Ologies with Alie Ward
468 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 days ago - ★★★★★ - 21.3K ratingsVolcanoes. 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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Episodes
Wildlife Ecology (FIELDWORK) with Corina Newsome
June 08, 2021 11:07 - 1 hour - 69.2 MBHuman-sucking mud holes. Beautiful birdsongs. Early mornings. Eyeball gnats. Stunning vistas. The long-awaited episode with ornithologist Corina Newsome is finally here and we talk all about the day-to-day-realities of being a Wildlife Ecologist. She dishes about working in zoos, getting her masters, housing for grad students, nest checking, birding apps, camera traps, #BlackBirdersWeek, and more. She is hilarious, informative, and dedicated to her work in avian conservation and truly has th...
Phallology (PENISES) with Emily Willingham
June 01, 2021 08:23 - 1 hour - 66 MBDongs. Schlongs. Peters. Intromittent organs. Gamete cannons. Biologist, gonad researcher, and Phallologist Dr. Emily Willingham joins to chat about peckers big and small, plain and fancy, barbed, coiled, colossal, pickled, and efficient. Also on the agenda: how the pressures of masculinity affect self-image, what actually contributes to a partner’s pleasure, what can cause willies to go wonky (and how to get back on track,) life beyond the binary, and sensual turtles. Stick around to the en...
Pinnipedology (SEALS & WALRUSES) with Luis A. Hückstädt
May 25, 2021 08:58 - 1 hour - 67.6 MBSeals. Sea lions. Walruses. Walrus dongs. Classic Ologies. We sit down with Luis A Hückstädt, PhD and talk about blubber, ocean currents, psychedelic teeth, whisker tech, receding ice, boops, snoots, barks, butt nubbins and whether or not that one seal from the video actually felt bashful about getting that fish cake? Or was it a sea lion? Which is which? Spoiler: you’ll find out in this episode of Ologies: Pinnipedology. Follow Luis on Twitter: https://twitter.com/luishuckstadt And Insta...
Bonus Feed Drop: Implicit Bias on the REAL GOOD podcast
May 22, 2021 04:55 - 1 hour - 55.5 MBOhulloh! This is not your regular Ologies episode (which will come on Tuesday per usual.) It’s actually not an Ologies episode! This is a fun little bonus GUEST podcast we're dropping in our feed. Real Good is a show that started during the beginning of COVID to highlight different non-profits helping with the pandemic — but soon revealed that many problems that became so acute during quarantine had existed in people's lives for a long time prior. We care a lot about the issues they address ...
Foraging Ecology (EATING WILD PLANTS) with @BlackForager, Alexis Nikole Nelson
May 18, 2021 10:11 - 1 hour - 76.3 MBMustard gossip. Knotweed recipes. Cow parsnips. Serviceberry appreciation. Hogweed warnings. Dead man’s fingers. The incredibly knowledgeable and entertaining Alexis Nikole Nelson a.k.a. @BlackForager walks us through Foraging Ecology with a ginormous bushel of tips & tricks for finding edibles at all times of the year, from blossoms to fungus. Belly up for some invasive snacks, elusive mushrooms, magnolia cookies, mugwort potatoes, violet cocktails, foraging guides, weed trivia and tips to ...
Biomineralogy (SHELLS) with Robert Ulrich
May 12, 2021 03:05 - 1 hour - 58 MBBones. Shells. Reefs. Teeth. Biomineralogy. The wonderful UCLA geochemist Rob Ulrich answers a giant pile of questions such as: How do crystalline structures materialize out of thin air and water? How do squishy animals make such hard shells? What’s the difference between a shell and an exoskeleton? What’s the noise you hear when you listen to a seashell? What’s up with ocean acidification? How do you keep a fiddle leaf tree alive? How do you meet new friends without battling LA traffic? Sta...
Speech Language Pathology (TALKING DOGS... AND PEOPLE) with Christina Hunger
May 04, 2021 06:15 - 1 hour - 66 MBTalking dogs. Rolled Rs. That dangly thing in the back of your throat. Speech impediments. Alternative forms of communication. And talking cats. World famous speech pathologist by day, dog whisperer also by day, Christina Hunger MA, CCC-SLP joins us to talk about what those letters after her name mean, helping people literally find their voice, AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication), different types of language and communication, and how she applied the same principles to gift her ...
