Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara speaks with Dr. Helen Pates Jamet, a medical entomologist who specializes in malaria prevention, research, and vector control product development. She works as the Global Head of Research and Market Access for Vestergaard, the world's largest producer of long-lasting insecticidal bed nets. They talk about the global impact of malaria, a devastating disease that infects over 200 million people and causes nearly half a million deaths annually. Helen shares the incredible work she and others like her are doing to reduce transmission.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara chats with Eugenia Bone, author of the new book "Microbia: A Journey into the Unseen World Around You." They discuss Eugenia's journey back to school to learn about the microbiome, the vast collection of all the microbes (and their genes) living inside you. They also talk about her fascinating career as a nature and food writer.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined in studio by Heather Burdick, the Director of Marine Operations for the Bay Foundation.  They talk about her work supporting the Marine Team on various projects involving research, monitoring, and ecological restoration throughout the Santa Monica Bay.  The specifically discuss the Palos Verdes Kelp Restoration Project and southern California abalone recovery efforts.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara speaks with Lehman College/City University of New York and CUNY's Newmark Graduate School of Journalism Professor Margot Mifflin. They talk about her research into feminist tattoo culture, including two of her books, "Bodies of Subversion" and "The Blue Tattoo."

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara speaks with Bertha Vazquez, the Director of the Teacher Institute for Evolutionary Science (TIES) of the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science, a division of the Center for Inquiry. They discuss her incredible work providing the tools and training necessary to effectively teach the science of evolution throughout middle schools in the United States.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Michael Lemonick, the Opinion Editor at Scientific American.  They talk about his book, "The Perpetual Now: A story of amnesia, memory, and love."  He shares the tale of a woman whose brain was ravaged by encephalitis, disrupting her ability to form new memories and destroying her recollections from the past. However, her intellect and artistic ability remained relatively intact, providing researchers with insights into the wonders of the human mind.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara speaks with Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History paleobiologist and Curator of Fossil Marine Mammals Dr. Nick Pyenson about his new book, "Spying on Whales: The Past, Present, and Future of Earth's Most Awesome Creatures." They talk about the similarities between cetaceans and land-dwelling mammals, along with what makes them unique among Earth's creatures (extinct and extant).

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara chats with Angela Garbes, author of Like a Mother: A Feminist Journey through the Science and Culture of Pregnancy. Angela tells Cara about her own experiences as a writer and a mother, including the ways women lack pre- and postnatal support in American society.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by celebrated science writer Carl Zimmer, author of "She Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potentials of Heredity." They discuss the promises of modern genetics research and applications, as well as the dark history of the eugenics movement. Carl also tells of his personal journey to uncover the secrets that lie within his own genome.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by jack-of-all-trades and skeptic extraordinaire George Hrab. They talk about his work as the drummer of the Philadelphia Funk Authority and the producer/host of the Geologic Podcast. They also discuss the fun he has emceeing skeptic events across the globe.