KERA's Think

It’s slimy, sticky and gross, but scientists are working hard to better understand the many important roles mucus plays in our bodies. Grace Wade is a health reporter for New Scientist, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the new world of mucus research, how it’s both a chemical and physical barrier to disease, and how our understanding of a healthy gut might be due to this substance. Her article is “Discovering the marvels of mucus is inspiring amazing new medicines.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Rising inequality is a concern for governments and everyday people – but it might be useful to put the current situation into historical perspective. Daniel Waldenstrom is professor of economics and program manager for the research program Taxes and Society at the Research Institute of Industrial Economics in Stockholm. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why understanding the metrics of measuring inequality is critical to understanding that not all people — or even countries — are being as hard hit as we might believe. Plus, we’ll talk about what might actually work to address poverty. His article in Foreign Affairs is “The Inequality Myth,” and his book published last year is “Richer and More Equal: A New History of Wealth in the West.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

President Trump is determined to shift manufacturing jobs back to American soil — but that’s a monumentally difficult task. Rachel Slade joins host Krys Boyd to discuss challenges small businesses face when they want to source American-made products, how regulation gets in the way, and why labor unions might help bring jobs back. Her book is “Making It in America: The Almost Impossible Quest to Manufacture in the U.S.A. (And How It Got That Way).” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

In the second Trump administration, competition among the U.S., China and Russia is starting to look more like collaboration. Stacie E. Goddard is Betty Freyhof Johnson ’44 Professor of Political Science and associate provost at Wellesley College. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how, despite big talk and tariffs, Trump is hoping to shift America’s foreign policy towards alliances. Her article “The Rise and Fall of Great-Power Competition” was published in Foreign Affairs." Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

With rings to track our sleep, bracelets to track our heart rate and other health gadgets, are we reaching the point of information overload? Adam Clark Estes, senior technology correspondent at Vox, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his experience wearing a multitude of health trackers – which had some benefits but also sent his anxiety levels sky high. His article is “I covered my body in health trackers for 6 months. It ruined my life.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

We’ve all been warned not to consult Dr. Google, but when you're pregnant online advice is all too available. Amanda Hess, critic at large for The New York Times, joins guest host Courtney Collins to discuss the hazards of birthing and raising children in a digital world with both helpful and harmful information at our fingertips, and how parents can cut through the online chatter. Her book is “Second Life: Having a Child in the Digital Age.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Acing that Mensa test might not be the definite sign of genius you think it is. Helen Lewis is a staff writer at The Atlantic and host of the BBC podcast series “The New Gurus” and “Helen Lewis Has Left the Chat”. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why the very idea of “genius” is a social construct, why the label excludes as much as it includes, and why it’s time to look at creativity in a new way. Her book is “The Genius Myth: A Curious History of a Dangerous Idea. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

More than a million dollars in taxpayer money was spent observing shrimp on treadmills — and it might’ve been a great investment. Carly Anne York, associate professor at Lenoir-Rhyne University, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss seemingly wacky scientific inquiries – into everything from worm blobs to elephant pee – and how they’ve yielded real breakthroughs that add to both knowledge and the economy. Her book is “The Salmon Cannon and the Levitating Frog: And Other Serious Discoveries of Silly Science.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Late-term abortions are taboo to talk about, but they may be a battleground for all abortion rights. Amy Littlefield, The Nation's abortion access correspondent, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why late-term abortions are both rare and mischaracterized, what she witnessed when she visited an abortion clinic, and where public support for these types of abortions stands now after Dobbs. Her article is “What Would It Mean to Defend All Abortions?” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is focused on addressing why nearly three percent of children are diagnosed with autism. Vox senior correspondent Dylan Scott joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why Kennedy’s inquiry may be misdirected, how he’s discounting the fact that around 80 percent of autism causes are genetic and why a smoking gun is unlikely to be found. His article is “RFK Jr. is looking in the wrong place for autism’s cause.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Sunshine might be more than a balm for the winter blues — it may also combat autoimmune diseases. Science journalist Rowan Jacobsen joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why researchers are focused on patients with multiple sclerosis and their responses to UV therapies, how these therapies might calm the immune system, and the promise this strategy holds for treating other illnesses. His article “Can Sunlight Cure Disease?” was published in Scientific American. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

From the Wright brothers to the Williams sisters – how do some families produce extraordinary siblings? New York Times Magazine staff writer Susan Dominus joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her exploration of high-achieving siblings, what their parents did right (and what you might be doing wrong), and how a little friendly competition might be a key motivator. Her book is “The Family Dynamic: A Journey Into the Mysteries of Sibling Success.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Parents are taught the warning signs for when a child is being bullied, but how do you recognize when it’s your child doing the bullying? Elizabeth Englander is executive director of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center at Bridgewater State University, professor of psychology and a founding member of the Social and Emotional Research Consortium. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why children bully, what to do to intervene and what can happen if a kid doesn’t get help. Her article “What to Do If Your Child Is the Bully” was published in Scientific American. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Attempts to moderate online hate might actually be creating more harmful content. Tamar Mitts is a professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University, where she is a faculty member at the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies, the Institute of Global Politics, and the Data Science Institute. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the difficult task of policing online hate, why content moderation isn’t working as intended, and the sites that users go to for the most extreme ideas. Her book is “Safe Havens for Hate: The Challenge of Moderating Online Extremism.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Eel smuggling is one of the most lucrative wildlife crimes — so what makes these slimy creatures so coveted? Ellen Ruppel Shell, professor emeritus of science journalism at Boston University, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss an animal that’s one of the most trafficked on Earth, a brief history of the significance of eels, and why they’re still somewhat mysterious. Her book is “Slippery Beast: A True Crime Natural History, with Eels.” This episode originally aired August 28th, 2024. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Getting eight hours of quality shuteye every night is quite literally a dream, and not everyone can achieve it. Merijn van de Laar is a sleep scientist and psychologist, and he joins guest host Courtney Collins to discuss approaching insomnia through an archaeological lens, asking how our ancestors got a good night’s rest and what they could teach us here in the modern world. His book is “How to Sleep Like a Caveman: Ancient Wisdom for a Better Night’s Rest.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The rise of athleisure wear is a signal: fitness has become a luxury industry. Cat Zhang, culture writer at the Cut, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how the pandemic propelled Americans into “performing” fitness, why it’s become a symbol of the wealthy and privileged, and how we got so competitive in the first place. Her article is “We Are Thinking About Fitness All Wrong.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Only 2-percent of Black women are physicians, which leaves millions without doctors that look like them. Uché Blackstock MD is the founder and CEO of Advancing Health Equity. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her family, her mother who was also a Harvard-trained doctor, as well as her sister, and how she’s devoted her career to understanding and addressing health inequities of different races. Her book is “Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Our genes don’t really determine how well we’ll age in later life — and that’s good news. Dr. Eric Topol is executive vice president and a professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research, the largest nonprofit biomedical institute in the United States. He’s also a practicing cardiologist, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the study of what he calls the “wellderly” – those people who age to 80 without chronic disease – and the findings that he says can help us all reach that milestone. His book is “Super Agers: An Evidence-Based Approach to Longevity.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Society expects a mother to be nurturing and attentive at all times. So what happens when mom just isn’t feeling particularly maternal? Margo Lowy, psychotherapist and contributor to Psychology Today, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the perfectly normal feelings of sometimes hating the work of motherhood, why it’s so hard to talk about it, and why more women need to open up about their unaddressed needs. Her book is “Maternal Ambivalence: The Loving Moments & Bitter Truths of Motherhood.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices