Smologies with Alie Ward

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 try to feel happy all the time? 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, which will make sense when you listen.Follow Dr. Laurie Santos on InstagramHer podcast The Happiness LabDonations went to DonorsChoose.orgFull-length (*not* G-rated) Eudemonology episode + tons of science linksMore kid-friendly Smologies episodes!Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow Ologies on Instagram and BlueskyFollow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTokSound editing by Zeke Thomas Rodrigues, Steven Ray Morris, Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, Jacob Chaffee, & Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio ProductionsMade possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer, Aveline Malek, & Erin TalbertSmologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

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 & toads & kittens & doggos, the weirdest things they’ve extracted from animal tummies, if our pets love us back, keeping kidneys healthy, grain-free diets, what to do if your (Alie’s) dog is plumping up by a few pounds, what they wish animal owners knew, when it’s time to let go vs. keep treating a pet, the daily rollercoaster of emotions that come with vet med -- and their charming, informative show “Critter Fixers: Country Vets” on NatGeo Wild.Follow Dr. Hodges & Dr. Ferguson on Instagram & check out their vet practiceWatch “Critter Fixers: Country Vets” on National GeographicA donation went to It Takes a Village FoundationFull-length (*not* G-rated) Veterinary Biology episode + tons of science linksMore kid-friendly Smologies episodes!Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow Ologies on Instagram and BlueskyFollow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTokSound editing by Zeke Thomas Rodrigues & Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media and Steven Ray MorrisMade possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Mercedes Maitland, Kelly R. Dwyer, Emily White, & Erin TalbertSmologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

Teeth. Tails. Pouches. 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 they convincingly feign death, opossum vs. possum, fingerprints, orphaned babies, venom immunity, being equally ugly and adorable, and more. Open a space in your heart for these critters.Follow Dr. Walsh on BlueskyDonations went to KidneyFund.org & OpossumSocietyUS.orgFull-length (*not* G-rated) Possumology episode + tons of science linksMore kid-friendly Smologies episodes!Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow Ologies on Instagram and BlueskyFollow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTokSound editing by Zeke Thomas Rodrigues & Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, Steven Ray Morris, and Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio ProductionsMade possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer, Aveline Malek, & Erin TalbertSmologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

YA LIKE BEES? You will -- after this short, edited-for-all-ages Smologies cut of our classic Melittology episode featuring urban beekeeper Amanda “Mandy” Shaw. We chat about honeybees vs. native ones, hives vs. nests, honey, how to become a beekeeper, social structures, why a queen becomes a queen, how to keep Mason bees as outdoor pets, if you should eat honey to deal with seasonal allergies, and why planting some flowers could make you and the bees pretty happy.Follow Mandy on Instagram and check out her podcastMandy Shaw’s Bella Beek: Handcrafted Beekeeping Veils, Tools and GiftsDonations were made to Pollinator Partnership and Xerces SocietyFull-length (*not* G-rated) Melittology episode + tons of science linksMore kid-friendly Smologies episodes!Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow Ologies on Instagram and BlueskyFollow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTokSound editing by Zeke Thomas Rodrigues & Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media and Steven Ray MorrisMade possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Mercedes Maitland, Kelly R. Dwyer, Emily White, & Erin TalbertSmologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

Ohaaay another edited-down, classroom-friendly Smologies! About... toads! Are they frogs? Do they have arms? What do they eat? How long do they live? What’s with the warts? Amphibian enthusiast Priya Nanjappa joins with a toadally awesome episode that will change the way you crouch down and shake hands with your tiny backyard grumpa.Follow Priya on Threads and InstagramA donation went to The Amphibian & Reptile ConservancyFull-length (*not* G-rated) Bufology episode + tons of science linksMore kid-friendly Smologies episodes!Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow Ologies on Instagram and BlueskyFollow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTokSound editing by Zeke Thomas Rodrigues & Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media and Steven Ray MorrisMade possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Mercedes Maitland, Kelly R. Dwyer, Emily White, & Erin TalbertSmologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

