Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria

Latest Episodes:

Attention and Technology w/ Gloria Mark Jan 30, 2023

Show notes

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.

Frozen Head Feed Drop Jan 27, 2023

Show notes

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 family into a cryonics soap opera filled with dead pets, gold coins, grenades, fist fights, mysterious packages, family feuds, Hall of Fame baseball legends, and frozen heads — lots of frozen heads. From Wondery, comes a story about life, death, and what comes next. Follow Frozen Head on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge early and ad-free by subscribing to Wondery+ in Apple Podcasts or the Wondery App. Listen to Frozen Head: Wondery.fm/FH_TN

Mathematical Models w/ Erica Thompson Jan 23, 2023

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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.

Amazonian Wildcats w/ Samantha Zwicker Jan 16, 2023

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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.

Legacy of P-22 w/ Beth Pratt Jan 09, 2023

Show notes

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.

Black Hole Astrophysics w/ Feryal Özel Dec 19, 2022

Show notes

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.

Indigenous Robotics w/ Danielle Boyer Dec 12, 2022

Show notes

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.

Star Trek Science w/ Erin Macdonald Dec 05, 2022

Show notes

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Dr. Erin Macdonald, astrophysicist and consultant for the Star Trek franchise. They talk about STEM, sci-fi, and her new board book, "Star Trek: My First Book of Space." Follow Erin: @drerinmac.

Flight Safety w/ Kimberly Perkins Nov 28, 2022

Show notes

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Kimberly Perkins, pilot and PhD student at the University of Washington. They talk about her research on the impact of cognitive biases on flight safety, including perspectives from psychology, neuroscience, and aviation.

Sounds of Nature w/ Karen Bakker Nov 21, 2022

Show notes

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Dr. Karen Bakker, Fellow of the Harvard Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies and multidisciplinary professor at the University of British Columbia. They talk about her new book, "The Sounds of Life: How Digital Technology Is Bringing Us Closer to the Worlds of Animals and Plants."