Ah, charismatic megafauna! Teeth, claws, fur, hibernation, bear hugs, hiking, cougar attacks, nature preserves, and living your childhood dreams with Alie’s longtime -ologist crush, Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant. The large carnivore ecologist, researcher and TV presenter tells us all about her field work, what it’s like to stuff a baby bear in your coat, how carnivore plasma may one day save your life, balancing a few different stellar careers at once and the launch of her own PBS podcast, Going Wild. Also...
Feb 09, 2022•1 hr 34 min
You have ants. We all have ants, but do we KNOW ants? Get ready for cult-leader queens, bullet ant stings, kitchen pest hacks, the dynamics of a billion-sister megacolony. Dr. Terry McGlynn sits down to have a BIG discussion about itty-bitty creatures in this encore because I was out of town seeing my family and just needed a week off. Learn about tropical ants, urban ants, how they walk on water, which ones are picky eaters, which ones make weird sounds, what ant movies are bunk, and some help-...
Feb 01, 2022•1 hr 23 min
ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY. Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248 Bundle up for a smol, classroom-friendly episode with Princeton University evolutionary biologist and Thermophysiologist Dr. Shane Campbell-Staton. You’ll learn about everything from heat tolerance to frostbite, anti-freeze woodfrogs to icy alligators, why some people run hot, why your toes run cold, how a fever is like a honeybee, how geography influences ...
Feb 01, 2022•30 min
Shoving elk into a dorm room freezer. The wildest tasting rice. Flower bulbs, acorn whoopie pies, frybread debates, mushroom foraging tips, corn magic, puffball mythology, decolonized diets, squash lasagna, bison harvests, small worlds, Instapots and – most importantly – food sovereignty with the WONDERFUL Indigikitchen cooking show host, environmental scientist Mariah Gladstone, who reminds us all that native foods aren’t a part of a past, but an essential and exciting aspect of the future. LIN...
Jan 26, 2022•1 hr 26 min
I scream, you scream, we all scream for… a brand new, screaming hot episode of Ologies. Be warned *slaps the top of this ep* you can fit so many screams in this bad boy. (Seriously though, there’s a lot of screaming in this episode, it’s probably not the one to gently fall asleep to.) What kinds of screams you ask? We got birds, foxes, caterpillars, movie stars, children, James Bond? YES. What is a scream? Is it the same as yelling? How far can you hear a scream? Why do we scream at concerts? Wh...
Jan 20, 2022•1 hr 17 min
Slamming heads together to impress someone: why does this happen? Let’s ask Dr. Nicole Ackermans, whose current job involves receiving sheep heads and painstakingly counting damaged neurons from headbutting concussions. The Neuropathology episode last week gives all the concussion basics, but this one turns the microscope away from accidents and points it right at intentional behaviors in nature, from bighorn sheep to musk oxen, goats, woodpeckers, and some other animals that will freak you out....
Jan 13, 2022•33 min
ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY. Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248 Games! Play! Fun! Addiction? Flim-flam? From the origins of tabletop classics to the future of VR, Dr. Jane McGonigal answers our burning questions. This video game developer, TED speaker and bestselling author is an expert on how playing -- and especially video games -- can motivate, soothe and connect us. Will video games turn your child into a future car...
Jan 11, 2022•31 min
Hi, last week I fell down a flight of stairs. Then I went to the hospital. Then I emailed Dr. Mary Alexis Iaccarino, a Harvard Medical School professor and specialist in rehabilitation from traumatic brain injuries. I asked her all about what happens during a concussion, when to be worried, how long it takes to heal, when a person should get their ass to a hospital, what a brain scan can tell us about a head injury, what it CAN’T tell us about a head injury, if you can fall asleep after a head i...
Jan 05, 2022•1 hr 12 min
Here we go: SIX more raccoon experts, because one episode is not enough for the wonders of these terrific trash bandits. Revel in the raccoon love and hear about presidential pets, neuronal density, why raccoonologists walk out on the job, their fabled intelligence, how Aesop factors into raccoonology, and the comfort of the male gaze? Also, treat yourself and your timeline to an upgrade by following these wildlife experts: Hannah J. Griebling, MSc on Twitter animalcognitionlab.org Kelly E. Lane...
Dec 29, 2021•27 min
Tiny hands! Round rumps! Chaos! Compost! Delicious garbage and sweet faces make raccoons as mysterious as they are adored. World class raccoon expert, psychologist and animal behaviorist Dr. Suzanne MacDonald of Toronto’s York University explains tree sleeping, brain worms, cartoon raccoons, queer icons, whether you should keep one as a pet and also: some of the best career and life advice from midnight gremlins eating chicken bones in your driveway. Stay tuned for next week’s part 2 with half a...
Dec 22, 2021•1 hr 4 min
ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY. Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248 Who doesn't love a floppy, slime-filled, hot dog shaped creature of the deep sea? On this Smologies (It's like if Ologies were more Smol) we return to our conversation with Tim Winegard, a professional hagfishologist (YES IT'S A WORD) at Chapman University, and he dishes on the world's slimiest treasures. You're gonna learn about things like why you don't a...
Dec 21, 2021•28 min
How do your knees feel? How do YOU feel about your knees? Buckle up to better your relationship with what some listeners call their most hated and contentious joint. Globally-lauded orthopedic surgeon Dr. Kevin Stone agreed to sit on a porch and explain everything from cracking to popping, patellas to tendons vs ligaments, cartilage donuts, physical therapy, self-surgery, joint juices, sporty injections, cadaver tissues, pig legs, if weight has any effect on knee health, types of arthritis, bion...
Dec 16, 2021•1 hr 28 min
From crisp cider to blistering lava, life advice, climate solutions, the comforts of venison stew, cockroaches in orbit, UFO culture, social justice, dongs, worms, wasps, fireflies, bear orgies, makeouts, disasters, the deep ruts of the patriarchy, and desperate horny bugs. This second-ever “Audiobook Mixtape” has it all. So if you’re near a fireplace but have no book, or haven’t started holiday shopping (like your dear old Dadward VonPodcast) let this casserole of literary snippets serve as a r...
Dec 10, 2021•1 hr 11 min
ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY. Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248 CATS! Kittens. Tigers. Purring. Toys. Litterboxes. We cover it all in this abridged and G-rated Felinology version for Smologites, or just anyone who doesn’t want to listen to swearing with their science. Professional cat behavior expert Dr. Mikel Delgado dishes on domestication, cats on leashes, why they want to sit on your laptop, how to play with cats th...
Dec 07, 2021•29 min
Yep -- it’s detective work! But instead of crime scenes, environmental scientist, marine biologist and Forensic Ecologist Dr. Tiara Moore travels the world to sample the sea and the soil looking for the ghosts of larvae past, whispers of frog spit, fungal traces in loamy soil, and the unseen forces that lead to algal blooms and toxic tides. She also is the CEO of #BlackInMarineScience week, which is NOW: Nov. 28-Dec. 04! Follow that hashtag and see the events link below and buckle your life jack...
Nov 30, 2021•57 min
You’re six to ten times LESS likely to catch COVID-19 if you’re vaccinated, and thus less likely to infect others. Great! But what about breakthrough cases? Who’s at risk for them? How many folks haven’t gotten vaccinated? Should pregnant people get the ol’ jab, what might happen with transmission rates in 2022, yearly booster questions, the ethics of vaccine distribution, myocarditis, Long COVID, quarantine fatigue and essentially whether the holidays are a good idea. Follow Jessica Malaty Rive...
Nov 24, 2021•59 min
ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY. Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248 Wolf howls, wolf packs, wolf history and more! November 23 is the dog appreciation holiday Wolfenoot so we’re dishing up a puppy-sized and kid-friendly Smologies with lupinologist and Princeton professor Dr. Brigette vonHoldt. Learn about wolf populations, canine family dynamics, Game of Thrones direwolves, if wolves howl at the moon, myths and truths about...
Nov 22, 2021•27 min
Who’s on it? What’s on it? And why does the interface feel like you’re on a prank show? Scicomm host, vlogger, author, internet friend, and TikTok-maker Hank Green stops in to chat about learning the language of the algorithm, dopamine, duets, data concerns, idealized selves, self-expression, mental health, authenticity, work/ life boundaries. And just a bunch of milk. Follow Hank on TikTok , Twitter and Instagram Alie Dadward aka me on TikTok Get Hank’s books! An Absolutely Remarkable Thing , A...
Nov 17, 2021•43 min
PAIN. What is it? Where does it come from? And how can we hurt less? Which hurts more, a kidney stone or heartache? Why does chronic pain persist? Can we turn down our pain dials? To answer these huge questions, pain psychologist Dr. Rachel Zoffness enthusiastically explains the brain, pain and how to retrain it. She is an unabashed neuronerd and a ray of hope in a field that is misunderstood, neglected and under-explained. A true life-changer of a person. Follow Dr. Rachel Zoffness on Twitter a...
Nov 10, 2021•1 hr 34 min
This is NOT about the Netflix show, Squid Game. It's about shapeshifting, flirtatious trickery, living fishing lures, siphon squirts, weird things found in shark stomachs, and cephalopods who are downright dicks to fish: real games played in nature by real squid. Because we weren't the only ones watching Squid Game and thinking, "Why aren't there more squid in this?" Hence we combined the study of squids (teuthology) and games (ludology) to make Teuthological Ludology with everyone's favorite sq...
