Think from KERA

Increased production and a more efficient world has turned America’s energy scarcity into a surplus. Meghan L. O’Sullivan of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government talks with host Krys Boyd about how the nation’s energy position affects its place in the world order. Her new book is called World Affairs Council of Dallas-Fort Worth.

Food is a part of our daily lives. And as such, it’s susceptible to the same prejudices, stereotyping and appropriating that seep into other areas of our existence. Soleil Ho of The Racist Sandwich podcast talks with host Krys Boyd about how we can tell a lot about people by the foods they make and consume.

In 2013, San Antonio launched its Pre-K 4 SA program, providing full-day pre-kindergarten for disadvantaged 4-year-olds. Erick Trickey talks with host Krys Boyd about how then-mayor Julián Castro pushed the program through the city’s bureaucracy – and about the potential for pre-K to strengthen a city’s economy. He wrote the story “How Julián Castro Bet on 4-Year-Olds to Transform San Antonio” for Politico.

What prompts a person to ram his car into a crowd of people – or strap on a bomb and inflict even greater damage? Yudhijit Bhattacharjee talks with host Krys Boyd about how researchers are trying to find the origins of malicious impulses. His story “What Science Tells Us About Good and Evil” appears on the website of National Geographic.

The nation’s higher-education system looks frighteningly similar to how it looked at the turn of the dawn of the 20th Century. As part of KERA’s American Graduate Series, Cathy Davidson, founding director of the Futures Initiative at City University New York, talks with host Krys Boyd about ways that we can update our college campuses to better serve today’s students. Her new book is called “The New Education: How to Revolutionize the University to Prepare Students for a World in Flux” (Basic Books).

Maddy Holleran seemed to have everything going for her – a place at an Ivy League school, a budding track career and beauty to match the brains. And when she decided to take her own life at 19, the University of Pennsylvania community was stunned. ESPN commentator Kate Fagan joins host Krys Boyd to tell the story of Holleran’s life – a toxic mix of depression and unrelenting pressure to perform. Fagan’s new book is called “What Made Maddy Run: The Secret Struggles and Tragic Death of an All-American Teen” (Little Brown and Co.).

The possibility of facing a terrorist attack has become an everyday part of life. Dr. Jeff Gusky talks to host Krys Boyd about how we can learn to confront the fear of terrorism – and feel safer in the process. On Sept. 11, he’ll deliver a lecture on the topic at Third Church of Christ, Scientist in Dallas.

Gallaudet University in Washington D.C. is one of the nation’s leading educators of deaf students. This hour, we’ll look at how these students are excelling in a hearing world. We’ll be joined by a pair of students who’ve attended the school – including one who interprets concerts by Chance the Rapper and other artists. And Gallaudet president Roberta Cordano explains how the school tailors teaching to serve its deaf and hard of hearing population.

Patricia Williams has built a solid career as a stand-up comic with several television appearances under her belt. She talks with host Krys Boyd about being a 15-year-old mother of two with an eighth-grade education – and about how she ultimately made a life for herself and her family. She tells her story in “Rabbit:The Autobiography of Ms. Pat” (Dey Street Books).

Tens of thousands of Texans have been forced from their homes, with many living in shelters in Houston and around the state – many of them unsure if they’ll have anything to go back to once Harvey’s waters subside. We’ll bring you the latest on the situation in this special program – produced in partnership with Houston Public Media and the Texas Station Collaborative.