Maritime Archaeology (SHIPWRECKS) with Chanelle Zaphiropoulos
April 27, 2021 06:35 - 1 hour - 88.5 MBShipwrecks. Treasure. Sunken planes. Scuttled submarines. New life forming around old machinery. There’s an -ology for that -- just ask Maritime Archaeologist and wreck nerd Chanelle Zaphiropoulos. This absolutely charming and passionate scuba diver, history buff and antiquities scholar dishes about pirates, warships, admirals worth admiring, and ships ranging in size from water taxis to the Costa Concordia and Titanic. Also world record diving stats, war graves, how owning a fountain pen ca...
Proptology (THEATER & FILM PROPS) with Jay Duckworth
April 21, 2021 23:25 - 1 hour - 69.3 MBReal skulls. Fake pistols. Vegan steaks. Onstage bonfires. Cursed productions. Industry secrets and more with the world’s most lovable and beloved prop master, Professor Jay Duckworth aka @Proptologist on TikTok. A veteran of stage and screen and now an adjunct professor at Pace University, Jay chats about props vs. wardrobe vs. set design, how he keeps tracks of the thousands of items used to make a set feel real, what it was like to work on Hamilton from the very beginning, a prop master’s...
Ursinology Part 2 (BEARS) with Thea Bechshoft, Lana Ciarniello, Drew Hamilton, Wes Larson, Tsalani Lassiter & Danielle Rivet
April 14, 2021 11:46 - 1 hour - 86.2 MBBecause one bears is not enough bears, SIX more ursinologists join to answer your questions about polar bear fur, monogamy, that scene from "The Revenant" and more. Five chapters of bear life, from mindblowing mating strategies to how bears get from point A to B, media portrayals of these beautiful beasts and how to save them. Also: do bears want you to sing to them? Bear biologists and conservationists Dr. Thea Bechshoft, Dr. Lana Ciarniello, Drew Hamilton, Wes Larson, Tsalani Lassiter & Da...
Ursinology (BEARS) with Chris Morgan
April 07, 2021 06:26 - 1 hour - 82.2 MBGrizzlies. Pandas. Black bears. Chonkers. The episode you’ve begged for with scientist, explorer, and Ursinologist Chris Morgan. Why are bear ears so cute? What’s up with hibernation? How do you play nice with bears? What is it like to hug them? How creepy is Teddy Ruxpin? Panda patterns, fat bear competitions, tooth nubbins, land “bridges,” camping tips and more with host of “The Wild” podcast and your new favorite bedtime story teller. Also: bear butt plugs. Really. Listen to The Wild pod...
Oology (EGGS) Encore + Bonus Material with John Bates
March 30, 2021 05:27 - 1 hour - 61.4 MBThis encore includes tons of previously cut and never-before-heard bonus material (and maybe an eggregious number of sidenotes) about how perfect and weird eggs are. The biggest eggs! The smallest eggs! The people arrested for stealing the most eggs! Oologist Dr. John Bates gives Alie a tour of the egg vault at the Field Museum of Chicago and it was a barrage of beautiful sights and shocking facts about bird butts. Get ready for speckly eggs, falcon tales, delicate treasures, snake nesting, ...
Fanthropology Pt. 2 (FANDOM) with Meredith Levine
March 23, 2021 08:06 - 47 minutes - 43.3 MBPART 2 with legit professional Fanthropologist Meredith Levine. In this thrilling conclusion, we take Patreon questions and address stans vs. fans, cults and fandom, how fan fiction circumvents the studio system, how showrunners feel about fan suggestions, fangirling, fanboying and a novel term for that plus a bonus tables-are-turned interview about your weird dad’s favorite stuff. Fanthroplogy: a riveting field. Once again, WHO KNEW? Meredith did. Listen to Part 1 here: alieward.com/ologi...
Fanthropology (FANDOM) with Meredith Levine
March 16, 2021 17:01 - 1 hour - 55.3 MBWhy does some music give us butterflies? Why do we loooove certain comic books, social media accounts or TV characters? What story does your toothpaste tell? Legit professional Fanthropologist Meredith Levine is a fount of fandom knowledge and we chat all about everything from cosplay to K-Pop, Star Wars, Frasier, Trekkies, fan-fic, how influencer culture works, the algorithms, and how loving what we love is a form of self-care. WHO KNEW? Meredith did. Follow Meredith Levine at Twitter.com...
Nephrology (KIDNEYS) with Samira Farouk
March 09, 2021 22:03 - 1 hour - 75.9 MBWhat’s in pee? Should you donate a kidney to a stranger? Which hurts worse: childbirth or kidney stones? Why are some kidneys the size of footballs? March is World Kidney Month and before you shrug it off: 15% of adults have chronic kidney disease -- and most don’t even know it. This episode could save a life. Transplant Nephrologist Dr. Samira Farouk chats about how nephrology is for cool kids, how transplant chains work, legends about bathtubs filled with ice, how dialysis works, where nep...
Cicadology (CICADAS) with Gene Kritsky
March 03, 2021 02:55 - 1 hour - 65.6 MBThey are numerous. They are patient. They are COMING for the United States in droves this spring: They are cicadas. *The* Cicada guy Dr. Gene Kritsky joins to chat all about the annual cicadas you may see every summer vs. the periodical ones that cycle through the states in broods of giant numbers. Learn how they survive underground for decades, what they are doing down there, all about their lifecycle, who eats them and why, plus get inspired to take a cicada safari, download Cicada Safari,...
Gluteology (BUTTS) with Natalia Reagan
February 23, 2021 09:15 - 1 hour - 59.7 MBYes, an entire episode on butts. Primatologist and anthropologist Natalia Reagan joins to chat about the caboose: why do we have butts? Why do we like butts? How do we appreciate ours even more? She drops knowledge on bidets, wiping, twerking, the mystical field of Rumpology, how our derrieres have our back, plus butt dimples, and crack formations. Also: some personal revelations and getting back on your feet after a curveball. This one is goofy as hell and you’re in for more puns than you’l...
Molecular Biology (PROTEINS + SCIENCE COMMUNICATION) with Raven “The Science Maven” Baxter
February 16, 2021 11:04 - 1 hour - 68.3 MBThis one’s got it all: teeny tiny cellular factories, obscure trivia, historical gossip, sick beats, mitochondrial relevancy, viral popularity, a backstory that with charm you to death, sports cars, lab coats, smelly vats, Space Camp and mysteries of the brain. Raven The Science Maven has a background in molecular biology and is getting her Ph.D in Science Communication and shares stories from both disciplines, while Alie generally does her best to suppress high pitched noises of excitement....
Carobology (NOT-CHOCOLATE TREES) with Megan Lynch
February 10, 2021 03:04 - 1 hour - 73.3 MBYou might only know carob as not-chocolate, which is a tragedy of its disco-era branding. This tough, gnarly, drought-resistant plant is the real-life Giving Tree, explains passionate Carobologist Megan Lynch. Dripping with leathery banana-shaped legume pods, this tree quietly dots suburban streets but has kept people alive through wars and famines, can feed livestock, makes beautiful furniture, and might cure ailments from neurodegenerative diseases to the dark depths of your irritable bowe...
Economic Sociology Pt. 2 (MONEY/FREAKONOMICS) with Steven Levitt and Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman
February 02, 2021 06:12 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MBPart 2 is here! Gamestop, #stonks, Universal Basic Income, how to incentivize things that are good for us, whether or not kids should have an allowance, Trekonomics and more. Economist, professor and “Freakonomics” co-author Steven Levitt joins to chat about everything from being cheap and what decision making costs our minds to the worth of the Amazon rainforest. Rising economics star and Harvard Fellow Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman graces us with her thoughts on the subreddit WallStreetBets, ho...
Economic Sociology Pt. 1 (MONEY/FREAKONOMICS) with Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman and Steven Levitt
January 26, 2021 08:32 - 1 hour - 71.9 MBChoices! Trade-offs! Money! How much should you save? And how much should stimulus checks be? Don’t be scared by the term “economics,” especially since it doesn’t end in -ology. This 2-part Economic Sociology bonanza addresses the behavior that motivates the fiscal systems of the world, from avocado toast to retirement funds. Economist, professor and “Freakonomics” co-author Steven Levitt joins to chat about why we learn too much of the wrong math and how everything from marriage to dinner p...
Economic Sociology (MONEY/FREAKONOMICS) with Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman and Steven Levitt
January 26, 2021 08:32 - 1 hour - 71.9 MBChoices! Trade-offs! Money! How much should you save? And how much should stimulus checks be? Don’t be scared by the term “economics,” especially since it doesn’t end in -ology. This 2-part Economic Sociology bonanza addresses the behavior that motivates the fiscal systems of the world, from avocado toast to retirement funds. Economist, professor and “Freakonomics” co-author Steven Levitt joins to chat about why we learn too much of the wrong math and how everything from marriage to dinner pa...
Bilharziology (BLOOD FLUKES) with Anouk N. Gouvras
January 19, 2021 09:08 - 49 minutes - 44.9 MBA LOST EPISODE! Three years in the making, this interview features vials of vile creatures, worm drama, febrile hallucinations, spooning, and unfortunate snacks. It has waited a long time to meet you, so let’s get weird, take a trip back to summer of 2017 -- before Ologies existed -- and unearth one of the very first, never-before-heard interviews. Alie absolutely bungles her way through a chat with Dr. Anouk Gouvras, a London-based parasitologist studying the flatworms that cause schistosom...
Urban Rodentology (SEWER RATS) with Bobby Corrigan
January 12, 2021 20:43 - 1 hour - 72.2 MBRATS: They love pizza. They invade taquerias at midnight. They scurry. They cuddle. They outsmart. They inspire movies that inspire musicals. Proving that not just woodsy megafauna can be charismatic, rats have lives we would never suspect. Globally-lauded Urban Rodentologist Dr. Robert Corrigan, or Bobby if you like, has been studying these animals in their big-city ecosystem for decades and he is a wonder-filled joy. Learn about rats’ origin story, the difference between a rat and a mouse,...
Vaccine Infodemiology (COVID-19 IMMUNITY) with Jessica Malaty Rivera
January 05, 2021 20:20 - 1 hour - 88.2 MBThe Coronasode we’ve been waiting for! Vaccines. Finally. But what does this mean? As a Vaccine Infodemiologist and science communication lead for The COVID Tracking Project, Jessica Malaty Rivera specializes in infectious disease epidemics and the surge of misinformation that accompanies them. The very first human trials of the COVID-19 vaccine occurred in March 2020, and Alie asks Jessica one million questions about the differences between the two available vaccines, rollout schedules, her...
Part 2: Dendrology (TREES) with Casey Clapp -- UPDATES + NEW INTERVIEW
December 29, 2020 07:19 - 23 minutes - 21.7 MBPart 2 of a very special duo! The fresh catch-up interview to learn what the world’s most charming and enthusiastic tree expert, Casey Clapp, has been up to since his 2018 episode aired. He’s been busy. Listen to hear if he’s gotten more pine cone tattoos, what other trees he hates, which ones he gives 10/10, musical blunders, winter pagan traditions, and why trees may play a huge role in his personality. Also: his new podcast for your ears and heart. Follow Casey Clapp at Instagram.com/Cl...
Part 1: Dendrology (TREES) with Casey Clapp -- Encore
December 29, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 82.6 MBPart 1 of a very special duo: Do trees have feelings? How do they talk? How old can they get? Are there any tree stories that will make me cry? Spoiler: YES. This episode aired in May 2018 and is worth a revisit, especially since Part 2 is a brand new 2020 interview with possibly the world's most enthusiastic tree expert, J. Casey Clapp. Learn about his many tree tattoos, new additions to those tattoos, how roots communicate to each other, "crown shyness,” social media shyness and the mental...
Surprise Minisode! Livestream on Christmas: come hang out
December 24, 2020 23:54 - 5 minutes - 4.88 MBSolo on the 25th? Bummed? Feeling off your usual winter game? Come hang out at 1pm Pacific on Christmas with me and other people who love bug facts and word origins and snail romance at this link. And listen to this very quick episode to find out what to wear. Livestream, 1pm Pacific, Dec. 25: https://youtu.be/B656mrA2gy4 It’s free for everyone, and all you need is the YouTube link above. (Also for fun -- here's a deeply wacky 11-minute holiday film Jarrett Sleeper just made because he i...
Scorpiology (SCORPIONS) with Lauren Esposito: Encore Presentation
December 22, 2020 05:00 - 1 hour - 67.6 MBThis specific episode was cited in The New Yorker this week, so we’re giving it an encore refresh with bonus material and a 2020 update from Dr. Esposito herself! Scorpions: the victims of undue shade. If you've ever wanted to impress a date with weird facts THIS IS THE EPISODE FOR YOU. A handful of people on planet Earth have a PhD in scorpions and Dr. Lauren Esposito is one of them. She spills the beans on how venom works, what's up with the blacklight glow effect, how dangerous they *rea...
Garology (ANCIENT PATIENT BOOPABLE LONG CUTE NIGHTMARE FISH) with Solomon David
December 15, 2020 10:59 - 1 hour - 67.3 MBA long snout. Hundreds of teeth. Scales that could slice you. What is a gar and 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 ...
Garology (LONG CUTE ANCIENT PATIENT BOOPABLE NIGHTMARE FISH) with Solomon David
December 15, 2020 10:59 - 1 hour - 67.3 MBA long snout. Hundreds of teeth. Scales that could slice you. What is a gar and 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...
Space Archaeology (SPACE JUNK) with Alice Gorman
December 08, 2020 05:31 - 1 hour - 70.5 MBGaze into the cosmos and wonder at broken satellites, retired rockets and shattered contraptions. Archaeologist Dr. Alice Gorman is a leading expert on orbital debris and chats about what’s up there, how it got there, and how to get it down. Strap in to hear about everything from Sputnik to sports cars, flaming garbage bonking us, alien clutter, collision potential, the most adorable space rubbish, cosmic burials and how one does this type of archeology without boarding a rocket. Also: steam...
Alligator Ecotoxicology (GATOR POISONS) with Laura Kojima
December 01, 2020 07:43 - 1 hour - 77.2 MBAlligators, crocodiles and … a shut-down nuclear weapons plant? The excitement never ends when you’re Laura Kojima, an Alligator Ecotoxicologist. A longtime reptile cheerleader, Laura has passion to match some truly bananas stories about field work, tail smacks, gator jaws, mercury levels, swamp boats, and crocodilian evolution, overbites, and locomotion. Her incredible work keeps people -- and the gators -- safer in toxic waters and she recalls her favorite alligator bite and the one animal...
Awesomeology (GRATITUDE FOR LITTLE THINGS) with Neil Pasricha
November 24, 2020 10:46 - 1 hour - 79.1 MBGratitude: what’s the deal? Does it really make us happier? Even when the world seems terrible? Or is being appreciative a bunch of hokey flim-flam? Author Neil Pasricha started a blog of 1000 Awesome Things in 2008 and it led him down rabbit holes looking into the science of gratitude and how to better survive some really tough times. Learn about your new morning ritual, how much of happiness is genetically determined, why you should sniff a tree, honeymoon drama, simple appreciation, singin...
Awesomeology (GRATITUDE) with Neil Pasricha
November 24, 2020 10:46 - 1 hour - 79.1 MBGratitude: what’s the deal? Does it really make us happier? Even when the world seems terrible? Or is being appreciative a bunch of hokey flim-flam? Author Neil Pasricha started a blog of 1000 Awesome Things in 2008 and it led him down rabbit holes looking into the science of gratitude and how to better survive some really tough times. Learn about your new morning ritual, how much of happiness is genetically determined, why you should sniff a tree, honeymoon drama, simple appreciation, singi...
Biological Anthropology (APE SEX) with Lara Durgavich
November 17, 2020 09:14 - 1 hour - 76.3 MBSexy apes: you’re one of them. And Biological Anthropologist Dr. Lara Durgavich joins to chat about everything from monogamy to PMS, male birth control pills, freezers of orangutan urine, imposter syndrome and testosterone, how the Pope makes you buy more tampons, which species has better sex, pancakes vs. boners, and boobs as a life preserver. It’s wall to wall gonad gossip and just may change the way you see yourself, you hairy, horny beautiful beast. Follow Dr. Lara Durgavich at Twitter...
