Yes, an entire episode on butts. Primatologist and anthropologist Natalia Reagan joins to chat about the caboose: why do we have butts? Why do we like butts? How do we appreciate ours even more? She drops knowledge on bidets, wiping, twerking, the mystical field of Rumpology, how our derrieres have our back, plus butt dimples, and crack formations. Also: some personal revelations and getting back on your feet after a curveball. This one is goofy as hell and you’re in for more puns than you’ll know what do do with. Follow Natalia at Twitter.com/Natalia13Reagan and Instagram.com/Natalia13Reagan Natalia’s website: https://nataliareagan.com A donation was made to https://projectchimps.org/ Sponsor links: www.alieward.com/ologies-sponsors More links at: alieward.com/ologies/gluteology If you want a bidet, here's a code for 10% off: HelloTushy.com/ologies Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month: www.Patreon.com/ologies OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, pins, totes! Follow twitter.com/ologies or instagram.com/ologies Follow twitter.com/AlieWard or instagram.com/AlieWard Sound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media & Steven Ray Morris Theme song by Nick ThorburnSupport the show: http://Patreon.com/ologies

This one’s got it all: teeny tiny cellular factories, obscure trivia, historical gossip, sick beats, mitochondrial relevancy, viral popularity, a backstory that with charm you to death, sports cars, lab coats, smelly vats, Space Camp and mysteries of the brain. Raven The Science Maven has a background in molecular biology and is getting her Ph.D in Science Communication and shares stories from both disciplines, while Alie generally does her best to suppress high pitched noises of excitement. Learn to appreciate your proteins and pick up some ADHD tips and noodle analogies while you’re here. That’s so Maven! Follow Raven at https://www.instagram.com/raventhesciencemaven or https://twitter.com/ravenscimaven Raven’s website: scimaven.com and YouTube A donation was made to Projectforawesome.com Sponsor links: www.alieward.com/ologies-sponsors More links and info at alieward.com/ologies/molecularbiology Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month: www.Patreon.com/ologies OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, pins, totes! Follow twitter.com/ologies or instagram.com/ologies Follow twitter.com/AlieWard or instagram.com/AlieWard Sound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media & Steven Ray Morris Theme song by Nick ThorburnSupport the show: http://Patreon.com/ologies

You might only know carob as not-chocolate, which is a tragedy of its disco-era branding. This tough, gnarly, drought-resistant plant is the real-life Giving Tree, explains passionate Carobologist Megan Lynch. Dripping with leathery banana-shaped legume pods, this tree quietly dots suburban streets but has kept people alive through wars and famines, can feed livestock, makes beautiful furniture, and might cure ailments from neurodegenerative diseases to the dark depths of your irritable bowels. Oh also? It can stand in for chocolate if you need it to. LET’S SHOW SOME RESPECT. Megan also chats about the #DisabilitiesinSTEM movement, academic gatekeeping, and making science more accessible. And cheesecakes. Follow Megan Lynch at Twitter.com/May_Gun Megan’s website: http://meganlynch.net/ A donation was made to STEMd.org Sponsor links: www.alieward.com/ologies-sponsors More links and info at alieward.com/ologies/carobology Buy Megan’s album! “Songs the Brothers Warner Taught Me” Other Ologies episodes mentioned: Matrimoniology (MARRIAGE), Sexology (SEX), Entomophagy Anthropology (EATING BUGS), Corvid Thanatology (CROW FUNERALS), Molecular Neurobiology (NEUROTRANSMITTERS), Experimental Archeology (ATLATLS) Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month: www.Patreon.com/ologies OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, pins, totes! Follow twitter.com/ologies or instagram.com/ologies Follow twitter.com/AlieWard or instagram.com/AlieWard Sound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media & Steven Ray Morris Theme song by Nick ThorburnSupport the show: http://Patreon.com/ologies

Part 2 is here! Gamestop, #stonks, Universal Basic Income, how to incentivize things that are good for us, whether or not kids should have an allowance, Trekonomics and more. Economist, professor and “Freakonomics” co-author Steven Levitt joins to chat about everything from being cheap and what decision making costs our minds to the worth of the Amazon rainforest. Rising economics star and Harvard Fellow Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman graces us with her thoughts on the subreddit WallStreetBets, how we measure the health of the economy, dealing with bullies, and Gossip Girl. Hey, watch out: you’re about to like Economics. Follow Anna Gift Opoku-Agymen at Twitter.com/itsafronomics and Instagram.com/itsafronomics Follow Steven Levitt at Twitter.com/stevendlevitt or Twitter.com/Freakonomics A donation was made to RISC: risc.uchicago.edu Steven’s podcast is People I (Mostly) Admire: https://freakonomics.com/pima/ Sponsor links: www.alieward.com/ologies-sponsors More links and info at alieward.com/ologies/economicsociology Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month: www.Patreon.com/ologies OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, pins, totes!Support the show: http://Patreon.com/ologies

Choices! Trade-offs! Money! How much should you save? And how much should stimulus checks be? Don’t be scared by the term “economics,” especially since it doesn’t end in -ology. This 2-part Economic Sociology bonanza addresses the behavior that motivates the fiscal systems of the world, from avocado toast to retirement funds. Economist, professor and “Freakonomics” co-author Steven Levitt joins to chat about why we learn too much of the wrong math and how everything from marriage to dinner parties involves little choices rooted in economic principles. Rising economics star and Harvard Fellow Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman graces us with her thoughts on macroeconomics, human capital, when to outsource your work and how she realized she loved Econ. Also: how these interviews helped me make one of my life’s biggest decisions. Follow Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman at Twitter.com/itsafronomics and Instagram.com/itsafronomics Follow Steven Levitt at Twitter.com/stevendlevitt or Twitter.com/Freakonomics A donation was made to: https://www.sadiecollective.org/ Steven’s podcast is People I (Mostly) Admire: https://freakonomics.com/pima/ Sponsor links: www.alieward.com/ologies-sponsors More links and info at alieward.com/ologies/economicsociology Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month: www.Patreon.com/ologies OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, pins, totes!Support the show: http://Patreon.com/ologies

