Ologies with Alie Ward

By Alie Ward

Society & Culture Comedy

What's Ologies with Alie Ward about?

Volcanoes. Trees. Drunk butterflies. Mars missions. Slug sex. Death. Beauty standards. Anxiety busters. Beer science. Bee drama. Take away a pocket full of science knowledge and charming, bizarre stories about what fuels these professional -ologists' obsessions. Humorist and science correspondent Alie Ward asks smart people stupid questions and the answers might change your life.

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Audiobook Mixtape 3: Gift I...

11.29.2023

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, ...

Ologies with Alie Ward episodes:

11.29.2023 Audiobook Mixtape 3: Gift Ideas from the Ologists’ Brains 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, ...
11.25.2023 Smologies #32: CLOUDS with Rachel Storer 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, ...
11.22.2023 Abstract Mathematology (UH, IS MATH REAL?) with Eugenia Cheng 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?” ...
11.15.2023 Road Ecology (ROAD KILL) with Ben Goldfarb 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, ...
11.11.2023 Smologies #31: INDIGENOUS COOKING with Mariah Gladstone 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 ...
11.08.2023 Garology (LONG CUTE ANCIENT PATIENT BOOPABLE NIGHTMARE FISH) Encore for GAR WEEK with Solomon David 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 ...
11.01.2023 Neuroparasitology (NATURE ZOMBIES) with Matt Simon 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, ...
10.30.2023 Smologies #30: SPIDERWEBS with Randy Lewis 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 ...
10.26.2023 Teratology (MONSTERS) with W. Scott Poole 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 ...
10.18.2023 Pomology (APPLES) with Susan K. Brown 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 ...
10.14.2023 Smologies #29: PUMPKINS with Anne Copeland 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 ...
10.11.2023 Witchology (WITCHES & WITCHCRAFT) Part 2 with Fio Gede Parma 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 ...
10.04.2023 Witchology (WITCHES & WITCHCRAFT) Part 1 with Fio Gede Parma IT’S HERE. Witches. Not just a witch expert, but also a witch. Author Fio Gede Parma has been a practicing witch and highly respected writer, speaker and teacher, and they cover witch history, different types of witches, intersectional witchcraft, forest ...
09.30.2023 Smologies #28: AGING with Caleb Finch 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 ...
09.27.2023 Benthopelagic Nematology (DEEP SEA WORMS) with Holly Bik 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 ...
09.20.2023 Gustology (TASTE) with Gary Beauchamp 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, ...
09.12.2023 Cosmology (THE UNIVERSE) Part 2 Encore with Katie Mack 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 ...
09.08.2023 Smologies #27: MARS with Jennifer Buz 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, ...
09.05.2023 Cosmology (THE UNIVERSE) Part 1 Encore with Katie Mack Stars. Black holes. THE GAWDANG UNIVERSE. Astrophysicist and cosmologist 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 ...
08.29.2023 LIFE ADVICE Encore: For anyone who is tired & needs some hacks 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 ...
08.25.2023 Smologies #26: POOP with Rachel Santymire 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 ...
08.22.2023 Etymology (WORD ORIGINS) Encore with Helen Zaltzman 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 ...
08.15.2023 Diabetology (BLOOD SUGAR) Part 2 Encore with Mike Natter 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 ...
08.10.2023 Diabetology (BLOOD SUGAR) Part 1 Encore with Mike Natter 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 ...
08.10.2023 Minisode: Dadward Takes a Break Listen, kids... give your father a break, okay? 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 ...
08.02.2023 Neurotechnology (AI + BRAIN TECH) with Nita Farahany 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 ...
07.26.2023 Sciuridology (SQUIRRELS) with Karen Munroe 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 ...
07.20.2023 Molecular Neurobiology (BRAIN CHEMICALS) Encore with Crystal Dilworth 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 ...
07.19.2023 Smologies #25: LIGHTNING with Chris Giesige 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 ...
07.12.2023 Curiology (EMOJI) Part 2 with Various Emoji Experts 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 ...
07.06.2023 Curiology (EMOJI) Part 1 with Various Emoji Experts 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 ...
06.29.2023 Field Trip: Birds of Prey and Raptor Facts Grab your stuff and hop in our van full of weirdos to check out Boise Idaho’s finest attraction: a 580 acre preserve of land that is absolutely flush with raptors who could eat your eyeballs. We’re back with another field ...
06.26.2023 Smologies #24: SHIPWRECKS with Chanelle Zaphiropoulos Ahoy matey, we’ve we’ve brought ye another ensmol’d episode of Ologies (which just means cleaned of filth and cut for brevity) this time on: Shipwrecks. We get to talk with maritime archaeologist and wreck nerd Chanelle Zaphiropoulos about her experiences ...
