Kera's Think

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