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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Thanatology — NEW Interview (DEATH, 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 and on July 17, 2022 we pulled up a street corner in LA to chat about what she’s been up to and how to cope with the loss of a loved one. Hear about the blooming of friendship and the passing of your Grandpod, then after the break it’s a solo advice dump from me – your internet dad – with all of the handy tips that listeners and Cole gave me as I have been Going Through It. Everything is going to be okay. It might suck here and there, but the best we can do is love hard, live fully, and cherish the memories. Also: cut bangs, text your crush, eat a tiny ice cream cone. Cole Imperi's websiteFollow Cole on Instagram, Twitter and TikTokA donation was made to The School of American ThanatologyFollow The School of American Thanatology on InstagramSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesGrandpod’s obituary: https://www.greatfallstribune.com/obituaries/gft050187You may also enjoy our episodes on: Thanatology Encore (DEATH &DYING), Fearology (FEAR & ANXIETY), Eudemonology (HAPPINESS), Awesomeology (GRATITUDE FOR LITTLE THINGS), Hematology (BLOOD)Sponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter and InstagramSound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam MediaTranscripts by Emily White of The WordaryWebsite by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn
Thanatology (DEATH & DYING) Updated Encore with Cole Imperi
As I round out my bereavement leave following your beloved Grandpod’s passing, we’re serving up a special updated Encore of an episode and an Ologist who changed my life. Hoooo boy. We get all up in death and dying's business and to my shock, it's not a bummer. Confront and perhaps OVERCOME existential anxiety as we discuss not only the science of death but the nature and goddang beauty of life. Everything from burial methods, the latest in eco funerals, what a funeral director hates most, how gnomes die, and how to regret less. Meet your new favorite thanatologist and oddly, get the guts to be the you you want to be. Life changing, this one. Cole Imperi's websiteFollow Cole on Instagram, Twitter and TikTokA donation was made to The School of American ThanatologyFollow The School of American Thanatology on InstagramSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesYou may also enjoy our episodes on: Desairology (MORTUARY MAKE-UP), Corvid Thanatology (CROW FUNERALS), Taphology (GRAVESITES), Osteology (SKELETONS/BODY FARMS), Fearology (FEAR & ANXIETY)Jarrett Sleeper’s 100 PoemsSponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter and InstagramSound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam MediaTranscripts by Emily White of The WordaryWebsite by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick ThorburnThings to add to the webpage:Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation Website: https://www.ekrfoundation.orgCole’s writing on Shadowloss: https://coleimperi.com/shadowlossCole’s TEDx Talk on Shadowloss: https://youtu.be/SqeKwOz3DMQ
Cheloniology (SEA TURTLES) Encore with Camryn Allen
Hope you dug tortoises because we’re back, shellin’ out the good stuff, with this week’s encore of sea turtles, so get ready to become wildly obsessed with them. Cheloniologist Dr. Camryn Allen met up with Alie on a tropical island (ok, in a hotel room on a tropical island) to chat about flipper slappings, turtle rodeos, nesting BBs, current surfing, endangered statuses, field work, sleeping under water, world records, boopable noses, male:female ratios, mind-boggling navigation, what you can do to help them, and the many mysteries that still remain. Take a deep dive into the world of seartles. Or is it surtles?Follow Dr. Camryn Allen on TwitterThis week's donation was made to Hawaii Marine Animal ResponseMore links at www.alieward.com/ologies/cheloniologyBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month: www.Patreon.com/ologiesOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, pins, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter or InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter or InstagramSound editing by Steven Ray Morris & Jarrett SleeperTheme song by Nick ThorburnSupport the show: http://Patreon.com/ologies
Testudinology (TORTOISES) Encore with Amanda Hipps
