Ologies with Alie Ward

ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE  FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY. 

Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248

Classical Archaeologist and TV host Dr. Darius Arya is back for a smologized version of this classic  episode to dish about priceless garbage piles, pottery graveyards, tomb discoveries, what's under European cities, ancient spa days, ingenious construction methods, and unlikely laundry techniques. Plus, what did ancient romans use before toilet paper - and perhaps more importantly, WHY?? 

Dr. Darius Arya's website, Twitter and Instagram

A donation was made to AncientRomeLive.org

Full-length (*not* G-rated) Classical Archaeology episode + tons of science links

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Sound editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Steven Ray Morris

Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer & Erin Talbert

Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Part 2! Black hole suns, black hole movies, wormholes, time travel, matter evaporation, scientists being bitches, risk-taking advice, Italy’s favorite pastry, and more await you. NASA Goddard Theoretical Astrophysicist and Black Hole Theory Cosmologist  Dr. Ronald Gamble, Jr. is back for the conclusion of black hole basics and how theories get made and what’s on the (event) horizon for future astrophysicists to solve. Also: what do we do with our space anxiety?!

Visit Dr. Ronald Gamble’s website and follow him on Instagram, X, and Google Scholar

Donations went to TheScienceHaven.org

More episode sources and links

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may enjoy: Scotohylology (DARK MATTER), Cosmology (THE UNIVERSE), Quantum Ontology (WHAT IS REAL?), UFOlogy (UNEXPLAINED AERIAL PHENOMENA), Astrobiology (ALIENS), Abstract Mathematology (UH, IS MATH REAL?), Futurology (THE FUTURE), Eschatology (THE APOCALYPSE), Radiology (X-RAY VISION), Invisible Photology (INVISIBILITY CLOAKS), Molecular Biology (PROTEINS)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Instagram and X

Follow @AlieWard on Instagram and X

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Managing Director: Susan Hale

Scheduling producer: Noel Dilworth

Transcripts by Aveline Malek and The Wordary

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How big are black holes? Is time elastic? What is spacetime foam? Why is there a place called “elsewhere?” Enjoy this dazzling two-parter that starts with the absolute basics with NASA’s Goddard Theoretical Astrophysicist and Black Hole Theory Cosmologist  Dr. Ronald Gamble, Jr.  We talk busting of flim-flam, how do we image them, what's the most giant dense book you can buy about them, where do trad goths fit into this episode, does my dog exist, how astrophysics is like drawing, and the greatest gift he could give his mom. Also what you have in common with an annulus. 

Visit Dr. Ronald Gamble’s website and follow him on Instagram, X, and Google Scholar

More episode sources and links

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may enjoy: Scotohylology (DARK MATTER), Cosmology (THE UNIVERSE), Quantum Ontology (WHAT IS REAL?), Abstract Mathematology (UH, IS MATH REAL?), Futurology (THE FUTURE), Eschatology (THE APOCALYPSE), Radiology (X-RAY VISION), Invisible Photology (INVISIBILITY CLOAKS)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Instagram and X

Follow @AlieWard on Instagram and X

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Managing Director: Susan Hale

Scheduling producer: Noel Dilworth

Transcripts by Aveline Malek and The Wordary

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE  FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY. 

Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248

Ah, charismatic megafauna! Teeth, claws, fur, poop, hibernation, hiking, nature preserves, and living your childhood dreams with Alie’s longtime -ologist crush, Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant. The large carnivore ecologist, researcher and TV presenter tells us all about her field work, what it’s like to stuff a baby bear in your coat, carnivore microbiomes, how well carnivores can taste and smell their food (and yours), how smart the average bear really is and more. Also: Is there such thing as a vegetarian carnivore?! We love her.

Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant’s website, Twitter, and Instagram

Listen to Dr. Wynn-Grant’s podcast, Going Wild

A donation went to Black Outside

Full-length (*not* G-rated) Carnivore Ecology episode + tons of science links

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Sound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media and Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer & Erin Talbert

Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

CAPYBARAS! Blocky faces. Chill vibes. Spa days. Finally. Hydrochoerologist, Dr. Elizabeth Congdon, leads us into the muddy pond of Rodents of Unusual Size, weird feet, pet questions, interspecies snuggles, capybara cafes, natural habitats, escaped capybara, a fossil record that will rock you, and what the Pope thinks of them. An instant classic that you’ll want to enjoy on repeat. Y’all, CAPYBARAS. I repeat: Capybaras. 

Read Dr. Congdon’s publications on ResearchGate

A donation went to Edgewater Animal Shelter

More episode sources and links

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may enjoy: Urban Rodentology (SEWER RATS), Cervidology (DEER), Acaropathology (TICKS & LYME DISEASE) Updated Mega Encore, Scatology (POOP), Mammalogy (MAMMALS), Lutrinology (OTTERS), Sciuridology (SQUIRRELS), Mycology (MUSHROOMS)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Instagram and X

Follow @AlieWard on Instagram and X

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Managing Director: Susan Hale

Scheduling producer: Noel Dilworth

Transcripts by Aveline Malek and The Wordary

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Environmental models! Poetry! Scientists who are poets! Novelists who are scientists! Art + science =  an actual -ology. Creative Ecologist, climate scientist, theoretical ecologist, author and celebrated poet Dr. Madhur Anand sits on a porch with me on an island to chat about storytelling, narratives in science, forest beetles, carbon stability, human motives, hip waders, technology meets nature, absurdity, identity, overcoming writer’s or scientist’s' block, and how accepting ourselves can be contagious. Forecast: you begin jotting down poems on envelopes. 

Visit the Anand Lab in Global Ecological Change & Sustainability and follow Dr. Anand on Google Scholar and X

Buy Madhur Anand’s collections of poems A New Index for Predicting Catastrophes (2015) and Parasitic Oscillations (2022), and her book of prose This Red Line Goes Straight to Your Heart (2020)

A donation went to Rare Charitable Reserve

More episode sources and links

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may enjoy: Pedagogology (SCIENCE COMMUNICATION) with Bill Nye, Molecular Biology + SciComm with Raven ‘the Science Maven’ Baxter, Indigenous Fire Ecology (GOOD FIRE), Pyrotechnology (FIREMAKING), Fire Ecology (WILDFIRES), Oceanology Encore (THE OCEAN),Enigmatology (WORD PUZZLES), Syndesiology (CONNECTIONS) with James Burke

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Instagram and X

Follow @AlieWard on Instagram and X

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Managing Director: Susan Hale

Scheduling producer: Noel Dilworth

Transcripts by Aveline Malek and The Wordary

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE  FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY. 

Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248

This one’s got it all: teeny tiny cellular factories, mitochondrial relevancy, what big smelly vats of poop have to do with curing cancer, how many trips to the sun your unravelled DNA could make, and mysteries of the brain. Dr. Raven The Science Maven has a background in molecular biology and a Ph.D in Science Communication, which she puts to work while Alie generally does her best to suppress high pitched noises of excitement. Learn to appreciate your proteins and pick up some noodle analogies while you’re here. That’s so Maven!

Follow Raven on Instagram and Twitter

Visit Raven's website and YouTube channel

A donation went to Project for Awesome

Full-length (*not* G-rated) Molecular Biology episode + tons of science links

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Sound editing by Steven Ray Morris, Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media and Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer & Erin Talbert

Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

*Content warning up top: This episode discusses sensitive themes like diet culture, caloric intake, the psychological & physical effects of food restriction and includes many listeners’ personal experience with the term “obesity." It may be triggering for those with a history of or sensitivity to disordered eating. We also discuss the Body Mass Index, still used by medical professionals, but acknowledged by many sociologists to be rooted in structural oppression.*

Let’s explore our human machinery. And talk about Brazilian butt lifts. Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology and metabolism researcher Dr. Herman Pontzer gives us the data on mitochondrial backstories, muscle mass and hormones, our expanding brains, the flaws of the Body Mass Index, humans’ relationships with nutrition, why crash dieting can change your metabolism, perspectives on sticky medical terms, isotope magic, how much exercise hunter gatherers get, carnivore diets, scales, and what to do if you're grappling with sadness. 

Visit the Pontzer Lab website

Browse Dr. Pontzer’s papers on ResearchGate and follow him on Instagram and X

Buy Dr. Pontzer’s book, Burn: New Research Blows the Lid Off How We Really Burn Calories, Stay Healthy, and Lose Weight

A donation went to Hadza Fund

More episode sources and links

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may enjoy: Pyrotechnology (FIREMAKING), Entomophagy Anthropology (EATING BUGS), Kalology (BEAUTY STANDARDS), Genicular Traumatology (BAD KNEES)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Instagram and X

Follow @AlieWard on Instagram and X

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Transcripts by Aveline Malek and The Wordary

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hairy crabs! Shell swaps! Carcinization! Will we all evolve to be crabs? What’s with having one giant claw? Why would a crab stab you? Adam Wall, a carcinologist at the Natural History Museum of LA covers all of this and more in this thrilling conclusion of our two-part episode on crabs. Also: did the Little Mermaid get it right, and does Adam enjoy being interviewed? Listen to the end to find out.

And if you missed Part 1, listen here. Part 1 covers:  Claw hands! Beady eyes! Pinching forces that could crack your skull! The tiniest to the most hauntingly giant crabs, discovering new species, crabs that are NOT crabs, sea monkeys, hairy crabs, hermit crabs, crab dongs, crab butts, crab butters, the secret history of secret Maryland spices, Amelia Earhart rumors, giant invasive crabs in Norway, behind the scenes Hollywood crabs, and so much more. 

View Adam’s papers on ResearchGate

Find him barely ever posting on Twitter

A donation went to NHM.org’s Marine Biodiversity Center’s fairy shrimp research

Consider a $5 or $10 birthday donation to SkypeAScientist.com

More episode sources and links

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may enjoy: Teuthology (SQUIDS), Teuthological Ludology (ACTUAL SQUID GAMES), Phallology (PENISES), Scorpiology (SCORPIONS), Pectinidology (SCALLOPS),  Echinology (SEA URCHINS & SAND DOLLARS), Scatology (POOP), Biomineralogy (SHELLS), Oceanology (OCEANS), Lutrinology (OTTERS), Conotoxinology (CONE SNAIL VENOM), Cheloniology (SEA TURTLES), Cnidariology (CORAL)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, stickers, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Transcripts by Aveline Malek

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE  FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY. 

Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248

Plumage! Dance battles! Possible holographic disco birds? Natural History Museum of LA ornithology curator Dr. Allison Shultz is a professional plumologist aka feather expert. We visit the museum’s collection of rare specimens and chat about everything from fossilized dinosaur feathers to peacock tails, the fanciest roosters, quill pens, pigments, flight feathers, the blackest black birds, and why birdwatching is like seeing tiny purple raccoons zoom overhead. Birds: like Pokemon Go but weirder.

Visit Dr. Allison Shultz’s website and follow her on Twitter

Full-length (*not* G-rated) Plumology episode + tons of science links

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Sound editing by Steven Ray Morris, Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media and Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer & Erin Talbert

Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Claw hands! Beady eyes! Pinching forces that could crack your skull! Gentleman, scholar, curator of the Natural History Museum’s crustacea collection and Carcinologist Adam Wall takes us on a tour of the museum’s crab bunker to discuss everything from the tiniest to the most hauntingly giant crabs, discovering new species, crabs that are NOT crabs, sea monkeys, hairy crabs, hermit crabs, crab dongs, crab butts, crab butters, the secret history of secret Maryland spices, Amelia Earhart rumors, giant invasive crabs in Norway, behind the scenes Hollywood crabs, and so much more. So dazzling and comprehensive and weird – we had to crack this episode in two. Make sure to catch next week’s. 

View Adam’s papers on ResearchGate

Find him barely ever posting on Twitter

A donation went to NHM.org’s Marine Biodiversity Center’s fairy shrimp research

More episode sources and links

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may enjoy: Pectinidology (SCALLOPS),  Echinology (SEA URCHINS & SAND DOLLARS), Scatology (POOP), Biomineralogy (SHELLS), Oceanology (OCEANS), Lutrinology (OTTERS), Conotoxinology (CONE SNAIL VENOM), Cheloniology (SEA TURTLES), Cnidariology (CORAL)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, stickers, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Transcripts by Aveline Malek

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The what, where, and who of native plants is … ethnobotany! Which is under the umbrella of Ethnoecology! The wonderful botanist Leigh Joseph shares what steered her to this field, how she includes her Squamish First Nation community in her research, and how we relate to plants – both native and invasive. She’ll chat about how to identify plants, Latin names vs. traditional names, how knowledge is passed down or silenced, the chilling history that inspired some of her work, uses for barks and berries and saps and teas, pharmaceuticals derived from Indigenous knowledge, ceremonial plants, the dos and absolutely do-nots of harvesting, skin remedies, white sage, and so much more. Also what should I put on my face? 

