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    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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    Copyright: © 2026 Alie Ward

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    Latest Episodes:
    Garology (LONG CUTE ANCIENT PATIENT BOOPABLE NIGHTMARE FISH) Encore for GAR WEEK with Solomon David Nov 08, 2023
    Show notes

    November 6-12 is GAR WEEK! What is a gar, you ask? Picture: A long snout. Hundreds of teeth. Scales that could slice you. Should we fear it? Should we hug it? One of the world’s most passionate and knowledgeable experts on this ancient, mysterious fish joins to make you fall in love with these slimy longbois. Dr. Solomon David is affable, charming, enthusiastic and absolutely shameless when it comes to fish puns. Slip into some hip waders and jump in the muck to learn all about a creature that -- despite decades of mudslinging -- is not a gar-bage fish. Also: why gar caviar is a hella bad idea.

    Visit Dr. Solomon David’s website and follow him on Twitter and Instagram

    A donation went to Ranger Rick, part of the National Wildlife Federation

    More episode sources and links

    Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

    Other episodes you may enjoy: Ichthyology (FISH), Oceanology Encore (THE OCEAN), Benthopelagic Nematology (DEEP SEA WORMS), Teuthology (SQUID)

    Sponsors of Ologies

    Transcripts and bleeped episodes

    Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

    OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, stickers, totes!

    Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

    Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

    Editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media & Steven Ray Morris, and Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

    Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

    Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

    Theme 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.


    Neuroparasitology (NATURE ZOMBIES) with Matt Simon Nov 01, 2023
    Show notes

    What’s on your mind? ZOMBIES. The planet is full of mind-controlling foes, and “Plight of the Living Dead” author Matt Simon researched deep and traveled the world to document tales of fungus-controlled zombie ants, bellies and brains full of worms, wasp bunkers, decapitated ants, brutal stings, hapless cockroaches, the attraction of light, moonlit skinny dipping, and the philosophy of where I stop and you begin. The two of us also discuss the Last of Us, of course.

    Visit Matt Simon’s website and follow him on Twitter

    Shop Matt Simon’s books including Plight of the Living Dead: What Real-Life Zombies Reveal about Our World – And Ourselves

    A donation went to the World Wildlife Fund

    More episode sources and links

    Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

    Other episodes you may enjoy: SPOOKTOBER episodes, Acarology (TICKS & LYME DISEASE) Quantum Ontology (WHAT IS REAL?), Invisible Photology (INVISIBILITY CLOAKS), Gustology (TASTE), Chiropterology (BATS), Scotohylology (DARK MATTER), Dendrology (TREES), Mycology (MUSHROOMS), Myrmecology (ANTS), Felinology (CATS), Cicadology (CICADAS)

    Sponsors of Ologies

    Transcripts and bleeped episodes

    Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

    OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, stickers, totes!

    Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

    Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

    Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

    Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

    Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

    Theme 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.


    Smologies #30: SPIDERWEBS with Randy Lewis Oct 30, 2023
    Show notes

    ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY.

    Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248

    Invisible but stronger than steel. Complex architectural marvels. Things that stick to your face. Spiderwebs are much more than just Halloween decor or something to feather dust from your corners. Spider silk expert Dr. Randy Lewis of Utah State University not only coined the word "spidroin" for the proteins comprising the many types of silk, but he is considered one of the foremost experts on the wonders of spiderwebs. Alie visits his lab and chats about how spiders weave them, what the silk is made of, and how realistic your favourite spidey superhero’s antics are. You'll never (not) see a spiderweb the same.

    A donation went to the Women's Empowerment and Entrepreneurship Workshop

    Full-length (*not* G-rated) Spidroinology 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, masks, totes!

    Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

    Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

    Sound editing by Steven Ray Morris, Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, and Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

    Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer, Emily White, & Erin Talbert

    Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.


    Teratology (MONSTERS) with W. Scott Poole Oct 26, 2023
    Show notes

    Frankenstein’s Monster! Hungry ghosts! Moaning bloodsuckers! Goat draining goblins. Babadooks. Gorilla-whales. Slasher films. Body horror… and what these folk stories, films, and fandoms have to do about our hopes and fears. Also yes, you can watch monster movies as a job. Just ask the wonderfully charming and deeply informed Dr. W. Scott Poole, College of Charleston professor and author of “Monsters in America,” who teaches multiple courses on history and monster lore. We also cover: monsters on various continents, monsters as queer icons, horror vs. monsters, secret messages in monster movies, the edits that your government may not have wanted you to see, what to do if you suspect you have one under the bed, Hollywood production secrets, special effects makeup, and — as always — why we’re so horny for ghouls.

