How to get better at self-improvement

The difference between top performers and the rest of us can often be traced back to an ability to maximize potential. Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist at the Wharton School, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss strategies for Average Joe’s to excel. His book is “Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things.”This episode originally aired, November 13th 2023. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

If A.I. can write a song with just you in mind, will you still be able to share that musical experience with others? Joshua Rothman, a staff writer for The New Yorker, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss what happens to culture when we rely on A.I. to generate visual art or music, what it means for engaging in difficult subjects, and what machine-generated art means for our very human desires. His article is “A.I. Is Coming for Culture.”This episode originally aired October 1st, 2025. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

One thread, often barely acknowledged, always present in violent extremist attacks: misogyny. Cynthia Miller-Idriss is a sociologist and professor in the School of Public Affairs and the School of Education at American University, where she is the founding director of the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL). She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why we need to confront misogyny head on to prevent future acts of violence, and why attackers so often blame women for their hateful beliefs. Her book is “Man Up: The New Misogyny and the Rise of Violent Extremism.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

A great book transports and educates—and the New York Times has the best ones from 2025. Gilbert Cruz, NYT Book Review editor, joins host Krys Boyd to talk about the best five fiction and five nonfiction selections to earn the title this year, from WWI battlefields to marriage on a shipwrecked vessel, and discusses the process of choosing the best of the best. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

For some people, the ability to visualize a treasured memory or even a loved one’s face just isn’t possible. New Yorker staff writer Larissa MacFarquhar joins guest host Courtney Collins to discuss a condition that makes it impossible for people to put their thoughts into mental images, the huge effect that has on other parts of their lives and how researchers can use the condition to help study trauma. Her article is “Some People Can’t See Mental Images. The Consequences Are Profound.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

“Sweet dreams,” we say at bedtime. But why do we dream at all? And what happens when we’re plagued by nightmares? Michelle Carr is director of the Dream Engineering Laboratory in the Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, an assistant professor at the University of Montreal and a former president of the International Association for the Study of Dreams. She joins guest host Courtney Collins to discuss the sleeping mind, how to move past nightmares to a more restful night and how we can even take control of our dreams. Her book is “Nightmare Obscura: A Dream Engineer’s Guide Through the Sleeping Mind.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

After the promises of Reconstruction began to wither, Black Americans searched for freedom in radically different locales. Caleb Gayle is a journalist, author and professor at Northeastern University, and he is also a contributing writer at The New York Times Magazine. He joins guest host John McCaa to tell the story of Edward McCabe, who made it his life’s work to set up a Black state in Oklahoma. His book is “Black Moses: A Saga of Ambition and the Fight for a Black State.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

 The U.S. and China may be the world’s current superpowers – but that doesn’t mean they can ignore other countries. Emma Ashford is a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, and she joins guest host John McCaa to discuss the implications of moving to a multipolarity, in which Russia, India and others hold increasing sway over global affairs. Her article “Making Multipolarity Work” was published by Foreign Affairs.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Advancements in science give hope to those who need life-saving skin grafts, replacements for failing organs – and even for those dreaming of a new head of hair. Science journalist Mary Roach joins guest host Paige Phelps to discuss the myriad of ways researchers are making progress on creating new body parts and why our immune system is the biggest hurdle of all. Her book is “Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

From our little fur babies to “Herbie” the car, we imbue the world around us with wonderous human-like qualities. Justin Gregg is senior research associate with the Dolphin Communication Project and an Adjunct Professor at St. Francis Xavier University, where he lectures on animal behavior and cognition. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the benefits of anthropomorphism — and the detriments of its polar opposite — dehumanization. Plus, we’ll be introduced to a wide world where we love to see animals and objects as reflections of ourselves. His book is “Humanish: What Talking to Your Cat or Naming Your Car Reveals About the Uniquely Human Need to Humanize.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices