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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Fire Ecology (WILDFIRES & I...

06.08.2023

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 ...

Ologies with Alie Ward episodes:

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 ...
03.14.2023 Chronobiology (CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS) Encore + 2023 Updates with Katherine Hatcher Ahh, Daylight Savings Time: does it mess up your brain? What time should you go to bed? Are you sleeping enough? Is shift work really that bad? How dark is dark enough? The wonderful and hilarious Dr. Katherine Hatcher got ...
03.14.2023 Smologies #20: FISHES with Chris Thacker Ichthyology is not easy to say, but fish are easy to love. Dr. Chris Thacker will get you so thrilled to stare into a pond or look up pictures of silvery sea serpent-looking fish friends. Hilariously charming fish expert and ...
03.08.2023 Detroitology (DETROIT) with Aaron Foley Why an episode on Detroit?! It’s got a great story. Standalone, this episode is a fascinating look at a metropolis that swelled and thrived during the auto boom, then declined, and is navigating a rocky rebirth of sorts. Aaron Foley ...
03.02.2023 Field Trip: An Airport Full of Neuroscientists I’m at the airport and there are hundreds of brain scientists everywhere. So I swallowed my dignity/anxiety and approached strangers about the neuroscience they do. The result is a bushel of info on cravings, sleep, consciousness, addiction, dopamine, monogamy, Ozempic, ...
02.22.2023 Environmental Toxicology (POISONS + TRAIN DERAILMENT) with Kimberly K. Garrett Chemical spills, historical disasters, water quality, airborne toxic events, clear gasses, White Noise, dead fish, dark clouds, chemistry tests, trench coats, PFAS, phthalates, and the Ohio train derailment that plumed vinyl chloride into the skies of a small Ohio town. ...
02.16.2023 Melaninology (SKIN/HAIR PIGMENT) with Tina Lasisi Skin color! Hair texture! Biological anthropology! The incredibly informed and infectiously funny Dr. Tina Lasisi joins to chat sunscreen, ashiness, redheads, light skin, dark skin, in-between skin, beards, UVAs, UVBs, shower habits, cultural colloquialisms, vitiligo, melasma, medical math, ocher, freckles ...
02.08.2023 Scotohylology (DARK MATTER) with Flip Tanedo It’s invisible. It’s mysterious. It’s all around us – and no one knows what it is. Let’s have a fun existential crisis by pondering Dark Matter! The world’s most affable and endearing theoretical particle physicist, Dr. Flip Tanedo of UC ...
02.01.2023 Laryngology Part 2 (VOICE BOXES) with Ronda Alexander Part 2 is here! Pull up a seat for singing techniques, baby talk, baritones, whistle notes, stroke recovery, vibrato, Julie Andrews, crying jags, throat singing, accents and much more with your new favorite Laryngologist, Dr. Ronda Alexander. We just… we ...
01.25.2023 Laryngology Part 1 (VOICE BOXES) Ronda Alexander Voices! Singing! Anxiety busters! Breathing! The absolutely magnetic, charismatic Laryngologist and surgeon Dr. Ronda Alexander makes her long-awaited Ologies debut to chat about why we sound the way we do, hormones and voices, Elvis accents, opera singing, kid voices, turning ...
01.18.2023 Aperiology (MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY) Encore with Joseph Saunders Lights! Cameras! Arachnids! And lizards and bees and beetles. Macro photography is like magic: curved glass gives an entirely new take on the world, from dust on a cricket’s brow to a curious mantid stare to the elegant symmetry of ...
01.11.2023 Oneirology Part 2 (DREAMS) with G. William Domhoff Part 2 is here: Lucid dreaming! Teeth falling out! Medications and dreaming! The source of creativity! Even how to clean your brain. Dr. G. William Domhoff has studied dreams for decades and returns to answer an absolute deluge of questions ...
