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! Follow Chiara:@gravitate_to_me.

http://carasantamaria.com/podcast/chiara-mingarelli

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. Follow Desi:@GreenNewsReport.

http://carasantamaria.com/podcast/desi-doyen

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. Follow Steven: @SkepticsGuide.

http://carasantamaria.com/podcast/steven-novella

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! Follow Asher: @AsherPrice.

http://carasantamaria.com/podcast/asher-price

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. Follow Marga: @margagual.

http://carasantamaria.com/podcast/marga-gual-soler

Cara is joined in studio by Dr. Gad Saad, an evolutionary psychologist who specializes in consumer behavior. They discuss what evolutionary psychology is and isn't, and what makes us universally human, regardless of culture or geography. Follow Gad:@gadsaad.

http://carasantamaria.com/podcast/2015/8/16/episode-75-gad-saad

Global health scientist and science communicator Dr. Jessica Taaffe joins Cara to discuss the importance of health initiatives aimed at the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases worldwide, including HIV. Follow Jessica: @JessicaTaaffe.

http://carasantamaria.com/podcast/jessica-taaffe

Human rights activist Faisal Saeed Al-Mutar speaks out about growing up in Iraq under Sadam Hussein's oppressive regime, the global effects of extremism in the Middle East, and how we can help secular progressives in closed societies achieve freedom of expression and religion.

Faisal is the founder of the Global Secular Humanist Movement and actively works with the civil rights crowdsourcing platform Movements.org. Follow him:@faisalalmutar.

http://carasantamaria.com/podcast/faisal-saeed-al-mutar

Cara is joined by Megan Rosenbloom (Associate Director for Collection Resources, Norris Medical Library) to talk about the importance of library science in medical school and how she's working to change our perceptions of death through initiatives like the Death Salon. Follow Megan: @LibraryAtNight.

http://carasantamaria.com/podcast/megan-rosenbloom

Dr. Casey Handmer braves the broken A/C at Cara's apartment to inform her of the wonders of black holes, gravitational wave simulations, space robots, and theHYPERLOOP! "Interstellar" and "The Martian" thrown in for good measure. Follow Casey: @CJHandmer.

http://carasantamaria.com/podcast/casey-handmer

Cara is joined by independent author Steven Paul Leiva ("Traveling In Space") to talk about the power of storytelling, the difference between genre fiction and literary fiction, and why it's okay to be a nerd, even if you aren't all that into sci-fi. Follow Steven: @StevenPaulLeiva.

http://carasantamaria.com/podcast/steven-paul-leiva

Science writer Brooke Borel joins Cara to discuss the differences between science journalism and science communication, as well as the ethical quandaries journalists sometimes face. They then turn the conversation to bed bugs, the topic ofBrooke's new book, "Infested." Follow Brooke:@BrookeBorel.

http://carasantamaria.com/podcast/brooke-borel