Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria

Latest Episodes:

Gravitational Waves w/ Lawrence Krauss Sep 29, 2014

Show notes

Cara sits down with theoretical physicist Dr. Lawrence Krauss ("A Universe from Nothing") at Apostacon in Omaha, Nebraska to discuss his cover story in Scientific American magazine. Topics include the recent BICEP2 findings (including what gravitational waves are and what they mean for inflationary theory) as well as why it's important for scientists to communicate their work to the general public.

American Atheist w/ David Silverman Sep 21, 2014

Show notes

President of American Atheists, David Silverman, joins Cara at the Apostacon Convention in Omaha, Nebraska to talk about why atheist activism matters, what your voice can do for the movement, and something he calls the "atheist Jewish scam."

GMOs w/ Kevin Folta Sep 15, 2014

Show notes

Cara digs deep into GMOs (genetically modified organisms) with Dr. Kevin Folta, a preeminent researcher and science communicator. They discuss the technique's risks and benefits, its top three uses, and how "golden rice" could have saved millions of lives.

Dark Matter w/ Katherine Freese Sep 08, 2014

Show notes

Did you know that 95% of the known universe is made up of stuff that we can neither see nor measure directly? Cara sits down with theoretical physicist Dr. Katherine Freese to talk about her new book, "The Cosmic Cocktail: Three Parts Dark Matter."

Sex Nerd w/ Sandra Daugherty Sep 01, 2014

Show notes

Sex educator and podcaster Sandra Daugherty (Sex Nerd Sandra) joins Cara to discuss sexual health, struggles with motivation, and self-expression among millennials.

Because Science w/ Kyle Hill Aug 25, 2014

Show notes

Science Editor at Nerdist Industries Kyle Hill sits down with Cara to talk about being a geek-of-all-trades, how the media overhypes biomedical stories, and what it means to be a scientific thinker.

Suicide w/ Paul Gilmartin Aug 18, 2014

Show notes

In light of the tragic news of Robin Williams's death, comedian Paul Gilmartin joins Cara to talk candidly about depression, suicide, and the important work he's doing to reduce stigma on his podcast, "The Mental Illness Happy Hour."

Young Turks w/ John Iadarola Aug 10, 2014

Show notes

Producer and web host John Iadarola (TYT University) chats with Cara about The Young Turks news network, driving an electric vehicle, and how he deals with trolls on the internet.

Agoraphobia w/ Sara Benincasa Aug 04, 2014

Show notes

Comedian and author Sara Benincasa ("Agorafabulous", "Great") opens up to Cara about her struggles with mental illness, including debilitating agoraphobia, and the importance of comedy in our lives.

Entomology w/ Phil Torres Jul 28, 2014

Show notes

Entomologist Phil Torres ("TechKnow") tells Cara about life in the Amazonian rainforest and a hilariously dangerous mishap with spitting cobra venom. Bonus! He performs a song about frogs that's sure to make you smile.