Podcast
Think from KERA
Hosted by KERA · EN
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.
62episodes
Episodes
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Should your pet be in hospice?
2d ago00:45:47Tap to summarizeHospice care is a good option for dying loved ones so why not pets? Dr. Sunita Puri is the author of “That Good Night: Life and Medicine in the Eleventh Hour.” She’s also the program director of the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship at the University of Massachusetts Chan School of Medicine, where she is an associate professor of clinical medicine. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss end-of-life care for beloved animals, when to know whether painful treatments are the right option and the emotional decisions pet parents must go through. Her article “When Should You Say Goodbye to a Pet?” was published in The New Yorker. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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India’s population boom goes bust
3d ago00:46:19Tap to summarizeIndia has claimed the world’s largest population since 2023 but that is going to change fast. Tom Sasse, South Asia Bureau Chief for The Economist, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why a decline in birth rates will hinder future growth, why India might not be able to achieve the wealth of other industrialized countries, and why attracting new immigrants might be the solution. His article is “India’s population will soon be falling probably quite fast.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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Is modern politics beyond satire?
4d ago00:46:46Tap to summarizeHow do you write satire about an administration that is already over the top? Award-winning author Ben Fountain joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his wild new novel in which a pro-wrestler holds almost magical powers that captivate crowds. And that puts him at odds with a very narcissistic, bombastic president. We’ll hear how the current political moment is both sad and funny Fountain’s book is “Rasputin Swims the Potomac.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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The U.S. state that could have been a Black utopia
1w ago00:46:41Tap to summarizeAfter the promises of Reconstruction began to wither, Black Americans searched for freedom in radically different locales. Caleb Gayle is a journalist, author and professor at Northeastern University, and he is also a contributing writer at The New York Times Magazine. He joins guest host John McCaa to tell the story of Edward McCabe, who made it his life’s work to set up a Black state in Oklahoma. His book is “Black Moses: A Saga of Ambition and the Fight for a Black State.” This episode airs December 10th, 2026. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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The DOD’s war on diversity
1w ago00:46:22Tap to summarizeDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth has again blocked promotions for Black servicemen a pattern within the administration. Clint Smith, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his interviews with dozens of enlisted and civilian Black servicemembers who feel the accomplishments of Black servicemembers are being erased by the military and what that means for the how we tell the story of Black service in America. His article is “The Betrayal of Black Patriots.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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Is heterosexuality over?
1w ago00:46:22Tap to summarizeDating should be fun, but single, straight people are finding it a drudgery or even worse cringe. Magdalene J. Taylor, senior editor at Playboy, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss “heteropessimism” where straight people don’t have positive feelings about playing the field why men label women as self-absorbed and women call men “toxic,” and why we need to turn these ideas on their heads. Her essay “There’s Nothing Wrong With Wanting Men” was published in The New York Times. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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Did we evolve to be selfish ?
1w ago00:45:42Tap to summarizeThe common evolutionary question centers around nature vs. nurture, but maybe we should be asking if we are designed to cooperate or compete? Jonathan R. Goodman is a social scientist based at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the University of Cambridge and is the author of “Invisible Rivals: How We Evolved to Compete in a Cooperative World.” He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss Darwinian survival vs. species interdependence, what makes us either selfless or selfish and how humans respond in real-world situations that test these theories. His article in Aeon is “How selfish are we?” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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The city through the eyes of a garbage collector
2w ago00:45:08Tap to summarizeImagine what you can learn about a city by picking up the garbage of the people who live there. Simon Paré-Poupart, a sociologist and garbageman in Montreal, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his life on the back of a garbage truck, why he prefers the term G-men to garbagemen, and the people who are called to do this dirty job well and with pride. His book is “Trash!: A Garbageman’s Story,” and his companion piece in Harper’s is “The Conscience of the City.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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The secular saints of Civil Rights
2w ago00:46:31Tap to summarizeIn many Black households of yesteryear, portraits of Martin Luther King, Jr. hung alongside pictures of John F. Kennedy and Jesus. Sharron Wilkins Conrad, fellow at Southern Methodist University’s Center for Presidential History, joins guest host John McCaa to discuss how Black families viewed martyred leaders who advocated for change and how that respect didn’t extent to President Johnson, who was tasked with actually passing Civil Rights legislation. Her book is “The Trinity: John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Civil Rights in African American Memory.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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Soccer is expensive, but it doesn’t make money
2w ago00:45:55Tap to summarizeSoccer has a massive following around the world. So why do teams lose money? Stefan Szymanski is professor of sport management at the University of Michigan and a leading sports economist. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why, with all the money and sponsorships and hype around professional soccer teams, they operate on thin margin and how “moneyball” style analytics could change the game. His book, written with co-author Simon Kuper, is “Soccernomics (2026 World Cup Edition): Why European Men and American Women Usually Winand American Men Don’t (Yet).” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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