Think from KERA

It’s become common for restaurants to feature unisex or gender neutral restrooms. And maybe your co-workers have added a line to their e-mail signatures designating which pronouns they prefer. Dennis Baron, professor emeritus of English and linguistics at the University of Illinois, joins host Krys Boyd to talk about how language has evolved to the point where “they” is often used in the singular form. His new book is called “What’s Your Pronoun? Beyond He & She.”

By now we know that the nation’s first president didn’t have wooden teeth and, by all accounts, could, in fact, tell a lie. But George Washington’s legend is still full of many wonderful quirks. Alexis Coe, host of the Audible series “Presidents Are People Too!” and “No Man’s Land” podcasts, joins host Krys Boyd to take a 21st Century look at a figure we all think we know. Her new book is called “You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington.”

The World Health Organization has declared the coronavirus outbreak as a global health emergency. And as the virus spreads, so does misinformation, fear and uncertainty about the threat. Dr. Seema Yasmin is director of Stanford Health Communication, clinical assistant professor in the Stanford Department of Medicine and served as an officer in the Epidemic Intelligence Service at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,  where she investigated disease outbreaks. She joins host Krys Boyd to talk about what we know – and are still learning – about the coronavirus.

National Night Out is an annual campaign to create safer streets for everyone by encouraging neighbors to get to know one another. What would it take for that feeling to last the other 364 nights of the year? Zach Norris, executive director for the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, co-founder of Restore Oakland and Justice for Families, joins host Krys Boyd to talk about new models for community building and fighting crime. His book is called “We Keep Us Safe: Building Secure, Just, and Inclusive Communities.”

The fad diet right now is “intermittent fasting.” That is, waiting hours longer than you normally would before you consume your next meal. But is there any science to backup this strategy? Dr. Satchin Panda, professor at The Salk Institute in San Diego, joins host Krys Boyd to talk about why when you eat can be as important as what you eat. His book is called “The Circadian Code: Lose Weight, Supercharge Your Energy, and Transform Your Health from Morning to Midnight.”

During an argument, we all hit that point where we want to stop explaining our position with a curt, “because I said so!”  Eleanor Gordon-Smith joins host Krys Boyd to talk about why, with all our power to be rational, analytical, empathetic and reflective, we’re still prone to refusing to listen to another side. Her book is called “Stop Being Reasonable: How We Really Change Our Minds.”

Launched far into the heavens, well beyond earth’s atmosphere, the Hubble was the first optical telescope to see beyond haze and obstruction and give humankind an unprecedented look at the universe. Kathryn D. Sullivan is a retired NASA astronaut, former Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) and a member of the Astronaut Hall of Fame. She joins host Krys Boyd to talk about her role in launching and maintaining Hubble and her career in space. Her book is called “Handprints on Hubble: An Astronaut’s Story of Invention.”

On Wednesday, the Senate acquitted President Trump, bringing to an end a months-long effort by Democrats to remove him from office. Jeffrey A. Engel is director of the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University and co-author of “Impeachment: An American History.” He joins host Krys Boyd to talk about how the Trump impeachment differed from the impeachments of Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton – and about how it will affect future impeachment proceedings.

In 2013, many Americans paid little attention to the massive Ebola outbreak in West Africa. But that was before it came here. Kevin J.A. Thomas, associate professor of sociology at Penn State University, joins host Krys Boyd to talk about the panic and aftermath of the crisis — and how the disease affected one population disproportionately. His new book is called “Global Epidemics, Local Implications: African Immigrants and the Ebola Crisis in Dallas.”

Abby Chava Stein grew up without the Internet, in a strictly gender-segregated, Orthodox Jewish society. That was when she lived her life outwardly as a boy – and prayed each night that she might be able to live has a girl. The former rabbi turned trans activist joins host Krys Boyd to talk about her path from Hasidic Judaism to a new life that feels sincere — though far from simple. Her new book is called “Becoming Eve: My Journey from Ultra-Orthodox Rabbi to Transgender Woman.”