Happy To Be Here

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 technology, sounds like a lady. Then our booze nerd Rebecca Poulson offers up a cocktail inspired her favorite Oscar nominee.

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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 on Valentine's Day. Plus your song dedications to the nerdy loves of your lives.

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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 gives homework. (Which she's still very familiar with.) Did we mention she's still in high school?

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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 Stayman-London. Her jokes went viral and she got to visit Harry Potter World in Florida. Not a bad week.

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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 rights on stage and screen. Then we bring the conversation up to the present by talking about what's changed since then (and what hasn't) for performers like Beyonce.

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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 and rainforest conservation. Plus an August Osage County-inspired cocktail and a heartfelt nerd confession from co-host Tricia Bobeda.

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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 hour.

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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 and our first ever homework challenge with a prize on the line.

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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 finally crack open the homemade Nerdette soda with Meghan Murphy-Gill.

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