Smologies with Alie Ward

Alie Ward
  • 4.8 (394)
  • EDUCATION FOR KIDS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Ologies → Smologies. It’s all of the science, with none of the swearing! Smologies are shortened, kid-friendly episodes of the award-winning science podcast, Ologies, which covers topics from Toads (Bufology) to the Moon (Selenology) and everything in between. Enjoy clean and witty bite-sized science delights as host Alie Ward asks Ologists of all kinds smart – and sometimes silly – questions. Get to know the charming and diverse array of experts who share not only their wisdom, but also their lived experiences.

  1. 1D AGO

    GARBAGE with Robin Nagle

    Landfills! Composting! Recycling flimflam! An instantly classic conversation with the incredibly knowledgeable, frank and wonderful Dr. Robin Nagle: a clinical professor, author, TED speaker and former New York City sanitation worker and truly the best person on Earth to trash talk with. We cover our long history of figuring out what do do with our waste, what you can and can’t actually recycle, sticky mustard bottles, incinerators, the journeys our trash takes, why rats love plastic garbage bags, and how and why can thank your local sanitation workers. Visit Robin Nagle’s website Follow Robin on Instagram and Bluesky Read Robin’s book Picking Up, an ethnography of New York City's Department of Sanitation A donation was made to the Sanitation Foundation Full-length (*not* G-rated) Discard Anthropology episode + tons of science links More kid-friendly Smologies episodes! Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes! Follow Ologies on Instagram and Bluesky Follow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTok Sound editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions, Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, and Jake Chaffee Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer, Aveline Malek and Erin Talbert Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    26 min

  2. JAN 9

    LEMURS with Lydia Greene

    How did these tree-hopping furry angels evolve to be the cutest thing in the world, objectively speaking? They have saucer eyes, wet noses, chunky tails, toe claws, matriarchies, a feature film starring role, and all the mystery of 100 species spending millions of years on a remote island.  Wildlife ecologist and official Lemurologist Dr. Lydia Greene joins me to bust flim-flam straight out of the gate and talk about Madagascar, mouse lemurs, evolutionary biology, striped tails, treetop duets, hibernation, and so much more. If you thought you liked lemurs, just wait until you’re obsessed with them.  Visit Dr. Lydia Greene’s website and follow her on Instagram A donation went to the Mahaliana Labs More episode sources and links Full-length (*not* G-rated) Lemurology episode + tons of science links More kid-friendly Smologies episodes! Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes! Follow Ologies on Instagram and Bluesky Follow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTok Sound editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Jake Chaffee, Kelly R. Dwyer, Aveline Malek and Erin Talbert Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    25 min

  3. JAN 1

    THE SUN with India Jackson & Michael Kirk

    Sunspots! Solar storms! Photons! Magnetic fields! Let’s get to know the center of our solar system: the Sun. What is it made of? How big is it? How old is it? When will it explode? How does its light reach your eye? What kind of star is it? How do they form and change? Dr. Michael Kirk and Dr. India Jackson are brilliant and charming Heliologists who have both worked with NASA’s heliophysics departments. Get to know them and also the giant hot plasma ball we revolve around. You’ll never (not) look at it the same.  Follow Michael on Google Scholar Visit India’s website and follow her on Instagram, Bluesky & Google Scholar Donations went to Astronomers Without Borders and the Grady Memorial Hospital Health Foundation Full-length (*not* G-rated) Heliology episode + tons of science links More kid-friendly Smologies episodes! Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes! Follow Ologies on Instagram and Bluesky Follow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTok Sound editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jacob Chaffee Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer, Aveline Malek and Erin Talbert Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    31 min

  4. 12/25/2025

    PENGUINS with Tom Hart

    Do penguins have flippers or wings? What’s up with pebble gifts? Are they squishy or dense? And why why why are they so cute?  We sit down with renowned penguinologist Dr. Tom Hart, a research fellow with Oxford University, to chat all about life on Antarctica, penguin cities, icy cuddle parties, ocean camouflage and how to become a flightless bird. Dr. Hart is your new favorite penguinologist. Help count penguins — for science! Donations went to PenguinWatch.org and TRASS for mangrove planting Full-length (*not* G-rated) Penguinology episode + tons of science links More kid-friendly Smologies episodes! Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes! Follow Ologies on Instagram and Bluesky Follow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTok Sound editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions, Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, and Steven Ray Morris Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Jake Chaffee, Kelly R. Dwyer, Aveline Malek and Erin Talbert Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    25 min

