, why it's needed more than ever, and why eyes are on Big Pharma to finance it. Her article is “The Long Quest for Artificial Blood.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

 The narrative is that private companies are buying up single-family homes and driving up prices — but the data doesn't really back that idea up. Eric Levitz is a senior correspondent at Vox, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how only about a half of 1 percent of homes are owned by institutional investors, why private equity might actually keep rents down and neighborhoods more diverse, and why he feels like a new housing bill in Congress could do more harm than good. His article is “The ‘populist' crusade to make the suburbs more segregated and expensive.”  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

 Leaders of the Right say they want to re-balance higher education — but even within the ranks the movement is divided as to what that really means. Len Gutkin, editor of The Chronicle Review, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why some feel a return to the classics is a strategy to even out Left-leaning college campuses, why red-state legislatures don't feel that goes far enough, and what this argument is doing to academic freedom. His article is “The Right's Academic Civil War” was published by The Chronicle of Higher Education.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

DEI is being dismantled, what comes next for those interested in working toward equality? Kenji Yoshino is Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law at the NYU School of Law and the faculty director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why, though counterintuitive, opening programs up to all people does help minority groups, how the language of DEI backfired and how to build a “multicultural meritocracy.” His book, written with David Glasgow, is “How Equality Wins: A New Vision for an Inclusive America.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

If you were given thousands of dollars in free money to gamble, would you find yourself a little — or a lot — addicted to the games? McKay Coppins, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how his magazine gave him $10,000 to use as seed money as he explored the rise of online sports gambling, why he was surprised at how much the gambling interfered with his family life and sleep and how he received special dispensation from his church to take part in the experiment. His article is “My Year as a Degenerate Gambler.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Taxing billionaires to make up budget shortfalls is a popular idea — but maybe non-billionaires should think again? Megan McArdle is a Washington Post columnist, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why the idea of a billionaire wealth tax is generating buzz around Capitol Hill, why she feels it's a short-sided idea, and to explain just how much cash these policies would potentially generate. Her recent piece on the topic is “The myth of the billionaire wealth tax.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Plenty of crime dramas and horror films feature a psychopath on a rampage. That diagnosis, however, might be the real fiction. Rasmus Rosenberg Larsenis is assistant professor of forensic epistemology and philosophy of science at the University of Toronto Mississauga in Canada and an affiliated scientist at the National Center for Ontological Research in the U.S. He is also the author of “Psychopathy Unmasked: The Rise and Fall of a Dangerous Diagnosis.” He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why psychopathy isn't real, how that diagnosis came about, and why even serial killers don't have all the traits we assume they do. His companion piece to his book, “There are no psychopaths,” was published in Aeon. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The arguments for selling off public lands range from generating money from drilling to building housing – but it actually might be more cost effective to leave these spaces alone. Kyle Manley is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Colorado Boulder's Earth Lab. He joins host Krys Boyd to make the case for leaving public lands as-is, why plans for affordable housing are unrealistic and how we can put a dollar value on ecological impact. His article “The true worth of America's public lands” was published in Scientific American. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

If your kid has a meltdown over the shape of chicken nuggets, just know kids at the turn of the last century devoured organ meat. Helen Zoe Veit is a historian and associate professor of history at Michigan State University, where she is the director of the What America Ate and the America in the Kitchen projects. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why kids used to have a much more varied diet, the industries that created “kid food” that we now think of as standard fare and why carting around an endless supply of snacks is killing adventurous palates. Her book is called “Picky: How American Children Became the Fussiest Eaters in History.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Friendliness is a Canadian hallmark, so perhaps it's surprising that our neighbors to the north are drawing the Trump administration's ire. Drew Fagan, professor in the Monk School at the University of Toronto and a visiting professor at Yale University, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why one of our largest trading partners has found itself in the crosshairs of President Trump, what tariffs and trade deals have done to shape the relationship through the years and how Canada is responding. His article in Policy is “The Big Split: How Canada and the United States Pulled Together, Then Apart.”   Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Unraveling the history of the Jim Crow South, personal stories are interwoven with humor and heartbreak. Tayari Jones is an author and C.H. Candler Professor of English and Creative Writing at Emory University. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her new novel, which follows two young Black women – both motherless and as close as sisters – navigating the era with different trajectories. The book is called “Kin.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

There is a species of elephant that looks and behaves differently than the ones we're most familiar with — and explorers are trying to find them. Steve Boyes is a National Geographic Explorer and conservationist. He joins guest host Courtney Collins to discuss his trek into Angola to find these elusive “ghost elephants,” which are even bigger than their elephant cousins. His documentary is called “Ghost Elephants.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

