Alie takes a teeny tiny break from her vacation to reintroduce you to this laid back, super helpful fan favorite episode. Listen in for: Pomodoro timers! Bullet journals! Apps, tips, tricks and philosophies. Also: the most mellow episode ever, recorded late at night in a guest room. Like a cozy duvet of wisdom, this one is full of life hacks for remaining productive & healthy during distracting times. I asked Ologites their best strategies for keeping their brains less burdened and organizin...
Aug 29, 2023•49 min•Ep. 341
ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY. Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248 Yep. Here it is. A kid-friendly episode on… poop. Camel poop. Rhino poop. Dog poop. Cat poop. Your poop. The charming and informative Dr. Rachel Santymire -- aka Dr. Poop -- has a background in animal physiology and endocrinology and is elbow deep in dung as a research director at the Lincoln Park Zoo. Dr. Poop sits down with Alie to talk turds and why some...
Aug 25, 2023•22 min•Ep. 340
The brilliant and dazzling Helen Zaltzman pops in with some new asides in this encore episode of Ologies. Helen, host of the podcasts The Allusionist, Veronica Mars Investigations and Answer Me This, and a person who technically for a living researches the origins of language and thus is an etymologist, visits Alie's apartment to chat about various word origins, gender in language, the Bible a.k.a. The Oxford English Dictionary, origins of the filthiest slang, emoji decoding, mediocrity, step pa...
Aug 22, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 339
Wrapping up our Diabetology 2 parter encore, diabetic diabetologist and wonderful person Dr. Mike Natter, MD is back with a little introduction covering some stuff that wasn't on the radar back in 2019, like what's the deal with this Ozempic stuff you've heard about, and then Natter from the past goes on to answer all of your questions about blood sugar, the cost of insulin, pancreas transplants, keto, glucagon, how exercise can save your life, his most meaningful interactions with patients, pud...
Aug 15, 2023•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 338
Dr. Mike Natter hosts this encore episode of Ologies (hosted by Alie Ward), it's a classic 2 parter: Diabetology about the happy, moody-, sweaty-, unconscious-, and possibly even homicidal-making sugar in our blood. In this episode, Dr. Mike Natter dishes about how blood sugar works, what insulin does, and how prevalent diabetes is in all of its various forms. Also: keto vs. vegan, hypoglycemia, cyborg organs, owl hoots, gestational diabetes, type 1 vs. type 2 and ... does Gwyneth drink her own ...
Aug 10, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 337
Listen, kids... give your father a break, okay? Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes 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 Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media and Mark David Christenson Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary W...
Aug 10, 2023•8 min•Ep. 336
Machine poets. ChatGPT fails. Neurological surveillance. Brain implants that treat depression. Is it scary? Cool? Let’s firehose some questions at Duke Law professor, neuro and bioethicist, author and TED speaker Dr. Nita Farahany. She explains the history of AI, the dawn of chatbots, what’s changed recently, the potential for good, the possible perils, how different lawmakers are stepping in, and whether or not this is scary dinner party conversation. Do you have feelings about AI and brain imp...
Aug 02, 2023•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 335
Flying squirrels. Fox squirrels. Giant squirrels. Tiny ones. Grey ones. Black ones. Fluorescent ones? Alie is losing her mind talking to dream guest and Sciuridologist, Dr. Karen Munroe. This Baldwin Wallace University professor has studied squirrels for decades and addresses where they sleep, how many babies they have, if they bite each other’s junk, how they find their acorns, Marvel movies, birdfeeder drama, imported squirrels, melanistic morphs, world domination, fistfights with birders, the...
Jul 26, 2023•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 334
Hi! I’ve been in the hospital with pneumonia! But enjoy this banger of an encore about: Serotonin! Dopamine! Norepinephrine! Neurotransmitters: what's their deal? Dr. Crystal Dilworth, aka Dr. Brain, stops by to have a spirited discussion about how chemical messengers change our moods and behaviors. We chat about depression, anxiety, what chemicals drive us to get off the couch, how antidepressants work, ADHD, addiction, the microbiome, new habits, quitting smoking, starting meditation, Oreos vs...
Jul 20, 2023•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 333
ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY. Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248 It’s a kid-friendly episode on … thunder 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, the...
Jul 19, 2023•22 min•Ep. 332
The thrilling conclusion of all-things-emoji! Eggplants, peaches, jumping ska dudes, gray hearts, family emojis, what NOT to text your Southern Italian friends, yellow hands, red hair, the birth of the smiley face and how to celebrate World Emoji Day on July 17 with Emojipedia founder Jeremy Burge, designer Jennifer Daniel, and the world’s first emoji translator (and current Emojipedia editor-in-chief) Keith Broni. Listen to Part 1 first, of course. 📙 Emojipedia 🎉 #WorldEmojiDay 7/17/23 🍳 Emo...
