KERA's Think

[2012-10-18 13:00:00] What’s it like to teach classic literature to soldiers? We’ll spend this hour with Elizabeth D. Samet, professor of English at West Point and author of the book “Soldier’s Heart: Reading Literature Through Peace and War at West Point” (Picador, Paperback, 2008). Samet will receive the 2012 Hiett Prize in Humanities from the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture Friday evening.

[2012-10-18 12:00:00] Could expectations have a more tangible effect on our lives than reality? We’ll talk this hour with journalist Chris Berdik, who explores the science of expectation in the fields of medicine, education, criminal justice, and more in his new book “Mind Over Mind: The Surprising Power of Expectations” (Current, 2012).

[2012-10-17 13:00:00] Who is responsible for educating and protecting women and girls like Malala Yousafzai, the 15-year-old Pakistani education activist who was shot in the head this week by the Taliban? We’ll discuss the status of women in the developing world and what needs to be done to help them this hour with Afshan Khan, CEO for Women for Women International. Khan will speak to the World Affairs Council of Dallas Fort Worth on Thursday, October 18.

[2012-10-17 12:00:00] Could the way we talk about economics and politics actually be adding to the problem? We’ll explore the words we use to talk about these issues and more this hour with Anat Shenker-Osorio, an Oakland-based strategic communications consultant and author of the new book “Don’t Buy It: The Trouble with Talking Nonsense about the Economy” (PublicAffairs, 2012).

[2012-10-16 13:00:00] What are the practical, ethical, and moral issues we face when a beloved pet nears the end of its life? We’ll talk this hour with bioethicist and author Jessica Pierce whose new book is “The Last Walk: Reflections on Our Pets at the End of Their Lives” (University Of Chicago Press, 2012).

[2012-10-16 12:00:00] Will peace ever be possible between Israel and its neighbors? We’ll talk this hour with journalist Patrick Tyler, who believes Israel’s military culture might be too dominant to overcome. His new book is “Fortress Israel: The Inside Story of the Military Elite Who Run the Country–and Why They Can’t Make Peace” (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2012). Tyler will address the World Affairs Council of Dallas Fort Worth on Monday, October 29.

[2012-10-15 13:00:00] Economics and global finance undoubtedly play a huge role in our lives – and in the current political campaigns, but who really understands concepts like sub-prime, private equity, and bond ratings and just what does it all mean? We’ll find out this hour with Paddy Hirsch, Senior Producer for Marketplace, creator of the Marketplace Whiteboard, and author of “Man vs. Markets: Economics Explained (Plain and Simple)” (HarperBusiness, 2012). Hirsch is in town for tonight’s Marketplace event which will air live on KERA 90.1 from 7-8pm.

[2012-10-15 12:00:00] Why does skin color influence our social interactions and how have skin color-based valuations changed over the course of human history? We’ll explore the issue this hour with Nina G. Jablonski, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at Pennsylvania State University and author of the new book “Living Color: The Biological and Social Meaning of Skin Color” (University of California Press, 2012).

[2012-10-11 13:00:00] How did one explorer manage to be the first to set foot on both the North and South Poles among other incredible feats and what were the costs, financial and otherwise of his legendary determination? We’ll find out this hour with writer Stephen R. Bown, author of the new book “The Last Viking: The Life of Roald Amundsen” (Da Capo Press, 2012).

[2012-10-11 12:00:00] How is the built world changing today and what do we have to look forward to in the fields of architecture and design? We’ll talk this hour with Brian MacKay-Lyons, a Canadian architect known for his coastal house designs and his annual Ghost Architectural Lab in Nova Scotia. He’s in town to serve as juror for the AIA Dallas Design Awards.

[2012-10-10 13:00:00] Is it possible that recent economic troubles benefitted wealthy Americans that identify themselves as conservatives more than it did the left? We’ll talk this hour with Thomas Frank, whose book “Pity the Billionaire: The Hard-Times Swindle and the Unlikely Comeback of the Right” (Picador, 2012) is now out in an updated paperback edition.

[2012-10-10 12:00:00] How is the Arab Awakening changing the geopolitical dynamic in the Middle East and what might the future hold for Syria, Iran, and their neighbors? We’ll spend this hour with Roxane Farmanfarmaian, Affiliated Lecturer in International Relations of the Middle East and North Africa at the University of Cambridge and Middle East Fellow at the Hinckley Institute of Politics at University of Utah. She’s in town to speak to the World Affairs Council of Dallas Fort Worth.

[2012-10-09 13:00:00] What makes the Dallas Cowboys more than just an NFL franchise? We’ll examine the cultural cache and the past of “America’s Team” this hour with writer Joe Nick Patoski. His new book is “The Dallas Cowboys: The Outrageous History of the Biggest, Loudest, Most Hated, Best Loved Football Team in America” (Little, Brown and Company, 2012).

[2012-10-09 12:00:00] How are murals painted at a small historically African-American Alabama college during the 1930s still resonating today? We’ll discuss the landmark work of artist Hale Woodruff this hour with Dr. Harry Robinson, President of the African American Museum of Dallas and Philip Collins, retired curator from the museum. “Rising Up: Hale Woodruff’s Murals at Talladega College” is on exhibit at the African American Museum of Dallas through February 28, 2013.

[2012-10-08 13:00:00] If killing is wrong, what makes vital organ transplantation – as it is currently practiced – compatible with morality? We’ll discuss the issue this hour with Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, the Chauncey Stillman Professor of Practical Ethics in the Department of Philosophy and the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University. He’ll deliver the lecture “What Makes Killing Wrong? And Why It Matters” at UT Southwestern Ethics Grand Rounds tomorrow at noon.