 Gentle parenting indulges a child's biggest emotions – and it's wearing parents out. Monica Corcoran Harel is a journalist and screenwriter who covers culture and relationships. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her own path of gentle parenting — what she got right and what she says she realizes she did wrong — and why she feels it's difficult to set boundaries for this method of parenting, which discourages old-fashioned authoritarian rule. Her article in The Cut is “‘Because I Said So … Please?' My greatest fear is pushing my daughter away. Maybe I went too far to keep her close.”  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

As the U.S. and Israel continue to bombard Iran, concerns are rising that Iran could respond with a terrorist attack. Bruce Hoffman is Shelby Cullom and Kathryn W. Davis senior fellow for counterterrorism and homeland security at the Council on Foreign Relations. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss potential dangers the U.S. must now face in retaliation for the war in Iran, what the potential for both lone-wolf and coordinated attacks might be, and efforts at the Department of Homeland Security to identify and stop them. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

 Racist and discredited ideas behind the “Great Replacement Theory” are fueling the rise of authoritarianism across the globe. Ibram X. Kendi is professor of history and the founding director of the Howard University Institute for Advanced Study, an interdisciplinary research enterprise examining global racism. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how authoritarian leaders tap into the fears of white populations to tighten their grip on power at the expense of Black and brown people worldwide. His book is “Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age.”  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

We hear a lot about the tribulations for young men in America today, but that doesn't mean young women have it easy. Faith Hill, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the mixed messages we send young women, why their mental health is suffering and why their experience with misogyny is skyrocketing. Her article is “Young Men Aren't the Only Ones Struggling.”   Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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, staff writer for The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss President Trump's approach to dealmaking and how that influenced his decision to use military force. Plus, we'll discuss what the end goal might be, what happens if the administration doesn't achieve that on its timeline and what the president's tolerance for risk might mean for the future of this conflict. His article is “The Paradox of Trump's Iran Attack.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Raucous, alcohol-fueled parties have been around since the beginning of recorded history – and their end may be nigh. Natasha Loder, health editor for The Economist, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why consumption of alcohol worldwide is starting to wane, to take stock of the pros and cons of partaking in drink and to talk about the newest products on the market that promise an alcohol-like buzz with fewer side effects. Her article is “How humankind's 10m-year love affair with booze might end.“ Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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 and Radcliffe Fellow, joins host Krys Boyd to explore what we know about the mysteries of the conscious mind, the evolution of awareness, and ponder if A.I. could ever really know its deepest self. His book is “A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness.”   Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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, professor of behavioral science at the Warwick Business School, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the limits of what any individual can do when it comes to, say, their health or climate change and to explain why attacking systematic failures is the only way to really achieve large-scale results. His book, written with George Loewenstein, is “It's on You: How Corporations and Behavioral Scientists Have Convinced Us That We're to Blame for Society's Deepest Problems.”   Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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 University of London, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his rigorous research into racist beliefs, the results of social experiments that show how far we've moved the mark since the Civil Rights era and what we can definitively say about prejudice today. His book is “The Science of Racism: Everything You Need to Know but Probably Don't—Yet.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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 Boyd about his latest work, which takes on greed, capitalism, and questions of good and evil from the perspective of a being that must transport a soul to the afterlife—but this time encounters questions that define our modern age; Saunders also talks about how his own personal spirituality shapes his writing process. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Organizing protests on a national scale? Democrats can do that in spades. Cultivating local candidates—not so much. Charles Duhigg, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and author, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the success of Republican strategy to develop local leaders and why the Democrats have fallen behind, the difference between organizing and mobilizing, and why “all politics is local” really does win elections. His article in The New Yorker is “What MAGA Can Teach Democrats About Organizing—and Infighting.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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 Harvard-trained organizational psychologist and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss recognizing the language of cults, the us-versus-them rhetoric and lauding of charismatic leaders, to be better able to reduce their power, and why she feels every organization falls within a “spectrum of cultiness.” Her book is “The Culting of America: What Makes a Cult and Why We Love Them.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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, chief science officer of the Mind Science Foundation, adjunct lecturer at Stanford University, clinical assistant professor at SUNY Buffalo and science educator. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why, like good sleep and proper nutrition, social interaction is critical, why we need to fight the urge to socialize less, and offers tips for how to make a great first impression. His book is “Why Brains Need Friends: The Neuroscience of Social Connection.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The Smithsonian holds thousands of objects in their collection. The conversation about what to display can get contentious. Lily Meyer is a staff writer at The Atlantic and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the battles behind the scenes to tell the story of the United States, when Congress has a say in what the public sees and reads, and what the Trump administration's latest rhetoric means for the future of the museum. Her article is “The Real Fight for the Smithsonian.”   Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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 Business Administration at the Harvard Business School, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why sharing our feelings garners trust, why we're so often reluctant to let people into our lives, and why there is a cost to undersharing. Her book is “Revealing: The Underrated Power of Oversharing.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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, Executive Director of the Bush Institute and former Assistant Secretary of State, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why he thinks the U.S. should increase military assistance to Ukraine, why more pressure needs to be put on Putin, and why conceding land to Russia is not the answer to unprovoked aggression. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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 and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why the national murder rate has gone down 20 percent even with understaffed police forces around the country, the strategies being employed to patrol cities, and why a Biden-era policy might've opened a path to less crime. His article is “The Great Crime Decline Is Happening All Across the Country.”   Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Personal health information is usually considered private, but what kind of privacy should the president of the United States be afforded? Ben Terris, Washington Correspondent for New York Magazine, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss President Donald Trump, whom the White House says is incredibly healthy, even though observers point out discrepancies in their reports, and consider what is, in fact, normal aging for a 79-year-old. His article is “The Superhuman President.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Behind the very public discourse about citizenship and how to achieve it are very personal family stories. Daisy Hernandez, associate professor of creative writing at Northwestern University, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her father – a refugee from Castro's Cuba – and why we welcome some immigrants and shun others. Her book is “Citizenship: Notes on an American Myth.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, joins guest host John McCaa to discuss the strategies that expanded U.S. reach and influence, the ones that plunged us into war and conflict, and why some of the least well-known strategies became the most consequential. The Council on Foreign Relations paper is called “The 10 Best and 10 Worst U.S. Foreign Policy Decisions.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Coretta Scott King fought to end the Vietnam War because of its outsized impact on the Black community. Matthew L. Demont, Sherman Fairchild Distinguished Professor of History at Dartmouth College, joins guest host John McCaa to discuss how the lives of King and a Medal of Honor recipient intersected, the fight Black military personnel faced to gain civil rights at home, and what patriotism looked like for Black Americans fighting at home and abroad. His book is “Until the Last Gun is Silent: A Story of Patriotism, the Vietnam War, and the Fight to Save America's Soul.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The benefits of maintaining a neighborhood garden go well beyond the dinner plate. Kate Brown is distinguished professor in the history of science at MIT, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how community gardens often turned impoverished neighborhoods into thriving city centers, why they can yield sometimes more than professional farms and how they continue to build community even today. Her book is “Tiny Gardens Everywhere: The Past, Present, and Future of the Self-Provisioning City.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

