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Ologies with Alie Ward: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Alie Ward
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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- 1 weeks ago1h 21m
Broomology (BROOMS) with Cate O’Connell-Richards
Whisks and witches. Bristles and Shakers. Potions and prisons. From making brooms to jumping them, teacher, author, broomsquire, and Broomologist Cate O'Connell Richards gives us the overlooked history of how that broom got in your garage. So light a candle and tuck in for fibers, harvests, how-tos, angel wings, hawktails, besoms, labor laws, Broomcorn Johnnies, utopic communes, wedding traditions, oral histories, care tips and how everything is more interesting with context. Even brooms. Content warning as requested by the guest: when we talk about history, especially witches, there may be mentions of violence, death or sexuality.Visit Cate’s website and store and follow them on InstagramA donation went to Prison Arts CollectiveMore episode sources and linksOther episodes you may enjoy: Spooktober: Topics to Startle and Love, Canistrumology (BASKET WEAVING), Ceramology (POTTERY), Witchology (WITCHES & WITCHCRAFT), Ethnoecology (ETHNOBOTANY/NATIVE PLANTS), Disinfectiology (BLEACH), Cabinology (CABINS), Traumatology (PTSD), Nomology (THE CONSTITUTION) 400+ Ologies episodes sorted by topicSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesSponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!Follow Ologies on Instagram and BlueskyFollow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTokEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jake ChaffeeManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling Producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek Website by Kelly R. DwyerTheme 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.
- 2 weeks ago1h 35m
Orcinology (KILLER WHALES) with Jorge Vélez-Juarbe
Punted seals. Sunken yachts. Beach ambushes. And salmon hats? What’s even happening with killer whales? Are they sadists, or just hungry hungry hippos turned marine mammals? The Natural History Museum of LA County’s marine mammal expert Dr. Jorge Vélez-Juarbe joins the show to chat about peachy babies, how their language is like a trucker radio, tiny whiskers, the formal wear, what’s with the nubbin teeth, if you should go whale watching, pod sizes, Indigenous folklore, captivity struggles, whales that meow, fatty melons and so much more. Also: baby whiskers. Spooktober continues, with these aquatic killers. Visit Dr. Vélez-Juarbe’s website and follow him on Instagram and Google ScholarA donation went to the Ocean Animal Response and Research AllianceSave the Academy Virtual Rally: Thursday, October 15 at noon Eastern. Register on ZoomMore episode sources and linksOther episodes you may enjoy: Oceanology (OCEANS), Delphinology (DOLPHINS), Selachimorphology (SHARKS), Elasmobranchology (MORE SHARK STORIES), Pinnipedology (SEALS & WALRUSES), Ichthyology (FISHES), Mammalogy (MAMMALS), Functional Morphology (ANATOMY), Hyaenidology (HYENAS) 400+ Ologies episodes sorted by topicSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesSponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!Follow Ologies on Instagram and BlueskyFollow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTokEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jake ChaffeeManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling Producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek Website by </s
- 3 weeks ago2h 17m
Horror Neurobiology (WATCHING SCARY STUFF) with Austin Lim
Thrills. Chills. Hiding behind your hands. It’s officially SPOOKTOBER month with a huge, fascinating (and I promise, mellow) episode on why humans watch horror, and what’s happening in your brain. Not only do we have the author of “Horror on the Brain: the Neuroscience Behind Science Fiction,” neuroscientist Dr. Austin Lim, but this also features CUTS from other episodes to FLESH it all out. Enjoy the political sociology of zombies vs. vampires, feminist body horror, horror as anti-war art, liminal spaces, the best blood in the business, goosebumps and Goosebumps, evolutionary mismatches, why clowns unsettle you, and if horror is having its moment. (Note: it is.)Also, we had to cap this at 2+ hours so if we don’t cover *your* favorite movie or series and you yell at me about it, I will roll my eyes so hard that I will die and then I will haunt you by hiding your car keys.Visit Dr. Lim’s website and follow him on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Buy his book, Horror on the Brain: The Neuroscience Behind Science FictionA donation went to Homes For Animal Heroes and Homeboy IndustriesMake your donations go further – up to 100% matching – by using GivingMultiplier, the amazing portal co-founded by Harvard professor and Trolleyologist, Dr. Joshua GreeneMore episode sources and linksOther episodes you may enjoy: Spooktober: Topics to Startle and Love, Serpopsychology (WHAT’S CREEPY?), Fearology (FEAR), Teratology (MONSTERS), Vampirology (VAMPIRES), Mnemonology (MEMORY), Obsessive-Compulsive Neurobiology (OCD), The OCD Experience with a Neurobiologist, Trolleyology (MORAL DILEMMAS + THE TROLLEY PROBLEM), Desairology (MORTUARY MAKE-UP), Taphology (GRAVESITES), Metropolitan Tombology (PARIS CATACOMBS), Disgustology (REPULSION TO GROSS STUFF), Osteology (SKELETONS/BODY FARMS)400+ Ologies episodes sorted by topicSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesSponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!Follow Ologies on Instagram and <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/ologies.bsky.social" rel="noo
- 4 weeks ago52 min
Relational Psychology (BONDING VIA LAUGHING) with Sara Algoe and Laura Kurtz
Basement card games. Fireside reminiscing. Being forced to learn a dance. Does acting like a cornball matter? Will bits save your life? Yes. I got myself to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to talk with research psychologists Dr. Sara Algoe and Dr. Laura Kurtz, who also run the research collective, The Love Consortium. They’re the team behind studies proving that laughing does predict and enhance lasting social support and lead to longer, better lives. We chat sneaky studies, in person vs. remote hangouts, which came first: the giggle or the oxytocin, which “novel and arousing” activities strengthen relationships, the immersive bonding of a slumber party with people you trust, words vs. actions, laughter amid conflict, and how connecting with old friends can keep you out of the hospital unless you decide to try amateur rodeo night at the fair. Visit Dr. Algoe’s website and follow her on Google ScholarFollow Dr. Kurtz on Google ScholarA donation went to The Love ConsortiumMore episode sources and linksOther episodes you may enjoy: Personality Psychology (PERSONALITIES), Eudemonology (HAPPINESS), Awesomeology (GRATITUDE FOR LITTLE THINGS), Funology (YES, FUN), Gelotology (LAUGHTER), Ergopathology (BURNOUT), Philematology (KISSING), Cardiology (THE HEART)400+ Ologies episodes sorted by topicSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesSponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!Follow Ologies on Instagram and BlueskyFollow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTokEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jake ChaffeeManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling Producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek Website by Kelly R. DwyerTheme 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.
- Sep 30, 20261h 12m
Silification Geology (OPALS) with Patrice Rey
Gems of lightning and shadows. Rainbow fossils. Underground tunnel homes. Mysterious sedimentary origins. Aboriginal dreamtime stories. Armored snails. Questionable song lyrics. It’s opals, folks. And world expert geophysicist and University of Sydney professor Dr. Patrice Rey is here to talk about why he left France to explore the geological mysteries of the Outback. Should you get an opal engagement ring? Can they get wet? What’s the difference between an Australian and Ethiopian opal? What was one doing in a Kenyan cave 3000 years ago? What’s a Kyoto Opal vs. opalite? And why was your great grandma named Opal? (Cultural warning to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners: this episode mentions names and stories of people who have passed.)Visit Dr. Rey’s website and follow him on Google Scholar A donation went to the GO FoundationMore episode sources and linksOther episodes you may enjoy: Geology (ROCKS), Areology (MARS), Speleology (CAVES), Indigenous Pedology (SOIL SCIENCE), FIELD TRIP: I Go France and Learn Weird France Stuff, Gemology (GEMS & MINERALS), Volcanology (VOLCANOES), Biomineralogy (SHELLS) 400+ Ologies episodes sorted by topicSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes Sponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!Follow Ologies on Instagram and BlueskyFollow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTokEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jake ChaffeeManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling Producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline MalekWebsite by Kelly R. DwyerTheme 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.
