The Globe’s Brian Bergstein will be joining Say More about once a month to host conversations about artificial intelligence, with the aim of asking big questions and getting past the hype. This week, Brian speaks to MIT professor Manolis Kellis about the ways AI is decoding DNA and transforming medical research. They discuss the exponential pace of technological progress, the true nature of intelligence, and why no one should fear AI taking their job. Email us at [email protected].

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While many Nobel Prize winners specialize in abstract corners of science, this year’s winners of the medicine award innovated something we can all appreciate. Dr. Drew Weissman and Dr. Katalin Karikó developed the RNA science behind vaccines that saved countless lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. Poorly funded and ignored for decades, their work is now spurring a revolution in medicine. Shirley Leung talks to Drew about his Nobel win, what he’s learned about vaccine hesitancy, and how his RNA discovery is leading to new vaccines and therapeutics to treat HIV, influenza, and other infectious diseases. Email us at [email protected]. 

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Author Ben Mezrich has made a career of writing books that become movies. He’s drawn to characters with big bank accounts and messy lives. His latest book, “Breaking Twitter: Elon Musk and the Most Controversial Corporate Takeover in History,” was ripped right from the headlines. Ben talks to host Shirley Leung about Musk’s dramatic demise after buying Twitter, and how Musk’s behavior on the social media site undermined his otherwise revolutionary work. Email us at [email protected].

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The holiday season is upon us, which means the social pressure to shop is relentless — especially for clothes. But this week’s guest on Say More says we should think before we buy, for the sake of the planet. Globe Opinion Columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr has published a new series on the unsustainability of the fashion industry and what consumers can do about it. Kimberly is a clothing designer herself, and sewing in her DNA. She talks to Shirley Leung about her personal journey with textiles and the solutions that inspire her most. Email us at [email protected].

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The Big Dig took Boston apart and put it back together again. It buried a highway and redrew the map of downtown. The project was delayed for years and went billions of dollars over budget, making it a national laughingstock. But this week on Say More, guest Ian Coss tells host Shirley Leung that the Big Dig might not wholly deserve its reputation as a massive boondoggle. He says the Big Dig was also a revelation of city planning and should be an inspiration as the US modernizes its infrastructure to confront climate change. Ian Coss is host of the new podcast “The Big Dig” from GBH news and PRX. Email us at [email protected].

Listen to “The Big Dig” podcast here: https://www.wgbh.org/podcasts/the-big-dig

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November is Hip-Hop History Month. Boston is not exactly famous for its contributions to Black music and culture. If anything, many people associate the city with rock — and racism. But music historian and writer Dart Adams says Boston has long had a flourishing Black music scene, producing icons like Donna Summer and game-changing groups like New Edition. This week on Say More, in honor of hip-hop’s 50th birthday, Dart shares the vibrant history of the Boston scene. Email us at [email protected].

Tracks on today’s episode: 

The Message by Grandmaster Flash,

Energy by Sampa the Great,

California Love by 2Pac ft. Dr. Dre,

Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z,

Vamos by The Pixies,

Believe Dat! by Gang Starr,

Last Dance by Donna Summer,

Candy Girl by New Edition,

Good Vibrations by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch,

Speak Upon It by Ed O.G. and Da Bulldogs,

I Got to Have It by Ed O.G. and Da Bulldogs,

Nayborhood Healer by Nay Speaks.

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The Globe’s Brian Bergstein will be joining Say More about once a month to host conversations  about artificial intelligence, with the aim of asking big questions and getting past the hype. This week, Brian speaks to computer scientist Joy Buolamwini about her new book, “Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What Is Human in a World of Machines.” Buolamwini says technology that has a harder time recognizing Black faces should not be used by our government, and that the solution to AI bias is not “more AI.” She also talks about the organization she founded, the Algorithmic Justice League, and what she calls the “poetry of code.” Email us at [email protected].

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The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has raged for decades, but this time it’s different. The brutal killing of more than 1,400 Israelis by Hamas has shocked the country, precipitating a relentless counterattack by the Israeli military, which has killed thousands and displaced a million people in Gaza. The US has always had a central role in the conflict, and many are asking how that role should evolve. To get past the daily headlines, Say More’s Shirley Leung speaks to two people with deep knowledge of the issue. First, Nadav Tamir, the former Israeli consul general to New England. He is now the director of J Street Israel, a nonprofit that organizes Americans to support peace and democracy in Israel. Then, Rashid Khalidi, a Middle East historian at Columbia University and author of the book “The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine.” Email us at [email protected].

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For generations, the car has been a powerful emblem of American freedom. Now, with self-driving cars, freedom means letting robots do the work. Relying on a web of sensors, radar, and artificial intelligence, driverless vehicles are currently navigating cities like San Francisco, Phoenix, and Las Vegas. But are they safe? Can they actually do a better job than us? Laura Major, chief technology officer of Motional, a Boston-based autonomous vehicle company, joins us to talk about the promise of driverless technology and why Boston’s gnarly streets (and drivers) make it the perfect testing ground. Email us at [email protected].

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The messaging platform Slack has become an indelible part  of the modern workplace. Since the start of the pandemic, the company’s rise feels intertwined with the seismic changes in how we work and communicate — so much so that Slack, like Google, is now widely understood as a verb. This week, Say More’s Shirley Leung speaks to Slack CEO Lidiane Jones about how technology is reshaping the workplace and what it means for the future of work. Lidiane also talks about her childhood growing up in Brazil, meeting Steve Jobs in the Apple cafeteria, and getting hired for an executive position while seven months pregnant. Email us at [email protected].

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