Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria

Cara chats with skeptic, author, and science activist Kavin Senapathy about all of the things! They discuss health and food (with a special focus on GMOs), parenting, vaccines, and many other “contentious” topics every good skeptic should know.

Cara is joined by the host of “Xploration Outer Space,” Emily Calandrelli (she also happens to be a correspondent on the new Netflix show, “Bill Nye Saves the World”)! They talk about science television as well as Emily’s newest project, the “Ada Lace” book series.

Cara is honored to be joined this week by former NASA astronaut and current Chief Pilot for World View Enterprises, Ron Garan. They talk about the wonder and awe of seeing Earth from space, and how that translates to what Ron calls the "Orbital Perspective" -- something we can all maintain in our relationship with humanity and our home planet.

This week, Cara chats with the host of "This Week in Science," Dr. Kiki Sanford. They talk about her pioneering work in science communication, and she reveals the methods and insights she uses to deliver fascinating science news week after week.

Cara is joined in studio by Dr. Richard Prum, Yale ornithologist and author of the new book, "The Evolution of Beauty." They discuss the idea that sexual selection, as well as natural selection, drives evolution, and how this feminist choice gives autonomy back to the female of the species.

This week, Cara is joined by paleontologist and science communicator Dr. Shaena Montanari. They discuss what geochemistry is and how it's used by paleontologists, as well as why dinosaur eggs are so damn interesting! Shaena's journey from geology to paleontology to science communication to science policy is also explored.

Cara is joined by science writer Shannon Stirone (Motherboard, Popular Science, Discover Magazine, etc.) to talk about the highs and lows of the freelance life. They also discuss her incredible work reporting on astronomy, including a recent piece about what happens to your body when you die in space.

Cara chats with "What's It Like in Space?" author Ariel Waldman about her incredible career improving accessibility of science and space exploration for anyone and everyone. They discuss her work on the council for NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts and her previous work at NASA's Colab program, along with her two flagship initiatives, Spacehack.org and Science Hack Day.

Cara chats with Dr. Steven Strogatz ("The Joy of X") about his work as an applied mathematician at Cornell University. They talk about nonlinear dynamics and complex systems, mathematics in popular media, and just how important math is to a functional society.

Cara is joined in studio by bestselling author Daniel Suarez to talk about his new book, "Change Agent." They talk about the incredible science that informs his writing, including CRISPR and other approaches to genetic engineering. Also discussed: genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and their utility, as well as humankind's relationship with technology.