Visit Leigh Joseph’s website and follow her on Instagram

Buy her book: Held by the Land: A Guide to Indigenous Plants for Wellness

Shop Leigh’s plant-based beauty brand: Skwálwen Botanicals

Donations went to Indigenous Climate Action and Seeding Sovereignty

More episode sources and links

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may enjoy: Foraging Ecology (EATING WILD PLANTS) with @BlackForager, Alexis Nikole Nelson, Indigenous Cuisinology (NATIVE COOKING), Smologies #31: INDIGENOUS COOKING, Indigenous Pedology (SOIL SCIENCE), Bryology (MOSS) with Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer, Dendrology (TREES), Wildlife Ecology (FIELDWORK), Urology (CROTCH PARTS), Nephrology (KIDNEYS), Carnivorous Phytobiology (MEAT-EATING PLANTS)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, stickers, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Transcripts by Aveline Malek

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE  FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY. 

Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248

At just 22, Iddris Sandu’s life story was already legendary. This Architectural Technologist learned to program at the age of 11 and has worked with everyone from Kanye West to Nipsey Hussle to Space X. In this episode from 2020 we talk coding, holograms, what ancient flutes have to do with computers, how programming works and why it's important. The designer and entrepreneur also shares his favorite programming languages, philosophies on future technology and why we should all strive to be dynamic rather than single-minded. He’s a true inspiration and Alie shamelessly begged him for life advice. 

Follow Iddris on Instagram and Twitter

Visit Spatial Labs, the tech company founded by Iddris

Full-length (*not* G-rated) Architectural Technology episode + tons of science links

More kid-friendly Smologies episodes!

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Sound editing by Steven Ray Morris, Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media and Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer & Erin Talbert

Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s like a whole episode of secrets. And your questions. And your podmom, Jarrett, hanging out in a guest room answering all kinds of inquiries. This week between the holidays I thought I’d take it easy and dip into the mail bag to explain my free-range childhood,  the goth days, podcasting tips, favorite bugs, hair dye, yellow sweaters, episodes that have never aired, how I find my guests, how many hours each episode takes, and who our dog loves the most. Cozy up and let’s become goofy together. 

A donation went to Dogs Without Borders

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may enjoy: Field Trip: How to Change Your Life Via the Natural History Museum, LIFE ADVICE Encore: For anyone who is tired & needs some hacks, Attention-Deficit Neuropsychology (ADHD), Scotohylolgy (DARK MATTER), Quasithanatology (NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES), Quantum Ontology (WHAT IS REAL?)

More about Jarrett Sleeper of Mind Jam Media

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Managing Director: Susan Hale

Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth 

Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE  FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY. 

Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248

Do penguins have flippers or wings? What’s up with pebble gifts? Are they squishy or dense? And why why why are they so cute?  We sit down with renowned penguinologist Dr. Tom Hart, a research fellow with Oxford University, to chat all about life on Antarctica, penguin cities, icy cuddle parties, ocean camouflage and how to become a flightless bird. Dr. Hart is your new favorite penguinologist.

Follow Penguin Watch on Twitter

Help count penguins -- for science!

Donations went to PenguinWatch.org  and TRASS for mangrove planting

Full-length (*not* G-rated) Penguinology episode + tons of science links

More kid-friendly Smologies episodes!

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Sound editing by Steven Ray Morris, Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media and Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer, Emily White, & Erin Talbert

Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How did these tree-hopping furry angels evolve to be the cutest thing in the world, objectively speaking? They have saucer eyes, wet noses, chunky tails, toe claws, matriarchies, a feature film starring role, and all the mystery of 100 species spending millions of years on a remote island.  Wildlife ecologist and official Lemurologist Dr. Lydia Greene finally joins me to bust flim-flam straight out of the gate and talk about Madagascar, aye-ayes, ring tailed lemurs, Zoboomafoo, evolutionary biology, hibernation, jumping, hopping, these endangered primates’ conservation, and so much more. If you thought you liked lemurs, just wait until you’re obsessed with them. 

Visit Dr. Lydia Greene’s website and follow her and Dr. Marina B. Blanco on Instagram @lemurscientist

A donation went to the Mahaliana Labs

More episode sources and links

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may enjoy: Gorillaology (Gorillas), Geology (ROCKS), Sciuridiology (SQUIRRELS), Dasyurology (TASMANIAN DEVILS), Primatology (MONKEYS & APES), Wildlife Ecology (FIELDWORK), Mammalogy (MAMMALS), Island Ecology (ISLANDS), Philematology (KISSING), Procyonology (RACCOONS), Raccoonology (PROCYONIDS), Oppossumology (O/POSSUMS), Ursinology (BEARS), Scatology (POOP), Urban Rodentology (SEWER RATS), Phenology (SEASONS), Conservation Technology (EARTH SAVING)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Managing Director: Susan Hale

Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth 

Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tunnels of light. Unconditional love. Visions of dead aunts. And a lot of questions. What happens when you die…  or almost die? GOOD QUESTION. Dr. Bruce Greyson chats about about brain activity during death, accounts from patients, out of body experiments, time dilation, the Swiss Alps, deathbed visions, accidental morgue visits, neurotransmitters, party drugs, religion vs. spirituality, and what matters most in life. As a world-renowned and respected psychiatrist and neurobiologist, he’s sought out answers for four decades and shares what we know – and don’t know – about the border of alive and unalive. Get out your phone and some scissors because it’s a real crush-texter & bang-cutter of an episode. 

Visit Dr. Bruce Greyson’s website and shop his book, After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal about Life and Beyond

A donation went to the International Association for Near-Death Studies

More episode sources and links

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may enjoy: Scotohylology (DARK MATTER), Quantum Ontology (WHAT IS REAL?), Cosmology (THE UNIVERSE), Astrobiology (ALIENS), UFOlogy (UNEXPLAINED AERIAL PHENOMENA), Thanatology (DEATH & DYING)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Managing Director: Susan Hale

Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth 

Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE  FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY. 

Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248

Scorpions: the victims of undue shade. A handful of people on planet Earth have a PhD in scorpions and Dr. Lauren Esposito is one of them. She spills the beans on how venom works, what's up with the blacklight glow effect, how dangerous they *really* are, what all the movies get wrong, the best names for scorpions, where she's traveled to look under rocks, where a scorpion's butt is, if scorpions dance (SPOILER: YES), what good mothers they are, and how big they used to be millions of years ago. Get this one in your ears right away.

Learn more about Dr. Lauren Esposito on Wikipedia and follow her on Twitter

A donation went to Islands & Seas

Full-length (*not* G-rated) Scorpiology episode + tons of science links

More kid-friendly Smologies episodes!

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Sound editing by Steven Ray Morris, Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions, and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media

Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer, Emily White, & Erin Talbert

Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

He’s the guy pointing to a NASA launch behind him, in the most legendary shot in television history. He’s a science historian and Apollo Program correspondent. He’s the creator, host, and writer of the long-running program “Connections.” He is a science communication hero to millions and a global treasure. He is James Burke, and he chats about how connected historical events are, and how connection between humans is vital. We also talk about Napoleon’s toothpick, dog pee, shipworms, writer's block, TV shoots, and his new Connections season on Curiosity Stream. Also: (surprise!) they gave me a spinoff called “Quick Connections.” 

Watch Connections with James Burke on Curiosity Stream and Alie’s spinoff, Quick Connections with Alie Ward

Browse books by James Burke including Connections and American Connections: The Founding Fathers. Networked.

A donation went to National Energy Action

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Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may enjoy: Pedagogy (SCIENCE COMMUNICATION) with Bill Nye, TikTokology (SCICOMM) with Hank Green, Molecular Biology (PROTEINS & SCICOMM) with Dr. Raven Baxter, Futurology (THE FUTURE), Eudemonology (HAPPINESS), Cosmology (THE UNIVERSE) Encore, Astrobiology (ALIENS), Maritime Archeology (SHIPWRECKS), Classical Archaeology (ANCIENT ROME), Egyptology (ANCIENT EGYPT), Delphinology (DOLPHINS), Mythology (STORYTELLING), Geology (ROCKS), Curiology (EMOJI)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Managing Director: Susan Hale

Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth

Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You like Ologists. Ologists write books. You like books, so let’s dive into a new, curated sampler platter from your favorite guests’ books.. Fill your ears with dark carnivals, boney catacombs, Rocky Mountain bears and wolves, flies you should love, maggots that make you beautiful, fungus that might be evil, why you should not care what other people eat, queer dolphins, invisible moose, monkey facts, fitness/mental health tips, and how to save money at the salon. Let this melange of literary snippets serve as a refresher of favorite episodes, a teaser for ones you haven’t heard, or just a gentle nudge toward a bookshop. (Or the link below to buy online.)

Links to these books (& the Ologists’ episodes)

2019’s Audiobook Mixtape 1 Episode

2021’s Audiobook Mixtape 2 Episode

A donation went to 826LA.org

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Managing Director: Susan Hale

Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth

Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE  FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY. 

Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248

Cumulus! Lenticular! Venti sugar-free stratocumulus stratiformis translucidus undulatus! Those light and fluffy things that hang overhead weigh thousands of pounds and form under all kinds of conditions. Cloud doctor and nephologist Dr. Rachel Storer chats about why she loves clouds, the different varieties of them, what makes it rain, whether sailors delight at red skies at night, why clouds are never square and where we can find diamond rain. 

Visit Dr. Rachel Storer's website and follow her on Twitter

A donation went to WWF's Australian Wildlife and Nature Recovery Fund

Full-length (*not* G-rated) Nephology episode + tons of science links

More kid-friendly Smologies episodes!

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Sound editing by Steven Ray Morris, Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio, and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media

Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer, Emily White, & Erin Talbert

Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Math wants to be friends. Let mathematician, author and Abstract Mathematologist Dr. Eugenia Cheng introduce you to a secret world: the artsy and emotional side of math. Dr. Cheng helps answer the age-old and (recently viral) question, “IS MATH REAL?” We chat about Fibonacci sequences, golden ratios, common core, loving thy neighbor, slide rules vs. calculators, imaginary numbers, the nature of zero, infinite cookies, and more. Turns out that math can change your relationships and permeate your every thought.. if you let it. Also: wtf, Barbie?

Visit Dr. Eugenia Cheng’s website and follow her on Twitter

Browse Dr. Cheng’s books including Is Math Real?: How Simple Questions Lead Us to Mathematics' Deepest Truths (2023), The Joy of Abstraction: An Exploration of Math, Category Theory, and Life (2022), and How to Bake Pi: An Edible Exploration of the Mathematics of Mathematics (2016)

A donation went to Math Circles of Chicago

More episode sources and links

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may enjoy: Quantum Ontology (WHAT IS REAL?), Dolorology (PAIN), Fearology (FEAR), Egyptology (ANCIENT EGYPT), Classical Archeology (ANCIENT ROME), Economic Sociology (MONEY/FREAKONOMICS), Tiktokology (THE TIKTOK APP)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Managing Director: Susan Hale

Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth

Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Deer in headlights! Alligators in crosswalks! A possum in the oven? If you love wildlife, this is a must-listen to avoid killing critters with your car. Ben Goldfarb wrote the book on road kill and we chat about: wildlife crossings, skunk smells, moose impacts, ocelot facts, what to do if you see roadkill, how to avoid making more of it, and whether it's okay to pick up a dead thing. Ben is an award-winning science journalist with a Masters in Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and I’ve waited LITERAL YEARS to talk to him about this topic as he wrote his latest book: “Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet.” Also: flip phones, sleep hygiene, and how to ask your boss for a raise. 

Visit Ben Goldfarb’s website and follow him on Twitter and Instagram

Shop Ben’s book, Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet (2023), and his award-winning first read, Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter (2019)

A donation went to Wildlands Network

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Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may enjoy: P-22: The Life & Death of an L.A. Cougar, Cervidology (DEER), Lupinology (WOLVES), Testudinology (TORTOISES), Opossumology (O/POSSUMS), Neuropathology (CONCUSSIONS), Gustology (TASTE), Scuridiology (SQUIRRELS), Acarology (TICKS & LYME DISEASE), Bisonology (BUFFALO), Indigenous Cuisinology (NATIVE FOODS)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Editing: Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Managing Director: Susan Hale

Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth

Transcripts: Emily White of The Wordary

Website: Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song: Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE  FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY. 

Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248

Dig in for a bite-sized episode about how native foods aren’t just a part of a past, but an essential and exciting aspect of the future. We talk flower bulbs, acorns, sunflower butter popcorn, frybread debates, mushroom foraging tips, corn magic, puffball mythology, decolonized diets, Instapots and – most importantly – food sovereignty with the WONDERFUL Indigikitchen cooking show host and environmental scientist Mariah Gladstone.

Mariah’s website, Twitter and Instagram

A donation was made to FASTBlackfeet.org

Full-length (*not* G-rated) Indigenous Cuisinology episode + tons of science links

More kid-friendly Smologies episodes!

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Sound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media & Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer, Emily White, & Erin Talbert

Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

November 6-12 is GAR WEEK! What is a gar, you ask? Picture: A long snout. Hundreds of teeth. Scales that could slice you. Should we fear it? Should we hug it? One of the world’s most passionate and knowledgeable experts on this ancient, mysterious fish joins to make you fall in love with these slimy longbois. Dr. Solomon David is affable, charming, enthusiastic and absolutely shameless when it comes to fish puns. Slip into some hip waders and jump in the muck to learn all about a creature that -- despite decades of mudslinging -- is not a gar-bage fish. Also: why gar caviar is a hella bad idea.

Visit Dr. Solomon David’s website and follow him on Twitter and Instagram

A donation went to Ranger Rick, part of the National Wildlife Federation

More episode sources and links

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may enjoy: Ichthyology (FISH), Oceanology Encore (THE OCEAN), Benthopelagic Nematology (DEEP SEA WORMS), Teuthology (SQUID)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, stickers, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media & Steven Ray Morris, and Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What’s on your mind? ZOMBIES. The planet is full of mind-controlling foes, and “Plight of the Living Dead” author Matt Simon researched deep and traveled the world to document tales of fungus-controlled zombie ants, bellies and brains full of worms, wasp bunkers, decapitated ants, brutal stings, hapless cockroaches, the attraction of light, moonlit skinny dipping, and the philosophy of where I stop and you begin. The two of us also discuss the Last of Us, of course. 

Visit Matt Simon’s website and follow him on Twitter

Shop Matt Simon’s books including Plight of the Living Dead: What Real-Life Zombies Reveal about Our World – And Ourselves

A donation went to the World Wildlife Fund

More episode sources and links

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may enjoy: SPOOKTOBER episodes, Acarology (TICKS & LYME DISEASE) Quantum Ontology (WHAT IS REAL?), Invisible Photology (INVISIBILITY CLOAKS), Gustology (TASTE), Chiropterology (BATS),  Scotohylology (DARK MATTER), Dendrology (TREES), Mycology (MUSHROOMS), Myrmecology (ANTS), Felinology (CATS), Cicadology (CICADAS)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, stickers, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE  FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY. 

Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248

Invisible but stronger than steel. Complex architectural marvels. Things that stick to your face. Spiderwebs are much more than just Halloween decor or something to feather dust from your corners. Spider silk expert Dr. Randy Lewis of Utah State University not only coined the word "spidroin" for the proteins comprising the many types of silk, but he is considered one of the foremost experts on the wonders of spiderwebs. Alie visits his lab and chats about how spiders weave them, what the silk is made of, and how realistic your favourite spidey superhero’s antics are. You'll never (not) see a spiderweb the same.

A donation went to the Women's Empowerment and Entrepreneurship Workshop

Full-length (*not* G-rated) Spidroinology episode + tons of science links

More kid-friendly Smologies episodes!

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Sound editing by Steven Ray Morris, Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, and Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer, Emily White, & Erin Talbert

Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Frankenstein’s Monster! Hungry ghosts! Moaning bloodsuckers! Goat draining goblins. Babadooks. Gorilla-whales. Slasher films. Body horror… and what these folk stories, films, and fandoms have to do about our hopes and fears. Also yes, you can watch monster movies as a job. Just ask the wonderfully charming and deeply informed Dr. W. Scott Poole, College of Charleston professor and author of “Monsters in America,” who teaches multiple courses on history and monster lore. We also cover: monsters on various continents, monsters as queer icons, horror vs. monsters, secret messages in monster movies, the edits that your government may not have wanted you to see, what to do if you suspect you have one under the bed, Hollywood production secrets, special effects makeup, and — as always — why we’re so horny for ghouls.

Buy W. Scott Poole’s new book: Dark Carnivals: Modern Horror and the Origins of American Empire

Browse more horror and pop culture books by W. Scott Poole including: Wasteland: The Great War and the Origins of Modern Horror, Monsters in America, and In the Mountains of Madness: The Life and Extraordinary Afterlife of H.P. Lovecraft

Donations went to the International Rescue Committee and Pet Helpers

More episode sources and links

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may enjoy: SPOOKTOBER episodes, Thanatology (DEATH & DYING), Desairology (MORTUARY MAKE-UP), Taphology (GRAVESITES), Vampirology (VAMPIRES), Fanthropology (FANDOM), Victimology (CRIME VICTIMS), Forest Entomology (CREEPY CRAWLIES), Forensic Ecology (NATURE DETECTIVE), Oneirology (DREAMS), Fearology (FEAR)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, stickers, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Green, yellow, striped, red, shiny, russet. Tart, sweet, sour, crunchy. Big, small, wild, heirloom, cultivated. How will you like them apples? Very much, once you hear all about the fascinating backstory of how an apple got into your lunch with one of the world’s finest pomologists and geneticists, the incredibly knowledgeable and charming Dr. Susan K. Brown, a professor at Cornell University's AgriTech division.  Fill your baskets with apple picking tips, genetic mash ups, taste test requirements, DNA trivia, compost treasures, maggot babies, the animal dung that changed history, how to have your own orchard, the sweet taste of science redemption, the loudest apple crunch on record, and what you’re actually tasting when you enjoy this feat of breeding. You’ll forever appreciate this everyday fruit. 

View Dr. Susan K. Brown’s publications on ResearchGate

Visit websites for apples developed by Dr. Brown: RubyFrost and SnapDragon

The Apple Lover’s Cookbook

A charity will be linked soon

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Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may enjoy: SPOOKTOBER episodes, Ciderology (DELICIOUS APPLE BEVERAGES), Cucurbitology (PUMPKINS), Dendrology (TREES), Gustology (TASTE), Benthopelagic Nematology (DEEP SEA WORMS),  Food Anthropology (FEASTS), Indigenous Cuisinology (NATIVE FOODS), Black American Magirology (FOOD, RACE & CULTURE)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, stickers, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE  FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY. 

Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248

PUMPKIN PUMPKIN! Not only a thing to scream while passing a patch, but also the name of the book by author and human delight Anne Copeland. Yes, she's so charmed by pumpkins that she dedicated a whole book to exploring their folklore, history, planting protocol, care, and cooking. Alie stops by her house in the rural hamlet of Yucaipa, California to chat about everything from creation myths surrounding pumpkins to the secret medicinal properties of pipitas, loving pumpkins (warts and all), and the big flimflam Anne needs the world to know about the pumpkin origin story. Also: who is Jack and why does he have a lantern?

Anne Copeland's book "Pumpkin, Pumpkin: Folklore, History, Planting Hints and Good Eating" is available via Amazon

Full-length (*not* G-rated) Cucurbitology episode + tons of science links

More kid-friendly Smologies episodes!

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, stickers, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Sound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, Steven Ray Morris, and Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

More witches! History! Lore! Wardrobes! Movie trivia! And some advice from your elders? Part 2 is here with the wonderful, informed, and charming writer, speaker, spirit-worker, witch, and witchologist, Fio Gede Parma, who has most recently authored the book “The Witch Belongs to the World.” We chat cats, commercialization, witch trials, environmentalism, fashion, hallucinogenic tinctures, broomstick legends, sex positive witchery, celebrity witches, science history, cosmological ghost theories, and what to do if you think you might be a witch. Also: don’t call people wizards. 

Content warning: we do touch on some of the historical brutality suffered by those outside of dominant religions and the stigmas faced by people worshiping or observing religions that are considered fringe. Opinions and spiritual or religious beliefs are those of the guest and may conflict with yours, but we are learning about their first hand customs, culture, and lived experience. 

Visit Fio Gede Parma’s website and follow them on Instagram, Patreon and YouTube

Browse books by Fio including The Witch Belongs to the World: A Spell of Becoming, Elements of Magic: Reclaiming Earth, Air, Fire, Water & Spirit, and Ecstatic Witchcraft: Magick, Philosophy & Trance in the Shamanic Craft

A donation went to Mudgin-Gal

More episode sources and links

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may enjoy: SPOOKTOBER episodes, Vampirology (VAMPIRES), Demonology (EVIL SPIRITS), Genealogy (FAMILY TREES), Geology (ROCKS), Epidemiology (DISEASES), Neuroendocrinology (SEX & GENDER), Cucurbitology (PUMPKINS), Indigenous Cuisinology (NATIVE COOKING)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, stickers, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

IT’S HERE. Witches. Not just a witch expert, but also a witch. Author Fio Gede Parma is a practicing witch and highly respected writer, speaker and teacher. They cover witch history, different types of witches, intersectional witchcraft, forest covens, teen movies, witch trials, witch fashion, midnight myths, lunar pratfalls, spells, cheerful nudists, awkward Uber rides and more. Also: how does one…become a witch? 

And just a warning: we touch on some stigmas and physical and emotional harm suffered by those observing religions considered fringe. Your own spiritual or religious beliefs are yours to keep, but the nature of some conflicts are discussed. 

(Science note: this specific episode of Ologies is a little different; not the norm. Unlike vampires or monsters, there are *real* witches among us and I wanted to include their voices in this deep dive of their beliefs. So you may not agree with everything they say and a lot of it can’t be qualified, but this episode is about culture, history and the ideology of a certain spiritual group. So listen with that in mind and  you'll learn about religious beliefs —that you may not agree with and that science has not fully figured out or upheld — but you'll get to know the real people and lifestyles behind the tropes we’ve seen in fiction. Then the rest of Spooktober we’re back to genetics and statistics and Google scholar research papers and such. Relax, and enjoy.)

Visit Fio Gede Parma’s website and follow them on Instagram, Patreon and YouTube

Browse books by Fio including The Witch Belongs to the World: A Spell of Becoming, Elements of Magic: Reclaiming Earth, Air, Fire, Water & Spirit, and Ecstatic Witchcraft: Magick, Philosophy & Trance in the Shamanic Craft

A donation went to Mudgin-Gal

More episode sources and links

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may enjoy: SPOOKTOBER episodes, Selenology (THE MOON), Vampirology (VAMPIRES), Foraging Ecology (EATING WILD PLANTS) with @BlackForager, Oneirology (DREAMS), Eudemonology (HAPPINESS), Philematology (KISSING), Bryology (MOSS), Mycology (MUSHROOMS), Cucurbitology (PUMPKINS)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, stickers, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media

Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE  FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY. 

Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248

How long can we live? How much of aging is genetics vs. environment? How old are your cells? What can we learn from the world’s oldest people? World-renowned aging expert and biogerontologist Dr. Caleb "Tuck" Finch takes a quick break from his prolific research at USC to answer Alie's sometimes basic questions about everything from molecules to Blue Zones.

A donation was made to Cure Alzheimer's Fund

Full-length (*not* G-rated) Biogerontology episode + tons of science links

More kid-friendly Smologies episodes!

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Sound editing by Steven Ray Morris, Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio, and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media

Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer, Emily White, & Erin Talbert

Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Weird little mouths! Hairy skin tubes! Demon nematodes! Antarctic explorer and Nematologist Dr. Holly Bik charms us into loving deep sea (benthopelagic) worms in a way you never thought possible. We also cover tiny worm brains, the smell of Antarctic mud, first-generation Ph.Ds, the research workhorse C. Elegans, deep sea mining machines, moisturizers, submersibles and more with a worm lady who has literally traveled to the ends of the Earth to ask: what’s in that mud? We love her. 

Visit Dr. Holly Bik’s website and lab and follow her on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok

A donation went to Earthjustice

More episode sources and links

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may enjoy: SPOOKTOBER episodes, Maritime Archaeology (SHIPWRECKS), Medusology (JELLYFISH), Toxinology (JELLYFISH VENOM), Vampirology (VAMPIRES), Oceanology (OCEANS), Planariology (VERY COOL WORMS, I PROMISE)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, stickers, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media

Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sweet! Salty! Umami? What’s up with MSG? Why do you like your coffee black? Come down to flavortown and let’s talk tongues. Gustologist Dr. Gary Beauchamp is a chemosensory scientist and an expert in taste. We chat about tastebud flim-flam, celebrity grade hot wings, MSG research, excitotoxins, weaning off sugar, the worst soup on the market, what countries have salt restrictions, why you lost your taste with Covid, how much taste is smell, artificial sweeteners, acquiring a taste for foods, and how a sweet tooth may affect your booze consumption. Delicious facts, served up hot. 

Visit Dr. Gary Beauchamp’s Research and Career Highlights and ResearchGate profile

Donations were made to the Monell Center and Philadelphia Young Playwrights

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Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may enjoy: Diabetology (BLOOD SUGAR), Felinology (CATS), Biogerontology (AGING), Environmental Microbiology (TESTING WASTEWATER FOR DISEASES), Glycobiology (CARBS), Laryngology (VOICEBOXES), Radiology (X-RAY VISION), Indigenous Culinology (NATIVE COOKING), Foraging Ecology (EATING WILD PLANTS) with @BlackForager, Alexis Nikole Nelson, Black American Magirology (FOOD, RACE & CULTURE), Gastroegyptology (BREAD BAKING), Entomophagy Anthropology (EATING BUGS), Mixology (COCKTAILS)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, stickers, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media and Mark David Christenson 

Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dr. Mack returns with a new introduction and updates on… listener questions! The universe, dimensions, asteroid bags and cosmic vertigo with the amazing Astro Katie, AKA Dr. Katie Mack. Part 1 was a primer on all things cosmological, from particle physics to black holes, so listen to that first then hop to this episode to get all your questions answered.

Visit Dr. Mack’s website and follow her on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok

Buy Dr. Mack's new book: The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking)

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Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Editing by Steven Ray Morris and Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE  FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY. 

Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248

The Red Planet. A mysterious dusty orb millions of miles away. Our emergency escape bunker. Alie sits down with Dr. Jennifer Buz to talk about what Mars’s DEEEEAL is, why we send rovers there, the poetry of the moon Phobos, Martian sunsets and whether we could landscape Mars to look like a golf course. Jennifer is maybe the chillest areologist on this planet and an absolute gem. 

