Ologies with Alie Ward

Adam Wall, a carcinologist, discusses various intriguing topics about crabs in this podcast. He covers the unique characteristics of crabs, the challenges of humans evolving into crabs, mental health, affordable clothing, and the evolutionary advantage of crab claws. The podcast also explores the mating behavior of fiddler crabs, the diversity and importance of crustaceans, and ends with a discussion about studying crabs and personal enjoyment with the guest.

Dr. Allison Shultz, professional plumologist, discusses feathers and their evolution, characteristics, and functions. Topics include peacock plumes, the blackest black birds, waterproof feathers, and flightless birds. This episode also explores the connection between feathers and mosquito-transmitted diseases.

Claw hands! Beady eyes! Pinching forces that could crack your skull! Gentleman, scholar, curator of the Natural History Museum’s crustacea collection and Carcinologist Adam Wall takes us on a tour of the museum’s crab bunker to discuss everything from the tiniest to the most hauntingly giant crabs, discovering new species, crabs that are NOT crabs, sea monkeys, hairy crabs, hermit crabs, crab dongs, crab butts, crab butters, the secret history of secret Maryland spices, Amelia Earhart rumors, giant invasive crabs in Norway, behind the scenes Hollywood crabs, and so much more. So dazzling and comprehensive and weird – we had to crack this episode in two. Make sure to catch next week’s. View Adam’s papers on ResearchGateFind him barely ever posting on TwitterA donation went to NHM.org’s Marine Biodiversity Center’s fairy shrimp researchMore episode sources and linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesOther episodes you may enjoy: Pectinidology (SCALLOPS),  Echinology (SEA URCHINS & SAND DOLLARS), Scatology (POOP), Biomineralogy (SHELLS), Oceanology (OCEANS), Lutrinology (OTTERS), Conotoxinology (CONE SNAIL VENOM), Cheloniology (SEA TURTLES), Cnidariology (CORAL)Sponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, stickers, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter and InstagramEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio ProductionsTranscripts by Aveline MalekWebsite by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

Leigh Joseph, a botanist specializing in ethnoecology and native plants, discusses topics such as identifying plants, Latin names vs. traditional names, passing down or silencing knowledge, pharmaceuticals derived from Indigenous knowledge, ceremonial plants, harvesting do's and don'ts, skin remedies, and more.

Architectural Technologist Iddris Sandu, who has worked with Kanye West and Nipsey Hussle, discusses coding, holograms, ancient flutes and programming. He shares his favorite programming languages, philosophies on future technology, and emphasizes the importance of being dynamic. Alie Ward seeks life advice from this inspirational guest.

In this Ask-Me-Anything session, Ali Ward answers questions about her childhood dreams, being a goth teen, the origin of her red hair, perspectives on holidays, animals during quarantine, favorite spots at the LA Natural History Museum, regrets and missed opportunities, recording equipment and editing tips, mythical creatures, managing ADHD, creating an inclusive online community, and personal anecdotes.

Renowned Penguinologist Dr. Tom Hart from Oxford University talks about penguins' flippers, pebble gifts, cuteness, and life in Antarctica. Topics include penguin cities, icy cuddle parties, ocean camouflage, and the evolution of flightlessness.

Wildlife ecologist Dr. Lydia Greene discusses lemurs, their evolution, Madagascar, and lemurs' unique features and behavior. The podcast also explores misconceptions about lemurs, their intelligence, and the inaccurate portrayal of lemurs in the Madagascar movies.

A world-renowned psychiatrist and neurobiologist, Bruce Greyson, discusses brain activity during death, out of body experiments, time dilation, deathbed visions, neurotransmitters, party drugs, and the difference between religion and spirituality. He shares his research on near-death experiences and explores the impact of NDEs on attitudes towards life and the portrayal of NDEs in media. A fascinating and thought-provoking episode.

Scorpions, their anatomy, venom, fluorescence, behavior, and characteristics are discussed by Dr. Lauren Esposito. The podcast covers fascinating topics such as scorpions' evolutionary history, their nocturnal nature, courtship rituals, and debunked myths. Additionally, they talk about luxury gift ideas, home security, scorpions' age, size, and self-acceptance.