06.22.2023 Native Melittology (INDIGENOUS BEES) with Krystle Hickman Honeybees get all the attention, but native bees are the underbugs to root for. Photographer, author, and National Geographic Explorer Krystle Hickman shows us the wonders of indigenous bees through her lens focused on conservation of bees and their habitats. ...
06.14.2023 Pectinidology (SCALLOPS) with Samantha Lynch They clap. They swim. They have dozens of eyes and 2 million babies. They are scallops. Pectinidologist Dr. Samantha Lynch climbs aboard to share stories of theft on the brackish seas, gossip about scallops vs. oysters, ponderings on Disney bras, ...
06.13.2023 Smologies #23: MAMMALS with Danielle N. Lee Here we are with the smol (shorter, cleaner, kid-friendly) version of another Ologies classic, in this case: Mammals. You’re one. Your dog is one. So are giant rats. What do we have in common? I promise you’ll find out the ...
06.08.2023 Fire Ecology (WILDFIRES & INDIGENOUS FIRE MANAGEMENT) Mega Encore with Gavin Jones & Amy Christianson Once again: the world is on fire. As wildfires burn across Canada and their smoke pours down the continent, we thought it would be a good time to encore these Fire Ecology episodes. First, Dr. Gavin Jones brings the heat ...
05.31.2023 Black American Magirology (FOOD, RACE & CULTURE) with Psyche Williams-Forson What’s the difference between Southern cooking and “soul food?” Is there a correct type of mac and cheese? And whose business is it what you eat? (Hint: no one’s). Culinary historian, scholar of African American life and culture critic Dr. ...
05.26.2023 Field Trip: A Hollywood Visit to the Writers Guild Strike Line Jump in, we’re going to the Valley to talk to cool, funny screenwriters about ... Artificial intelligence-drafted scripts! Trillion-dollar companies pretending they’re broke! Emmy-nominated writers with side hustles! Teamster bosses dropping mics! What an exciting time to gossip about Hollywood… ...
05.17.2023 Acaropathology (TICKS & LYME DISEASE) Updated Mega Encore with Neeta Pardanani Connally & Andrea Swei It’s 2-for-1! Ticks AND Lyme: together in one helpful, disgusting, gossipy, empowering episode. This pair of episodes is about tiny, thirsty ticks and the diseases they spit into you is wall to wall wisdom from Dr. Neeta Pardanani Connally of ...
05.10.2023 Invisible Photology (INVISIBILITY CLOAKS) with Greg Gbur Invisibility cloaks. Transparent frogs. Stealth bombers. Gorilla mischief. Theoretical optical physicist and Invisible Photologist Dr. Greg Gbur joins Alie to chat about light, illusions, secret technology, science fiction inspiration, terrible camouflage, great movies, historical mishaps, and even a few great ...
05.03.2023 Stem Cell Biology (CELLS MAKING CELLS) with “Science Sam” aka Samantha Yammine How do our bodies build our bodies? What does a stem cell look like? How do they know what to do? What diseases could stem cells cure? And why is Canada such a hot place for research? Dr. Samantha Yammine ...
05.01.2023 Smologies #22: REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS with David Steen This shorter, kid-safe edit of the classic Herpetology episode features frilly gills, frog tornadoes, legless lizards, and reasons to appreciate snakes. Also, why you shouldn’t kiss one. Dr. David Steen is a beloved herpetologist and wildlife conservationist and his answers ...
04.26.2023 Delphinology Part 2 (DOLPHINS) with Justin Gregg Wow. It gets weirder. Military dolphins, dolphins on drugs, sensory deprivation, deciphering dolphin language, the search for alien life, and more with the affable and knowledgeable Delphinologist Dr. Justin Gregg. Should you cuddle a dolphin? Can one kill you? Should ...
04.19.2023 Delphinology Part 1 (DOLPHINS) with Justin Gregg Giant brains! Communication mysteries! Infamous sensuality! Dolphins are here to blow your relatively tiny mind with their squeaks, clicks, cliques, history, lore, zany evolutionary path, psychedelic experiences, and so much more. Learn why some dolphins are pink, why NASA poured ...
04.13.2023 Field Trip: My Butt, a Colonoscopy Ride Along & How-To Come check out my butt with me! 1 in 16 people in the U.S. will have colon cancer, and 0 in 16 want to talk about getting a camera up your guts to check things out. I am one of ...
04.05.2023 Chickenology Part 2 (HENS & ROOSTERS) with Tove Danovich We’re back for Part 2! If you missed Part 1, start there for the chicken basics and then come back for the weird stuff like chickens eating chickens, why chickens bother laying unfertilized eggs, rooster gossip, fairy eggs, nest abominations, ...
03.29.2023 Chickenology Part 1 (HENS & ROOSTERS) with Tove Danovich Yes, Chickenology is a real word. And we have questions. Such as: should you get a chicken?! Chicken-haver and author of “Under the Henfluence” Tove Danovich stops in to recall how her casual backyard chicken experiment turned into an obsession, ...
03.28.2023 Smologies #21: SLEEP with Chris Winter A G-rated, kid-safe Smologies edit all about getting your Zzzzzs. Neurologist and somnologist Dr. W. Chris Winter is an expert on sleep, and since his first interview, he’s released a book called “The Rested Child” all about sleep and kiddos! ...
03.23.2023 Domicology (ABANDONED BUILDINGS, RECYCLED HOUSES & GHOST TOWNS) with Rex LaMore What’s inside that boarded up house? Should you explore an abandoned mall? A vacant factory? And how much of an old house ends up in a landfill? The founder of Domicology, Dr. Rex LaMore of Michigan State University’s Center for ...

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