Think airs Monday to Thursday from 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m. on KERA 90.1 FM. Encore airings of Think can be heard Monday to Thursday nights on KERA FM beginning at 9:00 p.m. Podcasts and streamed video are available online at www.kera.org/think.

Monday, 10/15

Hour 1:  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).

Hour 2:  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.

Tuesday, 10/16

Hour 1:  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).

Hour 2:  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).

Wednesday, 10/17

Hour 1:  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).

Hour 2:  Who is responsible for educating and protecting women and girls like Malala Yousafzai, the 14-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.

Thursday, 10/18

Hour 1:  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).

Hour 2:  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 tomorrow evening.

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