Following an unexpected American election result, Cara is joined by the host of the Congressional Dish podcast, Jennifer Briney, to clarify the separation of powers in the federal government (executive, legislative, and judicial), and the realistic extent to which each branch can successfully effect change. Also discussed: what President-elect Donald Trump could mean for the future of America, and how to prevent cynicism and disillusionment by putting pressure on our elected officials and being an active voter and citizen. Follow Jen: @JenBriney.
This week, Cara has a chance to #TalkNerdy with the director of the Bay Area Science Festival, Kishore Hari. They dive deep into the dos and don'ts of science communication, with a special focus on live events that involve members of the publ--the community. (Kishore hates the term "general public!") They also nerd out about DragonCon and cosplay. Follow Kishore: @sciencequiche.
Cara is joined by Maia Szalavitz, author of Unbroken Brain, to talk about the way we treat addiction in this country, and why it is so very wrong. They focus on evidence-based approaches that work and how the cult of Synanon, incarceration, and 12-step programs often cause more harm than good. Follow Maia: @maiasz.
Cara is joined by NASA Astrophysicist Dr. Amber Straughn, the Deputy Project Scientist for James Webb Space Telescope Science Communications. They dive into Amber's interests in deep sky objects like galaxies, as well as what the Hubble Space Telescope has taught us about the vast size of the universe. They focus on Hubble's successor, the James Webb Space Telescope, detailing just how it will aim to answer the biggest questions in astronomy, going beyond what Hubble can currently see. Follow Amber: @astraughnomer.
In a very special episode of #TalkNerdy, Cara's mom has come to town! They sit down to discuss what it was like to grow up during the Civil Rights movement, protesting the Vietnam War, and her life's work in Spanish education.
Cara sits down with artist Landon Ross to talk about his new gallery show, ARTIfACT. They discuss aesthetics, politics, atheism, and the power of metaphor both in art and science. Follow Landon: @LandonRoss.
This week, Cara and Dr. Michelle Thaller (Deputy Director of Science for Communication, NASA) #TalkNerdy about the Juno spacecraft's recent entry into Jupiter's orbit and why it's so damn important that all of humanity take a moment to stop and just look up. Follow Michelle: @mlthaller.
Science Communicator & Nerd Brigade cofounder Teagan Wall joins Cara to discuss the economics of decision making, including the different ways to calculate the value of a human life. (Mostly, though, they end up talking about dropping their phones in toilets. We've all been there.) Follow Teagan: @TeagWall.
