KERA's Think

To set some world records, you need buy-in from a lot of people – and it’s harder than you might think to get thousands together just to play a kazoo. Lauren Larson, senior staff writer at Texas Monthly magazine, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the difficulty of setting wacky world records today, when lackadaisical participants prefer to stay at home post-lockdown and Guiness Book of World Records rules are stringent. Her article is “They Want You to Get Off Your Couch, and Go Set a World Record” was published in The New York Times Magazine. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Former CDC director and now CEO of Resolve to Save Lives Dr. Tom Frieden joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why we need the political will to transform an ailing system. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

An at home DNA test might be a fun window into the past, but they can go sideways — so much so that a cottage industry has sprung up to deal with the fallout. Jennifer Wilson is a staff writer at The New Yorker, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss when home DNA kits like 23andMe reveal paternity secrets, children who feel like this new information has led to a “re-birth” and why anger is fueling a call for paternity testing at birth. Her article is “The Family Fallout of DNA Surprises.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Did you know that the outfit you are wearing right now is a leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions? Laila Petrie, director general of the charity Future Earth Lab, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss what counts as sustainable in the fashion industry – where greenwashing is rampant – and how fast fashion contributes to climate change. Her article in Scientific American is “How to Be a Smarter Fashion Consumer in a World of Overstated Sustainability.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Both the left and right have failed to craft policies that end gun violence — so what might work? Jens Ludwig is a professor of public policy at the University of Chicago, where he also directs the school’s crime lab. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how behavioral economics offers insight into what works to curb gun homicides. His new book is “Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Our current loneliness epidemic may seem insurmountable, but solutions to overcome the problem are out there. This episode, host Krys Boyd talks with three experts who take on loneliness head on, from why it’s so hard to address, to ways to use our creativity to connect with others, to a guide for making and keeping friends. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Today’s Silicon Valley is far from the tech utopia many of us may still have in our minds. Mike Isaac, Silicon Valley and technology reporter for The New York Times, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the transformation of the cushy Silicon Valley work style to a more serious tone where A.I. dominates the conversation, how the pandemic changed the work vibes there, and why it might be a harbinger for how we will all work in the near future. His article is “Silicon Valley Is in Its ‘Hard Tech’ Era.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

For people seeking to lose weight, Ozempic can seem like a dream drug — but it doesn’t work for everyone. Andrea Javor is a freelance writer, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her journey using Ozempic, the disappointment that came when the scale didn’t budge for her, and why doctors think GLP-1s can regulate diabetes without the weight loss. Her article “Ozempic didn’t work for me. I was furious – and ashamed” was published by The Guardian. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Grammar hounds might despise it, but “like” is both ubiquitous and necessary in our everyday speech. Megan C. Reynolds, editor at Dwell magazine, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss one little word that defines so much of modern speech: like – from approval on social media to, like, the way we all casually talk today – and why we should all give it a second look. Her book is “Like: A History of the World’s Most Hated (and Misunderstood) Word.” 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).” This episode originally aired June, 6th 2025. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Happiness may feel elusive, but there are some proven strategies to get you there. Arthur C. Brooks is Parker Gilbert Montgomery Professor at the Harvard Kennedy School and a professor of management practice at Harvard Business School. He is also a columnist at The Atlantic, where he writes the weekly “How to Build a Life” column. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss a compendium of his columns about the pursuit of happiness, how we can conquer our worries, and when it’s time to stop pursuing perfection. His book is “The Happiness Files: Insights on Work and Life.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

For the first time in decades, the U.S. is facing a brain drain of the nation’s top researchers and scientists. Ross Anderson, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how Trump administration funding cuts, ideological stances and immigration crackdowns are opening up opportunities for foreign countries to offer well-equipped labs and academic havens for top researchers – and what that means for the future of science in the U.S. His article is “Every Scientific Empire Comes to an End.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

One in 20 deaths in Canada are the result of Medical Assistance in Dying, the country’s legalized euthanasia. Elaina Plott Calabro, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why the MAID law has made medically assisted death more common than Alzheimer’s and diabetes deaths combined, why that’s taken advocates by surprise, and why patients say they prefer to die in this manner. Her article is “Canada Is Killing Itself.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Attorneys who practice immigration law have been busy with the Trump administration’s policies. Tekendra Parmar joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how immigration attorneys are approaching their workload now that stricter regulations and procedures are in place, the types of immigration practices that have sprung up to help confused clients, and why it’s so hard to gain legal status in the U.S. His article “The Tricky Business of Being an Immigration Attorney in 2025” was published by Inc. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

If the 9-to-5 grind gets you down, maybe it’s time to do more with your life. Rutger Bregman, historian and co-founder of The School for Moral Ambition, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why so many people feel like their jobs don’t make a difference in the world and how we can instead use our talent and education to focus on the world’s biggest problems. His book is “Moral Ambition: Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The modern notion of the ideal man involves a lot of lean muscle mass — but why does our culture demand so much bulk from men whose lives for the most part no longer revolve around manual labor? Washington Post classical music critic Michael Andor Brodeur is a lifelong lifter, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his examination of modern masculinity, why the gym took over after the Industrial Revolution, and what building muscle means for healthy — or unhealthy — identities. His book is “Swole: The Making of Men and the Meaning of Muscle.” This episode originally aired June 21st, 2024. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

There’s a cottage industry of self-help books for dealing with a narcissist. But what if you are the narcissist? Nick Keppler joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how narcissistic personality disorder is diagnosed, the people who genuinely want to change and why we find it so hard to offer compassion to this subset of mental illness. His article “Narcissists Aren’t Really So Bad. Just Ask These Narcissists” was published in Slate. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The “Big, Beautiful Bill” promised no tax on tips, but that might actually keep service-industry wages lower. Eyal Press is a contributing writer for The New Yorker, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why restaurant owners will benefit most from eliminating income taxes on tips, why the minimum wage for restaurant workers is so incredibly low and the powerful lobby that is pushing this issue. His article is “Check Your Bill.” 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

More than 44,000 flights take off and land daily in the U.S., which means we need air traffic controllers more than ever. Washington Post transportation reporter Ian Duncan joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why the rates of completion for federally funded FAA training programs are so low, the toxic culture in air traffic controller apprenticeships, and what needs to be done to retain more people in these critical positions. His article is “‘College hazing’ or training? Amid shortage, air traffic recruits wash out.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices