KERA's Think

A year ago, two dire wolf puppies were born — the first ones in more than 10,000 years. Matt James, chief animal officer for Colossal Biosciences, joins host Krys Boyd to talk about the company’s success bringing back the dire wolf in what it calls a de-extinction process, why he feels inaction on conservation outweighs the risk of Colossal’s work, and plans the company has to bring back the wooly mammoth and other long-extinct animals. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

In the 1970s, President Richard Nixon declared a “war on cancer.” Today, President Trump seems to be winding it down. Jonathan Mahler, staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how Trump administration efforts to target suspected waste and abuse have shut down vital cancer research, how government funding helped make enormous strides in cancer survival rates, and what happens to patients who find themselves sick with a diagnosis now. His article is “Trump Is Shutting Down the War On Cancer.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

 What we prioritize in our cities impacts how we work, live and play. In this episode, host Krys Boyd talks to three experts about creating a walkable city, how zoning codes are quietly shaping your daily life, and the ways that urban green spaces can promote biodiverse wildlife.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

 To find the most reliably conservative area of the United States, look no further than West Texas. Jeff Roche, professor of American history at the College of Wooster in Ohio, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how “cowboy conservativism” spread across the nation, its origins in Christian settlers to the region, and how the towns located in the rural plains influence the rest of the nation. His book is “The Conservative Frontier: Texas and the Origins of the New Right.”  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

 Self-driving cars are coming for American roadways, and cities better get prepared. David Zipper is a senior fellow at the MIT Mobility Initiative, where he examines the interplay between transportation policy and technology. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the benefits and drawbacks of autonomous vehicles, why we might not need those colossal parking lots and ways cities can recoup some of the costs these driverless cars incur. His article for Vox is “A self-driving car traffic jam is coming for U.S. cities.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jane Goodall, the renowned primatologist and conservationist who deepened our understanding of chimpanzees, died this week at the age of 91. In 2016, she spoke with host Krys Boyd about her life’s work, her secret to achieving a global reach, and her “Damascus moment” that changed her career trajectory forever.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

 One solution to a dearth of housing units is to build them more efficiently. Henry Grabar is a staff writer at Slate, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss new, pre-fabricated housing options. That includes not only mobile homes, but also single-family units and even apartment buildings. Plus, we’ll hear how builders are hoping to streamline construction to have homes up in not months, but days. His article is “The Solution to America’s Housing Crisis Might Be Built in a Factory.”  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

If A.I. can write a song with just you in mind, will you still be able to share that musical experience with others? Joshua Rothman, a staff writer for The New Yorker, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss what happens to culture when we rely on A.I. to generate visual art or music, what it means for engaging in difficult subjects, and what machine-generated art means for our very human desires. His article is “A.I. Is Coming for Culture.”  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Gen X kids were left to their own devices as latchkey kids. Now they’re raising Gen Z, and it’s definitely not as freewheeling. David French is an opinion columnist at The New York Times, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the over-parenting of Gen X – including constant monitoring and check-ins with teachers – and the anxiety showing up in Gens Z and Alpha. His essay in The Times is “How Did the Latchkey Kids of Gen X Become the Helicopter Parents of Gen Z?”  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The phrase “Black girl magic” has deep roots in enslaved women’s lives. Lindsey Stewart is associate professor of philosophy at the University of Memphis, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the medicine that stemmed from African traditions that was often more trusted than white doctors’ advice, how this magic was passed down through generations, and how it endures today. Her book is “The Conjuring of America: Mojos, Mermaids, Medicine, and 400 Years of Black Women’s Magic.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices