We all get gut instincts when we walk into a room of strangers. Do we fit in here? Do these people seem friendly? Snap judgments are simply a part of how we function. But Princeton University psychology professor Alexander Todorov says that while these first impressions are natural, we should try to resist them.

Elisabeth Moss stars in the new indie movie, “Her Smell” directed by Alex Ross Perry. The film follows Moss as she plays the chaotic role of fictional punk rocker, Becky Something, who is mentally unstable, addicted to drugs and clawing to get her life together.

If you came upon a rundown, roach-infested bunkhouse in the heartland of America, full of middle- aged and elderly men in poor health who worked all day at a job for little pay and had been for decades, you might think you had time traveled back to the 19th century. We talk to an author who writes about this very situation where mentally challenged men were pressed into servitude in 1974 and remained there until 2009 when some determined social workers stepped up to their aid.

We examine Beyonce’s consistent influence throughout all sectors of media. The visionary artist is known for her fierce demeanor and powerhouse concert performances, rewriting traditional female and black stereotypes in media.

In Meredith May’s new book, she examines the parallels between the inner workings of beehives and our society, and how beekeeping taught her numerous life lessons as a child. She also discusses the threat to bees with commercialized beekeeping and what we can do to protect these insects vital to our ecosystem.

For decades, science fiction was a genre written almost exclusively by white males. Now, the genre is flourishing with diverse voices, thanks in part to the trailblazing writer Octavia E. Butler. Historian Gerry Canavan discusses the obstacles Butler faced and her legacy on one of the most popular genres in American literature.

The new sci-fi adventure movie, Annihilation, is based on a book but the adaptation is looser than what we typically expect. How director Alex Garland created something new.

Fashion advertising raises issues about confidence, self esteem and body image. Our guest discusses why it’s important to look beyond the advertisements and find the fashions that are right for you, how cheap clothing is hurting developing countries and the environment, and why designers and manufacturers need to change how they create clothing for and market to older men and women.

In the 20 years since writing the young adult novel Speak, based on her own rape, author Laurie Halse Anderson has met with numerous audiences of adolescents. She has found a huge gap in the ways girls and boys perceive what constitutes sexual consent, abuse, and the consequences of assault, and attributes this to a parental inability to discuss the topic with children. She discusses the issue.

The wildly popular TV show Game of Thrones is set to wrap up its story with six episodes this season, yet its fans may be unsatisfied. The TV show has departed the path of the books.