
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.
Latest episodes

Apr 26, 2023 • 55min
Delphinology Part 2 (DOLPHINS) with Justin Gregg
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 and TikTokBuy Dr. Gregg’s books: If Nietzsche Were A Narwhal: What Animal Intelligence Reveals About Human Stupidity, Are Dolphins Really Smart?: The Mammal Behind the Myth, and 22 Fantastical Facts About DolphinsHe also has a Substack newsletterA donation went to Dolphin Communication ProjectMore episode sources and linksOther episodes you may enjoy: Delphinology (DOLPHINS) Part 1, Functional Morphology (ANATOMY), Phonology (LINGUISTICS), Ichthyology (FISHES), Primatology (APES & MONKEYS), Corvid Thanatology (CROW FUNERALS), Biological Anthropology (SEXY APES), Gorillaology (GORILLAS), Selachimorphology (SHARKS), Screamology (LOUD VOCALIZATIONS), Laryngology (VOICEBOXES), Speech Pathology (TALKING DOGS... AND PEOPLE)Sponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter and InstagramEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media and Mark David ChristensonTranscripts by Emily White of The WordaryWebsite by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

13 snips
Apr 19, 2023 • 1h 3min
Delphinology Part 1 (DOLPHINS) with Justin Gregg
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 can save your life. Stay tuned next week because the questions only get weirder. Visit Dr. Justin Gregg’s website and follow him on Instagram, Twitter and TikTokBuy Dr. Gregg’s books: If Nietzsche Were A Narwhal: What Animal Intelligence Reveals About Human Stupidity, Are Dolphins Really Smart?: The Mammal Behind the Myth, and 22 Fantastical Facts About DolphinsHe also has a Substack newsletterVote for us for the Webbys? Best Host and Best Science PodA donation went to Dolphin Communication ProjectMore episode sources and linksOther episodes you may enjoy: Functional Morphology (ANATOMY), Phonology (LINGUISTICS), Ichthyology (FISHES), Primatology (APES & MONKEYS), Corvid Thanatology (CROW FUNERALS), Biological Anthropology (SEXY APES), Gorillaology (GORILLAS), Selachimorphology (SHARKS), Screamology (LOUD VOCALIZATIONS), Laryngology (VOICEBOXES)Sponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter and InstagramEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media and Mark David ChristensonTranscripts by Emily White of The WordaryWebsite by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

Apr 13, 2023 • 37min
Field Trip: My Butt, a Colonoscopy Ride Along & How-To
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 hereMore episode sources and linksOther episodes you may enjoy: Urology (CROTCH PARTS), Gynecology (NETHER HEALTH), Phallology (PENISES), Sexology (SEX), Microbiology (GUT BIOME), Nephrology (KIDNEYS), Surgical Oncology (BREAST CANCER)Sponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter and InstagramEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media and Mark David ChristensonTranscripts by Emily White of The WordaryWebsite by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

9 snips
Apr 5, 2023 • 46min
Chickenology Part 2 (HENS & ROOSTERS) with Tove Danovich
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: Under the Henfluence: Inside the World of Backyard Chickens and the People Who Love ThemVisit Tove’s website and follow her on Instagram and TwitterFollow Tove’s chickens on Instagram! A donation went to Second Hen’dMore episode sources and linksOther episodes you may enjoy: Oology Encore (EGGS), Ornithology (BIRDS), Pelicanology (PELICANS), Penguinology (PENGUINS), Procyonology (RACCOONS), Opossumology (O/POSSUMS), Veterinary Biology (CRITTER FIXING), Bisonology (BUFFALO), Indigenous Cuisinology (NATIVE COOKING), Plumology (FEATHERS), Condorology (CONDORS & VULTURES), Wildlife Ecology (FIELDWORK), Felinology (CATS), Lupinology (WOLVES)Sponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter and InstagramEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media and Mark David Christenson

7 snips
Mar 29, 2023 • 1h 16min
Chickenology Part 1 (HENS & ROOSTERS) with Tove Danovich
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 address a record-breaking number of listener questions. And watch out for leghorns. See Tove on her 2023 book tour!Buy Tove’s book: Under the Henfluence: Inside the World of Backyard Chickens and the People Who Love ThemVisit Tove’s website and follow her on Instagram and TwitterFollow Tove’s chickens on InstagramA donation went to Second Hen’dMore episode sources and linksOther episodes you may enjoy: Oology Encore (EGGS), Ornithology (BIRDS), Pelicanology (PELICANS), Penguinology (PENGUINS), Procyonology (RACCOONS), Opossumology (O/POSSUMS), Veterinary Biology (CRITTER FIXING), Bisonology (BUFFALO), Indigenous Cuisinology (NATIVE COOKING), Plumology (FEATHERS), Condorology (CONDORS & VULTURES), Wildlife Ecology (FIELDWORK), Felinology (CATS), Lupinology (WOLVES)Sponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter and InstagramEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media and Mark David ChristensonTranscripts by Emily White of The WordaryWebsite by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

4 snips
Mar 28, 2023 • 29min
Smologies #21: SLEEP with Chris Winter
ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY. Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248A 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, insomnia, ideal bedtime conditions, brain performance and how doctors often overlook pediatric sleep disorders. You’ll learn so many facts that will help you get to dreamland. (And for the adult version, the full-length episode is linked below.)Dr. W. Chris Winter's website and sleep clinicHis books: The Rested Child, The Sleep SolutionFollow Dr. Winter on Twitter or Instagram or listen to his podcast Sleep Unplugged with Dr. Chris WinterFull-length (not classroom-friendly) episode + tons of science linksSaatva is the exclusive sponsor of this episode! Head to Saatva.com/ologiesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter and InstagramSound editing by Steven Ray Morris, Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio, and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam MediaMade possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer, Emily White, & Erin TalbertSmologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

Mar 23, 2023 • 1h 25min
Domicology (ABANDONED BUILDINGS, RECYCLED HOUSES & GHOST TOWNS) with Rex LaMore
What’s inside that boarded up house? Should you explore an abandoned mall? A vacant factory? And how much of an old house ends up in a landfill? The founder of Domicology, Dr. Rex LaMore of Michigan State University’s Center for Community and Economic Development, is an expert on these things and answers any possible question you might have, from ghost towns to hidden house notes, arson, recycling wood, stealing metal and how to leave a better housing situation for future generations. Also: whale poltergeists. More about Dr. Rex LaMoreA donation went to the Peace Education CenterI’ll be at Wondercon: Friday March 24, 6pm panelMore episode sources and linksOther episodes you may enjoy: Detroitology (DETROIT), Discard Anthropology (GARBAGE), Environmental Toxicology (POISONS), Xylology (LUMBER), Maritime Archaeology (SHIPWRECKS), Raccoonology and Procyonology (RACCOONS), Field Trip: Natural History Museum, Classical Archaeology (ANCIENT ROME), Metropolitan Tombology (PARIS CATACOMBS), Deltiology (POSTCARDS), Ferroequinology (TRAINS), Nomology (THE CONSTITUTION), Urban Rodentology (SEWER RATS)Sponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter and InstagramEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media and Mark David ChristensonTranscripts by Emily White of The WordaryWebsite by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

