The absence of some annoying bugs isn’t necessarily disturbing …  but the loss of a lot of insects is a problem. Oliver Milman, an environment reporter for The Guardian, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the collapse of the insect world, how insects connect intrinsically to the human world, and why our planet will be in peril without them. He is the author of “The Insect Crisis: The Fall of the Tiny Empires That Run the World.”

Scholarly understanding of how the first humans populated the Americas 20,000 years ago is still evolving. University of Kansas anthropologist Jennifer Raff joins host Krys Boyd to discuss new research into early migration patterns and what it says about human history. Her book is “Origin: A Genetic History of the Americas.”

Our brains are wired to seek pleasure – but they aren’t always great at anticipating the pain that pleasure can lead to. Dr. Anna Lembke is a medical director of Stanford Addiction Medicine, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the neuroscience of pleasure, why our bodies crave it, and the consequences of overconsumption. Her book is “Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence.”

Religious scholars and artists alike have collectively pondered for centuries: What does God look like? Francesca Stavrakopoulou, professor of Hebrew Bible and ancient religion at the University of Exeter, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her research specifically of the Bible to arrive at a portrait of a complex god whose appearance was shaped by early worshipers. Her book is called “God: An Anatomy.”

The Underground Railroad ferried enslaved people to the North, but turning south to Mexico provided opportunity for freedom, too. Alice L. Baumgartner is assistant professor of history at the University of Southern California, and she joins guest host John McCaa to discuss her research into the thousands who made their way south of the border, where slavery was outlawed, and where the formerly enslaved could hope to find independence and agency. Her book is called “Runaway Slaves to Mexico and the Road to the Civil War.”

What if there is no return to the normal we lived before the pandemic? And what if Covid is here to stay? Katherine Wu covers science for The Atlantic, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss what an endemic future might look like — the possibilities vary — and how humans will need to learn to co-exist with this virus. Her article, co-written with Jacob Stern, is “Endemicity Is Meaningless.”

Can an introvert simply decide one day to become an extrovert? What about willing yourself to happiness? Atlantic staff writer Olga Khazan joins host Krys Boyd to talk about her quest to change five traits of her personality: extroversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, openness and neuroticism, and the lessons she learned along the way. Her recent essay about the experience is headlined “My Personality Transplant.”

For some couples, a relationship isn’t restricted to just two people. Rachel Krantz is a founding editor of Bustle, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss navigating her relationship with a partner who preferred non-monogamy and the emotional journey she’s walked in her search for connection inside an open relationship. Her book is called “Open: An Uncensored Memoir of Love, Liberation, and Non-Monogamy.”

We look to the stars and maps to navigate, but it’s the higher functions of our minds that make it possible. Neuroscientist Christopher Kemp joins host Krys Boyd to discuss our brain’s ability to orient ourselves in space and find our way through a confusing world. His book is called “Dark and Magical Places: The Neuroscience of Navigation.”

We know we need to put on our running shoes and hit the pavement, but staying in bed is so much more attractive. Blame evolution. Daniel E. Lieberman, professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard University, joins host Krys Boyd to talk about why we exercise and how that’s changed, the myths and realities of its benefits, and helpful motivations for getting off the couch. His book is “Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do is Healthy and Rewarding.”

This episode originally aired Jan. 4, 2021.