You're going to want to look at Dr. Jennifer Buz's website JNNFR.BZ

Info on the 2020 rover workshop via JPL

Full-length (*not* G-rated) 2-part Areology episodes + tons of science links

More kid-friendly Smologies episodes!

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, stickers, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Sound editing by Steven Ray Morris, Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio, and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media

Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer, Emily White, & Erin Talbert

Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Stars. Black holes. THE GAWDANG UNIVERSE. Astrophysicist and cosmologist Dr. Katie Mack (@astrokatie) re-introduces us to this 2017 episode along with some bonus updates on astrophysics, her career, and the book she’s published since we last heard from her. Katie also tells us her most embarrassing moments as a cosmologist, debunks some physicist myths and gives us the nuts + bolts of everything form particle physics to gravitational waves and existential mysteries. Walk away with cocktail party comprehension of everything from the itty-bitty quarks that make you to the neutron stars banging together across the cosmos. More than anything, get perspective about your life on this, our little pale blue dot.

Visit Dr. Mack’s website and follow her on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok

Buy Dr. Mack's new book: The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking)

More episode sources & links

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Editing by Steven Ray Morris and Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Alie takes a teeny tiny break from her vacation to reintroduce you to this laid back, super helpful fan favorite episode. Listen in for: Pomodoro timers! Bullet journals! Apps, tips, tricks and philosophies. Also: the most mellow episode ever, recorded late at night in a guest room. Like a cozy duvet of wisdom, this one is full of life hacks for remaining productive & healthy during distracting times. I asked Ologites their best strategies for keeping their brains less burdened and organizing everything from schedules to leftovers to sock drawers. 

In quick 5 chapters: 
Your Hot Bod Needs This
Home is Where the Hard Is
Wrestling with Father Time
Tricking Your Brain to Trick Your Brain
Emo Stuff 

Whether you’re neurotypical or not, this follow up to the ADHD series is a catalogue of strategies to make future you happier. 

More episode links and resources

Donations went to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and International Myeloma Foundation

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Sound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media and Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE  FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY. 

Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248

Yep. Here it is. A kid-friendly episode on… poop. Camel poop. Rhino poop. Dog poop. Cat poop. Your poop. The charming and informative Dr. Rachel Santymire -- aka Dr. Poop -- has a background in animal physiology and endocrinology and is elbow deep in dung as a research director at the Lincoln Park Zoo. Dr. Poop sits down with Alie to talk turds and why some critters like to chow down on their own (or others’), the stinkiest poopers, good smelling poop, how getting curious about poop can help save a species, and why the Lincoln Park Zoo has 17 freezers full of dookie. You’re welcome.

A donation went to Lincoln Park Zoo

Full-length (*not* G-rated) Scatology episode + tons of science links

More kid-friendly Smologies episodes!

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Sound editing by Steven Ray Morris, Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio, and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media

Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer, Emily White, & Erin Talbert

Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The brilliant and dazzling Helen Zaltzman pops in with some new asides in this encore episode of Ologies. Helen, host of the podcasts The Allusionist, Veronica Mars Investigations and Answer Me This, and a person who technically for a living researches the origins of language and thus is an etymologist, visits Alie's apartment to chat about various word origins, gender in language, the Bible a.k.a. The Oxford English Dictionary, origins of the filthiest slang, emoji decoding, mediocrity, step parents, babies wearing glasses, Greek kimonos, the romance of languages and the fundamental truth that language is always changing whether you want it to or not. Also tomatoes, pliable boobs, avocados, and fish trails.

Follow Helen on Twitter & Instagram

Listen to episodes of The Allusionist mentioned in the show: No Title and Sorry

This week's donation was made to POPS the Club

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Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Sound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, Steven Ray Morris and Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Wrapping up our Diabetology 2 parter encore, diabetic diabetologist and wonderful person Dr. Mike Natter, MD is back with a little introduction covering some stuff that wasn't on the radar back in 2019, like what's the deal with this Ozempic stuff you've heard about, and then Natter from the past goes on  to answer all of your questions about blood sugar, the cost of insulin, pancreas transplants, keto, glucagon, how exercise can save your life, his most meaningful interactions with patients, pudding theft, and the best place to cry at work. Also: why you should always keep frosting in your purse.

This episode is swear-free and okay for all ages, and a bleeped version of Diabetology Part 1 can be found at this link.

Follow Dr. Mike Natter on Instagram and Twitter

A donation went to JDRF

More episode sources and links

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Sound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media & Steven Ray Morris

Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dr. Mike Natter hosts this encore episode of Ologies (hosted by Alie Ward), it's a classic 2 parter: Diabetology about the happy, moody-, sweaty-, unconscious-, and possibly even homicidal-making sugar in our blood. In this episode, Dr. Mike Natter dishes about how blood sugar works, what insulin does, and how prevalent diabetes is in all of its various forms. Also: keto vs. vegan, hypoglycemia, cyborg organs, owl hoots, gestational diabetes, type 1 vs. type 2 and ... does Gwyneth drink her own pee? Also: the emotional side of the disease and how to help those in your life who are diabetic.

Next week, the doc addresses your questions, from diets to diagnoses to infuriating insulin prices.

Follow Dr. Mike Natter on Instagram and Twitter

A donation went to Beyond Type 1

More episode sources and links

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Sound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media & Steven Ray Morris

Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listen, kids... give your father a break, okay?

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media and Mark David Christenson 

Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Machine poets. ChatGPT fails. Neurological surveillance. Brain implants that treat depression. Is it scary? Cool? Let’s firehose some questions at Duke Law professor, neuro and bioethicist, author and TED speaker Dr. Nita Farahany. She explains the history of AI, the dawn of chatbots, what’s changed recently, the potential for good, the possible perils, how different lawmakers are stepping in, and whether or not this is scary dinner party conversation. Do you have feelings about AI and brain implants? Hopefully, and we talk about why. 

Buy Dr. Nita Farahany’s books: The Battle for Your Brain: Defending the Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology (2023) and The Impact of Behavioral Sciences on Criminal Law (2009)

Dr. Farahany’s 2023 TED Talk: Your right to mental privacy in the age of brain-sensing tech

Follow Dr. Farahany on Instagram, TikTok and Twitter

A donation was made to Human Rights Watch

More episode sources and links

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may enjoy: Field Trip: A Hollywood Visit to the Writers Guild Strike Line, Neuropathology (CONCUSSIONS), Attention-Deficit Neuropsychology (ADHD), Molecular Neurobiology (BRAIN CHEMICALS), Radiology (X-RAY VISION), Futurology (THE FUTURE), Gizmology (ROBOTS), Diabetology (DIABETES)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media and Mark David Christenson 

Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Flying squirrels. Fox squirrels. Giant squirrels. Tiny ones. Grey ones. Black ones. Fluorescent ones? Alie is losing her mind talking to dream guest and Sciuridologist, Dr. Karen Munroe. This Baldwin Wallace University professor has studied squirrels for decades and addresses where they sleep, how many babies they have, if they bite each other’s junk, how they find their acorns, Marvel movies, birdfeeder drama, imported squirrels, melanistic morphs, world domination, fistfights with birders, the rarest squirrel, the best place for squirrel tourism and more. You’ll scatter hoard so many nuggets of squirrel trivia. Enjoy. 

