Think from KERA

Donald Trump was elected to the presidency primarily by the wide swath of red that runs through the center of the country. James Fallows of The Atlantic joins us to talk about visiting Middle America, where he spoke with voters about why they are optimistic about their communities yet concerned for the nation.

This year gifted moviegoers with another "Star Wars," blockbuster animated films and the usual array of superheroes. For us, though, the richest cinematic experiences were found in a pair of real-life stories: "O.J.: Made in America" and "Tower."

For the entirety of recorded history, there has been conflict in the world. So talking about what it would take to achieve a lasting peace is maybe a little ambitious. That’s exactly what we’ll do, though, when we’re joined by a panel of North Texas philosophers and academics, who’ve agreed to work through the question: What would it take to have peace on Earth?

Silas Chamberlin joins us to talk about how the 19th Century urban walking clubs developed into a leisure activity practiced in every state in the union. His new book is called “On the Trail: A History of American Hiking.”

Turn on the television this week and it won't be hard to find a Christmas movie. This week, we talk about some of the better modern holiday films and take a trip back in time to revisit the classics.

Canada’s tar sands contain some of the world’s dirtiest oil. That doesn’t mean energy companies aren’t interested in excavating it, though. We’ll talk about the effect that drilling for oil in Alberta will have on climate change with Neela Banerjee, who writes about the topic for InsideClimate News. We’ll also get the perspective of Alan Jeffers, Exxon mobile media relations manager, about the company’s role in the dialogue about the risks of climate change.

Whether in a hot toddy or on the rocks, there’s a good chance whiskey will be poured during this month’s holiday parties. Firestone and Robertson Distilling Company head distiller Rob Arnold and TCU chemistry professor Eric Simanek join us to talk about how grain and water combine to make bourbon, rye and scotch. They explain the process in “Shots of Knowledge: The Science of Whiskey” (TCU Press).

Racism is generally considered an ugly personality trait. It might be more than that, though. Sander L. Gilman, a psychiatry professor at Emory University, joins us to talk about classifying racism as a mental illness. He writes about the idea in “Are Racists Crazy: How Prejudice, Racism, and Antisemitism Became Markers of Insanity” (NYU Press).

By now, we generally anticipate a future that includes self-driving cars, artificial intelligence and other advancements. And that means now is the time to prepare for the effect these leaps forward will have on our lives. Futurist Amy Webb joins us to talk about getting ready for what’s to come, which she writes about in “The Signals Are Talking: Why Today’s Fringe Is Tomorrow’s Mainstream” (PublicAffairs).

In a recent interview with Fox News, President-Elect Donald Trump said it’s unnecessary for him to receive the daily intelligence briefing. And he’s been skeptical of the CIA’s investigation into Russian influence on the presidential election. Joshua Rovner, chair of International Politics and National Security at SMU, joins us to talk about what’s at stake if the future president ignores the intelligence community.