Cara Louise Santa Maria (born October 19, 1983) is an American science communicator. She hosts the podcast ''Talk Nerdy'' and co-hosts '' The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe'' podcast, and was a co-host of TechKnow on

Al Jazeera America Al Jazeera America was an American pay television news channel owned by the Al Jazeera Media Network. The channel was launched on August 20, 2013, to compete with CNN, HLN, MSNBC, Fox News, and in certain markets RT America. It was Al Jaze ...

. Santa Maria wrote her first blog for ''

The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

'' in March 2010 before joining the publication as its founding science correspondent and host of the ''Talk Nerdy to Me'' web series from October 2011 until April 2013. She also co-hosted '' Take Part Live'' with Jacob Soboroff on Pivot TV. She officially joined the online political and social commentary program ''

The Young Turks ''The Young Turks'' (TYT) is an American progressive news commentary show on YouTube that additionally appears on selected television channels. TYT serves as the flagship program of the TYT Network, a multi-channel network of associated web ser ...

'' as an occasional panelist in May 2013. She was a guest on the TV series Brain Games.

Early life and education

Santa Maria was born and raised in

Plano, Texas Plano ( ) is a city in Collin County and Denton County, Texas, United States. It had a population of 285,494 at the 2020 census. It is a principal city of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. History European settlers came to the area near ...

, the younger of two daughters. Her parents, a school teacher and an engineer, both came from

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

families and converted to

Mormonism Mormonism is the religious tradition and theology of the Latter Day Saint movement of Restorationism, Restorationist Christianity started by Joseph Smith in Western New York in the 1820s and 1830s. As a label, Mormonism has been applied to vari ...

together as adults, raising their children in the religion, and for a while Santa Maria attended church daily before classes. Years after her parents divorced, she left the

LDS church The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ...

at 15 and came out as an

atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...

. Her ancestry is Puerto Rican on her mother's side. Santa Maria was a

vocal jazz Vocal jazz or jazz singing is an approach to jazz using the voice. Vocal jazz emerged in the early twentieth century, with its roots in Blues. Popular blues singers such as Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey had a great deal of influence of jazz voca ...

performer and auditioned for the second season of ''American Idol'', but was not selected. She then decided to pursue

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...

. In 2004, she earned a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...

degree in psychology with a minor in philosophy from the

University of North Texas The University of North Texas (UNT) is a public research university in Denton, Texas. It was founded as a nonsectarian, coeducational, private teachers college in 1890 and was formally adopted by the state 11 years later."Denton Normal Schoo ...

, going on to earn a

Master of Science A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast ...

biological science Biology is the scientific Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of t ...

, with a concentration in

neuroscience Neuroscience is the science, scientific study of the nervous system (the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system), its functions and disorders. It is a Multidisciplinary approach, multidisciplinary science that combines physiology, an ...

, from her alma mater in 2007. Santa Maria taught biology and psychology courses to university undergraduates as well as high school students in

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

and

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. Her published research has spanned various topics, including clinical psychological assessment, the neuropsychology of blindness, neuronal cell culture techniques, and computational neurophysiology. Santa Maria was enrolled in a doctoral program studying

clinical neuropsychology Clinical neuropsychology is a sub-field of psychology concerned with the applied science of brain-behaviour relationships. Clinical neuropsychologists use this knowledge in the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and or rehabilitation of patients ...

Queens College, CUNY Queens College (QC) is a public college in the Queens borough of New York City. It is part of the City University of New York system. Its 80-acre campus is primarily located in Flushing, Queens. It has a student body representing more than 170 ...

, where she worked as an adjunct professor and laboratory researcher, but withdrew after a year of coursework to pursue science communication full-time. In 2004, Santa Maria won the Texas Psychological Association and Texas Psychology Foundation's Alexander Psychobiology/Psychophysiology Award (Student Merit Research Competition) for contributions in undergraduate research concerning neuropsychological deficits among individuals with alcohol dependence or abuse in a visually impaired/blind population. In the clinical neuropsychological setting, Santa Maria assisted in development and research of computer adapted guides for educational management of students with both neuropsychological dysfunction and visual impairment. In a 2013 interview in

Skeptical Inquirer ''Skeptical Inquirer'' is a bimonthly American general-audience magazine published by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) with the subtitle: ''The Magazine for Science and Reason''. Mission statement and goals Daniel Loxton, writing in ...

, when asked how she became interested in science, Santa Maria said: As of January 2019, Santa Maria was working toward a

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...

