Ologies with Alie Ward

Latest Episodes:

Smologies #16: INSECTS with Lila Higgins Oct 24, 2022

Show notes

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

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

We're back with another shorter, cleaner, edition of an Ologies classic. Today it's all the way back from 2018: INSECTS, just straight up buuuugs. Quite likely Alie's favorite subject ever with an ologist who quite likely also dramatically shifted her life. That would be Lila Higgins, with passion more powerful than a Goliath Beetle's "especially large slicey mandibles." We cover a lot of ground, from dinosaur bugs to why wasps are so problematic, and even why it's totally fine to kiss a cockroach.

Lila Higgins' book, 'Wild LA: Explore the Amazing Nature in and Around Los Angeles':

A donation went to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Community Science Program

More Smologies episodes

Full length Entomology (INSECTS) with Lila Higgins + links here

Sponsors of Ologies

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 Productions, and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media

Extra help from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly 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.

Metropolitan Tombology (PARIS CATACOMBS) with Erin-Marie Legacey Oct 20, 2022

Show notes

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 view our bodies post-life. Also: Alie takes a trip to see them herself.

Dr. Legacy’s book, “Making Space for the Dead: Catacombs, Cemeteries, and the Reimagining of Paris, 1780-1830” on Bookshop.org and Amazon

Catacombs tickets

A donation went to: Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas

More episode sources and links

Other episodes you may enjoy: Taphology (GRAVESITES), Osteology (SKELETONS/BODY FARMS), Thanatology (DEATH & DYING) Updated Encore, FIELD TRIP: I Go France, Desairology (MORTUARY MAKE-UP), Anthropodermic Biocodicology (HUMAN LEATHER BOOKS)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) 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 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.

FIELD TRIP: I Go France and Learn Weird French Stuff Oct 15, 2022

Show notes

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 along with French waiters, what to do if a loved one starts sobbing in public, one of the best ways to see Paris, cider that tastes like flowers, a theme park with a hidden agenda, and the fall fashion trends that were confusingly ubiquitous. Also, how to wash socks in the sink. Let’s go to France.

A donation went to CarbonFund.org

Other episodes you may enjoy: Field Trip: Natural History Museum, Minisode: Travel Tips, Foraging Ecology (EATING WILD PLANTS), Indigenous Culinology (NATIVE COOKING), Bovine Neuropathology (HEADBUTTING)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) 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 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.

5th Anniversary Special! Xylology (LUMBER) with Jeff Perry Oct 04, 2022

Show notes

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 changes your relationship to death.

Angel City Lumber website

Donations went to The Mother Tree Project via this link

Episode sources and links

Other episodes you may enjoy: Bryology (MOSS), Dendrology (TREES) Encore, Mycology (FUNGI), Indigenous Fire Ecology (GOOD FIRE), Carobology (NOT CHOCOLATE TREES)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) 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 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.

Geology (ROCKS) Part 2 with Schmitty Thompson Sep 21, 2022

Show notes

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 you.

Schmitty’s bio

Donations went to Skype a Scientist & MinDat.org

Those cool squid stickers

Other episodes you may enjoy: Teuthology (SQUIDS), Areology (MARS), Ludology (VIDEO GAMES), Volcanology (VOLCANOES), Gemology (GEMS & MINERALS), Astrobiology (ALIENS), Eschatology (THE APOCALYPSE)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) 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 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 #15: FAMILY TREES with Stephen Hanks Sep 21, 2022

Show notes

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

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

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 a detective cape.

Stephen Hanks books: “Three Brothers — 1626,” “1619 -- Twenty Africans,” and “Akee Tree”

Publisher: Inkwater Press

A donation went to BlackPast.org

More Smologies episodes

Full length Genealogy (FAMILY HISTORY) episode + links here

Sponsors of Ologies

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 Productions, and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media

Extra help from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly 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.

Geology (ROCKS) Part 1 with Schmitty Thompson Sep 14, 2022

Show notes

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 Corner. Also: losing my marbles.

More links and sources

Schmitty’s bio

A donation went to Skype a Scientist

Those cool squid stickers

Other episodes you may enjoy: Teuthology (SQUIDS), Areology (MARS), Ludology (VIDEO GAMES), Volcanology (VOLCANOES), Gemology (GEMS & MINERALS), Astrobiology (ALIENS), Eschatology (THE APOCALYPSE)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) 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 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.

Oreamnology (MOUNTAIN GOATS ARE NOT GOATS) with Julie Cunningham Sep 08, 2022

Show notes

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 trail might be delicious.

Julie Cunningham’s bio

A donation was made to the Rocky Mountain Goat Alliance: GoatAlliance.org

You may also enjoy: Cervidology (DEER), Bovine Neuropathology (HEADBUTTING), Neuropathology (CONCUSSIONS), Cryoseismology (ICEQUAKES), Bryology (MOSS), Phenology (SEASONS)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) 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 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.

Diplopodology (MILLIPEDES & CENTIPEDES) with Dr. Derek Hennen Aug 31, 2022

Show notes

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 fandom, and sniffing bugs.

Dr. Derek Hennen’s website

Follow Dr. Derek Hennen on Instagram and Twitter and @dearmillipede

A donation was made to Lower Muskingum Conservancy

Millipedes of Ohio Field Guide PDF

You may also enjoy: Dipterology (FLIES), Sparklebuttology (FIREFLIES), Forest Entomology (CREEPY CRAWLIES), Entomology (INSECTS), Scorpiology (SCORPIONS), Kinetic Salticidology (DANCING SPIDERS), Acarology (TICKS), Melittology (BEES)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) 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 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.

Critical Ecology (SOCIAL SYSTEMS + ENVIRONMENT) with Suzanne Pierre Aug 23, 2022

Show notes

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 system. She explains how the Big Picture can always zoom out and be a little bigger. Before you know it, you’ll see Critical Ecology everywhere you go.

Dr. Suzanne Pierre’s website

Follow Dr. Pierre on Instagram and Twitter

A donation was made to Critical Ecology Lab

Follow Critical Ecology Lab on Instagram and Twitter

You may also enjoy our episodes on: Fire Ecology (WILDFIRES), Indigenous Fire Ecology (Good Fire), Indigenous Culinology (NATIVE COOKING), Bisonology (BUFFALO), Oceanology (OCEANS), Island Ecology (ISLANDS), Forensic Ecology (NATURE DETECTIVE), Indigenous Fashionology (NATIVE CLOTHING)

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, masks, totes!

Follow @Ologies on Twitter and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on Twitter and Instagram

Sound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media