Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is focused on addressing why nearly three percent of children are diagnosed with autism. Vox senior correspondent Dylan Scott joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why Kennedy’s inquiry may be misdirected, how he’s discounting the fact that around 80 percent of autism causes are genetic and why a smoking gun is unlikely to be found. His article is “RFK Jr. is looking in the wrong place for autism’s cause.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Sunshine might be more than a balm for the winter blues — it may also combat autoimmune diseases. Science journalist Rowan Jacobsen joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why researchers are focused on patients with multiple sclerosis and their responses to UV therapies, how these therapies might calm the immune system, and the promise this strategy holds for treating other illnesses. His article “Can Sunlight Cure Disease?” was published in Scientific American. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

From the Wright brothers to the Williams sisters – how do some families produce extraordinary siblings? New York Times Magazine staff writer Susan Dominus joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her exploration of high-achieving siblings, what their parents did right (and what you might be doing wrong), and how a little friendly competition might be a key motivator. Her book is “The Family Dynamic: A Journey Into the Mysteries of Sibling Success.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Parents are taught the warning signs for when a child is being bullied, but how do you recognize when it’s your child doing the bullying? Elizabeth Englander is executive director of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center at Bridgewater State University, professor of psychology and a founding member of the Social and Emotional Research Consortium. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why children bully, what to do to intervene and what can happen if a kid doesn’t get help. Her article “What to Do If Your Child Is the Bully” was published in Scientific American. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Attempts to moderate online hate might actually be creating more harmful content. Tamar Mitts is a professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University, where she is a faculty member at the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies, the Institute of Global Politics, and the Data Science Institute. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the difficult task of policing online hate, why content moderation isn’t working as intended, and the sites that users go to for the most extreme ideas. Her book is “Safe Havens for Hate: The Challenge of Moderating Online Extremism.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Eel smuggling is one of the most lucrative wildlife crimes — so what makes these slimy creatures so coveted? Ellen Ruppel Shell, professor emeritus of science journalism at Boston University, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss an animal that’s one of the most trafficked on Earth, a brief history of the significance of eels, and why they’re still somewhat mysterious. Her book is “Slippery Beast: A True Crime Natural History, with Eels.”This episode originally aired August 28th, 2024. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Getting eight hours of quality shuteye every night is quite literally a dream, and not everyone can achieve it. Merijn van de Laar is a sleep scientist and psychologist, and he joins guest host Courtney Collins to discuss approaching insomnia through an archaeological lens, asking how our ancestors got a good night’s rest and what they could teach us here in the modern world. His book is “How to Sleep Like a Caveman: Ancient Wisdom for a Better Night’s Rest.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The rise of athleisure wear is a signal: fitness has become a luxury industry. Cat Zhang, culture writer at the Cut, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss how the pandemic propelled Americans into “performing” fitness, why it’s become a symbol of the wealthy and privileged, and how we got so competitive in the first place. Her article is “We Are Thinking About Fitness All Wrong.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Only 2-percent of Black women are physicians, which leaves millions without doctors that look like them. Uché Blackstock MD is the founder and CEO of Advancing Health Equity. She joins host Krys Boyd to discuss her family, her mother who was also a Harvard-trained doctor, as well as her sister, and how she’s devoted her career to understanding and addressing health inequities of different races. Her book is “Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Our genes don’t really determine how well we’ll age in later life — and that’s good news. Dr. Eric Topol is executive vice president and a professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research, the largest nonprofit biomedical institute in the United States. He’s also a practicing cardiologist, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the study of what he calls the “wellderly” – those people who age to 80 without chronic disease – and the findings that he says can help us all reach that milestone. His book is “Super Agers: An Evidence-Based Approach to Longevity.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices