384 episodes

Volcanoes. Trees. Drunk butterflies. Mars missions. Slug sex. Death. Beauty standards. Anxiety busters. Beer science. Bee drama. Take away a pocket full of science knowledge and charming, bizarre stories about what fuels these professional -ologists' obsessions. Humorist and science correspondent Alie Ward asks smart people stupid questions and the answers might change your life.

Ologies with Alie Ward Alie Ward

    • Science
    • 4.9 • 21.3K Ratings

Volcanoes. Trees. Drunk butterflies. Mars missions. Slug sex. Death. Beauty standards. Anxiety busters. Beer science. Bee drama. Take away a pocket full of science knowledge and charming, bizarre stories about what fuels these professional -ologists' obsessions. Humorist and science correspondent Alie Ward asks smart people stupid questions and the answers might change your life.

    Smologies #40: HAIR with Valerie Horsley

    Smologies #40: HAIR with Valerie Horsley

    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.

    • 25 min
    Oikology (DECLUTTERING) Encore with Jamie & Filip Hord + Joe Ferrari

    Oikology (DECLUTTERING) Encore with Jamie & Filip Hord + Joe Ferrari

    Why does clutter happen? How can we get rid of it and how will it affect us psychologically if we do? Buckle up for an encore that will lift your spirits and quite possibly change your life. We all have unfolded piles of laundry, that closet we don’t want to open, a tornado of papers on our desk that seems impossible to sort through. Enter: Oikology, the science of keeping things contained. Alie hunted down world-famous professional organizers, Jamie & Filip Hord of Horderly to chat about -- FIRST OFF-- their name, plus gender and messes, when to call in a pro to help, the step-by-step process to tackle the entropy in your home and life, what do do about gifts you don’t want, what tools you might need, the KonMari method, how to overcome the emotional attachment to objects, and why decluttering becomes addictive. We also called in the big guns, research psychologist Dr. Joe Ferrari of DePaul university, to share his research on clutter, its psychological causes and effects, if the “spark joy” method works for everyone, when to call a professional organizer and how many pants is too many pants. Also: dispatches from my own front lines. This episode already changed my own life… and closet.

    • 1 hr 32 min
    Functional Morphology (ANATOMY) Encore with Joy Reidenberg

    Functional Morphology (ANATOMY) Encore with Joy Reidenberg

    Ever poked at roadkill? Watched videos of whales exploding? Drooled over a curio cabinet full of claws & bones? Peered into a jar with a pickled toad? Then this one is for you. Whether you’ve heard it before or are new to this classic ep, you’re sure to be delighted by this Ologist’s storytelling. Arguably the world's most famous comparative anatomist (and pretty-much-also functional morphologist) Dr. Joy Reidenberg pulls up a chair at Mt. Sinai Hospital to talk about her fascinating backstory, exploding whales, taxidermied chipmunks, dead toadfish, animal's weird anatomy and its function and how it might help human health. She is absolutely amazing and you will become obsessed with her work.

    • 1 hr 12 min
    Smologies #39: ANCIENT ROME with Darius Arya

    Smologies #39: ANCIENT ROME with Darius Arya

    Classical Archaeologist and TV host Dr. Darius Arya is back for a smologized version of this classic episode to dish about priceless garbage piles, pottery graveyards, tomb discoveries, what's under European cities, ancient spa days, ingenious construction methods, and unlikely laundry techniques. Plus, what did ancient romans use before toilet paper - and perhaps more importantly, WHY??

    • 25 min
    Black Hole Theory Cosmology (WHAT ARE BLACK HOLES?!) Part 2 with Ronald Gamble, Jr.

    Black Hole Theory Cosmology (WHAT ARE BLACK HOLES?!) Part 2 with Ronald Gamble, Jr.

    Part 2! Black hole suns, black hole movies, wormholes, time travel, matter evaporation, scientists being bitches, risk-taking advice, Italy’s favorite pastry, and more await you. NASA Goddard Theoretical Astrophysicist and Black Hole Theory Cosmologist  Dr. Ronald Gamble, Jr. is back for the conclusion of black hole basics and how theories get made and what’s on the (event) horizon for future astrophysicists to solve. Also: what do we do with our space anxiety?!

    • 1 hr 9 min
    Black Hole Theory Cosmology (WHAT ARE BLACK HOLES?!) Part 1 with Ronald Gamble, Jr.

    Black Hole Theory Cosmology (WHAT ARE BLACK HOLES?!) Part 1 with Ronald Gamble, Jr.

    How big are black holes? Is time elastic? What is spacetime foam? Why is there a place called “elsewhere?” Enjoy this dazzling two-parter that starts with the absolute basics with NASA’s Goddard Theoretical Astrophysicist and Black Hole Theory Cosmologist Dr. Ronald Gamble, Jr. We talk busting of flim-flam, how do we image them, what's the most giant dense book you can buy about them, where do trad goths fit into this episode, does my dog exist, how astrophysics is like drawing, and the greatest gift he could give his mom. Also what you have in common with an annulus.

    • 48 min

Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5
21.3K Ratings

21.3K Ratings

Cecekm ,

THE PODCAST YOU NEED!!!!!

This podcast is like the fluffiest, flakiest, buttery-est croissant you will EVER enjoy! You feel JOYOUS and YEARN FOR MORE simultaneously after inhaling it. Alie Ward and her guest ologists deliver hour long episodes FILLED with science-backed fun-facts and explanations on all topics you never knew you needed to know!!!! Sprinkled with quips, compassion, and quirkiness it’s a reminder that LIFE IS SHORT, the world is BIG WEIRD, and (in Alie’s words) to just text your crush!!! <3

Mimipikachu ,

Thanks for doing my job for me (kidding but not really)

Hi Dad, just wanted to let you know that as a member of a marketing team at a zoo your podcast has been a HUGE help in coming up with fun ways to talk about our animals. Recently I relistened to EVERY.SINGLE.PODCAST since your first one and the Primatology episode reminded me of the differences between Old and New World Monkeys. Fast forward to National Primate Day, I am creating a video explaining the differences between the species including the dentition and so much more. I would have never thought of this if it wasn’t for your podcast! Thanks to you, you’re helping over 100,000 million visitors to our Zoo learn about monkeys, lizards (unfortunately not their dicks because our target audience is young kiddos), corvids, and all the wonderful wild friends who share our backyard.

P.S. I did leave an email about interviewing our head Veterinarian - I thought the idea of Zoo curation would be a really interesting thing for your listeners to enjoy! We are working on expanding our work with the building of a new state-of-the-art animal hospital that will continue to educate our visitors about the animals we care for.

Love you!

tartme ,

Art Grandma

I love this podcast. I am an introvert and prefer podcasts, plants and dogs to people but when forced to go put amongst the humans I always have convo starters thanks to ologies. My teenage grandchildren are impressed at my immense animal sex info like what sea creature has the largest penis in relation to body size (barnacle). Got props for knowing this while they laughed so hard they spit cola out their noses.

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