Jul 12, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 331
Thumbs up? Thumbs down. Skulls of joy. And so many expressions of pain and comfort. This, my babies, is the -ology that sparked this whole podcast. Curiology means “writing with pictures” but will certified emoji experts agree that they are curiologists? Listen in for behind-the-scenes drama, origin stories, stats on usage, trends and global context with Emojipedia founder Jeremy Burge, designer Jennifer Daniel, and the world’s first emoji translator (and current Emojipedia editor-in-chief) Keit...
Jul 06, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 330
Grab your stuff and hop in our van full of weirdos to check out Boise Idaho’s finest attraction: a 580 acre preserve of land that is absolutely flush with raptors who could eat your eyeballs. We’re back with another field trip episode, this time visiting The Peregrine Fund’s World Center For Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho. We got a tour from Vice President of the Peregrine Fund Dr. Chris McClure to meet so many birds including California Condors, Harpy Eagles, American Kestrels, Barred Owls, Bald...
Jun 29, 2023•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 329
ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY. Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248 Ahoy matey, we’ve we’ve brought ye another ensmol’d episode of Ologies (which just means cleaned of filth and cut for brevity) this time on: Shipwrecks. We get to talk with maritime archaeologist and wreck nerd Chanelle Zaphiropoulos about her experiences with Shipwrecks, treasure, carbon dating, admirals worth admiring, ancient technology recovered from th...
Jun 26, 2023•26 min•Ep. 328
Honeybees get all the attention, but native bees are the underbugs to root for. Photographer, author, and National Geographic Explorer Krystle Hickman shows us the wonders of indigenous bees through her lens focused on conservation of bees and their habitats. She covers their lifecycles, tunnels, turrets, fuzzy butts, frat house cuddling, and sexual dimorphism. We also chat about taxonomic fisticuffs, bee hotels, the mustard blight, monocultures, the teeniest livestock, and how to appreciate and...
Jun 22, 2023•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 327
They clap. They swim. They have dozens of eyes and 2 million babies. They are scallops. Pectinidologist Dr. Samantha Lynch climbs aboard to share stories of theft on the brackish seas, gossip about scallops vs. oysters, ponderings on Disney bras, months without Rs, bay scallops, sea scallops, filter feeders, shellfish volunteering, curious baby bivalves, seagrass, red tides, and free buffets. We also check in with James Beard Award-nominated chef Miles Thompson who offers cooking tips (with a fa...
Jun 14, 2023•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 326
ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY. Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248 Here we are with the smol (shorter, cleaner, kid-friendly) version of another Ologies classic, in this case: Mammals. You’re one. Your dog is one. So are giant rats. What do we have in common? I promise you’ll find out the answer from the incredible Southern Illinois University professor, researcher, science communicator and mammalogist Dr. Danielle N. Lee ...
Jun 13, 2023•29 min•Ep. 325
Once again: the world is on fire. As wildfires burn across Canada and their smoke pours down the continent, we thought it would be a good time to encore these Fire Ecology episodes. First, Dr. Gavin Jones brings the heat talking about what fire is, how hot it burns, fire trends, tinderboxes, lots and lots of forest fire flim-flam, tolerant wombats, Angelina Jolie movies, cunning pine cones, thick bark, Indigenous fire stewardship and more.Then, join co-host of the podcast Good Fire, Dr. Amy Chri...
Jun 08, 2023•2 hr 28 min•Ep. 324
What’s the difference between Southern cooking and “soul food?” Is there a correct type of mac and cheese? And whose business is it what you eat? (Hint: no one’s). Culinary historian, scholar of African American life and culture critic Dr. Psyche Williams-Forson is a professor at University of Maryland College Park and department chair in the Department of American Studies. She also authored the books “Eating While Black: Food Shaming and Race in America” and “Building Houses out of Chicken Legs...
May 31, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 323
Jump in, we’re going to the Valley to talk to cool, funny screenwriters about ... Artificial intelligence-drafted scripts! Trillion-dollar companies pretending they’re broke! Emmy-nominated writers with side hustles! Teamster bosses dropping mics! What an exciting time to gossip about Hollywood… labor unions! Listen, we all love watching our Programs and laughing, learning and loving. But things are getting WEIRD behind the scenes, and the Writers Guild of America is on strike, showing up in pic...