01.04.2023 Oneirology Part 1 (DREAMS) with G. William Domhoff WHY do we dream? What do dreams mean? What parts of our brain are working after-hours? We sought out UC Santa Cruz researcher and professor Dr. G. William Domhoff, a world expert on the topic, for this dream-come-true episode. Learn ...
12.31.2022 Bonus Episode: Secrets, Advice + Ask-Me-Anything It’s a weird rambling bonus episode for the lonely week between the holidays and New Years! I thought I’d serve up a mellow hang full of secrets, a retrospective of the things that kept me relatively sane this past year, ...
12.29.2022 Smologies #19: EVOLUTION with John McCormack Another G-rated edit of a classic! This Smologies with Dr. John McCormack of Occidental College is all about evolution, Darwinism, birds, bacteria, natural selection and how our mutations can be our greatest strengths. Also: breaking down terms like genetic drift ...
12.23.2022 P-22: The Life & Death of an L.A. Cougar with Miguel Ordeñana & Beth Pratt Very special episode for a very special cat. The day after the legendary Los Angeles mountain lion P-22 took his last breath, we talked with Natural History Museum wildlife biologist Miguel Ordeñana about his decade-long study of P-22 after discovering ...
12.14.2022 Meteorology (WEATHER & CLIMATE) with Marshall Shepherd Bomb cyclones! Polar vortices! Atmospheric rivers! And rained out barbecues. One of the world’s leading Meteorologists, Dr. Marshall Shepherd – a former NASA scientist and current Professor of Geography and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Georgia – is here ...
12.06.2022 Enigmatology (WORD PUZZLES) with David Kwong Crosswords! Puzzles! Wordles! Magic? Ah yes, world-renowned Enigmatologist David Kwong drops in to chat about the intersection of sleight of hand and brain games, covering everything from Scrabble strategies to how to get away with a surprise party unsuspected. Also: ...
12.01.2022 Special Ep: Mycology (MUSHROOMS) Tom Volk Memorial Encore In celebration of Dr. Tom Volk’s life: Mushrooms! Psilocybin! Humongous fungus! Black mold! Foraging! The incredibly charming and warm Dr. Tom Volk, world-renowned mushroom expert, welcomes Alie into his office to dive deep into the underground world of fungal enthusiasts ...
11.23.2022 Indigenous Pedology (SOIL SCIENCE) with Lydia Jennings Soil! Dirt! Earth. Dr. Lydia Jennings, aka Native Soil Nerd, breaks down the stuff under our feet and explains everything from mining to why soil can be different colors. Also: medicine from microbes, giving back to the land after extractive ...
11.22.2022 Smologies #18: FEASTS with Katherine Spiers Kid-friendly and quick! It’s another Smologies G-rated cut of a classic episode. Loosen your belts and tuck a napkin under your chin because feasting season is here. Katherine Spiers -- journalist, food anthropologist, editor of HowtoEatLA.com and host of the ...
11.15.2022 Bryology (MOSS) Encore with Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer It’s November and you need chill vibes. And Native American Heritage Month is the perfect time to encore this classic. World-renowned author, botanist, Indigenous ecology professor and bryologist Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of “Gathering Moss” and “Braiding Sweetgrass,” talks ...
11.09.2022 Discard Anthropology (GARBAGE) with Robin Nagle Landfills! Treasures in the trash! Corporate conspiracies! Composting! An instantly classic conversation with the incredibly knowledgeable, frank and wonderful Dr. Robin Nagle of New York University’s Liberal Studies! She is a clinical professor, author, TED speaker and former New York ...
11.08.2022 Smologies #17: FLAGS with E. Tory Laitila A kid-friendly, shortened version of our classic episode on …flags! E. Tory Laitila, a textile expert who has also handled Honolulu's flag protocol, gives the skinny on the oldest flags, skull and crossbone Jolly Rogers, his favorite state flag, Scandinavian ...
10.31.2022 Vampirology (VAMPIRES) Part 2 with Jeff Holdeman Start with Part 1 for all the folkloric history, superstition, and Dracula basics. And then this Part 2 has vampire finches, fang straws, vegan bloodsuckers, threshold invites, horniness, grain alcohol, garlic breath, psychic vampires and all our questions answered by ...