A LOST EPISODE! Three years in the making, this interview features vials of vile creatures, worm drama, febrile hallucinations, spooning, and unfortunate snacks. It has waited a long time to meet you, so let’s get weird, take a trip back to summer of 2017 -- before Ologies existed -- and unearth one of the very first, never-before-heard interviews. Alie absolutely bungles her way through a chat with Dr. Anouk Gouvras, a London-based parasitologist studying the flatworms that cause schistosomiasis. Consider this an awkward baby photo of Ologies: before the show had any format or structure, and before your host learned how to properly use sound equipment. Stay tuned for a surprise ending to the conversation, and then follow Dr. Gouvras on Twitter and tell her you’re glad to finally get an introduction. Follow Dr. Anouk Gouvras at Twitter.com/SciAnouk Sponsor links: www.alieward.com/ologies-sponsors A donation went to the The Global Schistosomiasis Alliance: eliminateschisto.org More links and info at alieward.com/ologies/bilharziology Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month: www.Patreon.com/ologies OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, pins, totes! Follow twitter.com/ologies or instagram.com/ologies Follow twitter.com/AlieWard or instagram.com/AlieWard Sound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media & Steven Ray Morris Theme song by Nick ThorburnSupport the show: http://Patreon.com/ologies

Bobby Corrigan, an Urban Rodentologist, shares insights into the world of city rats. From their origin story to preferred food dialects, learn how to keep them out of your house. Discover the myth of the rat king, predator behavior, and junk food preferences of city rats. Find out humane ways to handle rat infestations and the challenges faced by rodentologists in urban environments.

The Coronasode we’ve been waiting for! Vaccines. Finally. But what does this mean? As a Vaccine Infodemiologist and science communication lead for The COVID Tracking Project, Jessica Malaty Rivera specializes in infectious disease epidemics and the surge of misinformation that accompanies them. The very first human trials of the COVID-19 vaccine occurred in March 2020, and Alie asks Jessica one million questions about the differences between the two available vaccines, rollout schedules, herd immunity, mRNA, vaccine hesitancy, mutated virus strains, picnics, vision boards, the post-holiday spike, how history can influence current vaccine rates, whether you should wipe down your groceries and more. Consider it a critical booster shot to the info we’ve gathered all year. Follow Jessica at instagram.com/jessicamalatyrivera and Twitter.com/jessicaMalatyRivera More info on Jessica Malaty Rivera: https://linktr.ee/jessicamalatyrivera Sponsor links: www.alieward.com/ologies-sponsors A donation went to 500WomenScientists.org More links and info at alieward.com/ologies/vaccineinfodemiology Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month: www.Patreon.com/ologies OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, pins, totes! Follow twitter.com/ologies or instagram.com/ologies Follow twitter.com/AlieWard or instagram.com/AlieWard Sound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media & Steven Ray Morris Theme song by Nick ThorburnSupport the show: http://Patreon.com/ologies

Part 2 of a very special duo! The fresh catch-up interview to learn what the world’s most charming and enthusiastic tree expert, Casey Clapp, has been up to since his 2018 episode aired. He’s been busy. Listen to hear if he’s gotten more pine cone tattoos, what other trees he hates, which ones he gives 10/10, musical blunders, winter pagan traditions, and why trees may play a huge role in his personality. Also: his new podcast for your ears and heart. Follow Casey Clapp at Instagram.com/Clapp4Trees and his new podcast Instagram.com/arbortrarypod Sponsor links: www.alieward.com/ologies-sponsors A donation went to EcoTrust.org Listen to Completely Arbortrary: https://linktr.ee/arbortrarypod/ Casey's tattoo artist, Shawn Hebrank at Blood Root: https://www.instagram.com/bloodroottattoo Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month: www.Patreon.com/ologies OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, pins, totes! Follow twitter.com/ologies or instagram.com/ologies Follow twitter.com/AlieWard or instagram.com/AlieWard Sound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media & Steven Ray Morris Theme song by Nick ThorburnSupport the show: http://Patreon.com/ologies

Part 1 of a very special duo: Do trees have feelings? How do they talk? How old can they get? Are there any tree stories that will make me cry? Spoiler: YES. This episode aired in May 2018 and is worth a revisit, especially since Part 2 is a brand new 2020 interview with possibly the world's most enthusiastic tree expert, J. Casey Clapp. Learn about his many tree tattoos, new additions to those tattoos, how roots communicate to each other, "crown shyness,” social media shyness and the mental health benefits of tree proximity. Also: banana facts and Casey f*cking hates apples. Be sure to hear the fresh catch-up interview in Part 2 to learn what Casey’s been up to since this originally aired. He’s been busy. Follow Casey Clapp at Instagram.com/Clapp4Trees and his new podcast Instagram.com/arbortrarypod Sponsor links: www.alieward.com/ologies-sponsors A donation went to EcoTrust.org Listen to his podcast, Completely Arbortrary: https://linktr.ee/arbortrarypod/ Casey's tattoo artist, Shawn Hebrank at Blood Root: https://www.instagram.com/bloodroottattoo Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month: www.Patreon.com/ologies OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, pins, totes! Follow twitter.com/ologies or instagram.com/ologies Follow twitter.com/AlieWard or instagram.com/AlieWard Sound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media & Steven Ray Morris Theme song by Nick Thorburn Support the show: http://Patreon.com/ologies