Smologies with Alie Ward

By Alie Ward

Ologies → Smologies. It’s all of the science, with none of the swearing! Smologies are shortened, kid-friendly episodes of the award-winning science podcast, Ologies, which covers topics from Toads (B... more

4.9

262262 ratings

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FAQs about Smologies with Alie Ward:

How many episodes does Smologies with Alie Ward have?

The podcast currently has 60 episodes available.

Smologies with Alie Ward episodes:

June 26, 2025 ISLANDS with Andy Kraemer
What IS an island? How do birds and plants and mammals GET there? What happens when they stay? Dr. Andy Kraemer studies how life populates and survives on hunks of remote rock and chats all about the Galapagos Islands -- where he does his research. We address the smallest island in the world, the largest, some bananas biological adaptations, Darwin's finchy mistakes, shrinking skeletons, and of course, pirates.
Donations went to islandconservation.org and ecologyproject.org
Full-length (*not* G-rated) Island Ecology 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 Instagram and Bluesky
Follow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTok
Sound editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions, Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, and Steven Ray Morris
Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Jacob Chaffee, Kelly R. Dwyer, Aveline Malek and Erin Talbert
Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm
...more
26min
June 19, 2025 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, 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
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 Instagram and Bluesky
Follow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTok
Sound editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions, Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, and Steven Ray Morris
Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Jacob Chaffee, Kelly R. Dwyer, Aveline Malek and Erin Talbert
Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm
...more
26min
June 12, 2025 OTTERS with Chris J. Law
It’s time. Otters. Sea otters. River otters. Big beefy otters. Tiny otters. Giant river otters. Dr. Chris J. Law, a professional Lutrinologist, shares tales about coastal vs. inland otters, magical teeth, lustrous fur, rock pockets, kelp naps, hand holding, toilet habits, and why otters make you trust them, despite the fact that you should perhaps not trust an otter.
Dr. Chris J. Law’s website and sci-art
Follow Dr. Chris J. Law on Bluesky
A donation went to SeaOtterSavvy.org
Full-length (*NOT* G-rated) Lutrinology 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 Instagram and Bluesky
Follow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTok
Sound editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media
Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Jacob Chaffee, Kelly R. Dwyer, Aveline Malek and Erin Talbert
Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm
...more
27min
June 05, 2025 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 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, hoodies, totes!
Follow Ologies on Instagram and Bluesky
Follow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTok
Sound editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions, Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, and Steven Ray Morris
Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Jacob Chaffee, Kelly R. Dwyer, Aveline Malek and Erin Talbert
Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm
...more
21min
May 29, 2025 SQUIDS with Sarah McAnulty
Squids. Cuttlefish. Octopusseseses. The world's most impassioned squid nerd, Sarah McAnulty, picks Alie up in her squidmobile to talk about raising cephlopods from eggs, their personalities, camouflage, invisibility cloaks, and why she is so charmed by squid. Also addressed: Alien DNA and the Kraken.
Follow Sarah on Instagram and Bluesky
A donation was made this week to SkypeAScientist.com
Follow Skype A Scientist on Instagram and Bluesky
Full-length (*not* G-rated) Teuthology 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 Instagram and Bluesky
Follow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTok
Sound editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions, Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, and Steven Ray Morris
Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Jacob Chaffee, Kelly R. Dwyer, Aveline Malek and Erin Talbert
Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm
...more
29min
May 22, 2025 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, 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
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, hoodies, totes!
Follow Ologies on Instagram and Bluesky
Follow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTok
Sound editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions, Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, and Steven Ray Morris
Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Jacob Chaffee, Kelly R. Dwyer, Aveline Malek and Erin Talbert
Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm
...more
22min
May 15, 2025 SOIL with Lydia Jennings
Soil! Dirt! Earth. Dr. Lydia Jennings, aka Native Soil Nerd, breaks down the stuff under our feet and explains everything from electrons in soil to why it can be different colors. Also: medicine from microbes, dirt versus soil, why we should care about the ground beneath out feet, and what makes the smell of rain so fantastic.
Follow Dr. Lydia Jennings on Bluesky and Instagram
Her website: nativesoilnerd.com
A donation went to RisingHearts.org
Full-length (*not*G-rated) Indigenous Pedology 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 Instagram and Bluesky
Follow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTok
Sound editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media
Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Jacob Chaffee, Kelly R. Dwyer, Aveline Malek and Erin Talbert
Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm
...more
26min
May 01, 2025 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 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.
Follow Dr. Santymire on Google Scholar
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, hoodies, totes!
Follow Ologies on Instagram and Bluesky
Follow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTok
Sound editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions, Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, and Steven Ray Morris
Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Jacob Chaffee, Kelly R. Dwyer, Aveline Malek and Erin Talbert
Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm
...more
23min
April 24, 2025 CICADAS with Gene Kritsky
They are numerous. They are patient. They are COMING for the United States in droves this spring: They are cicadas. *The* Cicada guy Dr. Gene Kritsky joins to chat all about the annual cicadas you may see every summer vs. the periodical ones that cycle through the states in broods of giant numbers. Learn how they survive underground for decades, what they are doing down there, and all about their lifecycle. Plus, get inspired to take a cicada safari and appreciate their songs, which can be as loud as an ambulance. By the end, you’ll want to don a bug costume and take a road trip to witness Brood XIV’s emergence this spring!
Dr. Gene Kritsky’s new cicada book The Pilgrims’ Promise: The 2025 Emergence of the Periodical Cicada Brood XIV
Download the Cicada Safari app at the Apple Store or Google Play Store.
Check out Dr. Kritsky’s website
Also see CicadaMania.com, and follow them on Instagram
A donation was made to Mount Saint Joseph’s cicada research in the School of Behavioral and Natural Sciences
Full-length (*not* G-rated) Cicadology 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 Instagram and Bluesky
Follow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTok
Sound editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions, Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, and Steven Ray Morris
Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Jacob Chaffee, Kelly R. Dwyer, Aveline Malek and Erin Talbert
Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm
...more
26min
April 17, 2025 EGGS with John Bates
The biggest eggs! The smallest eggs! The rarest eggs! Oologist Dr. John Bates gave Alie a tour of the egg vault at the Field Museum of Chicago and it was a barrage of beautiful sights and shocking facts about bird butts. Get ready for speckly eggs, pointy eggs, egg art, reptile eggs, mammal eggs, Easter bunny confusion, and whether or not you should snack on a bucket of cookie dough.
Field Museum of Chicago
The Book of Eggs
Full-length (*not* G-rated) Oology 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 Instagram and Bluesky
Follow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTok
Sound editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Steven Ray Morris
Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Jacob Chaffee, Kelly R. Dwyer, Aveline Malek and Erin Talbert
Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm
...more
26min

FAQs about Smologies with Alie Ward:

How many episodes does Smologies with Alie Ward have?

The podcast currently has 60 episodes available.

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