Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria

Cara is pleased to welcome science diplomat Dr. Marga Gual Soler to the podcast to discuss how evidence-based diplomacy can be used to achieve peace through the universal language of science.

Cara welcomes reporter Asher Price (the Austin American-Statesman) to the podcast to talk about his new book, "Year of the Dunk." It's Talk Nerdy's first foray into the science of sports! Exciting!

Dr. Steven Novella (The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe, NeuroLogica) joins Cara to talk about the history of the SGU and his 20+ year involvement in the skeptic movement. Also discussed: the importance of science-based medicine and the impact universal healthcare would have on the US.

Desi Doyen of the Green News Report talks with Cara about the culture of climate denialism in America, including who's really pulling the strings and how we can be empowered to effect change.

Dr. Chiara Mingarelli, Marie Curie Fellow in Theoretical Astrophysics at Caltech, gives Cara a primer on gravitational waves. She talks about using pulsar timing arrays to detect and analyze gravitational waves, and she throws in some black hole physics for good measure!

Seth Andrews (The Thinking Atheist) tells Cara stories about his past as a fundamentalist Christian. Also discussed: how to be an example to atheists and religious people alike, and atheist activism in the new media landscape.

Producer Jenny Churchill offers Cara a behind-the-scenes look at producing the news, including how we learn by making huge mistakes, what qualifies as news vs. opinion in our new media echo-chambers, and why car chases are just so damn fun to watch.

Cara sits down with USC graduate student Michael Lee to talk about all things astrobiology. What is it? What can it tell us about alien life? And how does studying our own ocean floor help us understand what might be lurking on Jupiter's moon Europa?

This week, Cara is joined in studio by one of #TalkNerdy's most requested guests, Jennifer Briney of the Congressional Dish Podcast. They discuss the dominant role corporate interests play in the American legislative process.

Cara sits down with Dr. Kevin Folta (Professor and Chair of Horticultural Sciences, University of Florida) to continue their conversation about genetically modified organisms. Especially poignant: the philosophy of activism denying opportunities for the developing world.