Clinical Psychology Clinical psychology is an integration of social science, theory, and clinical knowledge for the purpose of understanding, preventing, and relieving psychologically based distress or Mental disorder, dysfunction and to promote subjective mental ...

with a concentration in

Social Justice Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, Equal opportunity, opportunities, and Social privilege, privileges within a society. In Western Civilization, Western and Culture of Asia, Asian cultures, the concept of social ...

and Diversity from

Fielding Graduate University Fielding Graduate University (previously Fielding Graduate Institute and The Fielding Institute) is a private graduate-level university in Santa Barbara, California. It offers postgraduate and doctoral studies mainly in psychology, education, a ...

Career

In 2009, Santa Maria moved to the

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

area to begin a career in science communication, after previously having worked in academia. She co-produced and hosted a pilot entitled ''Talk Nerdy to Me'' for HBO, but it never went to air. Santa Maria has appeared on various programs including ''

Larry King Live ''Larry King Live'' was an American television talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was the channel's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly. Mainly aired from CNN's Los Angeles ...

'', ''

Geraldo at Large ''Geraldo Rivera Reports'', also known as ''Geraldo at Large'', is an American television newsmagazine hosted by Fox News correspondent-at-large and former talk show host Geraldo Rivera. History Debuting in national syndication on October 31, 2 ...

(Fox News)'', ''

Parker Spitzer ''In the Arena'' is an American one-hour show on CNN that premiered October 4, 2010 as ''Parker Spitzer'' and was hosted by former New York Democratic governor Eliot Spitzer and Pulitzer Prize-winning political columnist Kathleen Parker. It was ...

'' (CNN), ''Studio 11'', ''

'', ''

Attack of the Show! ''Attack of the Show!'' (''AOTS'') is an American live television program and that aired on G4. AOTS features segments on pop culture, video games, and movies. After an initial run from 2005 to 2013 (which originally aired from 2005 until 2013 ...

'', ''

The War Room with Jennifer Granholm ''The War Room'' was a news and political commentary program on Current TV. It was initially hosted by former Governor of Michigan Jennifer Granholm. The show debuted on January 30, 2012 and aired on weeknights followed by '' The Young Turks with ...

'', ''LatiNation'', and ''SoCal Connected''. Cara Santa Maria at Skepticon

Santa Maria has co-hosted ''Hacking the Planet'' and ''The Truth About Twisters'' on

The Weather Channel The Weather Channel (TWC) is an American pay television channel owned by Weather Group, LLC, a subsidiary of Allen Media Group. The channel's headquarters are in Atlanta, Georgia. Launched on May 2, 1982, the channel broadcasts weather foreca ...

, as well as '' TechKnow'' on

. She is a former host of '' Take Part Live'' on the

Pivot (TV channel) Pivot was an American digital cable and satellite television network owned by Participant Media. The channel, targeted at young adults between 18 and 34 years old, debuted on August 1, 2013. The channel ceased operations on October 31, 2016. Hi ...

. She makes regular appearances on popular YouTube programs, such as

Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Publications which w ...

's ''FanWars'',

Wil Wheaton Richard William Wheaton III (born July 29, 1972) is an American actor. He portrayed Wesley Crusher on the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', Gordie Lachance in the film '' Stand by Me'', Joey Trotta in ''Toy Soldiers'', an ...

's ''

Tabletop Tabletop may refer to: Mountains *Table Top Mountain in Rangeville, Queensland, Australia * Table Top Mountain (New York) * Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa * Tepui, flat top mountains in South America Places * Tabletop, New South Wa ...

'', and ''The Point''. She has also guested on multiple podcasts, such as ''

The Nerdist Podcast ''ID10T with Chris Hardwick'' (formerly ''The Nerdist Podcast'') is a weekly interview show "about what it really means to be a nerd" hosted by Chris Hardwick, once usually accompanied by Jonah Ray and Matt Mira. The audio podcasts are typic ...

'', ''

Point of Inquiry ''Point of Inquiry'' is the radio show and flagship podcast of the Center for Inquiry (CFI), "a think tank promoting science, reason, and secular values in public policy and at the grass roots". Started in 2005, ''Point of Inquiry'' has consist ...

'', '' Star Talk'' and the ''

Joe Rogan Experience ''The Joe Rogan Experience'' is a podcast hosted by American comedian, presenter, and UFC color commentator Joe Rogan. It launched on December 24, 2009, on YouTube by Rogan and comedian Brian Redban, who was its sole co-host and producer unti ...

''. Speaking with Chris Mooney on ''Point of Inquiry'' in 2012, Santa Maria recognized that her work on behalf of science can sometimes be polarizing, and said that she tries “to write with a lot of respect and reverence for people's ideas.” Santa Maria has been interviewed by ''

Scientific American ''Scientific American'', informally abbreviated ''SciAm'' or sometimes ''SA'', is an American popular science magazine. Many famous scientists, including Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, have contributed articles to it. In print since 1845, it i ...

'', ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ...

'' of London, ''

Columbia Journalism Review The ''Columbia Journalism Review'' (''CJR'') is a biannual magazine for professional journalists that has been published by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism since 1961. Its contents include news and media industry trends, ana ...

'', and '' Glamour''. In March 2014, Santa Maria debuted her weekly podcast entitled ''Talk Nerdy''. New episodes premiere every Monday and guests typically revolve around those involved in

STEM fields Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is an umbrella term used to group together the distinct but related technical disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The term is typically used in the context of ...

, however individuals with careers oriented in new media and pop culture also make appearances. Additionally, atheism and politics are popular topics of conversation. Santa Maria wrote the foreword of atheism activist David Silverman's book, ''Fighting God: An Atheist Manifesto for a Religious World'', published in December 2015. On July 18, 2015, during the live taping of episode 524 of '' The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe'' (SGU) podcast at

The Amaz!ng Meeting The Amazing Meeting (TAM), stylized as The Amaz!ng Meeting, was an annual conference that focused on science, skepticism, and critical thinking; it was held for twelve years. The conference started in 2003 and was sponsored by the James Randi Educ ...

, it was announced that Santa Maria would be joining the podcast, and she joined the other SGU members to record her first show as a regular member of their team. In July 2015, Santa Maria was named a correspondent on "Real Future" for Fusion. In 2016, Santa Maria hosted on-line video segments that accompany the reality TV show ''

America's Greatest Makers ''America's Greatest Makers'' was a reality TV show that aired in 2016 on TBS. Twenty-four teams of Makers competed for a $1 million prize and the judging panel consisted of Intel CEO Brian Krzanich, Kevin Pereira, and Carol Roth. It was p ...

.'' In 2017, Santa Maria was a guest panelist on the

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

series Bill Nye Saves the World.

Professional awards

* 2014: Knight Innovation Give Forward Award, presented by

Neil deGrasse Tyson Neil deGrasse Tyson ( or ; born October 5, 1958) is an American astrophysicist, author, and science communicator. Tyson studied at Harvard University, the University of Texas at Austin, and Columbia University. From 1991 to 1994, he was a p ...

for Santa Maria's efforts to make science clearer for a broad public audience. * 2015: 67th Los Angeles Area

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

for feature segment: ''Natural History Museum's Citizen Science Insect Labeling Project'' * 2016: 68th Los Angeles Area Emmy Award for Information/Public Affairs Series (Greater than 50% remote): ''SoCal Connected''. * 2016: 66th Annual Golden Mike Award * 2017: 69th Los Angeles Area Emmy Award for Information/Public Affairs Series (Greater than 50% remote): ''SoCal Connected''

Personal life

From 2009 to 2011, Cara Santa Maria was in a relationship with television host and political commentator

Bill Maher William Maher (; born January 20, 1956) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is known for the HBO political talk show '' Real Time with Bill Maher'' (2003–present) and the similar ...

. She has been open about her struggles with

major depressive disorder Major depressive disorder (MDD), also known as clinical depression, is a mental disorder characterized by at least two weeks of pervasive low mood, low self-esteem, and loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities. Introdu ...

. In a ''

'' podcast interview, Santa Maria said that she takes

antidepressants Antidepressants are a class of medication used to treat major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, chronic pain conditions, and to help manage addictions. Common side-effects of antidepressants include dry mouth, weight gain, dizziness, heada ...

daily and that psychotherapy made a huge improvement in her mental health.

Bibliography

Along with her co-hosts on The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe podcast, Santa Maria co-authored a book, published in 2018, about

scientific skepticism Scientific skepticism or rational skepticism (also spelled scepticism), sometimes referred to as skeptical inquiry, is a position in which one questions the veracity of claims lacking empirical evidence. In practice, the term most commonly refe ...

: The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe: How to Know What's Really Real in a World Increasingly Full of Fake."

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Santa Maria, Cara 1983 births Living people American bloggers HuffPost bloggers American neuroscientists American atheists American women podcasters American podcasters American writers of Italian descent American people of Puerto Rican descent American people of English descent American science writers Puerto Rican writers People from Plano, Texas University of North Texas alumni American women biologists American women neuroscientists Queens College, City University of New York alumni Al Jazeera people The Young Turks people 21st-century American women writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers Writers from Texas American skeptics Former Latter Day Saints Science communicators American women non-fiction writers American women columnists