After a childhood in a cult, Daniella Mestyanek Young was drawn to a world with rigid rules and a strict chain of command. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss being raised in The Children of God religious cult, her escape to build a new life, and what her later career in the military taught her about herself. Her book is “Uncultured: A Memoir.”

Even as they promise a better future, politicians continue to lower the bar. Andy Borowitz, comedian and author of “The Borowitz Report,” joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how social media and the 24-hour news cycle have produced politicians who score cheap points without the facts to back them up. Plus, we’ll hear about a few absurd anecdotes of egregious behavior. His book is “Profiles in Ignorance: How America’s Politicians Got Dumb and Dumber.”

In the 1600s, scientists made a tiny discovery with huge implications: the cell. Pulitzer Prize-winner Siddhartha Mukherjee joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the radical concept of the cell, its long history in science and medicine, and how it continues to produce new and exciting therapies today. His book is “The Song of the Cell: An Exploration of Medicine and the New Human.”

There are millions of thriving species on the planet and, yet, only humans suffer existential crisis. Justin Gregg is senior research associate with the Dolphin Communication Project and an adjunct professor at St. Francis Xavier University, where he lectures on animal behavior and cognition. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the ways human intelligence gets in the way of happiness, why higher thinking has led to destruction and why bees playing soccer (yes!) might be the height of bliss. His book is “If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal: What Animal Intelligence Reveals About Human Stupidity.”

The first American polio case in nearly a decade was reported just outside New York City earlier this year. Patrick Cockburn, Middle East correspondent for the Independent of London, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his own experience with polio and why public health officials around the world should be on high alert for new outbreaks of the highly debilitating disease. His article in The Nation is “The Return of Polio.”

Societies are often judged by how they treat their most vulnerable citizens. So how does America stack up? Christopher Howard, professor of government and public policy at the College of William and Mary, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the network of government agencies, nonprofits and family organizations that serve as a patchwork social safety net in this country. His book is “Who Cares: The Social Safety Net in America.”

Have a wacky science question? Randall Munroe is here to help. The author of the science question-and-answer blog What If? and the popular web comic xkcd joins host Krys Boyd to discuss questions like: Could you cool the earth by opening freezer doors? And: Is it possible to build a billion-story building? His book full of answers is “What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions.”

A.I. technology is being used to decode the language of animals. Tom Mustill is a biologist turned filmmaker and writer, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his deep dive into how scientists are trying to decode the “words” of whales, and the potential consequences of human-whale interactions. His book is “How to Speak Whale: A Voyage into the Future of Animal Communication.”

George Saunders is a master of introducing weird and wonderful characters to the page. The writer and Man Booker Prize winner joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his newest collection of short stories – many with dystopian themes – and his process for writing them. His book is “Liberation Day.”

The global competition in the Sino-American conflict might be coming to a head. Michael Beckley, associate professor of political science at Tufts University and a non-resident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why he believes competition between America and China will peak in the 2020s – setting up a showdown between authoritarianism and democracy. His book, co-written with Hal Brands, is called “Danger Zone: The Coming Conflict with China.”