Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Dr. Erin Kimmerle, forensic anthropologist and author of "We Carry Their Bones: The Search for Justice at the Dozier School for Boys." They talk about the true story of the Arthur G. Dozier Boys School in Florida , and how her work in forensic anthropology is leading to justice for some of the families .

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Cal Flyn, author , investigative journalist, and MacDowell fellow from the Highlands of Scotland . They talk about her new book, "Islands of Abandonment: Nature Rebounding in the Post-Human Landscape."

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by author and participation designer Lizzie Stark to talk about her new book, "Egg: A Dozen Ovatures." They talk about her personal fascination with eggs , and she shares incredible stories about the cultural, culinary, and biological meaning behind the largest cell.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by game designer Adrian Hon to talk about this new book, "You've Been Played: How Corporations, Governments, and Schools Use Games to Control Us All." They discuss how gamification is often used as a tool for profit and coercion in the modern world. Follow Adrian: @AdrianHon .

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by mathematician and writer Dr. Katie Spalding to talk about her new book, "Edison's Ghosts: The Untold Weirdness of History's Greatest Geniuses." They talk about how Edison, Newton, the Curies, and many more renowned thinkers were also up to some really dumb shit. Follow Katie: @supermathskid .

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined once again by science writer and television presenter Angela Saini. They talk about her new book, "The Patriarchs: The Origins of Inequality." Together, they explore the history of the patriarchy, with an emphasis on matrilineal societies and what's really underlying gender inequality the world over.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by history writer Jennifer Wright to talk about her new book, " Madame Restell: The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Old New York’s Most Fabulous, Fearless, and Infamous Abortionist." They talk about the state of abortion in the mid-1800s and how it is being recapitulated in today's political and legal war on women's reproductive rights .

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by clinical development scientist Leah Elson to talk about her new book, "There Are (No) Stupid Questions...In Science." They discuss the importance of science communicatio n in an increasingly polarized world as well as the joy of scientific curiosity and discovery. Follow Leah: @gnarlybygnature

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Dr. Kate Clancy , Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Illinois and intersectional feminist biology researcher . They talk about her new book, "Period: The Real Story of Menstruation ," with a special focus on the function , variability, and stigma connected to our periods .

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Dr. Alexandra Horowitz , professor and head of the Dog Cognition Lab at Barnard College, Columbia University. They talk about her newest book, "The Year of the Puppy: How Dogs Become Themselves." Also discussed is the special relationship we have with our dogs and the developmental stages they experience, from puppy to older adult .

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Duke Law and Philosophy professor Dr. Nita Farahany to talk about her new book, "The Battle for Your Brain: Defending the Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology." They discuss the concept of cognitive liberty from a legal and ethical framewor k, including how privacy and convenience will continue to shift as technology allows deeper acc...

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Stanford University professor Dr. Brian Lowery joins Cara to talk about his new book, "Selfless: The Social Creation of "You." They discuss the complex psychology of identity , intersubjectivity, and humanity in a reality shaped by social pressures and norms .

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Dr. Danielle Clode to talk about her new book, "Koala: A Natural History and an Uncertain Future." They discuss the behavior , evolutionary biology, and ecology of this enigmatic yet threatened species .

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by science writer Susanne Wedlich to talk about her new book, "Slime: A Natural History." They discuss what slime is (and isn't) , why it evokes disgust , and how it may improve medicine and technology in the future.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by science and technology writer Sally Adee to talk about her new book, “ We Are Electric: Inside the 200-Year Hunt for Our Body's Bioelectric Code, and What the Future Holds. ” They discuss the history of bioelectricity , as well as the promise it may hold for our biomedical future .

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by science writer Kristin Ohlson to talk about her new book, "Sweet in Tooth and Claw: Stories of Generosity and Cooperation in the Natural World." They discuss mutualism ( cooperative relationships ) between microbes, fungi, plants, and animals (including humans) across the natural world . Follow Kristin: @kristinohlson .

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by University of Pennsylvania clinical neurologist Dr. Sara Manning Peskin . They talk about her new book, "A Molecule Away from Madness: Tales of the Hijacked Brain," including a deep dive into the fascinating causes and outcomes of various type of dementia .

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by accelerator physicist Dr. Suzie Sheehy to talk about her new book, "The Matter of Everything: How Curiosity, Physics, and Improbably Experiments Changed the World." They discuss how particle accelerators came to be , what they actually do , and their applications from fundamental particle physics to nuclear medicine and beyond . Follow Suzie: @suzie...

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Dr. Gloria Mark , Chancellor's Professor of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine . They talk about her new book, " Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity." They highlight how our brains are affected by modern technology , including social media , entertainment , and vocational demands .

Hosted by Ash Kelley and Alaina Urquhart from the hit show Morbid. When 90-year-old Laurence Pilgeram drops dead on the sidewalk outside his condo, you might think that’s the end of his story. But, really, it’s just the beginning. Because Laurence and others like him have signed up to be frozen and brought back to life in the future. And that belief will pull multiple generations of the Pilgeram f...

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Dr. Erica Thompson to talk about her new book, "Escape From Model Land: How Mathematical Models Can Lead Us Astray and What We Can Do About It." They discuss the intersection of science, mathematics, and humanity , including how we make sense of data and use it to predict future outcomes .

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Samantha Zwicker, a tropical biologist and wildlife rehabilitation specialist . Sam is also the co-founder of Hoja Nueva , a conservation organization that confronts threats to biodiversity in the Peruvian Amazon . They discuss her work with elusive Amazonian felids , as is featured in a new documentary called Wildcat .

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by the California Regional Executive Director of the National Wildlife Federation , Beth Pratt . They celebrate the extraordinary life and mourn the death of Los Angeles Mountain Lion P-22 . In addition, Beth shares about P-22’s legacy , including the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing .

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Dr. Feryal Özel, chair of the School of Physics at Georgia Tech . They talk about her incredible career as a theoretical astrophysicist, her important work on the recent imaging of a black hole with the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration , and the critical need for representation in science.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Indigenous (Ojibwe) queer robotics inventor Danielle Boyer. They talk about her work making technical education accessible and representative for her community, primarily through the STEAM Connection, a nonprofit she founded to supply kids with no-cost, Indigenous language revitalization robots.