Think from KERA

Fifty years ago this month, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down laws banning interracial marriages. Georgetown law professor Sheryll Cashin joins us to talk about how the ruling continues to pave the way for a more inclusive society. Her new book is called “Loving: Interracial Intimacy in America and the Threat to White Supremacy” (Beacon Press).

At least a million children living in the U.S. can thank a sperm donor for their very existence. Jacqueline Mroz joins us to talk about how the circumstances of their birth affect these children – and the parents who raise them – which she writes about in “Scattered Seeds: In Search of Family and Identity in the Sperm Donor Generation” (Hachette Books).

Muslims are a little over a quarter through the holy month of Ramadan, which commemorates the revelation of the Quran to the prophet Muhammad. Ahmed Ali Akbar, host of Buzzfeed’s “See Something, Say Something” podcast, joins us to talk about the customs that make up Ramadan – and about how his participation in them has evolved through his life. His essay “I Don’t Know Why I Pray But I Keep Trying” appears on Buzzfeed.

Many of us have experienced split-second decisions that drastically alter the directions of our lives. Stanford professor Robert M. Sapolsky joins us to talk about the many internal and environmental factors that come together and push us to act swiftly. He writes about the topic in “Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst” (Penguin Press).

It seems every day brings new stories of the horrors of life in Syria. Sebastian Junger joins us to detail how the country got to the state it’s in. His documentary “Hell on Earth: The Fall of Syria and the Rise of ISIS” airs Sunday on National Geographic Channel.

Legions of readers know Elizabeth Strout from her bestselling novels “My Name is Lucy Barton” and “Olive Kitteridge.” She joins us to talk about her latest work of fiction, “Anything is Possible” (Random House). To get ready for the interview, check out the review of “Anything is Possible” in The Dallas Morning News.

In the post-World War II era, American companies ensured the stability of the middle class through pensions and high wages. Rick Wartzman joins us to talk about why this social contract didn’t last – and how it’s lead to present day instability – which he writes about in “The End of Loyalty: The Rise and Fall of Good Jobs in America” (PublicAffairs).

One of the scariest scenarios parents can face is the possibility that their child is mentally disturbed. Barbara Bradley Hagerty joins us to talk about new therapies available to these children. Her story “When Your Child is a Psychopath” appears in the June issue of The Atlantic.

One of the beauties of the internet is we can search for the answers to questions we’re too embarrassed to ask out loud. Seth Stephens-Davidowitz joins us to talk about how when we combine all of those millions of queries, we get a better understanding of what’s on our collective minds. His new book is called “Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are” (Dey St.).

On this Memorial Day, many of us will use the three-day weekend for rest and relaxation. We’ll listen back this hour to conversations we’ve had with experts on the subject. Joining us are Emory University professor Benjamin Reiss, author of “Wild Nights: How Taming Sleep Created Our Restless World” (Basic Books); Alex Pang, author of “Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less” (Basic Books); and Arianna Huffington, author of “The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time” (Harmony).