Society loves a good prodigy. But for many of us, it takes a few years wandering in the wilderness to figure out our true calling. Forbes publisher Rich Karlgaard counts himself among that group, and he joins host Krys Boyd to talk about the scientific explanation for why so many of us make something of ourselves later in life. His new book is called “Late Bloomers: The Power of Patience in a World Obsessed with Early Achievement” (Currency).

Many are so familiar with the Bible that it’s easy to forget its stories are told with some wild characters and fantastical creatures. Kristin Swenson is an associate professor of religious studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, and she joins host Krys Boyd to talk about approaching the Bible anew with a sense of wonder and context. She’s the author of “A Most Peculiar Book: The Inherent Strangeness of the Bible.”

There is a stigma around doctors who assists patients in ending their lives. But when death is inevitable, should there be an established protocol to ease suffering? Katie Engelhart is a fellow at New America, and she joins host Krys Boyd to talk about the doctors who assist patients with their own deaths and the tightrope they walk in doing so. Her article “‘I’m the Doctor Who Is Here to Help You Die’” was published in The Atlantic.

If you've ever wondered how Krys chooses who she talks to or what she wants to talk about, this is your chance to find out. Every weekend Krys will share highlights from the conversations she had that week and offer a behind the scenes look at the creation process of Think. On this week’s episode: when lying to ourselves can be good and when losing sight of the truth has big consequences.

The mind is capable of wonderful and amazing feats to help us through both the mundane and challenging aspects of life. This hour, we’ll talk with a sleep expert about how the mind uses dreaming to process day-to-day events and prepare us for the future; we’ll learn how seeing “ghosts” might actually be a by-product of processing grief, and we’ll explore ways to cultivate the mind in order to achieve peak performance.

From the beginning of the Covid outbreak, nurses have struggled with brutally long shifts, limited supplies of PPE and a frustrating inability to save the dying. And now, many are walking away from a profession that once felt like a calling. Theresa Brown is a nurse and author, and she joins host Krys Boyd to talk about the nurses charged with healing despite a lack of support and how, even as the demand for care skyrockets, the nation faces a severe nursing shortage. Her article “Covid-19 Is ‘Probably Going to End My Career’” was published in The New York Times.

Even in the world of competitive bodybuilding, looking girlish is paramount—and that’s pretty old-fashioned for such a modern sport. Petra Browne joins host Krys Boyd to talk about her own journey into the world of competitive bodybuilding, why exceptional power must come with weight loss, and how traditional female roles still reign supreme in a boundary-breaking sport. Her article “The Feminine Physique” was published in Believer magazine.

Little white lies are the ones we tell to shield ourselves and others from emotional fallout. And their benefits may extend beyond saving a little heartache. Shankar Vedantam, host of the podcast “Hidden Brain,” joins host Krys Boyd to talk about the myriad ways we lie to ourselves on a daily basis and how that might actually help lead to a much happier life. His book is “Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain.”

In post-war America, building a nuclear family was paramount, which meant unmarried pregnant women were often pushed to give up children, whether they wanted to or not. Gabrielle Glaser joins host Krys Boyd to tell the story of how a system of closed adoptions across the nation operated on shifty moral ground and separated mother from child in the name of a wholesome environment. Her book is “American Baby: A Mother, a Child, and the Shadow History of Adoption.”

In 2012, a handwritten note fell out of store-bought Halloween decorations, and a hidden world connecting cheap goods to slave-labor camps unfolded. Journalist Amelia Pang joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the extraordinary discovery that led to an international outcry – and about why we should re-examine what we’re willing to pay for products. Her book is called “Made in China: A Prisoner, an SOS Letter, and the Hidden Cost of America’s Cheap Goods.”