Think from KERA

A grain of sand may seem inconsequential. But these tiny specs are the building blocks for everything from roads to computers. Vince Beiser joins us to talk about the importance of sand as a natural resource – and about the very real possibility that we may be running out of it. His new book is called “The World in a Grain: The Story of Sand and How it Transformed Civilization” (Riverhead Books).

Tressie McMillan Cottom was once a recruiter at two for-profit colleges. She joins us to talk about why these institutions often contribute to economic inequality, which she writes about in“Lower Ed: The Troubling Rise of For-Profit Colleges in the New Economy”(The New Press).

As CEO of Dallas-basedCitySquare, Larry James is a leader in the fight against poverty. He joins us to talk about why effective leaders focus their efforts on the people they manage and serve. His new book is called“House Rules: Insights for Innovative Leaders”(Leafwood Publishers).

Italian researchers recently discovered what they believe to be a lake on Mars. Steve Clifford of the Planetary Science Institute joins us to talk about the significance of the discovery on a planet previously thought to only contain ice – and about what it could mean for colonization efforts.

What if all Americans, regardless of their tax brackets, received a monthly check from the government to cover basic living expenses? Annie Lowrey of The Atlantic joins us to make the case for a universal basic income, which she writes about in “Give People Money: How a Universal Basic Income Would End Poverty, Revolutionize Work, and Remake the World” (Crown).

When Darnell Moore was 14, a group of boys doused him with gasoline and tried lighting a match – only to be thwarted by a windy day. As a teen, Moore was bullied constantly for being different. He joins us to talk about the struggles of growing up black and queer, which he writes about in his memoir“No Ashes in the Fire: Coming of Age Black and Free in America”(Nation Books).

The U.S. birthrate hit an all-time low last year. And if that trend continues, the lack of a robust work force will start to drag the economy down. George Mason University professor Jack Goldstone joins us to make an economic case for loosening up restrictions on immigration. His essay “The U.S. Needs More Immigrants” appears in Reason magazine.

When young, American women dream of finding themselves in a foreign country, it’s usually an “Eat, Pray, Love” style trip. Audrey Murray joins us to talk about how she skipped the well-worn enlightenment path in favor of a tour of former Soviet republics, which she writes about in “Open Mic Night in Moscow: And Other Stories from My Search for Black Markets, Soviet Architecture, and Emotionally Unavailable Russian Men” (William Morrow).

A federal judge ruled this month that 1,600 families separated at the border must be reunited. Frontline correspondent Martin Smith joins us to tell the story of these children who entered the U.S. with their parents only to be detained elsewhere. The Frontline episode “Separated: Children at the Border” airs July 31 at 9 on KERA-TV.

Russia and North Korea have each been accused in recent years of poisoning people deemed enemies of the state. Eleanor Herman joins us to talk about how the practice dates back centuries and has been used by nations all over the world. Her new book is called“The Royal Art of Poison: Filthy Palaces, Fatal Cosmetics, Deadly Medicine, and Murder Most Foul”(St. Martin’s Press).