From December 23rd to January 1st, we will be showcasing our most notable conversations of the year. Today's show: Humans have always searched for greater meaning in the universe … and sometimes that translates into a serious, lifelong pursuit of Bigfoot. Colin Dickey joins host Krys Boyd to talk about why irrational ideas hold so much sway over us. His new book is “The Unidentified: Mythical Monsters, Alien Encounters, and Our Obsession with the Unexplained.”

From December 23rd to January 1st, we will be showcasing our most notable conversations of the year. Today's show: For fictional Asian-American character Willis Wu, the magic of Tinseltown is his ticket from obscurity to his ultimate goal: the next “Kung Fu Guy.” Charles Yu, author and writer for shows on FX, AMC and HBO, joins guest host Courtney Collins to discuss his book “Interior Chinatown: A Novel.” It’s a finalist for the 2020 National Book Award for fiction and has drawn praise for its story-within-a-story construction.

From December 23rd to January 1st, we will be showcasing our most notable conversations of the year. Today's guest: Eugenia Cheng. What if gender equality was just a math problem we haven’t yet solved? Eugenia Cheng is Scientist in Residence at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a math professor at the University of Sheffield, and she joins host Krys Boyd to talk about taking mathematical concepts and applying them to an issue we’ve wrestled with throughout human history. Her new book is called “X+Y: A Mathematician’s Manifesto for Rethinking Gender.”

From December 23rd to January 1st, we will be showcasing our most notable conversations of the year. Today's show: Colson Whitehead’s latest novel is based on a real juvenile detention reformatory in 1960s Florida. He joins host Krys Boyd to talk about his story of two boys, bound by the trauma around them as they swing between hope and cynicism. Earlier this year, “The Nickel Boys” earned Whitehead his second Pulitzer Prize.

From December 23rd to January 1st, we will be showcasing our most notable conversations of the year. Today's show: Inside our individual worlds we’re asking, “when will this all end?” The answer, at least when it comes to the actual universe, is give or take a couple billion years. North Carolina State University theoretical astrophysicist Katie Mack joins host Krys Boyd to talk about the math, science and mystery that allows space to predict our demise back here on Earth. Her book is “The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking).”

From December 23rd to January 1st, we will be showcasing our most notable conversations of the year. Today's show: Susan Choi’s “Trust Exercise: A Novel” was a runaway hit last year, delighting readers and critics all the way to a National Book Award. She joins host Krys Boyd to talk about her story of how power shifts back and forth between students and teachers at a performing arts high school. The book is also known for a rather big twist – no spoilers here!

From December 23rd to January 1st, we will be showcasing our most notable conversations of the year. Today’s show: Breathing is a fundamental part of life – and yet we’re still figuring out how to get better at it. Science writer James Nestor joins host Krys Boyd to talk about how clues can be found not in research labs, but in choir rooms, smoggy streets and even centuries-old breathing practices. His new book is called “Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art.”

From December 23rd to January 1st, we will be showcasing our most notable conversations of the year. Today’s show: New Yorker staff writer Lawrence Wright was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for “The Looming Tower,” his nonfiction book chronicling the rise of al-qaeda. And with a new novel, he’s once again chillingly prescient. Wright joins host Krys Boyd to talk about his fiction focused on a pandemic upending the world, written months and months before our current crisis. The book is called “The End of October: A Novel.”

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: a celebration of proud nerds everywhere.

On December 21st, Jupiter and Saturn will have their closest encounter in more than 400 years — the kind of moment that has inspired astronomers and novices alike for centuries. Science journalist Jo Marchant joins guest host John McCaa to talk about the impact stargazing has had on human civilizations and the importance of connecting to the wonder of the night sky. Her new book is called “The Human Cosmos: Civilization and the Stars.”