Ologies with Alie Ward

Bufologist, Priya Nanjappa, shares charming tales of toads in this episode. Topics include the history of the cane toad, toad licking, mating calls, evolution, toad abodes, and more. Dive into the fascinating world of toads with a wealth of knowledge and affection.

THAT'S RIGHT IT'S A MINISOHDA FROM MINNESOHDA. On the last stop of a six-state Midwest tour interviewing -ologists for future episodes, your ol' Dadward Von Podcast was going to serve up a re-run this week. HOWEVER, I love you all too much and instead I recorded a solo episode in my rental car of the best travel tips I've amassed from the last decade of being on the road. How to pack, what to pack, ideas for mini-trips that don't cost a lot, airport etiquette, cheap flight strategies, why first class actually kinda sucks, face hammocks, how to avoid single-use plastics on the road, offsetting your carbon footprint, jet lag busters, hydration reminders and more. A compact quick episode chock-o-block with secret tips to make your trips go smoothly. Recorded in a rental car in broad daylight in Minneapolis.Also a donation went to: www.carbon fund.org.Sponsor links: Nutter Puffs amazon.com/popchips (code: 20OLOGIES); Calm www.calm.com/ologies; CLR www.CLRbrands. comHuge thank you to all of the folks in the Ologies Transcribers Facebook group and Emily White for making transcripts a reality. If you need a professional transcriptionist: hireEmilyWhite@gmail.com. She is truly a gem.Support the show: http://Patreon.com/ologies

Erin Parisi, a licensed mental health counselor specializing in addiction treatment, brings a refreshing perspective on a heavy topic. She discusses the nuances of addiction, framing it as a medical condition rather than a moral failing. Erin shares fascinating insights from her experiences, like the impact of childhood on addiction and the science behind reward systems in the brain. Listeners will learn about the importance of community support, explore creative strategies for recovery, and find hope in heartfelt stories of transformation.

Hagfish: these floppy hot dogs of the deep sea deserve our undying respect. Tim Winegard is a professional hagfishologist (YES IT'S A WORD) at Chapman University, and he dishes on the world's slimiest treasures. Prepare to hear about swift escapes, spellbinding clots of slime, patchy backstories, aphrodisiacs, outlasting extinction events, why you don't always need a spine, eating your way out of a dead whale, and -- like a slippery messiah -- turning water to slime. Also Alie confronts her fear of m*cus.Comparative Biomaterials Lab at Chapman University: https://sites.chapman.edu/fudge/Sponsors: TrueandCo.com/ologies (code: ologies), TakeCareof.com (code: Ologies50), amazon.com/popchips (code: 20Ologies)This week's donation went to the Wildlife Research Station: https://www.algonquinwrs.caMore links at alieward.com/ologies/hagfishologyBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month: www.Patreon.com/ologiesOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, pins, totes!Follow twitter.com/ologies or instagram.com/ologiesFollow twitter.com/AlieWard or instagram.com/AlieWardSound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media & Steven Ray MorrisTheme song by Nick ThorburnSupport the show: http://Patreon.com/ologies

Dr. Lauren Esposito, a scorpion expert, reveals how venom works, scorpion myths, their glow effect, and their maternal instincts. She also discusses scorpion anatomy, the cost of venom, the visibility campaign 500 Queer Scientists, and the ancient size of scorpions. An entertaining and educational exploration of these fascinating creatures.

After last week's heavy episode, Alie takes a little break with a Field Trip to one of her favorite places, the Natural History Museum of LA County. Hop in her pocket to hear about singing trees, hungry harpy eagles, architectural antelopes, crows that know your car, a pelt vault, sea serpents, willow huts, why Alie started loitering around in a vest, her personal list of must-see hidden exhibits, "Secrets from the Vault," her new live series for First Fridays in April and June, plus excerpts from the NHM's new book, Wild LA: Explore the Amazing Nature in and Around Los Angeles -- and how volunteering could quite possibly change your life. Also: the worst shoes ever.More info on the museum at NHM.orgFirst Fridays: Secrets from the VaultVIDEO: Last month's "Secrets from the Vault" livestream with Dr. Jann Vandetti:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lq3FUnwvrO0&t=1369sWild LA book! Get it!: https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Explore-Amazing-Nature-Angeles/dp/1604697105A donation was made to TicketsforKids.orgSponsor links: TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/ologies, Stitchfix.com/ologies, TrueandCo.com/ologies (code Ologies),More links at www.alieward.com/ologies/fieldtripNHMOlogiesMerch.com has hats, pins, totes, shirts, etc.Follow Ologies at Instagram or TwitterFollow Alie Ward at Instagram or Twitter.comEditing by Steven Ray MorrisOlogies theme music by Nick ThorburnMusic beds byKevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"Drone In D," "Division," and "Garden Music"Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 LicenseSpecial thanks to Erin Talbert and Hannah Lipow for adminning the Ologies Podcast Facebook group, to Boni Dutch and Shannon Feltus for managing OlogiesMerch.com, to interns Caleb Patton and Haeri Kim, and to editor Steven Ray Morris. I FERGOTTED TO DO THAT PART OF THE POD!Support the show: http://Patreon.com/ologies

In a world saturated with CSI spinoffs and true crime documentaries, we look at a criminology subset focusing not on the pathology of the killers, but on the victims of crime: their experiences, vulnerability, survival rates, statistics, trauma, and recovery. In the least goofy episode to date, the brilliant and warm professional victimologist Dr. Callie Rennison of the University of Colorado chats about resources, historical changes of perspective, gender's role in victimization and how people of color and Native populations are at a tragically higher risk for violent victimization. Also covered, PTSD and fear at school, trauma from homophobia and how Dr. Rennison used Brock Turner as a textbook illustration for a rapist. If the superficial thirst for serial killer stats doesn't sit quite right with you or you'd love a career that gives back, this episode might be just what you need. Also please get a Ph.D and be one of Dr. Rennison's colleagues. Follow Dr. Callie Rennison on TwitterSponsor links: Trueandco.com/ologies (code: Ologies) & Amazon.com/popchips (code 20ologies)This week's donations were made to RAINN.org, Just Be, Inc., Common Justice, IWGIA, GRIP & All Parrot RescueMore links at alieward.com/ologies/victimology"Indivisible" book by Christine MasonBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month: www.Patreon.com/ologiesOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, pins, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter or InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter or InstagramSound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media & Steven Ray MorrisTheme song by Nick ThorburnSupport the show: http://Patreon.com/ologies

ALIENS! EXTRATERRESTRIALS! MARTIANS! Let's. Get. Into. It. The phenomenal Dr. Kevin Peter Hand of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory dishes on the oceans of distant moons, methane rivers, E.T., ice crusts, what might be out there, the timeline of possibly finding them, ghosts, aliens, dark matter, if we should fear making contact with intergalactic beings, if the government is hiding alien secrets, how finding extraterrestrial microbes would change the way we see life on this here tiny blue dot in space. Also: the galactic bulge. Dr. Kevin Peter Hand's JPL profileDr. Kevin Peter Hand on Twitter: @alienoceans and Instagram @kevin_peter_handSponsor links: KiwiCo.com/Ologies, Calm.com/OlogiesThis week's donations were made to Traveling Telescope & Vermont's Manchester Rescue SquadMore links at alieward.com/ologies/astrobiologyBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month: www.Patreon.com/ologiesOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, pins, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter or InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter or InstagramSound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media & Steven Ray MorrisTheme song by Nick ThorburnSupport the show: http://Patreon.com/ologies

Dr. Jane McGonigal, a trailblazer in video game development and a TED speaker, dives into the powerful intersection of gaming and mental health. She shares her experiences creating 'SuperBetter' to aid recovery from anxiety and discusses how games like Tetris can help with trauma. The conversation also explores the social dynamics of gaming and its ability to foster community, alongside critiques of addictive titles like Fortnite. Jane emphasizes the ethical implications of gamification while celebrating how games can motivate and promote well-being.

The brilliant and dazzling Helen Zaltzman, host of The Allusionist podcast and person who technically for a living researches the origins of language and thus is an etymologist, visits Alie's apartment to chat about various word origins, gender in language, the Bible a.k.a. The Oxford English Dictionary, origins of the filthiest slang, emoji decoding, mediocrity, step parents, babies wearing glasses, Greek kimonos, the romance of languages and the fundamental truth that language is always changing whether you want it to or not. Also tomatoes, pliable boobs, avocados, and fish trails.The Allusionist Podcast, HelenZaltzman.comFollow Helen on Twitter & InstagramSponsor links: TrueandCo.com/ologies (code: ologies) & Amazon.com/popchips (code: 20ologies)This week's donation was made to POPStheclub.comMore links at alieward.com/ologies/etymologyBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month: www.Patreon.com/ologiesOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, pins, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter or InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter or InstagramSound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media & Steven Ray MorrisTheme song by Nick ThorburnSupport the show: http://Patreon.com/ologies