Biological Anthropology (SEXY APES) with Lara Durgavich
November 17, 2020 09:14 - 1 hour - 76.3 MBSexy apes: you’re one of them. And Biological Anthropologist Dr. Lara Durgavich joins to chat about everything from monogamy to PMS, male birth control pills, freezers of orangutan urine, imposter syndrome and testosterone, how the Pope makes you buy more tampons, which species has better sex, pancakes vs. boners, and boobs as a life preserver. It’s wall to wall gonad gossip and just may change the way you see yourself, you hairy, horny beautiful beast. Follow Dr. Lara Durgavich at Twitter....
Indigenous Fashionology (NATIVE CLOTHING) with Riley Kucheran
November 11, 2020 08:55 - 1 hour - 65.8 MBFashion! Trends! Not really! This lively chat with Riley Kucheran, an Assistant Professor of Design Leadership at Ryerson University’s School of Fashion, covers everything from the history of industrialized clothing manufacture to current Indigenous designers he loves, political statements through beadwork, Indigenous art markets, and a dissection of Coachella headdresses. From Biigtigong Nishnaabeg Nation, Riley also describes his experiences climbing the corporate ladder in the fashion ret...
Pedagogology (SCIENCE COMMUNICATION) with Bill Nye
November 03, 2020 23:25 - 1 hour - 66.4 MBBILL NYE. That’s right. Bill Freakin’ Nye sits down to get grilled by your Dadward (that’s me, Alie) all about Pedagogology, the art and science of science communication. How did the modern day hype man of facts and wonder get his start? What does he love about his job? What are the most important elements of spreading knowledge? WHICH TIE IS HIS FAVORITE TIE? We chat about everything from comedy to TV crews, what he thinks about when he goes for walks, taking risks to follow your dreams, ad...
Cucurbitology (PUMPKINS) Encore with Anne Copeland
October 28, 2020 04:00 - 1 hour - 56.4 MBHERE IS SOME SAFE, COZY COMFORT: a platter of pumpkins. We have a new episode up this week: Desairology (MORTUARY MAKE-UP) but if that's toooo spooky: This 2019 Cucurbitology episode is an Ologies all-time favorite. Also? It helped launch sweet, sweet Anne Copeland’s book to the top of the seasonal cookbook charts last year. “Pumpkin, Pumpkin!” is not only a thing to scream while passing a patch, but also the name of author and human delight Anne Copeland's gourd opus. Yes, she's so charme...
Desairology (MORTUARY MAKE-UP) with Monica Torres
October 27, 2020 02:52 - 1 hour - 61.5 MBWhat happens when you die? Cosmically, no one knows. But cosmetically, Desairologist Monica Torress knows everything. This friendly Phoenix funeral director shares her secrets for giving the dearly departed the greatest glam on their “special day.” She chats practical preservation techniques, spooky questions, her influences, the newest make-up lines, formaldehyde, mourning and grief, and how to make sure you look like *you* -- or Dolly Parton -- when your loved ones say their goodbyes. Also...
Anthropodermic Biocodicology (HUMAN LEATHER BOOKS) with Megan Rosenbloom & Daniel Kirby
October 21, 2020 02:54 - 1 hour - 69.6 MBAnthropodermic bibliopegy is a long, fancy way of saying “HUMAN SKIN BOOKS” and the study of confirming or debunking them is … Anthropodermic Biocodicology. For this skin-crawling, history-trawling Spooktober episode, we chat with the absolutely wonderful and charming medical librarian and expert of books bound in human skin, Megan Rosenbloom. Also on the line: analytical chemist Dr. Daniel Kirby, who discusses how books are tested to confirm if they are, in fact, human leather. Why would so...
Forest Entomology (CREEPY CRAWLIES) with Kristen Wickert
October 13, 2020 23:12 - 1 hour - 68.7 MBSpooktober continues with … CrEePy cRawLies. And dark woods and solo hiking and Forest Entomologist Dr. Kristen Wickert a.k.a. KayDubs the Hiking Scientist. We chat about everything from Moth Man to chubby caterpillars to spiderwebs to fungus. She tells us how to look for big beautiful moths, what footwear is best for hitting the trail, which bugs to kill and which to cheer on, how to deal with mosquitos in your yard and ticks in your pants and why the woods feel like home. By the end, you’l...