    Buy W. Scott Poole’s new book: Dark Carnivals: Modern Horror and the Origins of American Empire

    Browse more horror and pop culture books by W. Scott Poole including: Wasteland: The Great War and the Origins of Modern Horror, Monsters in America, and In the Mountains of Madness: The Life and Extraordinary Afterlife of H.P. Lovecraft

    Donations went to the International Rescue Committee and Pet Helpers

    More episode sources and links

    Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

    Other episodes you may enjoy: SPOOKTOBER episodes, Thanatology (DEATH & DYING), Desairology (MORTUARY MAKE-UP), Taphology (GRAVESITES), Vampirology (VAMPIRES), Fanthropology (FANDOM), Victimology (CRIME VICTIMS), Forest Entomology (CREEPY CRAWLIES), Forensic Ecology (NATURE DETECTIVE), Oneirology (DREAMS), Fearology (FEAR)

    Sponsors of Ologies

    Transcripts and bleeped episodes

    Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

    OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, stickers, totes!

    Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

    Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

    Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

    Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

    Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

    Theme 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.


    Pomology (APPLES) with Susan K. Brown Oct 18, 2023
    Show notes

    Green, yellow, striped, red, shiny, russet. Tart, sweet, sour, crunchy. Big, small, wild, heirloom, cultivated. How will you like them apples? Very much, once you hear all about the fascinating backstory of how an apple got into your lunch with one of the world’s finest pomologists and geneticists, the incredibly knowledgeable and charming Dr. Susan K. Brown, a professor at Cornell University's AgriTech division. Fill your baskets with apple picking tips, genetic mash ups, taste test requirements, DNA trivia, compost treasures, maggot babies, the animal dung that changed history, how to have your own orchard, the sweet taste of science redemption, the loudest apple crunch on record, and what you’re actually tasting when you enjoy this feat of breeding. You’ll forever appreciate this everyday fruit.

    View Dr. Susan K. Brown’s publications on ResearchGate

    Visit websites for apples developed by Dr. Brown: RubyFrost and SnapDragon

    The Apple Lover’s Cookbook

    A donation went to the Parkinson’s Foundation

    More episode sources and links

    Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

    Other episodes you may enjoy: SPOOKTOBER episodes, Ciderology (DELICIOUS APPLE BEVERAGES), Cucurbitology (PUMPKINS), Dendrology (TREES), Gustology (TASTE), Benthopelagic Nematology (DEEP SEA WORMS), Food Anthropology (FEASTS), Indigenous Cuisinology (NATIVE FOODS), Black American Magirology (FOOD, RACE & CULTURE)

    Sponsors of Ologies

    Transcripts and bleeped episodes

    Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

    OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, stickers, totes!

    Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

    Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

    Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

    Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

    Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

    Theme 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.


    Smologies #29: PUMPKINS with Anne Copeland Oct 14, 2023
    Show notes

    ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY.

    Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248

    PUMPKIN PUMPKIN! Not only a thing to scream while passing a patch, but also the name of the book by author and human delight Anne Copeland. Yes, she's so charmed by pumpkins that she dedicated a whole book to exploring their folklore, history, planting protocol, care, and cooking. Alie stops by her house in the rural hamlet of Yucaipa, California to chat about everything from creation myths surrounding pumpkins to the secret medicinal properties of pipitas, loving pumpkins (warts and all), and the big flimflam Anne needs the world to know about the pumpkin origin story. Also: who is Jack and why does he have a lantern?

    Anne Copeland's book "Pumpkin, Pumpkin: Folklore, History, Planting Hints and Good Eating" is available via Amazon

    Full-length (*not* G-rated) Cucurbitology 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, stickers, totes!

    Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

    Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

    Sound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, Steven Ray Morris, and Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

    Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.


    Witchology (WITCHES & WITCHCRAFT) Part 2 with Fio Gede Parma Oct 11, 2023
    Show notes

    More witches! History! Lore! Wardrobes! Movie trivia! And some advice from your elders? Part 2 is here with the wonderful, informed, and charming writer, speaker, spirit-worker, witch, and witchologist, Fio Gede Parma, who has most recently authored the book “The Witch Belongs to the World.” We chat cats, commercialization, witch trials, environmentalism, fashion, hallucinogenic tinctures, broomstick legends, sex positive witchery, celebrity witches, science history, cosmological ghost theories, and what to do if you think you might be a witch. Also: don’t call people wizards.

    Content warning: we do touch on some of the historical brutality suffered by those outside of dominant religions and the stigmas faced by people worshiping or observing religions that are considered fringe. Opinions and spiritual or religious beliefs are those of the guest and may conflict with yours, but we are learning about their first hand customs, culture, and lived experience.

