Ologies with Alie Ward Alie Ward

He’s the guy pointing to a NASA launch behind him, in the most legendary shot in television history. He’s a science historian and Apollo Program correspondent. He’s the creator, host, and writer of the long-running program “Connections.” He is a science communication hero to millions and a global treasure. He is James Burke, and he chats about how connected historical events are, and how connection between humans is vital. We also talk about Napoleon’s toothpick, dog pee, shipworms, writer's block, TV shoots, and his new Connections season on Curiosity Stream. Also: (surprise!) they gave me a spinoff called “Quick Connections.”

You like Ologists. Ologists write books. You like books, so let’s dive into a new, curated sampler platter from your favorite guests’ books.. Fill your ears with dark carnivals, boney catacombs, Rocky Mountain bears and wolves, flies you should love, maggots that make you beautiful, fungus that might be evil, why you should not care what other people eat, queer dolphins, invisible moose, monkey facts, fitness/mental health tips, and how to save money at the salon. Let this melange of literary snippets serve as a refresher of favorite episodes, a teaser for ones you haven’t heard, or just a gentle nudge toward a bookshop. (Or the link below to buy online.)

Cumulus! Lenticular! Venti sugar-free stratocumulus stratiformis translucidus undulatus! Those light and fluffy things that hang overhead weigh thousands of pounds and form under all kinds of conditions. Cloud doctor and nephologist Dr. Rachel Storer chats about why she loves clouds, the different varieties of them, what makes it rain, whether sailors delight at red skies at night, why clouds are never square and where we can find diamond rain.

Math wants to be friends. Let mathematician, author and Abstract Mathematologist Dr. Eugenia Cheng introduce you to a secret world: the artsy and emotional side of math. Dr. Cheng helps answer the age-old and (recently viral) question, “IS MATH REAL?” We chat about Fibonacci sequences, golden ratios, common core, loving thy neighbor, slide rules vs. calculators, imaginary numbers, the nature of zero, infinite cookies, and more. Turns out that math can change your relationships and permeate your every thought.. if you let it. Also: wtf, Barbie?

Deer in headlights! Alligators in crosswalks! A possum in the oven? If you love wildlife, this is a must-listen to avoid killing critters with your car. Ben Goldfarb wrote the book on road kill and we chat about: wildlife crossings, skunk smells, moose impacts, ocelot facts, what to do if you see roadkill, how to avoid making more of it, and whether it's okay to pick up a dead thing. Ben is an award-winning science journalist with a Masters in Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and I’ve waited LITERAL YEARS to talk to him about this topic as he wrote his latest book: “Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet.” Also: flip phones, sleep hygiene, and how to ask your boss for a raise.

Dig in for a bite-sized episode about how native foods aren’t just a part of a past, but an essential and exciting aspect of the future. We talk flower bulbs, acorns, sunflower butter popcorn, frybread debates, mushroom foraging tips, corn magic, puffball mythology, decolonized diets, Instapots and – most importantly – food sovereignty with the WONDERFUL Indigikitchen cooking show host and environmental scientist Mariah Gladstone.