We're bringing back one shell of an episode with today's encore. What's a tortoise? What's a turtle? Why do they live so dang long? What's up with their junk? Wildlife biologist and testudinologist Amanda Hipps studies gopher tortoises and dishes about turtle nomenclature, cliques, dicks, behavior, burrows, evolution, habitats and more. If you don't dig tortoises yet, you're about to fall deep into a turtle tunnel in love with them.Follow Amanda Hipps on Instagram or TwitterThis week's donation was made to AlongsideWildlifeFoundation.orgSponsor link: www.thegreatcourses.com/ologiesMore links at www.alieward.com/ologies/testudinologyBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month: www.Patreon.com/ologiesOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, pins, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter or InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter or InstagramSound editing by Steven Ray Morris & Jarrett SleeperTheme song by Nick Thorburn Support the show: http://Patreon.com/ologies
Zymology (BEER) Encore with Quinton Sturgeon
Nothin' like crackin' open a cold one with the Ologites, amirite? If you like booze, you'll love... fungus! Alie goes Rogue and takes a field trip to a brewery in Newport, OR where she smells vats of bubbling beer slop and learns about the microorganisms that are the workhorses of the brewing industry. Learn about yeasts, how beer is made, the hardest part about being a beer maker, the thick history of beer, some home brewing tips and also a nugget about bungholes. Let's get yeasty.Special thanks to Shannon Feltus and Boni Dutch for the hook-up and the road trip to the coast.More episode sources and linksSponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter and InstagramSound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam MediaTranscripts by Emily White of The WordaryWebsite by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn
Personality Psychology (PERSONALITIES) Encore with Simine Vazire
A few personal updates from your internet dad and then … WHO ARE WE? This one is a banger, folks. Personality researcher & psychology professor Dr. Simine Vazire dishes about introverts, extroverts, self-esteem, sociopaths, neuroticism, conscientiousness, Buzzfeed quizzes, yearbook inscriptions, trusting people, screwing up your kids, acting like your parents, changing personality traits through therapy or medication and astrology being put to the test. Also, Alie finds out what kind of dog she is. And thanks you for your #CritterPicforGrandpod. Dr. Simine Vazire on TwitterThis week's donation was made to improvingpsych.orgSponsor links at https://www.alieward.com/ologies-sponsorsMore links at alieward.com/ologies/personalitypsychologyencoreDr. Vazire's podcast, The Black GoatBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month: www.Patreon.com/ologiesOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, pins, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter or InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter or InstagramSound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media & Steven Ray MorrisTheme song by Nick ThorburnSupport the show: http://Patreon.com/ologies
Smologies #14: ALIENS with Kevin Peter Hand
Smologies #14: ALIENS with Kevin Peter HandA Smologies kid-friendly version of… ALIENS! EXTRATERRESTRIALS! MARTIANS! The phenomenal Dr. Kevin Peter Hand of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory dishes on the oceans of distant moons, methane rivers, ice crusts, the James Webb Space Telescope findings, what might be out there, aliens, what elements a planet needs to sustain life, and how finding extraterrestrial microbes would change the way we see life on this here tiny blue dot in space. More kid-safe Smologies episodes at: alieward.com/smologiesDr. Kevin Peter Hand's book: Alien Oceans: the Search for Life in the Depths of SpaceDr. Kevin Peter Hand on Twitter: @alienoceans and Instagram @kevin_peter_handDonations went to Traveling Telescope & Vermont's Manchester Rescue SquadFull-length version available at: alieward.com/ologies/astrobiologyBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month: www.Patreon.com/ologiesOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, pins, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter or InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter or InstagramSound editing by Mercedes Maitland & Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media & Steven Ray MorrisOlogies theme song by Nick ThorburnSmologies theme song by Harold MalcolmAdditional Smologies production by Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Erin Talbert, boni dutch, Shannon FeltusWebsite design by Kelly R. Dwyer Support the show: http://Patreon.com/ologies
Lutrinology (OTTERS) with Chris J. Law
