Think from KERA

Since its founding in the 1980s, the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas is believed to have committed at least 100 murders. Reigning over the prison gang was James “Skitz” Sampsell – the prize that the Justice Department hoped to bag during a years-long investigation. Dallas Morning News reporter Scott Farwell joins us to talk about how the woman closest to Sampsell ultimately brought him down – the subject of his seven-part series “My Aryan Princess.”

Combat drones have revolutionized modern warfare. Sonia Kennebeck joins us to talk about the moral and ethical implications that are tied with the ability to kill from thousands of miles away. Her Independent Lens documentary “National Bird” features three U.S. military veterans who are haunted by the drone killings in which they participated. It airs tonight on PBS stations.

In 1977, Jim Jones convinced more than 900 people to move from their base in Northern California to the South American country of Guyana. Jeff Guinn joins us to talk about how this charismatic cult leader from Indiana controlled his followers lives – and delivered them to their deaths – which he writes about in “The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple” (Simon & Schuster). Guinn will take part in this weekend’s Dallas Book Festival at the Dallas Public Library’s Central Library.

Since 2000, Stephan Pastis has delighted newspaper readers nationwide with his “Pearls Before Swine” comic strip. The lawyer-turned-cartoonist joins us to talk about employing anthropomorphic animals to crack mildly edgy jokes ahead of his public appearance tonight at The Dallas Morning News.

“Would you like to donate a dollar to [fill in the blank] research?” The question is asked to us constantly. And while some of these funds power medical advancements, science journalist Richard Harris reports that often these dollars are thrown away on ill-conceived experiments. He joins us to talk about the problem, which he writes about in “Rigor Mortis: How Sloppy Science Creates Worthless Cures, Crushes Hope, and Wastes Billions” (Basic Books).

Each day brings increasingly disturbing news as ISIS wreaks havoc on the Middle East. This hour, we’ll talk about what the organization is actually trying to accomplish with Graeme Wood, who explores the question in his new book, “The Way of the Strangers: Encounters with the Islamic State” (Random House).

America relies on the Gulf of Mexico for everything from oil to food to recreation. University of Florida environmental history professor Jack Davis joins us to talk about the relationship between this important body of water and the people who live nearby, which he writes about in “The Gulf: The Making of an American Sea” (Liveright).

Joel Salinas experiences a rare form of synesthesia that causes him to feel the emotional and physical experiences of others. And what might be annoying for some is actually fascinating when you’re a neurologist like Salinas. He joins us to talk about using this sixth sense to help patients, which he writes about in “Mirror Touch: Notes from a Doctor Who Can Feel Your Pain” (HarperOne).

As the daughter of both a president and a party nominee, Chelsea Clinton has had an inside look at politics her entire life. On Sunday, she visited Dallas to talk about her life in and out of the spotlight – and about her latest book, “It’s Your World: Get Informed, Get Inspired & Get Going!” (Puffin Press). We’ll listen to the conversation, which was conducted by Krys Boyd in front of a live audience as part of DMA Arts & Letters Live.

For the past two decades, the Scripps National Spelling Bee has been dominated by Indian-American competitors. Vauhini Vara was once a champion speller herself. She joins us to talk about why these youngsters make such formidable competitors – and about the role the contest plays in their assimilation into American culture. Her story “Bee-Brained” appears in the new issue of Harper’s.