Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by structural engineer Roma Agrawal to talk about her new children's book, "How Was That Built? The Stories Behind Awesome Structures." They discuss her incredible career designing bridges, skyscrapers, and structures, as well as the quintessentially human tendency to build things, take them apart, and build them up again. Follow Roma: @RomaTheEngineer.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined for the third time by Dr. Sean Carroll, theoretical physicist and professor of natural philosophy at Johns Hopkins University. They talk about his new book, "The Biggest Ideas in the Universe: Space, Time, and Motion" as well as the fascinating relationship between physics, philosophy, politics, psychology, and so much more. Follow Sean: @seanmcarroll

Dr. Susan Rogers, award-winning music producer turned cognitive neuroscientist at Berklee College of Music, discusses the relationship between our musical tastes and our own psychology. The podcast explores the complexity of music, the power of imperfection in performances, the importance of authenticity in science communication and psychotherapy, and the speaker's journey from the music industry to academia.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Dr. Haider Warraich, a cardiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and the VA Boston Healthcare System. They talk about his new book, "The Song of Our Scars: The Untold Story of Pain," including the multidimensionality of chronic pain and how the healthcare profession can better serve those who suffer from it.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by astronomers Dr. Virginia Trimble and Sara Seager to talk about the book "The Sky Is for Everyone: Women Astronomers in Their Own Words." Virginia discusses her work as a trailblazing astrophysicist and one of the first women to earn a doctorate in the field from Caltech. Sara shares how she and her team are learning about the possibility of life on exoplanets (and even Venus!) by studying the properties of their atmospheres. Follow Sara: @ProfSaraSeager

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Dr. Jessica Silbey, Professor of Law at Boston University and author of the new book "Against Progress: Intellectual Property and Fundamental Values in the Internet Age." They talk about the complex interplay between social justice, ownership, and innovation against a legal framework that purports to promote the "progress" of science and art. Follow Jessica: @JSilbey.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Dr. Jayshree Seth, Corporate Scientist and Chief Science Advocate at 3M. They discuss the prevalence of chemical engineering in our everyday lives, as well as the importance of science appreciation and representation.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Drs. Karen Cerulo and Janet Ruane, sociologists and authors of the new book "Dreams of a Lifetime: How Who We Are Shapes How We Imagine Our Future." They discuss how our gender, race, age, and social positions deeply influence the nature of our dreams, which, in turn, affects the futures we pursue.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by National Geographic Explorer Lucy Cooke to talk about her new book, "Bitch: On the Female of the Species." They discuss gender in the animal kingdom, how science has long gotten it wrong, and how studying female animals can teach us about ourselves.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Dr. Jingmai O'Connor, also known as the Punk Rock Paleontologist. They talk about her work as Associate Curator of Fossil Reptiles at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, including the transition from dinosaurs to birds, flying dinosaurs, and the importance of science communication.