Ologies with Alie Ward

Whisks and witches. Bristles and Shakers. Potions and prisons. From making brooms to jumping them, teacher, author, broomsquire, and Broomologist Cate O'Connell Richards gives us the overlooked history of how that broom got in your garage. So light a candle and tuck in for fibers, harvests, how-tos, angel wings, hawktails, besoms, labor laws, Broomcorn Johnnies, utopic communes, wedding traditions, oral histories, care tips and how everything is more interesting with context. Even brooms. Content warning as requested by the guest: when we talk about history, especially witches, there may be mentions of violence, death or sexuality.

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Punted seals. Sunken yachts. Beach ambushes. And salmon hats? What’s even happening with killer whales? Are they sadists, or just hungry hungry hippos turned marine mammals? The Natural History Museum of LA County’s marine mammal expert  Dr. Jorge Vélez-Juarbe joins the show to chat about peachy babies, how their language is like a trucker radio, tiny whiskers, the formal wear, what’s with the nubbin teeth, if you should go whale watching, pod sizes, Indigenous folklore, captivity struggles, whales that meow, fatty melons and so much more. Also: baby whiskers. Spooktober continues, with these aquatic killers. 

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Thrills. Chills. Hiding behind your hands. It’s officially SPOOKTOBER month with a huge, fascinating (and I promise, mellow) episode on why humans watch horror, and what’s happening in your brain. Not only do we have the author of “Horror on the Brain: the Neuroscience Behind Science Fiction,” neuroscientist Dr. Austin Lim, but this also features CUTS from other episodes to FLESH it all out. Enjoy the political sociology of zombies vs. vampires, feminist body horror, horror as anti-war art, liminal spaces, the best blood in the business, goosebumps and Goosebumps, evolutionary mismatches, why clowns unsettle you, and if horro...

Basement card games. Fireside reminiscing. Being forced to learn a dance. Does acting like a cornball matter? Will bits save your life? Yes. I got myself to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to talk with research psychologists Dr. Sara Algoe and Dr. Laura Kurtz, who also run the research collective, The Love Consortium. They’re the team behind studies proving that laughing does predict and enhance lasting social support and lead to longer, better lives. We chat sneaky studies, in person vs. remote hangouts, which came first: the giggle or the oxytocin, which “novel and arousing” activi...

Gems of lightning and shadows. Rainbow fossils. Underground tunnel homes. Mysterious sedimentary origins. Aboriginal dreamtime stories. Armored snails. Questionable song lyrics. It’s opals, folks. And world expert geophysicist and University of Sydney professor Dr. Patrice Rey is here to talk about why he left France to explore the geological mysteries of the Outback. Should you get an opal engagement ring? Can they get wet? What’s the difference between an Australian and Ethiopian opal? What was one doing in a Kenyan cave 3000 years ago? What’s a Kyoto Opal vs. opalite? And why was your great grandma named Opal? ...

It’s the Ologies 9th Anniversary episode – and the customary gift is willow. So I reached out to an artist whose work means a lot to me, and convinced world-renowned environmental sculptor Patrick Dougherty to chat about his work, and about willows in general. Twisting and tangling literal tons of willow saplings, Patrick and his crews create huge, site-specific sculptures that look like fantastical buildings, but made almost entirely of sustainably-sourced branches. I’ve loved his work for decades, and this chat was like a kid meeting their basketball hero. We also address: cleaning up ecology with willows, their spine...

El Niño. La Niña.  United Nations Environment Programme doomerism? It’s been a helluva week for Meteorologists and the humans who live on planet Earth, so we made you a fresh episode recorded just days ago with our favorite climate scientist, professor, author, and Weather Geeks podcast host, Dr. Marshall Shepherd.

What is going on with this hurricane season? How do Pacific waters affect you all over the globe, what’s behind the headlines of the UN’s “strategic retreat” on climate change mitigation, how have El Niño weather patterns changed over time, what’s dust from Afri...

Bomb cyclones! Polar vortices! Atmospheric rivers! And rained out barbecues. 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 percentages in forecasts, hail, sleet, storm chasing, heatwaves, fluid dynamics, TV weather people, climate change delayism and his favorite weather-themed movies. Also: what not to do with a weather balloon. 

Visit Dr. Shepherd’s website and follow him on Instagram, TikTok, and Bluesky

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Rituals. Gatherings. Celebrations. Surprise parties. Weekend getaways. Campfires and birthday candles are in our DNA, and colleagues/social psychologists Dr. Danielle Brick & Dr. Kelley Gullo-Wight explain why. This conversation was like if you got seated at a dinner party next to two friends who study why we have dinner parties. We cover the neuroscience of anticipation, how much is too much for the ‘gram, a time machine to the middle ages, and how enjoying the good times together helps us weather our storms.

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Creatures in inky trenches. Exploring the sea floor. Mud medicine. Tube worms. Harvard professor and Deep Sea Microbiology legend Dr. Peter Girguis tells tales of ocean expeditions and answers questions about extremophiles, life on other planets, Atlantis, shark encounters, methane munching, hydronauts, Trekkie trivia, the safety of submersibles, deep sea simulations, and how ocean organisms may just save your life. 

Visit the Girguis Laboratory and follow Dr. Girguis on Google Scholar

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What happens when you've been sprayed nine times in the face by a skunk? Part 2 with Mephitologist Dr. Jerry Dragoo answers that question. Also on the agenda: pet skunks, lavender skunks, skunk family planning, Pepe Le Pew on trial, why some of us enjoy the stench, how to handle a skunk approach, if skunks can smell themselves, and the very bizarre circumstances by which this guest first rose to international skunk fame. Also: the proper way to watch a skunk.

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It’s here. SKUNKS. My dream guest, Dr. Jerry Dragoo of the Institute for the Betterment of Skunks and Skunk Reputations is finally on Ologies, and I can barely contain myself. Come to Albuquerque to meet this Mephitological legend. In this very special and precious 2-part series, we’ll explore tiny baby skunks, spotted ones, cartoon skunks, skunk spray remedies, skunks and astronauts, how to get sprayed by a skunk, how *not* to get sprayed, what skunk spray tastes like, how much it costs to purchase, how their populations are doing, skunks vs. snakes, who eats skunks, island skunks, reha...

Late night scrolling. Couchlock. Habitual insomnia. You want to sleep —  so why won’t you turn off the light, dumplin’? We’ve got someone for that: sleep scientist, globally known PBS correspondent, host of the series Braincraft, and Noctohabitologist, Dr. Vanessa “Nessy” Hill. So let’s chat about what amount of sleep is “normal,” if farmers had two sleeps, electricity, blue blockers, “me time,” proof that Dolly Parton is an alien from an angel planet, the populations most prone to sleep procrastination, which of 93 scientifically-proven habit-changers are the easiest to implement, and how this expert and I have both personally battled the...

Giggles. Pseudopenises. Matriarchies? Media slander. Hyaenidologist Dr. Christine Wilkinson delivers stories about the nature of matrilinearity, hot Lion King gossip, bristle backs, tiny heads, big teeth, animation errors, human-hyena interactions, tongue bumps, termite poisons, lawsuits, and why these animals have been robbed of respect and denied the devotion the so deserve. Ready yourself for stories from this delightful carnivore ecologist, hyena researcher, PBS science communicator, National Geographic Explorer, and curator at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. And raise a glass to your new favorite undercats. 

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Flying squirrels. Fox squirrels. Giant squirrels. Tiny ones. Grey ones. Black ones. Fluorescent ones? Alie is losing her mind talking to dream guest and Sciuridologist, Dr. Karen Munroe. This Baldwin Wallace University professor has studied squirrels for decades and addresses where they sleep, how many babies they have, if they bite each other’s junk, how they find their acorns, Marvel movies, birdfeeder drama, imported squirrels, melanistic morphs, world domination, fistfights with birders, the rarest squirrel, the best place for squirrel tourism and more. You’ll scatter hoard so many nuggets of squirrel trivia. Enjoy. 

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Advice. Hot tips. Book recs. Perspective. It’s the third and final installment of our Emmenology series on perimenopause and menopause, and it’s all wise words from Patrons. Dealing with brain fog, giving spouses grace, finding estrogen patches amid short supply, what to ask the HR department at work, and analogies that would melt even the coldest haters. Tune in, hang on, and sweat it out. 

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Other episodes you may enjoy: Urology (CROTCH PARTS), Gynecology (NETHER HEALTH), Neuroendocrinology (SEX & GENDER), FIELD TRIP: Alie’s Mystery Surgery, Surgical Angiology (VEINS & ARTERIE...

Hormones or no hormones? Itchy ears. Disappearing pussy syndrome. Estrogen by land, by sea, by patch, by pill, or by cream. When is it T time? What's the deal with herbal remedies? Should your moisturizer have hormones in it? Is HRT safe? Four experts weigh in on bioidentical versus synthetic, getting better sleep, what to put in or around your vagina, tips for trans folks, protein research, and why you should go pick up a brick or something. OB/GYNs and menopause experts Dr. Monica Christmas and Dr. Mary Claire Haver – who wrote the book The New Perimenopause – are back...

Hormones. Mood swings. Brain fog. Night sweats. And why doesn’t your shoulder work? The time is here for this whopper of a 3-part series on menopause with a total of five Ologists. No matter what your age or gender, you owe it to the people in your life who go through this to understand it. Brilliant and charming Dr. Mary Claire Haver is an OB-GYN who wrote bestsellers “The New Menopause” and the just-released “The New Perimenopause” and hosts the podcast unPAUSED. The wonderful and warm Dr. Monica Christmas is a professor and clinician with decades of experience in menopau...

Social anxiety icebreakers. Third spaces. Slumber parties with old friends. Helping out strangers. And why primates are wired to be better connected than we are now. Dr. Nicholas Epley – a distinguished Professor of Behavioral Science at the University of Chicago and the author of “A Little More Social” – explains how important social activity is for physical and mental health, why people are experiencing a friendship recession, how texting affects your hormones, how seeing other cultures can shape your life, the world’s friendliest cities, and the low expectations keeping us feeling lonely. Also: don’t be afraid to pick up the phone...

Scoville units. Nightshades. Hot ones. Sweet ones. Scandalous data. Pull up a seat for a wild, hot ride through New Mexico. Pepper expert, horticulturist, and Capsicumologist Dr. Paul “The Chileman” Bosland of New Mexico State’s Chile Pepper Institute dishes up stories of how chile peppers got from the wild into your mouth, what parts of peppers are the hottest, why mild peppers don’t get enough credit, how to grow peppers at home, how to recover from the burn, some lore behind your favorite hot sauces, red vs. green, Guinness World Records, Ig Nobel Prizes, why you can’t handle p...

What is your Roman Empire? It’s about to be this episode. What causes the big dogs to stumble and fall? Do societies collapse suddenly, or would one notice as it happens? What *is* a complex society – and is it better than a simple one? Depends on who you ask, and we went straight to the source: the legendary anthropologist, scholar, historian and author of “The Collapse of Complex Societies,” Dr. Joseph Tainter. New obsession awaits you in the fall of the Roman Empire, cities lost to the desert dust, diminishing returns, fiddling amid the flames, the worst beard in histo...

The promised follow up bonus episode to our biomusicology episode with theoretical, neuro- and biomusicologist Dr David Bashwiner. This one is guest hosted by Podmother Jarrett Sleeper and we steer the discussion more toward the process of creating music, where creativity comes from, the relationship between theory, technique, and creativity, how to unleash or access one’s own creativity, synthesizers, whether new sounds are possible, emulation vs simulation, music as it exists in nature, whether or not animals use instruments, why we know the instinctively the difference between purring and growling, and perhaps a bit about the effects of dr...

Music. Emotion. Brain waves. Whale songs. Toadfish. Distant moons. Loud apes. And why it’s worth it to practice piano. Brilliant and warm musician and assistant professor at Albuquerque's University of New Mexico, Dr. David Bashwiner is a theoretical, neuro- and biomusicologist. Settling into his office (with a baby grand) we covered everything from bird songs to aquatic echolocation, how scales work, major vs. minor keys and their impact on the brain, music therapies, white noise, binaural beats, mole crickets, fandom as identity, spider guitar strings, Baby Mozart, so-called perfect pitch, and so much more. Stay tuned for a bo...