88 snips
Mar 14, 2023 • 1h 17min
Chronobiology (CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS) Encore + 2023 Updates with Katherine Hatcher
Ahh, Daylight Savings Time: does it mess up your brain? What time should you go to bed? Are you sleeping enough? Is shift work really that bad? How dark is dark enough? The wonderful and hilarious Dr. Katherine Hatcher got her PhD in hormones, sleep cycles and circadian rhythms, and helps Alie dissect her terrible sleep habits. We also chat about a tiny magical area in our brains that acts as your body's Big Ben. By the end of the episode, you'll be in footie pajamas eager to change your whole life.Follow Katherine Hatcher on TwitterA donation went to the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science at https://www.sacnas.org/Saatva is the exclusive sponsor of this episode! Head to Saatva.com/ologiesMore episode sources & links at alieward.com/ologies/chronobiologyencoreWondercon: Friday March 24, 6pm panelOther episodes you may enjoy: Somnology (SLEEP), Oneirology (DREAMING), Molecular Neurobiology (BRAIN CHEMICALS), Sports & Performance Psychology (ANXIETY & CONFIDENCE), Fearology (FEAR), Thermophysiology (BODY HEAT), Biogerontology (AGING)Transcripts & bleeped episodesSupport Ologies on Patreon for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter and InstagramSound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media & Steven Ray MorrisTheme song by Nick Thorburn

Mar 14, 2023 • 22min
Smologies #20: FISHES with Chris Thacker
ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY. Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248Ichthyology is not easy to say, but fish are easy to love. Dr. Chris Thacker will get you so thrilled to stare into a pond or look up pictures of silvery sea serpent-looking fish friends. Hilariously charming fish expert and LA County Natural History Museum Curator of Ichthyology, Dr. Thacker took Alie to a basement full of several million jars of fish to chat about the worst fish husbands, the weirdest mating behaviors, the scariest fish, the nicest fish, the tiniest fish, how they breathe, how you can help reverse global warming, and whether you should pee in wetsuits. I love her so much and so will you. (For the adult version, the full-length episode is linked below.)Follow Dr. Chris Thacker on TwitterFull-length (not classroom-friendly) episode + tons of science linksA donation went to: SeafoodWatch.orgOther full-length episodes you may enjoy: Oceanology (OCEANS), Cnidariology (CORALS), Environmental Toxicology (POISONS), Selachimorphology (SHARKS), Elasmobranchology (MORE SHARK STORIES)Sponsors of OlogiesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter and InstagramSound editing by Steven Ray Morris, Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio, and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam MediaMade possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer, Emily White, & Erin TalbertSmologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

Mar 8, 2023 • 1h
Detroitology (DETROIT) with Aaron Foley
Why an episode on Detroit?! It’s got a great story. Standalone, this episode is a fascinating look at a metropolis that swelled and thrived during the auto boom, then declined, and is navigating a rocky rebirth of sorts. Aaron Foley was Detroit’s first official City Storyteller and wrote the book “How to Live In Detroit Without Being a Jackass.” I’ve wanted to have him on Ologies for five years, and we finally sat down to talk about MoTown, car culture, square pizza, $1000 houses, gentrification, urban infrastructure, underground salt mines, amusement park slides, Diana Ross, emerging rappers, and the city’s abandonment issues. Stay tuned for the March 21 Domicology episode on how buildings and neighborhoods decay, and what people – and science – can to do about it. Also, if you’re looking for a book to read, I’m loving Aaron’s debut novel, “Boys Come First,” which he describes as “very Black, very gay, and very Detroit.” Visit Aaron Foley’s website and follow him on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok Buy Aaron’s debut novel: Boys Come FirstBuy Aaron’s non-fiction books: The Detroit Neighborhood Guidebook and How to Live in Detroit Without Being a JackassA donation went to the Detroit Justice CenterMore episode sources and linksOther episodes you may enjoy: Domicology (ABANDONED BUILDINGS — out March 21, 2023), Mythology (STORYTELLING), Genealogy (FAMILY TREES), Maritime Archaeology (SHIPWRECKS), Classical Archaeology (ANCIENT ROME), Metropolitan Tombology (PARIS CATACOMBS), Deltiology (POSTCARDS), Ferroequinology (TRAINS), Nomology (THE CONSTITUTION), Urban Rodentology (SEWER RATS), Meteorology (WEATHER & CLIMATE), Melaninology (SKIN/HAIR PIGMENT), Futurology (THE FUTURE)Sponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter and InstagramEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam MediaTranscripts by Emily White of The WordaryWebsite by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn