As the world goes electric, drilling for fossil fuels will increasingly be replaced by digging for metals. Journalist and author Vince Beiser joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the increased demand for cobalt, nickel, copper and other metals to fuel everything from batteries to the wires that transfer energy – and how access to those resources feeds geopolitical relationships. His book is “Power Metal: The Race for the Resources That Will Shape the Future.”

After polls teased a close presidential race, swing-state votes offered a sharp rebuke to the Democratic party. Wall Street Journal reporter Ken Thomas joins host Krys Boyd to discuss what some Democratic strategists are calling a disaster for the party, why the Left’s cultural issues aren’t bringing in the votes, and who the party might turn to next. His article, written with Annie Linskey, is “Harris’s Loss Triggers Soul-Searching, Recriminations Within Democratic Party.”

If you’re someone who always thinks the sky is falling, chances are you’re not very happy. Jamil Zaki, professor of psychology at Stanford University and the director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why cynicism leads to not only a more dismal outlook on life, but deleterious health effects. Plus we’ll hear why a little dose of hope can inject joy into everyday living. Zaki’s book is “Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness.”This episode originally aired on September 6, 2024.

Waves of Black progress have historically been accompanied by waves of significant backlash. Anthony Walton is a poet, professor and the writer-in-residence at Bowdoin College, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why gains in Black life have so often come with periods of reckoning, why racial trauma in this country so often repeats itself, and why the country wasn’t prepared for its first Black president. His book is “The End of Respectability: Notes of a Black American Reckoning With His Life and His Nation.”

 What exactly are we missing out on when we only experience something online rather than IRL? Christine Rosen is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a columnist for Commentary magazine, senior editor at the New Atlantis and fellow at the University of Virginia’s Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the lure of the digital world, with its ease and convenience, and the physical and personal connections we leave behind when we choose a contactless experience. Her book is “The Extinction of Experience: Being Human in a Disembodied World."   

For years, we worried about overpopulation, but the reality is now there aren’t enough babies being born to replace a greying population across the globe. Nicholas Eberstadt is Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss depopulation occurring on five continents, why pro-natal programs cost a lot but aren’t seeing results, and what this means for how we measure economic growth in the future. His article “The Age of Depopulation” was published in Foreign Affairs.  

Jasmine Rashid is a financial activist and Director of Impact for Candide Group. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why taboo discussions about wealth and money need to happen for social change, how shopping small businesses can put pressure on multi-national corporations, and her easy how-to guide for a budding activist that starts with pinching pennies. Her book is “The Financial Activist Playbook: 8 Strategies for Everyday People to Reclaim Wealth and Collective Well-Being.”

Elizabeth Rosner, a talented novelist, poet, and essayist, explores the profound difference between hearing and listening. She shares her journey of discovering the art of listening, shaped by her family's experiences as Holocaust survivors. The conversation delves into how cultural dynamics influence our communication styles and the inner peace that comes from self-listening. Rosner also reflects on the intricacies of language in relationships and the empathetic nature of listening, especially in times of personal loss.

Think of students who made it into the Ivy League — can you believe some of them made it there without ever actually finishing reading a book. Rose Horowitch, assistant editor at The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why top students are complaining about having to read books for college classes, how testing culture has contributed to this problem, and what this means for developing critical thinking skills. Her article is “The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books.”

It’s Election Day, and the votes are being tabulated. So how can we know the counts are accurate and the data is safe? Derek Tisler, counsel in the elections and government program at the nonpartisan Brennan Center, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss election tabulation and security, why we might not know the official winner on election night, and what makes new technology so effective in counting votes.