  5. 12/18/2025

    WEATHER with Marshall Shepherd

    Polar vortices! Atmospheric rivers! Cold fronts! Warm fronts! Hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones… Wait, what’s the difference anyway? One of the world’s leading Meteorologists, Dr. Marshall Shepherd – a former NASA scientist and current Professor of Geography and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Georgia – is here to field a downpour of questions. We chat about the personalities of climate and the moods of weather, heatwaves, hail, sleet, fluid dynamics, storms of all kinds, and what a rain forecast really means. Follow Dr. Shepherd on Bluesky, Instagram and TikTok Check out his website, and his podcast Weather Geeks A donation went to Sustain.org Full-length (*not* G-rated) Meteorology episode + tons of science links More kid-friendly Smologies episodes! Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes! Follow Ologies on Instagram and Bluesky Follow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTok Sound editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Jake Chaffee, Kelly R. Dwyer, Aveline Malek and Erin Talbert Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    25 min

  6. 12/11/2025

    TREES with J. Casey Clapp

    Do trees have feelings? How do they talk? Which trees can you use to make syrup? Do bananas really grow on trees? Possibly the world's most enthusiastic tree expert, J. Casey Clapp, explains what makes coastal redwoods the coolest trees, how roots communicate with each other, and why a tree is like a cup of tea. Plus: bonus guest appearance by our friends (and the trees’), fungi.   Visit Casey Clapp's website and follow him on Instagram Listen to his podcast, Completely Arbortrary A donation went to EcoTrust.org Full-length (*not* G-rated) Dendrology episode + tons of science links More kid-friendly Smologies episodes! Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes! Follow Ologies on Instagram and Bluesky Follow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTok Sound editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Steven Ray Morris Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Jake Chaffee, Kelly R. Dwyer, Aveline Malek and Erin Talbert Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    25 min

  7. 12/04/2025

    GORILLAS with Tara Stoinski

    Gorillas. These chest-beating, salad-munching, communal living, thick-furred beauties have so many surprises for you. Gorillaologist (IT’S A WORD) Dr. Tara Stoinski has been a gorilla scientist for three decades and dishes on everything from forest farts, banana flim-flam, night-time nesting, gorilla laughter, playing, parenting, what those big teeth are for, and why we’re more alike than we might think.  Follow the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok Donations were made to Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund & LA Regional Food Bank More episode sources and links Full-length (*not* G-rated) Gorillaology episode + tons of science links More kid-friendly Smologies episodes! Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes! Follow Ologies on Instagram and Bluesky Follow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTok Sound editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Jake Chaffee, Kelly R. Dwyer, Aveline Malek and Erin Talbert Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    25 min

  8. 11/27/2025

    HAIR with Valerie Horsely

    Peach fuzz. Chin hairs. Mammalian ponytails. WHY DO THEY HAPPEN. Yale researcher and associate professor Dr. Valerie Horsley stops by California to chat with Alie about the nature of hair and what it has to do with skin and nails, stem cells, how it grows, why some of us have curly hair or straight hair or thin hair or thick hair, and why we love and hate and need our hair as animals. Dr. Valerie Horsely is on Facebook and Bluesky The Horsely Lab at Yale Full-length (*not* G-rated) Trichology episode + tons of science links More kid-friendly Smologies episodes! Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes! Follow Ologies on Instagram and Bluesky Follow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTok Sound editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Steven Ray Morris Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Jake Chaffee, Kelly R. Dwyer, Aveline Malek and Erin Talbert Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    25 min
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Trailer

Hosts & Guests

4.8
out of 5
394 Ratings

About

Ologies → Smologies. It’s all of the science, with none of the swearing! Smologies are shortened, kid-friendly episodes of the award-winning science podcast, Ologies, which covers topics from Toads (Bufology) to the Moon (Selenology) and everything in between. Enjoy clean and witty bite-sized science delights as host Alie Ward asks Ologists of all kinds smart – and sometimes silly – questions. Get to know the charming and diverse array of experts who share not only their wisdom, but also their lived experiences.

Information

  • Creator
    Alie Ward
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    89
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Alie Ward
  • Show Website
    Smologies with Alie Ward

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