Science communicator Cara Santa Maria knows what she's up against. A culture driven by the 24-hour political news cycle. Fake news. Entrenched sexism and racism. An ever-lurking wedge between the scientific community and the public. Yet to her, the roadblocks are exactly what necessitates a warmer embrace of science as an approach.

It's a struggle in many respects for science communicators to stay the course and help develop the public's scientific literacy. Yet the payoff is equally as great, helping grow people's abilities to spot bad sources and utilize alternative media to model a more diverse, adaptive world. Science communication, and communication in general, has become the first-touch for adult education and shaping new normative behavior.

In this conversation, the host of Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria, co-host of the Skeptics Guide to the Universe, and founding member of the Nerd Brigade, discusses how science communication and science literacy work to affect change on a global scale.