Think from KERA

The search for life outside our planet can be seen as a yearning to find out what makes us human. Adam Kirsch is a poet, literary critic and senior editor at The Atlantic, and he joins guest host Paige Phelps to discuss the search for life in the cosmos —both UFOs and the scientific hunt for biological matter outside our universe — and what happens to our collective trust when we don’t find it. His book is “We Want to Believe: How Aliens Went Mainstream and Why It Matters.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Companies looking to expand in the Chinese market face a looming problem: intellectual property theft. Wall Street Journal reporter Jon Emont joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the example of Driscoll’s berries, which sought to corner the Asian market with a new fruit there but found its plant cuttings stolen and greenhouse growing methods copied. His article is “Driscoll’s Gave China Its Blueberries—Then China Swiped the Secret to Growing Them.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Whether you notice it or not, you speak with an accent. Valerie Fridland, professor of linguistics in the English Department at the University of Nevada, Reno, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how accents from the Southern drawl to the California Valley Girl came to be, why accents are key to culture, and why, in our mass media world, some are fading away. Her book is “Why We Talk Funny: The Real Story Behind Our Accents.”This episode originally aired, May 11th, 2026. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

When DOGE slashed and burned the federal workforce, those who stood up to the carnage were called “Blockers.” Best-selling author Michael Lewis joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the people who called out illegality and were punished for it, the haphazard ways DOGE went about cutting jobs, and why he feels all of it was a distraction from a larger power grab by the White House. His book is “Blockers: Rebels in the Deep State.” 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.”This episode originally aired, September 9th 2025. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

There is a growing number of people who think studying ghosts or alien abductions should be serious science. Journalist Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling joins host Krys Boyd to discuss a pushback against the scientific establishment, what our affinity for storytelling has to do with our long-held beliefs, and why the paranormal might need to be taken seriously in the future. His book is “The Ghost Lab: How Bigfoot Hunters, Mediums, and Alien Enthusiasts Are Wrecking Science.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

As President Trump threatens Iranian annihilation today, there was actually another nuclear threat there in the 1980s, thwarted by a Russian spy. Ben McIntyre, writer-at-large for The Times (UK), joins guest host John McCaa to discuss the man with the code name “Redwood,” how he was key to avoiding nuclear disaster when the Russians and Americans were strategizing what to do after the Iranian Revolution, and the reasons he was ready to leave the KGB. His book is “Redwood: The Untold Story of the Cold War’s Most Extraordinary Spy.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

After devastating floods, fires, heat and hurricanes changed their lives, a support group was formed to connect families affected by climate change. David Gelles is a correspondent for The New York Times on the climate desk, where he leads the Climate Forward newsletter and event series. He joins guest host Courtney Collins to discuss Extreme Weather Survivors, a nationwide support group for families upended by climate disasters that’s grown to 2,500 people, how the network helps survivors navigate red tape and insurance woes and how they plan to use their collective power to lobby congress. His article is “Six Strangers Connected by Disaster.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

When we hold up our phones to film a concert for our feeds, we’re not just capturing the action, we’re signaling to followers who we are. Kathryn Jezer-Morton is author of the biweekly Brooding column at The Cut, and she joins guest host Courtney Collins to discuss how capturing content shapes the way we view ourselves, how we store our histories through social media and how we’re changing the way we behave to better fit the algorithm. Her book is “The Story of Your Life: How Social Media Shapes the Way We Experience Everything.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Slowly, and at the grassroots level, election deniers have cemented power over federal, state and local elections. Atlantic staff writer Toluse Olorunnipa joins host Krys Boyd to discuss efforts to sew doubt into the election process and concerns about a smooth midterm election in November. His article is “The Election Deniers’ Long Game.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Prices on just about everything are up – so where is all of that extra money going? Lindsay Owens, president and CEO of the Groundwork Collaborative, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how companies often band together to bump up prices, how surveillance technology boosts revenues and how hidden fees pad corporate bottom lines. Her book is “Gouged: The End of a Fair Price – and What That Means for Your Wallet.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

One thing winners have in common: they know when to quit. Lindsay Crouse is an author, producer, and journalist. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the courage it takes to let go and change course, why building up “strategic quitting” is a skill, and when you know that a job or a relationship or a goal is no longer serving you. Her book is “The Case for Quitting: The Surprising Benefits of Opting Out – Revolutionary Strategies for Personal Growth and Shifting Your Mindset on Success.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

It’s big business to sell us meditation and mindfulness, but there are significant side effects no one is talking about. Olga Khazan, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why a study showed 10% of meditators experience some adverse effect from their practice, why some people should consult mental health professionals before a long meditation retreat, and why this research is unpopular in the mindfulness community. Her article is “The Dark Side of Mindfulness.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices