Think from KERA

When same-sex couples have a child via a donor or surrogate, one parent is biologically related to the newborn while the other’s relationship begins with the birth. That was the case for Jennifer Berney, who gave birth to a baby boy as her partner, Kellie, looked on. Berney joins host Krys Boyd to talk about how these families are redefining our understanding of heredity and paternity. Her essay“Becoming Family”appears on the web site Longreads.

Mainstream scientists have largely turned their backs on race science – though there are still those searching for genetic variations among people from different races. BBC science reporter Angela Saini joins host Krys Boyd to talk about why some scientists cling to the idea that race is a biological characteristic instead of a social construct. Her new book is called“Superior: The Return of Race Science”(Beacon Press).

For many travelers, that picture taken atop an elephant or feeding a panda is the perfect Instagram moment. Natasha Daly joins host Krys Boyd to talk about how by stepping into the natural world, we often harm the very creatures we came to see. Her story “Suffering Unseen: The Dark Truth Behind Wildlife Tourism” appears in the June issue of National Geographic magazine.

Barbara Pierce Bush was the wife of a president and the mother of one, too. And though she never held elected office, her influence on American politics was immense. Susan Page of USA Today joins host Krys Boyd to talk about how the former first lady wielded power behind the scenes, which she writes about in “The Matriarch: Barbara Bush and the Making of an American Dynasty”(Twelve).

Almost 90 percent of the pharmaceuticals we buy are generics. Katherine Eban joins host Krys Boyd to talk about how companies frequently ignore safe manufacturing practices in order to maximize the profits of these cheaper drugs – and about how the global scope of the industry makes it difficult to regulate. Her new book is called“Bottle of Lies: The Inside Story of the Generic Drug Boom”(Ecco).

Each night when we plug in our smartphones and drift off to sleep, that’s when those phones really go to work – and not necessarily for us. Washington Post technology columnist Geoffrey Fowler joins host Krys Boyd to explain how our phones use this downtime to send our data to marketing companies and research firms – and about how the makers of our phones are doing very little to protect our privacy. 

Experts who focus on a single field can seem like superstars. But it’s often the jacks of all trades who keep organizations moving forward. David Epstein joins host Krys Boyd to talk about scientific research that shows we should strive to learn a little bit about a lot of things rather than dive deep into one area. His new book is called“Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World”(Riverhead Books).

Plenty of men these days are proud to call themselves feminists. When it comes to parenting, though, those same men are quick to fall into traditional household roles. Psychologist Darcy Lockman joins host Krys Boyd to talk about why so often our egalitarian values don’t line up with the realities of parenting, which she writes about in “All the Rage: Mothers, Fathers, and the Myth of Equal Partnership” (Harper).

Twelve-year-old Orly is forced during summer break to live with his godmother, Nina, in Brownsville, Texas. And this addition to the household means a new risk for Daniel, the immigrant boy Nina is secretly sheltering. Orly, Nina and Daniel are the trio at the heart of Oscar Cásares’ new novel“Where We Come From”(Knopf), and Cásares joins host Krys Boyd to talk about putting a fictional – though very human – face on life at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Sometimes, even people with extensive vocabularies are at a loss for words. Harriet Shawcross joins host Krys Boyd to talk about how traumatic experiences can interrupt our ability to communicate. Shawcross – who didn’t speak for almost a year as a teenager – is the author of “Unspeakable: The Things We Cannot Say” (Canongate Books).