YOU’RE NOT READY. But it’s time. Otters. Sea otters. River otters. Big beefy otters. Tiny otters. Giant river otters. Otters chasing you down the street. Dr. Chris J. Law, a professional Lutrinologist, shares tales about coastal vs. inland otters, otter terrorism, magical teeth, lustrous fur, rock pockets, kelp naps, otter terrorism, cautionary motherhood, toxic relationships, hand holding 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: https://chrisjlaw.github.io/Follow Dr. Chris J. Law on Twitter A donation was made to SeaOtterSavvy.orgMore episode sources and linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesYou may also enjoy our episodes on: Echniniology (SEA URCHINS), Osteology (SKELETONS & BODY FARMS), Ichthyology (FISHES), Oceanology (THE SEA)Jarrett Sleeper’s 100 PoemsSponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter and InstagramSound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam MediaTranscripts by Emily White of The WordaryWebsite by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn
SUMMERSODE: Balmy Vibes & Seasonal Factoids with various Ologists
I NEEDED TO MAKE THIS, OKAY? I needed to get excited about summer wonders. So we toiled over the ultimate Summersode. Kick back for a compliation of snorkling tips, shark statistics, firefly safaris, constitutional law questions, the science of makeouts, appreciation for hornets, horniness for foraging, cabins, campfires, crevice checking, jellyfish tips, bear safety, the importance of handwritten memories and actual scientific advice on how to find joy amid difficult conditions. Your summer vibe has arrived. Just in time. Sponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter and InstagramSound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam MediaTranscripts by Emily White of The WordaryWebsite by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn
Smologies #13: CORALS with Shayle Matsuda
Another kid-safe, short episode of Smologies! What IS a coral? Where do they grow and what do they eat and why are they so pretty? What kind of tools do coral scientists use? Why are they so many colors? And what is bleaching? Will changing your sunscreen save coral reefs? The wonderful and charming Cnidariologist Dr. Shayle Matsuda took time out of his busy schedule during a coral spawning event to chat about how magical and beautiful coral can be and why reef health is important. Follow Dr. Shayle Matsuda on TwitterDonations went to Paepae o He’eia and Point FoundationFull-length non-Smologies Cnidariology (CORALS) episode — with some swear wordsGreat episodes for Pride MonthMore Smologies episodesSponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter and InstagramSound editing by Mercedes Maitland & Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media and Steven Ray MorrisTheme song by Nick Thorburn & remix by Harold Malcolm
Dipterology (FLIES) with Bryan Lessard
DO NOT YOU SKIP THIS ONE. Listen. Give flies a chance. Everyone loves a bee, but meanwhile flies are out here with all kinds of bodies and adaptations, inhabiting the least inhabitable lands, pollinating your future lunch, shimmering in rainbows, having lifelong love affairs, and burrowing in your back to eat your flesh. It’s a wild world and Australian Dipterologist Dr. Bryan Lessard creaks open a door to a wonderland of fly facts. Open a spot in your heart for shiny metallic ones, soft velvety goths, tiny humpbacks named after bodybuilders, and flies that give their lives to further medical research. Oh also: how to kill the ones in your kitchen — if you choose to. But after this, you might open a window and gently suggest their exit first.Dr. Lessard’s websiteFollow Dr. Bryan Lessard on Twitter & InstagramA donation was made to WWFMore episode sources and linksYou may also enjoy our episodes on: Aperiology (MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY), Entomology (INSECTS), Forest Entomology (CREEPY CRAWLIES), Scorpiology (SCORPIONS), Melittology (BEES), Lepidopterology (BUTTERFLIES), Thermophysiology (BODY HEAT), Carnivorous Phytobiology (MEAT-EATING PLANTS), Planariology (VERY COOL WORMS I PROMISE)Sponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter and InstagramSound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam MediaTranscripts by Emily White of The WordaryWebsite by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn
Gorillaology (GORILLAS) with Tara Stoinski
Gorillas. These chest-beating, salad-munching, communal living, thick-furred beauties have so many surprises for you. Gorillaologist (IT’S A WORD) Dr. Tara Stoinski has been a gorilla scientist for nearly 3 decades and dishes on everything from fieldwork in cloudy mountains to dick facts, forest farts, banana flim-flam, the intersection of animal conservation and community investment, night-time nesting, grief, what those big teeth are for, gorilla musk, the legacy of primatologist Dr. Dian Fossey and the Gorilla Fund, and why our closest relatives need and deserve our protection. Also some weird asides about jaw exercises and online dating, because I want to. For more on Dr. Tara Stoinski’s work follow:https://twitter.com/SavingGorillashttps://www.instagram.com/savinggorillashttps://www.facebook.com/savinggorillasMore episode sources and links at alieward.com/ologies/gorillaologyYou may also enjoy our episodes on: Primatology, Scatology, Biological Anthropology, Phallology, Urology, Environmental Microbiology & Thantology Donations were made to Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund & LA Regional Food Bank Sponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter and InstagramSound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam MediaTranscripts by Emily White of The WordaryWebsite by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn
Somnology (SLEEP) Part Two Encore with Dr. W. Chris Winter
Have you listened to Part 1 yet? No? Go on, git. Here's a link to it! Go do that. Now if you have, this Part 2 is a bonanza of problem solving from neurologist and somnologist Dr. W. Chris Winter. He'll cover: if you should be taking sleep supplements or pills, sleep talking, apnea, why sleepiness makes us hungry, narcolepsy, the difference between insomnia and sleep deprivation, how to lucid dream, the dangers of shift work and some tactics to lull yourself to dreamland without any medications. ALSO: I share a family secret: my mom's insomnia buster -- newly dubbed the "Sleepy Fancy Nancy" -- that has literally never failed me.And I am currently spending time with my family after my dad’s emergency brain surgery a few weeks back, but put a few extra notes and updates on how we’re doing. Thanks for all the thoughts, friends. Dr. W. Chris Winter's sleep clinicDr. W. Chris Winter's book, The Sleep Solution plus his 2021 release The Rested ChildFollow twitter.com/sportsleepdocYou may also enjoy the Hematology (BLOOD) and Chronobiology (CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS) episodesA donation went to Myeloma.orgSponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter and InstagramSound editing by Steven Ray Morris and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam MediaTranscripts by Emily White of The WordaryWebsite by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn
Smologies #12: EATING BUGS with Julie Lesnik
Bugs are cool! But are they lunch? Entomophagy Anthropologist Dr. Julie Lesnik is an expert on bug eating and enthusiastically explains how much more sustainable – and tasty? -- it is than other types of animal proteins. We talk about the human past, present and future of ingesting insects, from grasshopper tacos to ant omelettes, cricket wedding cakes, humane bug slaughter, water conservation, arthropod allergies, and the cultural biases that are literally killing us. Also: termite farts? Yes. More Smologies episodesFull length Entomophagy Anthropology (EATING BUGS) episode hereDr. Julie Lesnik's websiteA donation went to Little HerdsTo try crickets: EatChirps.com, use code Ologies10 for 10% off Chirp ChipsAly Moore's Bugible.com and EatBugsEvents.comMore links at www.alieward.comBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, pins, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter or InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter or InstagramSound editing by Steven Ray Morris and Mercedes Maitland & Jarrett Sleeper of Mind Jam Media Extra help from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly Dwyer, Emily White, & Erin TalbertSmologies theme song by Harold Malcolm
Somnology (SLEEP) Part One Encore with Dr. W. Chris Winter
Birds do it. Bees do it. Why the hell can't we do it? Called "The Sleep Whisperer," neurologist and sleep specialist Dr. W. Chris Winter joins for an updated encore of the thrilling 2-parter about why we need sleep, the ideal amount of it, what sleep does to the brain, insomnia, sleep stages, ideal bedtime conditions, and even the historical lore around sleep paralysis. Next week, we'll answer listener questions about everything from sleeping pills to brain performance to insomnia cures to apnea to sleepwalking to parenthood and shift work. Think of it as a free seminar to fix your life. Maybe. And I am currently spending time with my family after my dad’s emergency brain surgery a few weeks back, but put a few extra notes and updates on how we’re doing. Thanks for all the thoughts, friends. Dr. W. Chris Winter's sleep clinicDr. W. Chris Winter's book, The Sleep Solution plus his 2021 release The Rested ChildFollow twitter.com/sportsleepdocYou may also enjoy the Hematology (BLOOD) and Chronobiology (CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS) episodesA donation went to Myleoma.orgSponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter and InstagramSound editing by Steven Ray Morris and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam MediaTranscripts by Emily White of The WordaryWebsite by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn