Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria

On this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Kari Byron to talk about her new book, "Crash Test Girl: An Unlikely Experiment in Using the Scientific Method to Answer Life's Toughest Questions." They talk about her time on Mythbusters, the importance of the scientific method, and how her work on television is empowering her daughter and other young girls to be who they really are.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara chats with science communicator and Ph.D. student Samantha Yammine, better known as Science Sam. They discuss the importance of the public dissemination of science, the special role social media has to play, and the difficulties facing some science communicators within their own institutions.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara chats with Robert Kurson, the author of "Rocket Men: The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts Who Made Man's First Journey to the Moon." He describes the trials and tribulations of the Apollo 8 mission as well as the bravery and fortitude of the men and women who made it happen. In addition, they discuss the impact of the odyssey, during arguably one of the worst years in American history, 1968.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Sharon Weinberger, the executive editor for news at Foreign Policy. They talk about her new book, "The Imagineers of War: The Untold Story of DARPA, the Pentagon Agency that Changed the World." They discuss DARPA's successes and failures, including the internet, drones, Agent Orange, mass surveillance, and its curious relationship with climate science.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Dr. Lauren Ayton, the Director of Clinical and Regulatory Affairs at Bionic Eye Technologies. They talk about all things vision, including how the eye works and what can go wrong with it. Then they discuss incredible bionic implants and prostheses that are offering the gift of sight to those who've been living without it.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined in studio by science journalist Dr. Lone Frank, author of "The Pleasure Shock: The Rise of Deep Brain Stimulation and Its Forgotten Inventor." They discuss her work as a Danish science communicator and her history in academic neurobiology.  Then, Lone tells Cara about the fascinating history of Robert G. Heath, the Tulane psychiatrist who performed controversial surgeries and experiments while developing a groundbreaking procedure that was surely ahead of its time.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara speaks with author Mark O'Connell about his new book "To Be a Machine: Adventures Among Cyborgs, Utopians, Hackers, and the Futurists Solving the Modest Problem of Death." They talk about the process of writing a book, a well as the things he learned during his investigation of the fascinating and sometimes troubling transhumanist movement.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara chats with journalist and editor Melissa Dahl about her new book, “Cringeworthy: A Theory of Awkwardness.” They talk about what makes us shudder, from the sound of our own voices to the prospect of starting a conversation with strangers on the New York City subway.

It's the 200th episode of Talk Nerdy! To celebrate, Cara brings back the Ask Me Anything (AMA) format, with a twist! This week, Cara is joined in studio by friend of the show and host of the Ologies podcast, Alie Ward. She scans the brilliant questions provided by you, the Talk Nerdy listeners, and selects her favorites to turn the tables and interview Cara! They cover ground from space travel to science communication to Killer, of course! And Cara answers her famous final two questions. THANK YOU for an incredible 200 episodes! Talk Nerdy wouldn't be possible without the support of incredible listeners like you. Follow Alie @alieward and Cara @CaraSantaMaria.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined in studio by astrophysicist Dr. Adam Becker to talk about his new book, "What is Real? The Unfinished Quest for the Meaning of Quantum Physics." They talk about the important role philosophy plays in understanding the scientific process as well as what happens when you question one of the sacred cows of quantum physics, the Copenhagen interpretation.