    Visit Fio Gede Parma’s website and follow them on Instagram, Patreon and YouTube

    Browse books by Fio including The Witch Belongs to the World: A Spell of Becoming, Elements of Magic: Reclaiming Earth, Air, Fire, Water & Spirit, and Ecstatic Witchcraft: Magick, Philosophy & Trance in the Shamanic Craft

    A donation went to Mudgin-Gal

    More episode sources and links

    Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

    Other episodes you may enjoy: SPOOKTOBER episodes, Vampirology (VAMPIRES), Demonology (EVIL SPIRITS), Genealogy (FAMILY TREES), Geology (ROCKS), Epidemiology (DISEASES), Neuroendocrinology (SEX & GENDER), Cucurbitology (PUMPKINS), Indigenous Cuisinology (NATIVE COOKING)

    Sponsors of Ologies

    Transcripts and bleeped episodes

    Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

    OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, stickers, totes!

    Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

    Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

    Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

    Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

    Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

    Theme 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.


    Witchology (WITCHES & WITCHCRAFT) Part 1 with Fio Gede Parma Oct 04, 2023
    Show notes

    IT’S HERE. Witches. Not just a witch expert, but also a witch. Author Fio Gede Parma is a practicing witch and highly respected writer, speaker and teacher. They cover witch history, different types of witches, intersectional witchcraft, forest covens, teen movies, witch trials, witch fashion, midnight myths, lunar pratfalls, spells, cheerful nudists, awkward Uber rides and more. Also: how does one…become a witch?

    And just a warning: we touch on some stigmas and physical and emotional harm suffered by those observing religions considered fringe. Your own spiritual or religious beliefs are yours to keep, but the nature of some conflicts are discussed.

    (Science note: this specific episode of Ologies is a little different; not the norm. Unlike vampires or monsters, there are *real* witches among us and I wanted to include their voices in this deep dive of their beliefs. So you may not agree with everything they say and a lot of it can’t be qualified, but this episode is about culture, history and the ideology of a certain spiritual group. So listen with that in mind and you'll learn about religious beliefs —that you may not agree with and that science has not fully figured out or upheld — but you'll get to know the real people and lifestyles behind the tropes we’ve seen in fiction. Then the rest of Spooktober we’re back to genetics and statistics and Google scholar research papers and such. Relax, and enjoy.)

    Visit Fio Gede Parma’s website and follow them on Instagram, Patreon and YouTube

    Browse books by Fio including The Witch Belongs to the World: A Spell of Becoming, Elements of Magic: Reclaiming Earth, Air, Fire, Water & Spirit, and Ecstatic Witchcraft: Magick, Philosophy & Trance in the Shamanic Craft

    A donation went to Mudgin-Gal

    More episode sources and links

    Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

    Other episodes you may enjoy: SPOOKTOBER episodes, Selenology (THE MOON), Vampirology (VAMPIRES), Foraging Ecology (EATING WILD PLANTS) with @BlackForager, Oneirology (DREAMS), Eudemonology (HAPPINESS), Philematology (KISSING), Bryology (MOSS), Mycology (MUSHROOMS), Cucurbitology (PUMPKINS)

    Sponsors of Ologies

    Transcripts and bleeped episodes

    Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

    OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, stickers, totes!

    Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

    Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

    Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media

    Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

    Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

    Theme 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.


    Smologies #28: AGING with Caleb Finch Sep 30, 2023
    Show notes

    ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY.

    Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248

    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, masks, totes!

    Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

    Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

    Sound editing by Steven Ray Morris, Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio, and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media

    Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer, Emily White, & Erin Talbert

    Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.


    Benthopelagic Nematology (DEEP SEA WORMS) with Holly Bik Sep 27, 2023
    Show notes

    Weird little mouths! Hairy skin tubes! Demon nematodes! Antarctic explorer and Nematologist Dr. Holly Bik charms us into loving deep sea (benthopelagic) worms in a way you never thought possible. We also cover tiny worm brains, the smell of Antarctic mud, first-generation Ph.Ds, the research workhorse C. Elegans, deep sea mining machines, moisturizers, submersibles and more with a worm lady who has literally traveled to the ends of the Earth to ask: what’s in that mud? We love her.

    Visit Dr. Holly Bik’s website and lab and follow her on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok

    A donation went to Earthjustice

    More episode sources and links

    Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

    Other episodes you may enjoy: SPOOKTOBER episodes, Maritime Archaeology (SHIPWRECKS), Medusology (JELLYFISH), Toxinology (JELLYFISH VENOM), Vampirology (VAMPIRES), Oceanology (OCEANS), Planariology (VERY COOL WORMS, I PROMISE)

    Sponsors of Ologies

    Transcripts and bleeped episodes

    Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

    OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, stickers, totes!

    Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

    Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

    Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media

    Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary

    Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

    Theme 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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