May 26, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 322
It’s 2-for-1! Ticks AND Lyme: together in one helpful, disgusting, gossipy, empowering episode. This pair of episodes is about tiny, thirsty ticks and the diseases they spit into you is wall to wall wisdom from Dr. Neeta Pardanani Connally of the West Connecticut State University Tick Lab and Dr. Andrea Swei of SFSU’s Swei Lab cover how to remove a tick, if you should spray your yard and with what, how landscaping affects tick exposure, why Lyme Disease is spreading, the Lone Star Tick rolling i...
May 17, 2023•2 hr 34 min•Ep. 321
Invisibility cloaks. Transparent frogs. Stealth bombers. Gorilla mischief. Theoretical optical physicist and Invisible Photologist Dr. Greg Gbur joins Alie to chat about light, illusions, secret technology, science fiction inspiration, terrible camouflage, great movies, historical mishaps, and even a few great household life hacks – and why you should go read a book on your porch. Perhaps his book, Invisibility: The History and Science of How Not To Be Seen. Visit Dr. Greg Gbur’s blogs, Skulls i...
May 10, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 320
How do our bodies build our bodies? What does a stem cell look like? How do they know what to do? What diseases could stem cells cure? And why is Canada such a hot place for research? Dr. Samantha Yammine – known by many as Science Sam – is a stem cell biologist and science communicator and takes us back to the discovery of stem cells, chats ethical questions, spotting scams, cloning, gene-edited babies, helping your body heal faster and what advancements are being made, albeit by slowly growing...
May 03, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 319
ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY. Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248 This shorter, kid-safe edit of the classic Herpetology episode features frilly gills, frog tornadoes, legless lizards, and reasons to appreciate snakes. Also, why you shouldn’t kiss one. Dr. David Steen is a beloved herpetologist and wildlife conservationist and his answers are full of facts and flim-flam busters. Dr. David Steen’s website , Twitter & I...
May 01, 2023•20 min•Ep. 318
Wow. It gets weirder. Military dolphins, dolphins on drugs, sensory deprivation, deciphering dolphin language, the search for alien life, and more with the affable and knowledgeable Delphinologist Dr. Justin Gregg. Should you cuddle a dolphin? Can one kill you? Should you hire dolphins as midwives? Why do they follow boats? And what’s Drake got to do with it? Start with Delphinology Part 1 here , or wherever you get podcasts. Visit Dr. Justin Gregg’s website and follow him on Instagram , Twitter...
Apr 26, 2023•56 min•Ep. 317
Giant brains! Communication mysteries! Infamous sensuality! Dolphins are here to blow your relatively tiny mind with their squeaks, clicks, cliques, history, lore, zany evolutionary path, psychedelic experiences, and so much more. Learn why some dolphins are pink, why NASA poured cash into groovy research, what it’s like to touch a dolphin, if they can learn to speak English, their mating strategies, captivity, and the researchers that made our culture obsessed with them. Also: how a screensaver...
Apr 19, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 316
Come check out my butt with me! 1 in 16 people in the U.S. will have colon cancer, and 0 in 16 want to talk about getting a camera up your guts to check things out. I am one of them, but after losing loved ones to colon cancer – and staring down the barrel of my first-ever colonoscope — I recorded tips, tricks, taste tests, foggy drug hazes, bar room advice, and finally my surprising results. It may save a life. Possibly yours. Find out more about colorectal cancer here More episode sources and ...
Apr 13, 2023•37 min•Ep. 315
We’re back for Part 2! If you missed Part 1, start there for the chicken basics and then come back for the weird stuff like chickens eating chickens, why chickens bother laying unfertilized eggs, rooster gossip, fairy eggs, nest abominations, bird grief, beak accessories, soft burbling chicken sounds, spicy chicken feed, safe corners of the internet, multicolored eggs and the big questions: SHOULD YOU GET A CHICKEN OR WHAT. We help you decide. See Tove on her 2023 book tour! Buy Tove’s book: Und...
Apr 05, 2023•46 min•Ep. 314
Yes, Chickenology is a real word. And we have questions. Such as: should you get a chicken?! Chicken-haver and author of “Under the Henfluence” Tove Danovich stops in to recall how her casual backyard chicken experiment turned into an obsession, a lifestyle, and then a book. We chat about junglefowl, chicken competitions, egg prices, chicken statues, bird personalities, coop logistics, avian flus, shell hues, earlobes, live chicken cams, and more on this Part 1. Stay tuned next week as we addres...
Mar 29, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 313
ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY. Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248 A G-rated, kid-safe Smologies edit all about getting your Zzzzzs. Neurologist and somnologist Dr. W. Chris Winter is an expert on sleep, and since his first interview, he’s released a book called “The Rested Child” all about sleep and kiddos! So parents, kids and anybody else can dive in to learn about different sleep stages, what sleep does to the brain, i...
Mar 28, 2023•29 min•Ep. 312
