Nerdette
Nerdette is a weekly interview show that helps you unwind with fun conversations, inspiring ideas, and delightful recommendations. And join us every month for the Nerdette Bookclub!
- Update frequency
- every 5 days
- Average duration
- 30 minutes
- Episodes
- 634
- Years Active
- 2013 - 2024
Tricia learns to play Dungeons & Dragons and how women stack up in STEM fields around the world
It's D&D time! Tricia dives into the world of Role Playing Games with expert guides from One Shot podcast, Greta gives Veronica Mars homework and The Atlantic's Olga Khazan highlights how women rank …
Thu 20 Mar 2014
Girls in the band, Emily Pilloton's teen toolbox, Mr. Superlative's bath tips and True Detective
The director of Girls in the Band helps us get to know the hippest women who played in big bands. Why Emily Pilloton blew up shop class and rebuilt it for teens. Special homework from Mr. Superlative…
Thu 13 Mar 2014
Mapping the brain, competitive puzzlers and an ode to Parks and Recreation
A chat with the director of Wicker Kittens, a new documentary about competitive jigsaw puzzlers. Then scientist Deanna Barch talks about how the Human Connectome Project is mapping the brain and what…
Thu 06 Mar 2014
Oscar preview with A.V. Club's film editor, how we got to HER and an animation-inspired cocktail
We nerd out about the Oscars - the nominees and the awards - with A.V. Club editor A.A. Dowd. Logan Jaffe offers a sound-rich essay about how we got to HER's Samantha and why Siri, and so much of our…
Wed 26 Feb 2014
The romance of horror movies, author Deborah Blum and a boozy hot chocolate recipe
Pulitzer Prize winner Deborah Blum on the science of attraction, filmmakers fess up about how much horror movies and romantic comedies have in common and a boozy hot chocolate recipe to cozy up with …
Wed 12 Feb 2014
Tavi Gevinson nerds out about Rookie, music, art and gives stellar homework
Tavi Gevinson, founder and editor of Rookie Mag, has a budding media empire that celebrates unabashed enthusiasm. She talks about the music, TV and more that she's obsessing over lately. Plus she giv…
Wed 05 Feb 2014
Supernatural fangirls, Ladies Against Humanity and Harry Potter World
Two professors turned Supernatural fangirls tell us about how the show has changed their life. Plus get to know the biting and brilliant voice behind the new "Ladies Against Humanity" Tumblr Kate Sta…
Wed 29 Jan 2014
Nina Simone, Lena Horne and more black female performers who sang their civil rights
From Ella Baker to Abbey Lincoln, Lena Horne to Dorothy Height, let's get to know women central to the civil rights movement. Some preferred staying behind-the-scenes, others performed their civil ri…
Wed 22 Jan 2014
Tracy Letts gives homework, rainforest nerd Meg Lowman and an August Osage County cocktail
On this week’s episode, Tracy Letts (August Osage County! Homeland!) gives some sonic homework. And lady nerd extraordinaire Meg Lowman talks about climbing trees, convincing her kids to count bugs a…
Wed 15 Jan 2014
Cocktail recipes to keep you warm, the best of the worst PR pitches and 2014 TV picks
This week, a cocktail recipe to help you stay warm (and classy). Then WBEZ political reporter Alex Keefe counts down the best of the worst story pitches in his inbox. And we talk Orphan Black, Alpha …
Thu 09 Jan 2014
Nerdette Holiday Special on WBEZ
The good folks at WBEZ gave us an hour to nerd out on the radio over the holidays. This episode is that mix of old and new, with some of our favorite conversations from 2013 all wrapped up into one h…
Fri 03 Jan 2014
Scrabble nerd Stefan Fatsis and a homework challenge for aspiring word freaks
Author of 'Word Freak' and Scrabble evangelist Stefan Fatsis nerds out about his favorite board game and sharing that passion with his daughter. Plus Greta spent the weekend with some tile slingers a…
Thu 19 Dec 2013
Gillian Anderson, Shakespeare with lightsabers and mad kitchen science
Gillian Anderson, aka Agent Scully of X-Files, nerds out about the ocean's health and talks about playing smart characters. Plus a behind-the-scenes look at a Shakespeare/Star Wars mashup play and we…
Wed 11 Dec 2013
Doris Kearns Goodwin, discovering new dinosaurs and a Bully Pulpit cocktail
Presidential historian (and O. G. Nerdette) Doris Kearns Goodwin nerds out about baseball, muckraker Ida Tarbell, Eleanor Roosevelt and the relationship between Teddy and Taft as told in her new book…
Thu 28 Nov 2013
Word nerd Anne Curzan and Doctor Who homework for the overachievers
The evolution of language is something linguistics professor slash word nerd Anne Curzan thinks about a lot. She wrote an article about the newest use of the slash (it's not just punctuation anymore)…
Wed 20 Nov 2013
The definitive Seth Reiss, Thor exceeds expectations, and Scrabble tournaments as nerd havens
Seth Reiss, head writer for The Onion, talks about their encyclopedia, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and gives great homework. Also, a weekend round up of our weekend activities-- Tricia liked Thor,…
Wed 13 Nov 2013
Masters of Sex, Ann Patchett, Halloween nerds and a zombie debate
'Masters of Sex' author Thomas Maier helps us get to know another great Lady Nerd of History: Sex researcher Virginia Johnson. Novelist Ann Patchett gives homework. Plus a Masters of Sex cocktail, a …
Wed 30 Oct 2013
Ada Lovelace Day, girls who code and Malcolm Gladwell gives homework
Get to know the mother of computer programming, Ada Lovelace. This great lady nerd of history inspires our conversation with women in STEM fields and teenage girls learning to code in Chicago. Plus a…
Tue 15 Oct 2013
Robin Sloan nerds out and Sharon Creech gives great homework
Media inventor and author Robin Sloan stops by to talk about Mr. Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore, its new prequel, secret societies and the future of technology. Plus autumnal homework from author Sharo…
Thu 10 Oct 2013
Hugging Neil Gaiman, flight vs baby animals and BBC's best sci fi
Author Victoria Schwab nerds out about hugging Neil Gaiman and explains her merit system for productive writing days. (It involves rewards of watching BBC shows). Plus your incredible responses to ou…
Thu 03 Oct 2013
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