
Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria
Cara Santa Maria is a science communicator, television host, producer, and journalist. She is excited to present "Talk Nerdy," a place for conversations with interesting people about interesting topics.
Latest episodes

Nov 6, 2023 • 52min
Live from QED w/ Anita Powell
Recorded live from the QED Conference in Manchester, UK, this episode of Talk Nerdy features community engagement advocate and menopause activist Anita Powell. She tells Cara about her work in diversity, equity, and inclusion, especially for women of color experiencing menopause. Follow Anita: @IamAnitaPowell.

Oct 30, 2023 • 1h 10min
Mother Tongue w/ Jenni Nuttall
In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Oxford professor and medeival literature researcher Dr. Jenni Nuttall to talk about her new book, "Mother Tongue: The Surprising History of Women's Words." They discuss the history of feminist language from the Middle Ages to the present.

Oct 23, 2023 • 1h 11min
Good Dogs w/ Jessica Pierce
In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by bioethicist Dr. Jessica Pierce to talk about her new book, "Who's a Good Dog?: And How to Be a Better Human." They discuss the complex ethics of dog-human relationships, including topics like animal welfare, canine enrichment, and end-of-life care.

Oct 16, 2023 • 1h 4min
Eight Bears w/ Gloria Dickie
In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Gloria Dickie, a global climate and environment correspondent at Reuters News Agency. They talk about her new book, "Eight Bears: Mythic Past and Imperiled Future." Follow Gloria: @gloriadickie.

Oct 9, 2023 • 57min
Women Soldiers w/ Lena Andrews
In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Dr. Lena Andrews, foreign policy expert and military analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency. They talk about her new book, "Valiant Women: The Extraordinary American Servicewomen Who Helped Win World War II."

Oct 2, 2023 • 60min
Handmade Materials w/ Anna Ploszajski
In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by materials scientist Dr. Anna Ploszajski to talk about her new book, "Handmade: A Scientist's Search for Meaning Through Making." They discuss the science and culture of handmade objects, with an emphasis on the craftspeople who make them. Follow Anna: @AnnaPloszajski.

Sep 25, 2023 • 1h 6min
Recognizing Our Humanity w/ Michèle Lamont
In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Dr. Michèle Lamont, Professor of Sociology and of African and African American Studies at Harvard University. They talk about her new book, "Seeing Others: How Recognition Works and How It Can Heal a Divided World."

Sep 18, 2023 • 1h 6min
Natality w/ Jennifer Banks
In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Jennifer Banks, senior executive editor at Yale University Press. They talk about her new book, "Natality: Toward a Philosophy of Birth." Follow Jennifer: @jenniferabanks.

Sep 11, 2023 • 1h 23min
Junk Science w/ M. Chris Fabricant
In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by the Director of Strategic Litigation for the Innocence Project, M. Chris Fabricant. They talk about his new book, "Junk Science and the American Criminal Justice System," including how forensic pseudoscience perpetuates a racist system resulting in wrongful convictions.

Sep 5, 2023 • 1h
Is Math Real? w/ Eugenia Cheng
In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by mathematician Dr. Eugenia Cheng to talk about her new book, "Is Math Real? How Simple Questions Lead Us to Mathematics' Deepest Truths." They discuss the power of curiosity in grappling with abstract concepts in math, as well as the power of representation. Follow Eugenia: @DrEugeniaCheng.