Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by KNAU (Arizona Public Radio) science journalist Melissa L. Sevigny. They talk about her new book, winner of the 2023 National Outdoor Book Award for History/Biography, "Brave the Wild River: The Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon." Follow Melissa: @MelissaSevigny .

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Dr. Sabine Stanley , a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor at Johns Hopkins University in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and the Space Exploration Sector of the Applied Physics Lab . They talk about her newest book, "What's Hidden Inside Planets?" with a special emphasis on planetary magnetism .

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Dr. Ashley Shew , an Associate Professor of Science, Technology, and Society at Virginia Tech, who has a special interest in technology and disability studies . They talk about her new book, "Against Technoableism: Rethinking Who Needs Improvement."

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Dr. Jane Gregory , clinical psychologist at the University of Oxford . They discuss her new book, " Sounds Like Misophonia: How to Stop Small Noises from Causing Extreme Reactions." Follow Jane: @drjanegregory .

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Dr. C. Renée James , professor of physics and astronomy at Sam Houston State University . They talk about her new book, "Things That Go Bump in the Universe: How Astronomers Decode Cosmic Chaos." Follow Renée: @drcrj .

Recorded live from the QED Conference in Manchester, UK , this episode of Talk Nerdy features community engagement advocate and menopause activist Anita Powell. She tells Cara about her work in diversity, equity, and inclusion, especially for women of color experiencing menopause . Follow Anita: @IamAnitaPowell .

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Oxford professor and medeival literature researcher Dr. Jenni Nuttall to talk about her new book, "Mother Tongue: The Surprising History of Women's Words." They discuss the history of feminist language from the Middle Ages to the present .

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by bioethicist Dr. Jessica Pierce to talk about her new book, " Who's a Good Dog?: And How to Be a Better Human." They discuss the complex ethics of dog-human relationships , including topics like animal welfare , canine enrichment , and end-of-life care .

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Gloria Dickie, a global climate and environment correspondent at Reuters News Agency . They talk about her new book, "Eight Bears: Mythic Past and Imperiled Future." Follow Gloria: @gloriadickie .

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Dr. Lena Andrews, foreign policy expert and military analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency . They talk about her new book , "Valiant Women: The Extraordinary American Servicewomen Who Helped Win World War II."

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by materials scientist Dr. Anna Ploszajski to talk about her new book, "Handmade: A Scientist's Search for Meaning Through Making." They discuss the science and culture of handmade objects , with an emphasis on the craftspeople who make them . Follow Anna: @AnnaPloszajski .

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Dr. Michèle Lamont, Professor of Sociology and of African and African American Studies at Harvard University . They talk about her new book, "Seeing Others: How Recognition Works and How It Can Heal a Divided World."

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by J ennifer Banks , senior executive editor at Yale University Press . They talk about her new book, "Natality: Toward a Philosophy of Birth." Follow Jennifer: @jenniferabanks .

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by the Director of Strategic Litigation for the Innocence Project , M. Chris Fabricant. They talk about his new book, "Junk Science and the American Criminal Justice System ," including how forensic pseudoscience perpetuates a racist system resulting in wrongful convictions.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by mathematician Dr. Eugenia Cheng to talk about her new book, "Is Math Real? How Simple Questions Lead Us to Mathematics' Deepest Truths." They discuss the power of curiosity in grappling with abstract concepts in math , as well as the power of representation . Follow Eugenia: @DrEugeniaCheng .

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by the University of Adelaide's Head of the School of Psychology, Dr. Elaine Fox , to talk about her new book " Switch Craft: The Hidden Power of Mental Agility." They discuss the importance of cognitive flexibility in navigating the uncertainties of life .

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by investigative journalist Karen Pinchin to talk about her new book, "Kings of Their Own Ocean: Tuna, Obsession, and the Future of Our Seas." They discuss the plight of the bluefin tuna , a fundamentally human problem with consequences reaching far beyond our species . Follow Karen: @KarenPinchin .

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by quantum computing researcher Sola Mahfouz and human rights advocate Malaina Kapoor , authors of the new book, "Defiant Dreams: The Story of an Afghan Woman Who Risked Everything for Education." Together, they tell Sola's story of defiance and courage as she fought for an education in a country where her basic rights were stripped away because of her...

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by University of Chicago psychologist Dr. Susan Goldin-Meadlow to talk about her new book, "Thinking with Your Hands: The Surprising Science Behind How Gestures Shape Our Thoughts." They discuss gestural communication , including what has been learned from home signers , deaf children who develop their own sign language spontaneously.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital psychologist Dr. Luana Marques . They talk about her new book, "Bold Move: A 3-Step Plan to Transform Anxiety into Power," with a special emphasis on theory and intervention for anxiety in clinical psychology.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Dr. Ilana Yurkiewicz, oncologist, internal medicine physician, and professor at Stanford University . They talk about her new book, "Fragmented: A Doctor's Quest to Piece Together American Healthcare," with a special emphasis on patient advocacy, continuity of care , and potential solutions to a broken managed care system.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by sociocultural anthropologist Dr. Amber Benezra to talk about her new book, "Gut Anthro: An Experiment in Thinking with Microbes." They discuss her work at the interface of biomedical science and anthropological inquiry, with an emphasis on racial , gender, and cultural considerations .

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by toxicologist Dr. Emily Monosson to talk about her new book, "Blight: Fungi and the Coming Pandemic." They discuss the devastating consequences of pathogenic fungal infection in humans, animals, and plants, including how climate change is paving the way for the next pandemic .

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Dr. Barbara Rae-Venter to talk about her new book, "I Know Who You Are: How an Amateur DNA Sleuth Unmasked the Golden State Killer and Changed Crime Fighting Forever." They discuss the fascinating science of investigative genetic genealogy , including how the Golden State Killer was caught after 44 years .