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.

Last refreshed: June 25th, 2026 at 7:04 AM

Follow on

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

RSS

Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app

Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

Horology (WATCHES) with Cameron Weiss

Million-dollar watches, World War II's role in watchmaking, and how much caffeine a watchmaker drinks. Twenty-something horologist Cameron Weiss also dishes about mechanical vs. quartz, little tiny springs, patience, S-Town and the history of timekeeping. Also we address rap lyrics and some existential boolsheet. More info on Cameron's watches More episode sources and links Support the show on Patreon T-shirts, mugs, etc. at ologiesmerch.com Follow Ologies on Twitter and Instagram Music by Nick ...

Oct 18, 2017•40 min•Ep. 5

Gemology (CRYSTALS & GEMS) with Kelly Sitek

Professional gemologist Kelly Sitek talks about adventures in mining, the chemical composition of different gems, breaks down the test taking process for gemology and gives advice on haunted stones. We also spill some tea on cultured pearls and address the psychology and neurological merits of crystals/the placebo effect. Whether you are a staunch skeptic or all about woo-woo, you may end up shoving a crystal down your pants just for good luck. A.k.a. neural top-down control of physiology. Follo...

Oct 10, 2017•56 min•Ep. 4

Paleontology (DINOSAURS) with Michael Habib

Did Ross Gellar ruin being a paleontologist? What's the hot goss on dino feathers? How did some dinos have four wings and which costs more: a used sedan or a dinosaur? Featuring guest Michael Habib of the Natural History Museum of LA County. Also covered: why Alie used to feel meh about dinos (DON'T JUDGE) and the realities of cloning. Oh and penis implants. Tees, mugs, totes available at ologiesmerch.com Follow Ologies on Twitter and Instagram Follow Alie on Twitter and Instagram Support the sh...

Oct 04, 2017•48 min•Ep. 3

Primatology (MONKEYS & APES) with Kate Gilmore

Settle in with Alie Ward and guest Kate Gilmore, a professional primatologist and lead keeper of the great apes and Old World monkeys at the Los Angeles Zoo. Learn about chimpanzee mating, why zookeepers don't wear FitBits, primate DRAAAMA, the erroneous philosophy behind truck nuts and what happens in the middle the night at the zoo. Also get some good info on primate conservation and how to be a friend to orangutans. More info including links on ape conservation Become a patron on Patreon Shir...

Sep 26, 2017•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 2

Volcanology (VOLCANOES) with Jess Phoenix

In this first episode of Ologies, Alie Ward chats with volcanologist Jess Phoenix who also happens to be running for Congress. Learn how hot magma is, how volcanoes are formed, how screwed the Pacific Northwest is, what thrills Jess about volcanoes, and what to do if surrounded by horse bandits. Also: some valuable information about haunted lava tubes. Follow Ologies on Instagram and Twitter Follow Jess Phoenix on Twitter More episode info and links Support the show on Patreon Music by Nick Thor...

Sep 19, 2017•57 min•Ep. 1

Episode 0

Comedy podcaster and science correspondent Alie Ward asks smart people dumb questions to learn about their professional obsessions. Music: Nick Thorburn Production: Jason Scardamalia, Dustin Marshall, Steven Ray Morris Follow @ologies on Instagram and Twitter Support the show on Patreon Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....

Sep 04, 2017•5 min0

← Prev

For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android