KERA's Think

[2012-11-19 12:00:00] How do circadian rhythms and our exposure to light and dark influence both the quality of our sleep and resulting moods? We’ll find out this hour with Michael Terman, PhD., Director of the Center for Light Treatments and Biological Rhythms at Columbia University Medical Center and co-author of the new book “Chronotherapy: Resetting Your Inner Clock to Boost Mood, Alertness, and Quality Sleep” (Avery, 2012).

[2012-11-15 13:00:00] Can we learn about our culture and society from watching television shows like The Simpsons? We’ll examine the “culture wars” through the lens of the long-running and very popular animated series this hour with Matthew A. Henry, professor of English and Cultural Studies at Richland College and author of “The Simpsons, Satire, and American Culture” (Palgrave Macmillan, 2012).

[2012-11-15 12:00:00] What is life like in the thrumming cities of India and what actual opportunities exist for people to make a living there? We’ll talk this hour with journalist Aman Sethi, who portrays the challenges of urban life in his country in the new book “A Free Man: A True Story of Life and Death in Delhi” (W. W. Norton & Company, 2012).

[2012-11-13 12:00:00] Think will be largely pre-empted by President Obama’s press conference today, but we will take your calls and emails live for a few minutes beginning at noon. Tell us what you want to hear from the President and which issues you think are most important during the lame-duck session of congress. After the press conference concludes we’ll talk with UTA Political Science professor Allan Saxe.

[2012-11-13 13:00:00] How did gun ownership become such a hot-button issue in America? How does the Second Amendment apply to today’s gun rights debate? Is there a way forward that would satisfy both gun control advocates and gun enthusiasts, and most importantly – help curb gun violence? We’ll talk this hour with journalist Craig R. Whitney, author of the new book “Living with Guns: A Liberal’s Case for the Second Amendment” (PublicAffairs, 2012).

[2012-11-13 12:00:00] How are terminally ill Americans planning their own dignified deaths – often with help and usually in quiet defiance of laws that prohibit it? We’ll talk this hour with filmmakers Miri Navasky and Karen O’Connor. Their new film “The Suicide Plan” will air on the PBS series FRONTLINE this evening.

[2012-11-12 13:00:00] Who was Paul Cézanne and how did his dedication to revolutionary principles propel the world of art forward during his life and after his death? We’ll spend the hour with biographer Alex Danchev, author of the new book “Cézanne: A Life” (Pantheon, 2012). Danchev will address the Dallas Museum of Art’s Arts & Letters Live series this evening in the Museum’s Horchow Auditorium.

[2012-11-12 12:00:00] Where’s the news media headed in 2013 and why does radio journalism still have such staying power in a world of digital, web, and other forms of distribution? We’ll talk with veteran and award-winning journalist John Hockenberry this hour. His show, The Takeaway, makes its KERA debut this week.

[2012-11-08 13:00:00] What has changed in Cuba since Fidel Castro ostensibly stepped away from power and are the changes happening fast enough for the Cuban people? We’ll talk this hour with National Geographic Magazine contributor Cynthia Gorney, whose story “Cuba’s New Now” appears in the current issue of the magazine.

[2012-11-08 12:00:00] What can be done to help combat veterans recover from moral injury, including potential feelings of shame, grief, meaninglessness, and remorse? We’ll spend this hour with Rita Nakashima Brock, co-author of “Soul Repair: Recovering from Moral Injury after War” (Beacon Press, 2012) and co-director of the Brite Divinity School’s new Soul Repair Center at TCU. We’ll also be joined by Chaplain (Col.) Herman Keizer, Jr. U.S. Army (ret.), founding co-director of the Soul Repair Center which opens on November 12th.

[2012-11-07 13:00:00] Now that the election is over, what are the next steps for President Obama and what challenges will he face in dealing with Congress for the rest of this year and beyond? We’ll analyze the results of yesterday’s election this hour with Matthew Eshbaugh-Soha, associate professor of political science at the University of North Texas and Victoria A. Farrar-Myers, professor of political science at the University of Texas at Arlington.

[2012-11-06 13:00:00] Who holds American military generals accountable when their performance lags and have our expectations of military leadership changed? We’ll talk this hour with Thomas Ricks, Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security and author of the new book “The Generals: American Military Command from World War II to Today” (The Penguin Press, 2012).

[2012-11-06 12:00:00] Women’s issues are making headlines in the Presidential Election but how have women done politically in the national election contests they’ve entered? We’ll spend this hour with Dennis Simon, the Altshuler Distinguished Teaching Professor of Political Science at SMU and co-author of the new book “Women and Congressional Elections: A Century of Change” (Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2012).

[2012-11-05 13:00:00] How can technology and connectivity provide education for students around the world? We’ll find out this hour with Salman Khan, founder of the Khan Academy and author of the new book “The One World Schoolhouse: Education Reimagined” (Twelve, 2012).

[2012-11-05 12:00:00] Could revitalized economic partnerships with Mexico and Canada help strengthen the U.S. position during a time of economic uncertainty and increasing competition with Asian manufacturers and traders? We’ll talk this hour with Robert A. Pastor, Professor of International Relations and Director of the Center for North American Studies at American University and author of “The North American Idea: A Vision of a Continental Future” (Oxford University Press, Paperback, 2012).