Nov 03, 2021•57 min
ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY. Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248 At long last: an episode dedicated to veterinary medicine! Dr. Terrence Ferguson & Dr. Vernard Hodges have been friends for nearly 30 years and have co-owned their rural Georgia veterinary clinic, Critter Fixers, for over 20 years. The two wonderful buddies talk about getting accepted into vet school, caring for spiders & camels & lizards & ...
Nov 01, 2021•26 min
Bidding farewell to the sweetest and spookiest month, we traipse past graves with archeologist, conservator and Taphologist Robyn Lacy. What’s the difference between a graveyard and a cemetery? Is it wrong to picnic in one? And can tombstone scrubbing help the world and soothe your living soul? Plus, font trends on headstones, old-timey gravestone emojis, a coffin-within-a-coffin, the best epitaphs and knowing the difference between slate, marble, and granite monuments. To celebrate Halloween, s...
Oct 27, 2021•1 hr 5 min
They dance. They flirt. They will steal your heart. They are spiders. Jumping spiders, specifically, and impassioned spider scientist Dr. Sebastian Echeverri is on board to tell you all about their sexy dances. How far can a jumping spider jump? What makes a good spider dancer? Why are they so cute? Can you sample their mating drumming and make a sick industrial-EDM track that feels like you’re in a Berlin discotheque? Buckle up for the grooviest Spooktober of your life. BUY the sick track “Habr...
Oct 20, 2021•1 hr 15 min
PART 2: The stunning conclusion of a 3-hour gab session about frickin' bats with America's favorite chiropterologist, Dr. Merlin Tuttle. Learn about bat conversations, their close friendships, surprising dongs, where they keep their nipples, how to go bat spotting after the sun sets, more myths and misconceptions about bat danger, perhaps the grossest thing Merlin has ever put in his mouth, how to hang up a bat house for maximum bat party funtimes, the latest on white nose syndrome and how it fe...
Oct 12, 2021•1 hr 2 min
“People fear most what they understand least." Words of wisdom from explorer/American treasure/bat expert, Dr. Merlin Tuttle. As your internet dad/host takes care of her surgically recuperating husband this week, we revisit her visit to Austin. In 2019, Alie headed to the bat capital and sat down with the legendary chiropterologist to discuss wild field stories and close calls and caves and comebacks and bat chatter and what a bat actually is and how big they get and what's up with their smushy ...
Oct 12, 2021•1 hr 41 min
Crows have funerals? CROWS HAVE FUNERALS. The inky black bird with the big brain warns and maybe mourns around their fallen friends and Dr. Kaeli Swift is here to tell us all about it. As an avid wildlife researcher and corvid specialist, she's observed death behaviors that will shock you to your bones and ruffle your hackles -- while somehow also making you cry about peanuts. Also: so much inspiration to keep being yourself and to work hard toward what you love. She is a hero. Dr. Kaeli Swift's...
Oct 05, 2021•1 hr 13 min
Grab your fire extinguisher and hang on to your eyebrows, we’re building FIRES today. Now, this is pyrotechnology in the anthropological sense; the kind covered in hair metal concert venue liability insurance will have to wait for another day, no no, these are the kind your ancestors made. Get ready for sharp rocks, hairy jello, sooty caves, glowing coals, iron sparks, burnt feet, wolf skulls, fluffy fungus, molten metal, ember tending and more with Yale anthropologist and pyrotechnologist, Dr. ...
Sep 28, 2021•1 hr 15 min
Teeth. Tails. Concentric nipples. This not-at-all-rodent has the distinction of being North America’s sole marsupial and so Alie hunted down lauded Opossumologist Dr. Lisa Walsh and launched an absolute torrent of giddy questions. How many ticks do they really eat, can we keep them as pets, how do we all convincingly feign death, opossum vs. possum, fingerprints, orphaned babies, the best possum jokes, the worst ones, venom immunity, bifurcated dongs, space portal vageens, being equally ugly and...
Sep 21, 2021•1 hr 7 min
How ya like them apples?! Well, liquified. And fermented. Author, podcaster, cider-maker and globally lauded beverage historian Gabe Cook, aka The Ciderologist, is an enthusiastic champion of this tragically overlooked drink, and he joins with a bushel full of facts, well-spun yarns and tasting tips. Belly up for a foaming glass of friendly competition, bucolic farmhouses, DIY cider tips, film flam busters, cider recommendations from a pro, and a little ASMR. Cider: that cool friend in the corne...
Sep 15, 2021•1 hr 15 min
HAPPINESS RESEARCH, straight up. What is happiness? How do our circumstances affect happiness? Why is the word “gratitude” kinda cringey? What can we do to feel better? Should we feel guilty for feeling happy? When is positivity “toxic?” Yale cognitive scientist, Eudemonologist, and host of The Happiness Lab podcast Dr. Laurie Santos chats about how scientists measure human happiness and what their research has shown helps achieve it, even during the worst of times. Also: silver medal face &...
Sep 08, 2021•1 hr 11 min