Gaze 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 flaming garbage bonking us, collision potential, space harpoons and the most adorable space rubbish. Also: steaming hot cruise ship gossip.Follow Dr. Alice Gorman on BlueskyBuy Dr. Gorman’s book Dr. Space Junk vs. The UniverseA donation went to DeadlyScience.orgFull-length (*not* G-rated) Space Archaeology episode + tons of science linksSubscribe to SmologiesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow Ologies on Instagram and BlueskyFollow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTokSound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, Steven Ray Morris, and Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio ProductionsMade possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer, Emily White, & Erin TalbertSmologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

In this throwback episode originally aired on our grown-up Ologies feed, we hear dinosaur facts and tales from a paleontologist with Dr. Michael Habib. Learn about the economics of a dino dig, his favorite beasts, cloning from amber samples, which museum dinos are real vs. fakes, Jurassic Park flimflam and more. Follow Dr. Michael Habib on Bluesky and InstagramA donation went to nhm.orgFull-length (*not* G-rated) Paleontology episode + tons of science linksSubscribe to SmologiesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!Follow Ologies on Instagram and BlueskyFollow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTokSound editing by Zeke Thomas Rodrigues & Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media and Steven Ray MorrisMade possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer, Emily White, & Erin TalbertSmologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

We’re back with another fresh episode of Smologies to light up your life and your butt. World renowned firefly expert Dr. Sara Lewis of Tufts University joins to share her love of a bug that many think is merely a mythological delight. Learn how these tiny animals illuminate the night, femme fatales, pink glowworms, secret languages, artificial lights, why Western states can chill out with their lightning bug envy, and how you can ensure the world stays aglow with these beloved bugs. Check out Dr. Sara Lewis’s website and follow her on ThreadsBuy her book, Silent Sparks: The Wondrous World of Fireflies!A donation went to Xerces.orgFull-length (*not* G-rated) Sparklebuttology episode + tons of science linksSubscribe to SmologiesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow Ologies on Instagram and BlueskyFollow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTokSound editing by Steven Ray Morris, Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, and Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio ProductionsMade possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer, Emily White, & Erin TalbertSmologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

In this throwback to our first ever Smologies episode - originally aired on our grown-up Ologies feed - planetary geologist and selenologist Raquel Nuno chats about when the moon formed, what its made of, how moon phases work, gravity, conspiracy theories debunked, the far side of the moon, lunar caves and why she pulls out the telescope to stare at the sky every night.Raquel Nuno's website and InstagramA donation went to the The Planetary SocietyFull-length (*not* G-rated) Selenology episode + tons of science linksSubscribe to SmologiesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow Ologies on Instagram and BlueskyFollow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTokSound editing by Zeke Thomas Rodrigues & Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media and Steven Ray MorrisMade possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer, Emily White, & Erin TalbertSmologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

Just in time to celebrate World Oceans Day, let’s dive into this fan favorite: Are plastic straws really that bad? Why is the sea salty? How do currents work? Do you have to be a marine biologist to help save the ocean? (Spoiler: No!) In a conversation with ocean and policy expert Dr. Ayana Johnson, Alie finds a balance between the wonders and the bummers. First, we learn weird ocean trivia, why we love the sea, and facts about the ocean's depths and beauty. Then, we get to the sad stuff: ocean health, climate change, acidification, pollution, policy and what we can all do.If you've been feeling helpless, this episode gives you all the tools you need to understand and help our friend, the World Ocean.Dr. Johnson's website, Bluesky and InstagramBuy her book All We Can SaveCheck out her podcast How to Save a PlanetA donation went to UrbanOceanLab.orgFull-length (*not* G-rated) Oceanology episode + tons of science linksSubscribe to SmologiesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow Ologies on Instagram and BlueskyFollow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTokSound editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Steven Ray MorrisSmologies theme song by Harold Malcolm