Sexy 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.com/t...
Nov 17, 2020•1 hr 23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Fashion! 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 retail ...
Nov 11, 2020•1 hr 12 min•Transcript available on Metacast BILL 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, advice...
Nov 03, 2020•1 hr 12 min•Transcript available on Metacast HERE 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 charmed by p...
Oct 28, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast What 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: he...
Oct 27, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Transcript available on Metacast Anthropodermic 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 someon...
Oct 21, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Transcript available on Metacast Spooktober 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’ll be...
Oct 13, 2020•1 hr 15 min•Transcript available on Metacast To 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 accomplic...
Oct 07, 2020•1 hr 18 min•Transcript available on Metacast If 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 actually do...
Sep 30, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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, 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 gettin...
Sep 23, 2020•2 hr 30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Mammals: 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 gives ...
Sep 15, 2020•1 hr 12 min•Transcript available on Metacast The 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 … s...
Sep 08, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Transcript available on Metacast What 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 and th...
Sep 02, 2020•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tasmanian devils! Quolls! Carnivores! Wait … what is a quoll? In what will become an instant-favorite new episode, Dasyurologist and Australian critter scientist Jarrah Dale joins from Down-Down Under to discuss his work at Oxford University studying the ecology of misunderstood boofy bush babes. Alie learns about everything from the Tasmanian landscape to Looney Toons to flim flam, karaoke shrieking, wallaby standoffs, the most Australian afternoon ever, Tim Tam slams, moms with the munchies, t...
Aug 25, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Transcript available on Metacast With some fresh updates, ocean and policy expert Dr. Ayana Johnson guests in an encore presentation of a fan favorite episode. Hear updates from her, learn about her new podcast “How to Save a Planet,” and what she’s been up to since this episode originally aired in 2018. Are plastic straws really that bad? What's the oldest message in a bottle? Any scuba vs. snorkel strategies? Does sunscreen kill coral? Can we reverse ocean warming in our lifetime? Alie struggles with finding a balance between...
Aug 18, 2020•1 hr 21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Spears! Sharp rocks! Ancient blades, bows and arrows and ...atlatls? What’s an atlatl? Experimental Archaeologist and decades-long ancient tool enthusiast Angelo Robledo is as passionate as an ologist can get. You likely have never heard of an atlatl, but by the end of the episode you’ll be carving one out of old lumber. Also covered: early axes, Indigenous traditions of Central and South America, ancient graffiti, tales of field work, archeology heroes, what to do if you find artifacts on a hik...
Aug 11, 2020•2 hr 45 min•Transcript available on Metacast Jellyfish stings: what are they and why do they hurt? And who studies them? Toxinologist Anna Klompen, that’s who. Speaking from her lab in Kansas, surrounded by jellies, the self-described professional jellyfish nerd invites us into her scientific Polyp Parlor to chat about barbs, neurotoxins, quick sting fixes, panty hose, the deadliest jellies, the harmless ones, pee, her favorite moments in science and the species that have her heart forever. Also: how and why to “find a way.” Anna Klompen’s...
Aug 04, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Transcript available on Metacast What even *is* a jellyfish?! How do they eat? What are they made of? Can we eat them? Your new favorite Medusologist, Dr. Rebecca Helm, is a ray of human sunshine in the depths of the deep sea. Truly one of the finest biology conversations you may ever hear. Get ready for PacMan ghosts, pet jellyfish, the biggest and smallest jellies, new band names, live medusas, secret formulas to incite jellyfish puberty, and the lengths that she will go to to see a jelly bloom. And next week, your ears will ...
Jul 30, 2020•2 hr 31 min•Transcript available on Metacast Update! This episode posted on Tuesday per usual, then somehow un-published itself! Weird. Harrumph! It’s been a rough week for ol' Dadward VonPodcast, including a technical difficulty that left her behind, so she asked listeners if they would rather have a bizzaro minisode that involved a 30-40 minute rant about raw tomatoes or an AMA, and guess what: here’s both, sort of. There was quite a bit of rambling an editing to make it a minisode, but we hope you enjoy. This is just a weird summer porc...
Jul 23, 2020•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Lights! Cameras! Arachnids! And lizards and bees and beetles. Macro photography is like magic: curved glass gives an entirely new take on the world, from dust on a cricket’s brow to a curious mantid stare to the elegant symmetry of spider whiskers. Joseph Saunders is an Oklahoma-based wildlife photographer whose larger-than-life photos of bugs and reptiles will make you realize just how little we appreciate the creatures on our window sills and skittering up our porches. We talk shop about camer...
Jul 15, 2020•1 hr 24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Yes, there is an -ology for that. Dr. Robert Proctor is a Stanford professor of the History of Science and co-edited the book “Agnotology: The Making & Unmaking of Ignorance,” having coined the word 30 years ago. We chat about everything from the true evils of tobacco marketing, to the sugar lobby, to racial injustice, horse vision, the psychology of the Flat Earther movement, which countries have the highest rates of climate denial, empathy, how to navigate difficult conversations and why it's ...
Jul 08, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Transcript available on Metacast An instant classic. You’ll listen on repeat as world-renowned author, botanist, Indigenous ecology professor and bryologist Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer talks about her passion for moss. Cozy up for the most beautifully doled-out information about hidden worlds, overlooked mysteries, botanical drama, forests in miniature, Native peoples’ uses for moss and philosophies about science and ecology. Dr. Kimmerer, author of “Gathering Moss” and “Braiding Sweetgrass,” will change the way you see mosses fore...
Jun 30, 2020•1 hr 13 min•Transcript available on Metacast The wonderful neuroscientist and endocrinology researcher Dr. Daniel Pfau is back for Part 2 to answer listener mail about how hormones affect our moods, the variation of gender expression, queer lizards, how a strict gender binary is harmful to entire populations, hormone replacement therapy, hormones in sports, gender dysphoria, additional info on the Gender Unicorn and more. They remain just charming and kind and this episode will help you further understand just how many ways there are to be...
Jun 23, 2020•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast How many genders are there? How do you know if you’re queer? Is sexual orientation biological, and if so, how? The amazing Michigan State University neuroscientist and endocrinology researcher Dr. Daniel Pfau joins to share their path in academia finding the perfect research, understanding their own genderqueer identity, what animals in nature exhibit queer behavior, how hormones influence the brain, how important it was for them to find community and why the gender binary isn’t a good fit for a...
Jun 16, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Transcript available on Metacast The most ologists in one Ologies. And maybe my favorite episode ever. #BlackBirdersWeek was such a force that we wanted to keep the energy going by spotlighting not one, but 30 ologists. You’re about to meet 30 new science heroes who are @BlackAFinSTEM and chatting about electric fish snouts, urban birds, falcons, lizards, crocodiles, economics, carnivores, sea turtles, porcupine noses, butt breathing, Ivory Towers, microaggressions, and how being an ally is a learning process we can all get bet...
Jun 10, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Spine mysteries, saggy sacs, limericks, flim flam, flags, #BlackBirdersWeek, sandals, divebombs, porcupine espionage, ice cream sandwiches and more! The warm and wonderful pelicanologist Juita Martinez studies these glorious dinosaurs and shares fieldwork stories, what it’s like to hold a floofy baby sea bird, what she loves about being in nature and resources for undergrads interested in becoming scientists. We also chat about birding and the amazing visibility campaign launched by BlackAFinSTE...
Jun 04, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Why does clutter happen? How can we get rid of it and how will it affect us psychologically if we do? Buckle up for an episode that will lift your spirits and quite possibly change your life. We all have unfolded piles of laundry, that closet we don’t want to open, a tornado of papers on our desk that seems impossible to sort through. Enter: Oikology, the science of keeping things contained. Alie hunted down world-famous professional organizers, Jamie & Filip Hoard of Horderly to chat about -- F...
May 26, 2020•2 hr 33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Who cares about flatworms? Guess what: you do. Planarian expert Dr. Oné Pagán shares his infectious enthusiasm for the teeny tiny ribbons of flesh that are helping scientists understand addiction, limb regeneration, stem cells, immortality and maybe aliens though probably not aliens. You’re about to be obsessed. We discuss where to find planarians, serendipitous science, taking risks in life, how these worms regrow themselves when they are cut into 279 pieces, marine flatworms, penis fencing, mu...
May 20, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Transcript available on Metacast What kind of masks should you wear? How many people have had COVID-19 and don’t know? Do antibody tests work? When will we have a vaccine? Is it okay to picnic? Will there be a second wave? You need updates and we’ve got ologists. The wonderful Dr. Shannon Bennett from the first Virology episode joins us again, as well as New York City physician Dr. Mike Natter from the Diabetology episode. These two warm, informed professions dispel rumors, explain what life has been like on the front lines, ad...
May 12, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Iddris Sandu is only 22, but his life story is already legendary. This Architectural Technologist learned to program at the age of 11 and has worked with everyone from Kanye West to Nipsey Hussle to Space X. We talk coding, web design, holograms, and how programming works and what languages should you learn and why it's important. The designer and entrepreneur also shares his creative process, favorite programming languages, philosophies on future technology and why empathy matters in life and i...
May 05, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
