Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by neurologist Dr. R. Douglas Fields to talk about his new book, "Electric Brain: How the New Science of Brainwaves Reads Minds, Tells Us How We Learn, and Helps Us Change for the Better." They discuss the discovery of brain waves in the 1920s and how this incredible science has more recently led to innovation in understanding human behavior, treating disease, and beyond.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by science writer and psychologist Dr. Maria Konnikova to talk about her newest book, "The Biggest Bluff: How I learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win." They discuss her journalistic interest in game theory which ultimately led her to learn to Texas Hold 'Em, resulting in an incredible transformation to a professional poker player with over a quarter of a million dollars in winnings.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by author, broadcaster, and scientist Dr. Adam Rutherford to talk about his newest book, "How to Argue With a Racist: What Our Genes Do (and Don't) Say About Human Difference." They discuss the racist history of academic science and psychology, what ancestry DNA tests can and can't tell you about your past, and of course, how to argue with a racist.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara chats with comedian and author Dr. Helen Pilcher about her newest book, "Life Changing: How Humans are Altering Life on Earth." They talk about everything from de-extinction to fascinating animal adaptations to the fate of the planet if we as a species don't act quickly to right some of our most egregious wrongs.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara speaks with Dr. Carolyn White, professor of anthropology and director of the Historic Preservation Program at the University of Nevada, Reno. They talk about her newest book, "The Archaeology of Burning Man: The Rise and Fall of Black Rock City."

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara speaks with science journalist Emily Anthes about her newest book, "The Great Indoors: The Surprising Science of How Buildings Shape our Behavior, Health, and Happiness." They talk about the newest research in architectural and design science, including how we can make this strange time we're all spending indoors a little more happy and healthful.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by art historian Dr. Jack Hartnell to talk about his new book, "Medieval Bodies: Life and Death in the Middle Ages." They discuss the fascinating history of medicine as expressed through medieval works of art.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Drs. Jennifer Hirsch (Professor of Sociomedical Sciences) and Shamus Khan (Chair of the Sociology Department) of Columbia University to talk about their new book, "Sexual Citizens: A Landmark Study of Sex, Power, and Assault on Campus." They discuss the findings of the ongoing SHIFT (Sexual Health Initiative to Foster Transformation) project, including themes of power, education, and consent.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by science journalist and editor Keith Cooper to talk about his new book, "The Contact Paradox: Challenging Our Assumptions in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence." They talk about the history of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), and how attempts at understanding potential alien civilizations may help us better know ourselves.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by science journalist and author Gaia Vince to talk about her newest book, "Transcendence: How Humans Evolved Through Fire, Language, Beauty, and Time." They discuss the importance of viewing the human evolutionary story as one that is inextricably linked with culture and kinship, and so much more.