- Sep 24, 20261h 13m
Salixology (WILLOWS & SCULPTURE) with Patrick Dougherty
It’s the Ologies 9th Anniversary episode – and the customary gift is willow. So I reached out to an artist whose work means a lot to me, and convinced world-renowned environmental sculptor Patrick Dougherty to chat about his work, and about willows in general. Twisting and tangling literal tons of willow saplings, Patrick and his crews create huge, site-specific sculptures that look like fantastical buildings, but made almost entirely of sustainably-sourced branches. I’ve loved his work for decades, and this chat was like a kid meeting their basketball hero. We also address: cleaning up ecology with willows, their spine-like roots, why some willows weep, plumbing follies, medicinal uses of willows, why they’re so bendy, the poetry that nature inspires, why sniffing sticks is healthy, the physics of birds’ nests, and reconnecting with the wonder you had as a child. Instant classic. Visit Patrick’s website and follow him on InstagramBuy James Florio’s photography book Sticks featuring 16 of Patrick’s projectsA donation went to the NC Conservation NetworkMore episode sources and linksOther episodes you may enjoy: Dendrology (TREES), Canistrumology (BASKET WEAVING), Ethnoecology (ETHNOBOTANY/NATIVE PLANTS), Indigenous Fashionology (NATIVE CLOTHING), Modern Toichographology (MURALS & STREET ART), FIELD TRIP: I Take You to the Making of a Mural, Salugenology (WHY HUMANS REQUIRE HOBBIES), Castorology (BEAVERS), Field Trip: How to Change Your Life via the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles400+ Ologies episodes sorted by topicSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesSponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!Follow Ologies on Instagram and BlueskyFollow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTokEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and <a href="https:/
- Sep 16, 20261h 5m
Extreme Meteorology (EL NIÑO) with Marshall Shepherd
Visit Dr. Shepherd’s website and follow him on Instagram, TikTok, and BlueskyListen to his podcast Weather Geeks A donation went to the Institute for Sustainable Communities More episode sources and linksOther episodes you may enjoy: Meteorology (WEATHER & CLIMATE), Oceanology (OCEANS), Tempestology (HURRICANES), Climate Fervorology (ECO-ADVOCACY WITHOUT IT BEING A BUMMER), Fire Ecology (WILDFIRES), Fulminology (LIGHTNING), Nephology (CLOUDS), Phenology (FALL/SEASONS), Disasterology (DISASTERS), Conservation Technology (EARTH SAVING)400+ Ologies episodes sorted by topicSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesSponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!Follow Ologies on Instagram and BlueskyFollow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTokEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jake ChaffeeManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling Producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek Website by Kelly R. DwyerTheme 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.
- Sep 9, 20261h 16m
Meteorology (WEATHER & CLIMATE) Encore 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 to field a downpour of questions. We chat about percentages in forecasts, hail, sleet, storm chasing, heatwaves, fluid dynamics, TV weather people, climate change delayism and his favorite weather-themed movies. Also: what not to do with a weather balloon. Follow Dr. Shepherd on Bluesky, Instagram or TikTokHis website: www.drmarshallshepherd.comHis podcast: Weather GeeksA donation went to: Institute for Sustainable Communities at sustain.orgMore episode sources and linksOther episodes you may enjoy: Tempestology (HURRICANES), Fulminology (LIGHTNING), Nephology (CLOUDS), Snow Hydrology (SNOW/AVALANCHES), Cryoseismology (ICEQUAKES), Astrobiology (ALIENS), Oceanology (OCEANS), Phenology (FALL/SEASONS), Spesh Ep: Drawdown Design Project400+ Ologies episodes sorted by topicSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesSponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!Follow Ologies on Instagram and BlueskyFollow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTokEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and engineering by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam MediaManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling Producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek Website by Kelly R. DwyerTheme 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.
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About Ologies with Alie Ward
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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