Follow Dr. Karen Munroe on Instagram and Twitter

Donations were made to: Letters to a Pre-Scientist and Squirrel Mapper

More episode sources and links

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may enjoy: Thermophysiology (BODY HEAT), Indigenous Cuisinology (NATIVE COOKING), Dendrology (TREES) with J. Casey Clapp, Urban Rodentology (SEWER RATS), Fire Ecology (WILDFIRES), Indigenous Fire Ecology (GOOD FIRE), Fulminology (LIGHTNING), Field Trip: Birds of Prey and Raptor Facts, Entomology (INSECTS), Mammalogy (MAMMALS), Carobology (NOT-CHOCOLATE TREES), Felinology (CATS), Chickenology (HENS & ROOSTERS), Oreamnology (MOUNTAIN GOATS ARE NOT GOATS)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media and Mark David Christenson. Co-Produced by Mercedes Maitland and Susan Hale. 

Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hi! I’ve been in the hospital with pneumonia! But enjoy this banger of an encore about: Serotonin! Dopamine! Norepinephrine! Neurotransmitters: what's their deal? Dr. Crystal Dilworth, aka Dr. Brain, stops by to have a spirited discussion about how chemical messengers change our moods and behaviors. We chat about depression, anxiety, what chemicals drive us to get off the couch, how antidepressants work, ADHD, addiction, the microbiome, new habits, quitting smoking, starting meditation, Oreos vs. cocaine, SSRIs vs. SNRIs, what it's like to hold a human brain in your hands and if she would donate hers to science. Also: what's up with "lizard brains?"

Visit Dr. Dilworth's website

Follow Dr. Dilworth on Instagram & Twitter

A donation went to The Geena Davis Institute: seejane.org

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Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may enjoy: Attention-Deficit Neuropsychology (ADHD) Part 1 with Dr. Russell Barkley, Attention-Deficit Neuropsychology (ADHD) Part 2, LIFE ADVICE: For anyone who needs some hacks, Dolorology (PAIN), Eudemonology (HAPPINESS), Chronobiology (CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS) Encore + 2023 Updates, FIELD TRIP: An Airport Full of Neuroscientists, Oneirology (DREAMS), Thanatology - NEW Interview (DEATH, GRIEF & MOURNING), Neuropathology (CONCUSSIONS), Molecular Biology (PROTEINS + SCIENCE COMMUNICATION), Awesomeology (GRATITUDE FOR LITTLE THINGS), Oikology (DECLUTTERING), Philematology (KISSING), Traumatology (PTSD), Victimology (CRIME VICTIMS), Personality Psychology (PERSONALITIES), Somnology (SLEEP),  Fearology (FEAR) Pt. 1, Fearology (FEAR) Pt. 2, Sports & Performance Psychology (ANXIETY & CONFIDENCE)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions, Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, and Steven Ray Morris 

Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE  FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY. 

Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248

It’s a kid-friendly episode on … thunder and lightning: very, very frighteningly interesting! Wildfire researcher and lightning scientist Chris Giesige answers questions about thunderclaps and lightning flashes in a laid back way that will put him at the top of your Fulminologist list. He explains everything from clouds to positive and negative charges, the link between lightning scientists and firefighters, volcanic lightning, ice particle mosh pits, how many gigawatts in a lightning strike, and how to enjoy a storm without getting zapped. 

Follow Chris on Twitter and Instagram

A donation went to International Relief Teams: irteams.org

Full-length (*not*G-rated) Fulminology episode + tons of science links 

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Sound editing by Steven Ray Morris, Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio, and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media

Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer, Emily White, & Erin Talbert

Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The thrilling conclusion of all-things-emoji! Eggplants, peaches, jumping ska dudes, gray hearts, family emojis, what NOT to text your Southern Italian friends, yellow hands, red hair, the birth of the smiley face and how to celebrate World Emoji Day on July 17 with Emojipedia founder Jeremy Burge, designer Jennifer Daniel, and the world’s first emoji translator (and current Emojipedia editor-in-chief) Keith Broni. 

Listen to Part 1 first, of course. 

📙 Emojipedia

🎉 #WorldEmojiDay 7/17/23

🍳 Emoji Kitchen

Visit Jeremy Burge’s website and follow him on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok

Visit Keith Broni’s blog and follow him on Twitter

Subscribe to Jennifer Daniel’s Substack and follow them on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok

A donation went to: Unicode

More episode sources and links

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may enjoy: Etymology (WORD ORIGINS), Phonology (LINGUISTICS), Deltiology (POSTCARDS), Enigmatology (WORD PUZZLES), Proptology (THEATER & FILM PROPS), Fanthropology (FANDOM), Screamology (LOUD VOCALIZATIONS), Tiktokology (THE TIKTOK APP) with Hank Green, Speech Pathology (TALKING DOGS... AND PEOPLE), Medusology (JELLYFISH), Teuthology (SQUIDS)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media and Mark David Christenson

Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Thumbs up? Thumbs down. Skulls of joy. And so many expressions of pain and comfort. This, my babies, is the  -ology that sparked this whole podcast. Curiology means “writing with pictures” but will certified emoji experts agree that they are curiologists? Listen in for behind-the-scenes drama, origin stories, stats on usage, trends and global context with Emojipedia founder Jeremy Burge, designer Jennifer Daniel, and the world’s first emoji translator (and current Emojipedia editor-in-chief) Keith Broni. And get ready to celebrate World Emoji Day on July 17. 

📙 Emojipedia

🎉 #WorldEmojiDay 7/17/23

🍳 Emoji Kitchen

Visit Jeremy Burge’s website and follow him on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok

Visit Keith Broni’s blog and follow him on Twitter

Subscribe to Jennifer Daniel’s Substack and follow them on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok

A donation went to: Unicode

More episode sources and links

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may enjoy: Etymology (WORD ORIGINS), Phonology (LINGUISTICS), Deltiology (POSTCARDS), Enigmatology (WORD PUZZLES), Proptology (THEATER & FILM PROPS), Fanthropology (FANDOM), Screamology (LOUD VOCALIZATIONS), Tiktokology (THE TIKTOK APP) with Hank Green, Speech Pathology (TALKING DOGS... AND PEOPLE), Medusology (JELLYFISH), Teuthology (SQUIDS)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media and Mark David Christenson

Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.