Every region of the country has an accent, but it also has a writing style that sets it apart. Ellen Jovin, founder of Syntaxis, a communication skills training consultancy, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her travels around the nation answering grammar questions, why people are so keen to reveal what they don’t know and don’t understand, and how written language connects us all. “Rebel With A Clause: Tales and Tips from a Roving Grammarian.”

Optimistic leaders show patience when dealing with public and foreign policy, while pessimistic leaders take more risks. Daniel Drezner, Professor of International Politics in The Fletcher School at Tufts University, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why power should be measured in how a country’s leader views the future, why that’s key to approaching world affairs, and how a negative outlook puts the population at risk. His article published by Foreign Affairs is called “The Perils of Pessimism.”

Inequality can even have an impact on something money can’t buy: our dreams. Karen A. Cerulo, professor of sociology at Rutgers University and editor of Sociological Forum, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why socioeconomic status, gender, race, and more impact the scope and outcomes of dreaming, and why studying dreams can help shape public policy. Her book, coauthored with Janet M. Ruane, is called “Dreams of a Lifetime: How Who We Are Shapes How We Imagine Our Future.”

When the pandemic hit, we stopped touching one another, the irony being: Humans need touch to stay healthy. National Geographic writer Cynthia Gorney joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why, out of the five senses, touch is so key to well-being, and the latest tech helping amputees to feel again. Her June cover story is called “The Power of Touch.”

Within 100 miles of the border and coastlines, the Border Patrol can conduct warrantless stops and interrogations. Reece Jones is a Guggenheim Fellow and professor and the chair of the Department of Geography and Environment at the University of Hawaii. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the almost-unfettered agency, how the Supreme Court has authorized its powers, and how it’s becoming a national police force. His book is “Nobody Is Protected: How the Border Patrol Became the Most Dangerous Police Force in the United States.”

Corporations are looking to implement anti-racist policies within their organizations – and some of that work involves actually talking with the people who work there. Y-Vonne Hutchinson is the CEO and founder of ReadySet, a diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting firm, and she talks to host Krys Boyd about how employees can have frank and honest conversations with management about race and achieve real results. Her book is “How to Talk to Your Boss About Race: Speaking Up Without Getting Shut Down.”

This episode originally aired on March 1, 2022.

The gun control debate often focuses on the number of bullets a weapon can fire at one time. Phil Klay joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the technology that has allowed guns to evolve from single shooters to automatic weapons, and to talk about why we’ve felt the need to make guns even more deadly. His article in The New Yorker is called “How Did Guns Get So Powerful?”

The Creek Nation recognized Black people as full citizens until that ruling was revoked in the 1970s. Caleb Gayle is a journalist and professor at Northeastern University. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the struggle for Black Creeks to regain tribal recognition, how the government was involved, and how Black Creeks see themselves today. His book is “We Refuse to Forget: A True Story of Black Creeks, American Identity, and Power.”

For something that’s inside all of us, it’s taken physicians several millennia to understand blood. Dr. Dhun Sethna is a clinical and academic cardiologist. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how slowly advancements in our knowledge of blood circulation and the heart progressed, and where these discoveries have taken medicine today. His book is “The Wine-Dark Sea Within: A Turbulent History of Blood.”

With all the Jurassic Park movies, seeing a T-rex has become fairly common today. But just imagine the wonder of unearthing the first skeleton at the turn of the last century. David K. Randall, senior reporter at Reuters, joins host Krys Boyd to tell the story of fossil hunter Barnum Brown, his discovery that amazed the world, and how the Museum of Natural History capitalized on it. His book is “The Monster’s Bones: The Discovery of T. Rex and How It Shook Our World.”