Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Dr. Lawrence Millman, world-renowned mycologist and author of "Fungipedia: A Brief Compendium of Mushroom Lore." They talk about his fascinating journey from Ph.D. in English Literature to explorer and ethnographer to global expert on fungi. And of course, there's a ton of mushroom talk.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Donna Jackson Nakazawa, award-winning author of the new book, "The Angel and the Assassin: The Tiny Brain Cell That Changed the Course of Medicine." They talk about new discoveries in microglia research, revealing the role of these previously misunderstood cells in a wide range of neurological disorders.

In this special episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara sits down with Tony Gingiss, the CEO of OneWeb Satellites, just before OneWeb's second rocket launch at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. They talk about OneWeb's mission to connect the world to the internet using a constellation of Low Earth Orbit satellites. Then, listen as Cara captures the sounds of the Soyuz rocket when it blasts off, carrying 34 satellites into space!

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by magician and podcaster Kayla Drescher. They discuss the barriers women face in the world of magic, including how Kayla and her co-host Carisa are making waves through their podcast, Shezam! They also talk about Kayla's unique approach to performing, the science of magic, and why it is so fun to let go and enjoy a good trick.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Paul Kwaitkowski and Dr. Maria Aliberti-Lubertazzi. Paul is Mount Auburn Cemetery’s Wildlife Conservation and Sustainability Manager, and Maria is an adjunct faculty member at Rhode Island School of Design as well as an environmental scientist specializing in wetland and urban ecology. Together, we discuss the unique initiatives taking place at Mount Auburn in areas including environmental stewardship, wildlife management, and citizen science. Follow their work: @MountAuburnCem.

In this week's episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Susanna Harris, a PhD candidate in microbiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the founder and CEO of PhD Balance, a collaborative community empowering graduate students to build their personal and professional resilience. They discuss the pressures of graduate school, including the entrenched institutional racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and othering that often occurs in academia, as well as the ways those struggling with mental health issues can find support. Follow Susanna: @SusannaLHarris.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Ben Orlin, teacher and author of the "Math with Bad Drawings" blog. They talk about the importance of mathematical literacy in modern society as well as ways we can improve math education. They also discuss his two new books, "Math with Bad Drawings: Illuminating the Ideas That Shape Our Reality" and "Change Is the Only Constant: The Wisdom of Calculus in a Madcap World."

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Hilary Scheppers and Daniel Couceiro, both of whom previously worked at Rainforest Expeditions in the Tambopata National Reserve of the Peruvian Amazon. Hilary is a former volunteer for the Macaw Project, focused on the conservation and management of large parrots in the Amazon rainforest. After her service, Hilary's poem Unbridled received an honorable mention for the Thomas Merton Poetry Prize (Published in Parabola Magazine, Winter Issue 2018).Daniel Couceiro is a National Geographic Explorer working in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. He is currently developing an avian environmental education program for rural youth in the area. While at Rainforest Expeditions, he was the project lead for the Wired Amazon project.

In this week's episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Dr. Thomas Seeley, professor of biology at Cornell University and international expert on bees. They talk about his new book, "The Lives of Bees: The Untold Story of the Honeybee in the Wild." Topics include honeybee physiology and behavior, backyard beekeeping, and what we can learn from wild bees to improve our relationship with these fascinating creatures.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara speaks with American Museum of Natural History astrophysicist and science popularizer Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson about his new book, “Letters from an Astrophysicist.” They venture behind Neil’s public persona to discuss the deeply personal correspondence that makes up the book, focusing on themes like faith, philosophy, and skepticism.