10.26.2022 Vampirology (VAMPIRES) Part 1 with Jeff Holdeman Fangs! Capes! Undead bloodlust! Are vampires soul-draining ghouls or a hot prom date? No better person to ask than Indiana University professor of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures," Dr. Jeff Holdeman, who teaches the course “The Vampire in ...
10.24.2022 Smologies #16: INSECTS with Lila Higgins We're back with another shorter, cleaner, edition of an Ologies classic, today it's all the way back from Episode 11: INSECTS, just straight up buuuugs. Quite likely Alie's favorite subject ever with an ologist who quite likely also dramatically shifted ...
10.20.2022 Metropolitan Tombology (PARIS CATACOMBS) with Erin-Marie Legacey Let’s get spooky. Venture below Parisian streets and into the catacombs: hundreds of miles of subterranean tunnels housing millions of human skeletons, some fashioned into sculpture. Alie tracked down Dr. Erin-Marie Legacey – author of “Making Space for the Dead,” ...
10.15.2022 FIELD TRIP: I Go France and Learn Weird French Stuff Consider this an audio postcard from my first vacation in 13 years. I travel a lot for my other job (as a science correspondent on Innovation Nation for CBS) so I am out of practice on jet-setting for the sake ...
10.04.2022 5th Anniversary Special! Xylology (LUMBER) with Jeff Perry What’s the customary 5th Anniversary gift? Apparently… WOOD! So we wrangled our favorite sawmill owner/operator of LA’s Angel City Lumber, Jeff Perry – who rescues downed street trees from the chipper and turns them into beautiful planks, boards, stumps and ...
09.21.2022 Geology (ROCKS) Part 2 with Schmitty Thompson We’re back! Listen to Part 1 first, then hit this follow-up with your favorite geologist Schmitty Thompson, who answers listener questions a-plenty. Such as: What is a geode? Are crystals in gift shops even real? Where’s the best place to ...
09.21.2022 Smologies #15: FAMILY TREES with Stephen Hanks It’s a shorter, swear-free version of the wonderful Genealogy episode with author Stephen Hanks -- who teaches genealogy classes in Portland, Oregon and has contributed to PBS genealogy documentaries. We chat histories, mysteries, memories and families, plus what ignited his ...
09.14.2022 Geology (ROCKS) Part 1 with Schmitty Thompson What is a rock? How big is a boulder? Why are they pretty and heavy? It’s rock talk with a true enthusiast, the charming and beloved Geologist Schmitty Thompson. Schmitty walks us through different types of rocks, minerals, geological formations, ...
09.08.2022 Oreamnology (MOUNTAIN GOATS ARE NOT GOATS) with Julie Cunningham Mountain goats are not goats. And there’s only one living species, Oreamnos americanus. WHAT?? Montana-based wildlife biologist and Oreamnologist Julie Cunningham counts mountain goats from helicopters, traps and tests them for science, and spends even her off days searching for ...
08.31.2022 Diplopodology (MILLIPEDES & CENTIPEDES) with Dr. Derek Hennen How many legs? Why so many legs? What's a millipede versus a centipede? And again WHY SO MANY LEGS. We have just the guy for that: Diplopodologist Dr. Derek Hennen. As a person who’s spent over a decade sorting through ...
08.23.2022 Critical Ecology (SOCIAL SYSTEMS + ENVIRONMENT) with Suzanne Pierre How do societal structures affect the planet? Why should we get to know our neighbors? What’s the ecological price we pay for … stuff? Yep, there’s an -ology for that. We chat with the founder of Critical Ecology: biogeochemist, National ...
08.16.2022 Thanatology — NEW Interview (GRIEF & MOURNING) with Cole Imperi + tips for Going Through It If you have a physical body, or know someone who does, this episode is for you! Hello, we’re all going to die. And we’re probably all going to lose someone we love. Thanatologist Cole Imperi has become a dear friend ...

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