Condorology (CONDORS & VULTURES) with Jonathan C. Hall
October 07, 2020 19:41 - 1 hour - 71.7 MBTo kick off SpooOoktober, we’re looking at huge birds that DEVOUR DEATH: the giant, majestic and critically endangered California condor. Condorologist Dr. Jonathan C. Hall’s work helps monitor populations, tracks flight data, and keeps tabs on how well this small population is rebounding after going extinct in the wild in 1987. We chat carcasses, wingspans, beaks, bald heads, and more. By the end, you’ll want to gaze at the skies hoping for a sighting. Also: condor romance gossip! And accom...
Political Sociology (VOTER TURNOUT & SUPPRESSION) with Mindy Romero
September 30, 2020 06:32 - 1 hour - 67.9 MBIf you need fuel to get excited about voting: here it is. How low is U.S. voter turnout? And why? Are mail-in ballots safe? Should you vote early? How has voter suppression worked in the past -- and the present -- to skew elections? Oooh, buckle up as the wonderful Dr. Mindy Romero, a Political Sociologist and founding director of USC’s Center for Inclusive Democracy, chats about what drives us to the polls, what keeps us away, how to celebrate election day, and why every single vote actuall...
Fulminology (LIGHTNING) with Chris Giesige
September 23, 2020 05:46 - 1 hour - 82 MBThunder and lightning: very, very frighteningly interesting! Wildfire researcher and lightning scientist Chris Giesige answers questions about thunderclaps and lightning flashes in a laid back way that will put him at the top of your Fulminologist list. He explains everything from clouds to positive and negative charges, volcanic lightning, fire tornadoes, getting struck by lightning, fractal scars, sprites, elves, how many gigawatts in a lightning strike, and how to enjoy a storm without ge...
Mammalogy (MAMMALS) with Danielle N. Lee
September 15, 2020 05:00 - 1 hour - 65.6 MBMammals: you’re one. Your dog is one. So are giant rats. What do we have in common? Nipples. The incredible Southern Illinois University professor, researcher, science communicator and mammalogist Dr. Danielle N. Lee joins to chat about everything from nature’s parenting styles to hairy bellies, milk glands, nip counts, how a meteor paved the way for our existence, her favorite mammals and the mysteries of the platypus. An episode years in the making, Alie barely keeps her cool as Dr. Lee gi...
Cervidology Part 2 (DEER) with Rhiannons Jakopak & Kirton
September 08, 2020 04:26 - 1 hour - 60.9 MBThe spirited, laughy chatter with a duo of deer scientists named Rhiannon continues in the thrilling conclusion with Part 2. Buckle up for listener questions addressing everything from social structure to hunting to Chronic Wasting Disease to how *not* to hit a deer with your car. Also the weirdest animal fact Alie has ever learned in the history of Ologies. Soul-rattling. And if you missed Part 1, circle back and catch up to learn all about ungulates and deer and moose and elk and fawns and...
Cervidology Part 2 (DEER)with Rhiannons Jakopak & Kirton
September 08, 2020 04:26 - 1 hour - 60.9 MBThe spirited, laughy chatter with a duo of deer scientists named Rhiannon continues in the thrilling conclusion with Part 2. Buckle up for listener questions addressing everything from social structure to hunting to Chronic Wasting Disease to how *not* to hit a deer with your car. Also the weirdest animal fact Alie has ever learned in the history of Ologies. Soul-rattling. And ff you missed Part 1, circle back and catch up to learn all abut ungulates and deer and moose and elk and fawns and …...
Cervidology (DEER) Part 1 with Rhiannons Kirton & Jakopak
September 02, 2020 06:02 - 50 minutes - 46.4 MBWhat IS a deer? And an elk? And a moose? And a Rhiannon? One thing they all have in common: cervidology. Buckle up for some spirited, laughy chatter with a duo of deer scientists. They dish all about Welsh mythology and their field trips into the remote, gorgeous wilderness. They’ll explain what to do if you find a fawn, if you should feed backyard deer, what deer population numbers are like, hunting, ungulates, being a first-generation scientist and more. This episode is a quick overview an...