A plan to end pedestrian deaths worked in Europe – why has it failed here? Rachel Weiner, local transportation reporter for The Washington Post, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why foot traffic on American streets is dangerous and why – despite an effort to curb that called Vision Zero – it's gotten worse. Her article is “America's plan to protect pedestrians failed. A young woman's death reveals why.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Walter Isaacson joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how one sentence in the Declaration of Independence set out a promise of America. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how tech is driving up electricity costs for everyone, why municipalities are scrambling to upgrade their grids, and the prospects for selling power to cities that need it most. Her article is “Big Tech's A.I. Data Centers Are Driving Up Electricity Bills for Everyone.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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 writer at The New Yorker, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the use of A.I. in medicine, whether doctors will lose the skills to properly diagnose, and how accurate these new computer-aided diagnoses actually are. His article is “If A.I. Can Diagnose Patients, What Are Doctors For?” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the rise of obituary-writing artificial intelligence, how funeral homes are eager to embrace it – and if a computer can find the right words to truly capture a human life. His article is “The rise of AI tools that write about you when you die.”  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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 provost for A.I. and technology in education at New York University, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how professors are using A.I. in the classroom and whether or not the technology gets in the way of critical thinking. His article “Is AI Enhancing Education or Replacing It?” was published in The Chronicle of Higher Education.“ Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

A.I. is becoming smarter without much help from humans, and that should worry us all. Nate Soares, president of Machine Intelligence Research Institute (MIRI), joins host Krys Boyd to discuss what happens when A.I. brain power surpasses what humans are capable of, why we don't have the technology yet to understand what we're building, and why everything will be just fine … until it isn't. His book, co-written with Eliezer Yudkowsky, is “If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: Why Superhuman AI Would Kill Us All.”This week, we're revisiting episodes that are all about A.I. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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 the University of California, Irvine. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the history of the wealth gap, why she believes politics keeps that gap alive for Black Americans and solutions that could alleviate the disparity. Her book is “The Racial Wealth Gap: A Brief History.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices