Think from KERA

The United States has largely been able to avoid being labeled a colonial empire by historically acting less imperial than our friends across the Atlantic. Still, Guam, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and many other places might disagree. Northwestern University associate history professor Daniel Immerwahr joins host Krys Boyd to talk about the lasting influence the U.S. has had on these territories. His new book is called“How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States”(Farrar, Straus and Giroux).

We’ve turned over so much of our lives to algorithms and artificial intelligence, all in an effort to become more efficient. Edward Tenner, distinguished scholar at the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation, joins host Krys Boyd to explain why farming out all that thinking leads to missed opportunities and wasted effort. His book “The Efficiency Paradox: What Big Data Can’t Do” (Vintage) has just been released in paperback.

As a candidate, Donald Trump made the case to veterans that he was the person best equipped to improve the care they received through the V.A. Isaac Arnsdorf joins host Krys Boyd to talk about the degree to which President Trump has made good on that promise, whichhe writes aboutfor ProPublica.

As a palliative care specialist, Dr. Sunita Puri weighs every day the benefits of aggressive treatment vs. a dying patient’s comfort. She joins host Krys Boyd to talk about the push-pull of this type of care – and about what she learned from her anesthesiologist mother about finding that balance. Her new book is called“That Good Night: Life & Medicine in the Eleventh Hour”(Viking).

Last week, the Senate passed a wide-ranging conservation bill that will protect millions of acres of land and miles of rivers. Stephen Nash joins host Krys Boyd to talk about the need to protect wildlife habitats from mining, drilling and other development, which he writes about in “Grand Canyon For Sale: Public Lands Versus Private Interests in the Era of Climate Change” (University of California Press) .

Researchers are currently at work on a tiny spacecraft that will be propelled by a laser beam more powerful than a million suns. Jamie Shreeve joins host Krys Boyd to talk about how that technology and next generation telescopes have scientists closer than ever to making contact with life beyond Earth. His story“Who’s Out There?”is the March cover story of National Geographic magazine.

Equality sounds like a noble cause – but it’s proved to be elusive.  American University law professor Robert L. Tsai joins host Krys Boyd to talk about legal maneuvers that might help the country at least get closer to becoming a more equitable society. His new book is called“Practical Equality: Forging Justice in a Divided Nation”(W.W. Norton and Co.).

When President Trump withdrew the United States from the Iran Nuclear Deal last year, the move isolated the country from NATO allies that still support the pact. Ambassador Thomas Pickering, who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, joins host Krys Boyd to explain why he feels the U.S. must reengage with traditional allies as a precursor to reaching a new deal with Tehran.

In his two years in office, President Trump has seen two of his nominees confirmed to the Supreme Court – an accomplishment that will influence American life for decades. David Kaplan, former legal affairs editor of Newsweek, joins host Krys Boyd to take a behind-the-scenes look at how the court operates – and to talk about times when justices have overstepped their boundaries. His new book is called“The Most Dangerous Branch: Inside the Supreme Court’s Assault on the Constitution”(Crown Publishing).

Medical professionals treating PTSD have traditionally relied on patients to tap into their memories in order to work through trauma. Skip Rizzo, research professor with the USC Davis School of Gerontology, joins host Krys Boyd to talk about how virtual reality is now being used to place veterans and other sufferers back into stressful situations in an effort to confront traumatic moments head on.