Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara speaks with filmmaker, conservationist, hunter, and cohost of the “Into the Wilderness” podcast Byron Pace while attending a conference in Namibia. They discuss the controversial topic of African big game conservation, including the economic necessity of hunting programs in many regions.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, recorded in Windhoek, Namibia, Cara speaks with the Director of the Namibian Association of CBNRM (community-based natural resource management) Support Organisations, Maxi Louis. They talk about her work as an anti-apartheid activist, advocate for indigenous peoples in southern Africa, and champion for conservation.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Harvard neuroscientist-turned-visual effects pioneer Dr. Barry Sandrew. They talk about his innovative work in digital imaging for motion pictures, including his invention and later re-imagination of digital colorization. They also discuss what life is like living with prosopagnosia (face blindness).

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by science writer Christie Aschwanden to talk about her new book, “Good to Go: What the Athlete in All of Us Can Learn from the Strange Science of Sports Recovery.” They talk about the myths and pseudoscience often peddled within the exercise recovery industry, as well as the strength of the scientific evidence available.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara speaks with Dr. Jeffrey Marlow, a science journalist, National Geographic Emerging Explorer, and Geobiologist at Harvard University who studies deep-sea microbes. They talk about the importance of innovative technology to the scientific process, as well as the curious link between marine microbial communities and potential life on other worlds.

Dr. Stacey Finley, Head of the Computational Systems Biology Laboratory at USC, discusses the intersection of math and biology in cancer research, promoting computational thinking, big data in predictive models, embracing differences, and translating complex models to clinical settings.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Dr. Randi Hutter Epstein, author of “Aroused: The History of Hormones and How They Control Just About Everything.” They talk about her work as a science and medicine writer, and her winding journey from M.D. to M.P.H. and everything in between. Then they focus on the topic of her new book, the fascinating history and current impact of human hormones.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Mr. Fascinate himself, Justin Shaifer. They talk about the work he’s doing to bring culturally responsive STEM curriculum to students and educators nationwide, as well as his animated series, ‘Hood Science.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by producer, writer, and designer Rose Eveleth. They discuss the futuristic scenarios explored on Rose’s popular podcast, Flash Forward. They also spend an inordinate amount of time talking about archival footage and the importance of learning history, because, well, you know…

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara chats with Stacey Espinosa, Global Product Development Senior Manager for Mints and New Benefits at Mars Wrigley Confectionery. They talk about her dream job as a chemical engineer developing new candy flavors, as well as ways we can all help inspire young women to pursue STEM careers.