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PODCAST

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.

science

All Episodes

01:14:37

Metropolitan Tombology (PARIS CATACOMBS) with...

Ologies with Alie Ward ·

2022/10/20

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,” professor of French history and one of the world’s foremost experts on this eerie place. We chat about everything from miasmas to sinkholes, boggling cemetery history, smells, skulls, hidden chambers, (very) underground parties, and how we

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00:27:20

FIELD TRIP: I Go France and Learn Weird French Stuff

Ologies with Alie Ward ·

2022/10/15

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 of pure fun. But Jarrett’s family was headed to France so we cashed in some points and tagged along. Join me for some weird stuff I googled on the road, from pastry wars to royal cosplay, wax death masks, angry mobs, filming locations, things you can’t collect in a park and eat, how to get

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01:16:16

5th Anniversary Special! Xylology (LUMBER) with Jeff...

Ologies with Alie Ward ·

2022/10/04

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 chonks. We cover everything from forest management to 2x4s, wood grain, burls, bog logs, sawdust, tree disease, asparagus tips, salvaged lumber, kiln drying, Westward expansion, Indigenous forest management, cedar whiff, and how working with wood

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00:48:04

Geology (ROCKS) Part 2 with Schmitty Thompson

Ologies with Alie Ward ·

2022/09/21

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 look at rocks? Is ice a rock? Plus: rock puns, favorite rocks, best and worst rock names, long hikes, imposter syndrome, lab-grown diamonds, fossilized trees, space rocks, lead poisoning, and puns. Welcome back to Schmitty’s Geology Corner. We’ve been waiting for

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00:19:05

Smologies #15: FAMILY TREES with Stephen Hanks

Ologies with Alie Ward ·

2022/09/21

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 passion for learning about his own history. Also: how to find your family through census records, county archives, and death certificates; which DNA tests he’s taken; our most recent common ancestor; and whether or not he wears

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01:03:00

Geology (ROCKS) Part 1 with Schmitty Thompson

Ologies with Alie Ward ·

2022/09/14

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, roadside wonders, countertop crystals, stone skipping, and why you should stare lovingly into a pit of gravel. There were so many listener questions, we had to make this a two-parter people. So roll up a boulder, take a seat, and enjoy Schmitty’s Geology

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01:06:19

Oreamnology (MOUNTAIN GOATS ARE NOT GOATS) with Julie...

Ologies with Alie Ward ·

2022/09/08

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 them on mountaintops. We cover their population, sensual mating habits, the feel of their wool, pungent goatwhiff, tips for hikers and how these animals defy gravity scaling near-vertical cliffs. Oh also, why your favorite

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01:07:00

Diplopodology (MILLIPEDES & CENTIPEDES) with Dr....

Ologies with Alie Ward ·

2022/08/31

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 leaf litter and naming scores of new species, Derek is truly a champion for the multi-limbed little critters. If you liked what Casey Clapp brought to Dendrology, get ready to appreciate millipedes like you never thought you would. Also: mythology gossip, world records, Taylor Swift

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01:15:25

Critical Ecology (SOCIAL SYSTEMS + ENVIRONMENT) with...

Ologies with Alie Ward ·

2022/08/23

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 Geographic Explorer, researcher and plant nerd, Dr. Suzanne Pierre. Dr. Pierre’s Critical Ecology Lab is involved with research on the biomes of former plantations, air pollution, agricultural runoff, and even asking questions about wildfire science and the prison

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01:09:08

Thanatology — NEW Interview (GRIEF & MOURNING) with...

Ologies with Alie Ward ·

2022/08/16

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 –

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01:30:02

Thanatology (DEATH & DYING) Updated Encore with Cole...

Ologies with Alie Ward ·

2022/08/10

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

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01:24:00

Cheloniology (SEA TURTLES) Encore with Camryn Allen

Ologies with Alie Ward ·

2022/08/02

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

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01:13:44

Testudinology (TORTOISES) Encore with Amanda Hipps

Ologies with Alie Ward ·

2022/07/26

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

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00:55:01

Zymology (BEER) Encore with Quinton Sturgeon

Ologies with Alie Ward ·

2022/07/21

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

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01:21:16

Personality Psychology (PERSONALITIES) Encore with...

Ologies with Alie Ward ·

2022/07/13

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

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00:22:12

Smologies #14: ALIENS with Kevin Peter Hand

Ologies with Alie Ward ·

2022/07/13

A 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

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01:01:22

Lutrinology (OTTERS) with Chris J. Law

Ologies with Alie Ward ·

2022/07/07

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

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01:45:27

SUMMERSODE: Balmy Vibes & Seasonal Factoids with...

Ologies with Alie Ward ·

2022/06/29

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

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00:22:04

Smologies #13: CORALS with Shayle Matsuda

Ologies with Alie Ward ·

2022/06/22

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. More Smologies

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01:12:44

Dipterology (FLIES) with Bryan Lessard

Ologies with Alie Ward ·

2022/06/14

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

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