Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by author, and Regents Professor of ecology, evolution, and behavior at the University of Minnesota, Professor Marlene Zuk. We discuss her book, Outsider Animals: How the Creatures at the Margins of Our Lives Have the Most to Teach Us.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by behavioral scientist, and Professor of Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Julie Minson. They discuss her latest book, How to Disagree Better. Follow Julia: @juliaminson

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by journalist Dr. Caroline Tracey to talk about her debut book, Salt Lakes: An Unnatural History. Follow Caroline: @ce_tracey

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Professor of Social Sciences at Harvard University, Affiliated Research Professor at the American Bar Foundation, and member of the National Academy of Sciences, Dr. Robert J. Sampson. They discuss his new book, Marked by Time: How Social Change Has Transformed Crime and the Life Trajectories of Young Americans. Follow Robert’s work: @RobertJSampson

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Bioethicist and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Stanford University, Dr. Daphne O. Martschenko. They discuss her book, What We Inherit: How New Technologies and Old Myths Are Shaping Our Genomic Future. Follow Daphne: @daphmarts  

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by science and environmental journalist, Laura Poppick. They discuss her book, Strata: Stories from Deep Time. Follow Laura: @LauraPoppick

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by science writer and media producer, Mindy Weisberger. They discuss her 2025 book, Rise of the Zombie Bugs: The Surprising Science of Parasitic Mind-Control. Follow Mindy: @laminda

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by clinical and research psychologist, passionate knitter, and writer -- Dr. Nicole Nehrig. They discuss her book, With Her Own Hands: Women Weaving Their Stories. Follow Nicole: @nicolenehrig

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by UC Irvine Law Professor, and acclaimed author, Mehrsa Baradaran. They talk about her latest book, The Racial Wealth Gap: A Brief History. Follow Mehrsa: @mehrsab

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by journalist and author of four previous books, Rose George. They discuss her newest book, Every Last Fish: A Deep Dive into Everything They Do for Us and We Do to Them. Follow Rose: Substack.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Bloomberg investigative journalist, and author, Ellen Huet. They discuss her 2025 book about OneTaste, Empire of Orgasm: Sex, Power, and the Downfall of a Wellness Cult. Follow Ellen: @ellenhuet

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by licensed clinical psychologist, author, speaker, and educator, Dr. Jonathan Mathias Lassiter. They discuss his new book, How I Know White People are Crazy and Other Stories: Notes from a Frustrated Black Psychologist. Follow Jonathan: @lassiterhealth

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by American historian, writer, and author, Dr. Christine Rosen. They discuss her newest book, The Extinction of Experience: Being Human in a Disembodied World.

In this week’s episode of Talk Nerdy, we revisit a 2022 episode with former Research Director at GiveDirectly, Dr. Miriam Laker-Oketta. Talk Nerdy is joining podcasts across the globe in the Pods Fight Poverty Campaign. If you’re able, please consider helping 3 villages in Rwanda out of extreme poverty by donating to givedirectly.org/nerdy. Follow: @GiveDirectly

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by MIT research scientist, and science photographer, Felice Frankel. They discuss her book, Phenomenal Moments: Revealing the Hidden Science Around Us. Follow Felice: @Felice_Frankel

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by climate change researcher, and Associate Professor of Political Science at Providence College, Dr. Thea Riofrancos. They discuss her newest book, Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by science writer and longtime independent journalist, Melanie D. G. Kaplan. They discuss Melanie’s newest book, Lab Dog: A Beagle and His Human Investigate the Surprising World of Animal Research. Follow Melanie: @melaniedgkaplan

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by acclaimed climatologist,  geophysicist, and University of Pennsylvania distinguished Professor, Dr. Michael Mann. They discuss his latest co-authored book, Science Under Siege: How to Fight the Five Most Powerful Forces that Threaten Our World. Follow Dr. Mann: @MichaelEMann

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by prolific author and University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Geosciences at Colorado State University, Dr. Ellen Wohl. They discuss Ellen’s newest book, Following the Bend: How to Read a River and Understand Its Nature.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by founder and chief designer of the toy company Heroes Will Rise and a former Professor of Industrial Design at RISD, Cas Holman. They discuss her new book, Playful: How Play Shifts Our Thinking, Inspires Connection, and Sparks Creativity. Follow Cas: @casholman

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by associate professor in the Department of the History of Science at Harvard University, Dr. Eram Alam. They discuss her highly relevant book, The Care of Foreigners: How Immigrant Physicians Changed US Healthcare.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by award-winning earth scientist, TV presenter, writer, and advocate for diversity in the geosciences and nature, Dr. Anjana Khatwa. They discuss Anjana’s new book, The Whispers of Rock: The Stories That Stone Tells About Our World and Our Lives.  Follow Anjana: @anjanakhatwa

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined award-winning scientist and science communicator, Dr. Ainissa Ramirez. They discuss her newest book, Spark: Jim West's Electrifying Adventures in Creating the Microphone. Follow Ainissa: @ainissaramirez

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by New York Times Best Selling author, illustrator, and science communicator Rachel Ignotofsky. They discuss her forthcoming book, Dinosaurs: Exploring Prehistoric Life and Geological Time . Follow Rachel: @rachelignotofsky

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by University of Western Australia research fellow, and creative writer, Dr. Prema Arasu. They discuss Prema’s new book, The Book of Sea Monsters. Follow Prema: @prema_arasu

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by former CDC director, physician, and author, Dr. Tom Frieden. They discuss his newly released book, The Formula for Better Health: How to Save Millions of Lives—Including Your Own. Follow Tom: @drtomfrieden

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by evolutionary social psychologist and author who studies women and health, Dr. Sarah E. Hill. They discuss her newest book, The Period Brain: The New Science of Why We PMS and How to Fix It: A Manifesto for Women. Follow Sarah: @sarahehillphd

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by prolific science writer, and author of eight New York Times bestsellers, Mary Roach. They discuss her newest book, Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy. Follow Mary: @authormaryroach

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by renowned anthropologist, and Director of the Uaso Ngiro Baboon Project in Kenya, Dr. Shirley Strum. They talk about her new book, ECHOES OF OUR ORIGINS: Baboons, Humans and Nature.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by Primatologist and Assistant Professor at NYU Dept of Environmental Studies, Dr. Christine E. Webb. They discuss her new book, The Arrogant Ape: The Myth of Human Exceptionalism and Why It Matters.

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by professor in the Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the UC San Francisco, Dr. Virginia Sturm. They discuss her book: Mysteries of the Social Brain: Understanding Human Behavior Through Science. Follow Virginia: @brainsturming

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by scholar practitioner dedicated to truth-telling through research and education, Pauline W. Hoffmann Ph.D. We discuss Pauline’s book, Fake News, Witch Hunts, & Conspiracy Theories. Follow Pauline: @pwHoffmann

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by qualitative sociologist, Dr. Gretchen Sisson. Gretchen’s researches pregnancy, abortion and adoption at Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH) department at UC San Francisco. Her 2024 book is: “Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood “ Follow Gretchen: @GretchenSisson

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by biologist and Professor of science writing, Anne E. Greene. They discuss Anne’s book, “Writing Science in Plain English, Second Edition.”

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by author and Science & Environment Writer, Starre Vartan. They discuss Starre’s newest book, “The Stronger Sex: What Science Tells Us about the Power of the Female Body.” Follow: @StarreVartan

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by psycholinguist and Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Language Sciences at the University of Wisconsin−Madison, Dr. Maryellen MacDonald. They discuss her book, More Than Words: How Talking Sharpens the Mind and Shapes Our World. Follow Maryellen: @maryellenmacdonald

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by author and Energy and Environment Reporter for The Hill, Rachel Frazin. They talk about her book, “Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America” Follow Rachel: @RachelFrazin

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by photo editor and writer Anika Burgess to discuss her new book, “Flashes of Brilliance: The Genius of Early Photography and How It Transformed Art, Science, and History.” Follow Anika: @aburgessphoto

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by environmental scientist turned freelance writer and editor, Sarah Boon. They discuss her new book, “Meltdown: The Making and Breaking of a Field Scientist” Follow Sarah: @snowhydro.bsky.social

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by astrophysicist, University of Arizona Associate Professor, and Director of the Arizona Space Institute, Erika Hamden. We discuss her new book, “Weird Universe: Everything We Don’t Know About Space (and Why It’s Important).” Follow Erika: @erika.hamden