Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria

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 gender. Follow Sola: @MahfouzSol94817 and Malaina: @MalainaKapoor.

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.

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.