Will changing your sunscreen save coral reefs? What even IS a coral? Where do they grow and what do they eat and why are they so pretty? Is it reefs or reeves? The wonderful and charming coral biologist and cnidariologist Shayle Matsuda takes time out of his busy schedule during a coral spawning event to chat about how magical and beautiful coral can be and why reef health is important. Also: whether or not "Finding Nemo" got coral right, making transitions during grad school, and how to pursue your ambitions while being bravely authentic. He'll quickly become your favorite...

DADS. What makes a good one? What if you had a bad one? And how can fatherhood turn the tides on toxic masculinity? Also: diapers. The brilliant USC research psychologist,  fatherhood expert, and thus Paternologist Dr. Darby Saxbe covers everything from prehistoric family systems to social media expectations as we chat about male hormones during and after pregnancy, division of labor, dad bods, gorillas, TV dads, seahorses, trans dads, oxytocin, gender reveals, and how it truly takes a community to raise a kid. Her brand new book is  “Dad Brain: The New Science of Fatherhood and How it Shapes Men...

Awe?! You can study this? You can, and it turns out it’s really important for our mental health. Dr. Dacher Keltner, the legendary UC Berkeley psychology professor, author, and founding director of the Greater Good Science Center, lent us some time to chat about his research into what makes us feel awe, and how that sense of vastness can make our lives and relationships richer. From spending some time under starry skies, to walking past ancient ruins, to listening to a favorite song, these big and little moments can help us feel smaller in the best way. Also: ho...

Wineries vs. vineyards. Metal vs. oak. DIY wine. Carbonic fermentation situations? Enologists 

Tara Gomez and Mireia Taribó – co-owners of the boutique California winery Camins2Dreams – join us to chat about how grapes are harvested, why some are juiced with the stems, Indigenous perspectives on wine making, weird balloon chambers, wooden teabags, labcoat envy, tips for making your own wines, how they met and the surprising story of how they became a married duo in life and work. This couple needs a rom-com made in their honor. Raise a glass.

Visit Tara and Mireia’s winery, Camins 2...

To chill or not to chill? That is the question. And then a bunch more questions. Thankfully, author, winemaker, sommelier, and Enology expert, André Hueston Mack is on hand to explain Old World vs. New World wines, corks vs. caps, red, rosé, orange, and white wines, stemware, judging a wine by its label, the best glass of wine he’s ever tasted, needless snobbery, aeration, decanting, and what those legs are doing dancing around your glass. Also: how to open a bottle with no corkscrew. Next week: how to make wine. Stay tuned. 

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Listen. Sometimes we like to shake it up. So while we’re finishing up next week’s episode, I decided to open a sound file and spilled only secrets. This was an exercise in just chilling with you, and not editing a thing. Think of it as my exposure therapy + life advice and embarrassing tales from me, your actual biological father from the internet. Is it too long? Too bad! Is it too boring? I don’t know! But in these uncertain times, it’s important to remember that showing up is what matters. I don’t know, probably. 

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Wattles. Snoods. Struts. Vibes. It’s not November, which is exactly why we’re putting this episode out. All day every day, turkeys are out there like beanbags with stick legs. Let’s take a moment, or 90 minutes, with Archaeologist, Meleagrologist, and turkey researcher,  Dr. Cyler Conrad. We’ll find out if they can fly, do they like to kiss, where did they get their audacity, turkeys versus my car door, if they can survive a rainstorm, the deep connections between Indigenous cultures and North American turkeys, creepy turkeys, alternative universes, if one can eat turkey eggs, where do they nest...

Mile-thick ice. Dry, rocky valleys. Tiny creatures. Red parkas. Seal mummies. We’re going to Antarctica with National Geographic Explorer, microscopic photographer, and Antarcticologist Ariel Waldman. She hosts the gorgeous PBS series “Life Unearthed” and answers a blizzard of questions about camping in the middle of an ice sheet, hauling microscopes to the ends of the Earth, what’s living in a drop of melted snow, potty protocols, microplastics, and the research that happens on a giant continent that carries many mysteries. Also: why you should cold email someone. Like, today. 

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In an encore of one of our top episodes ever, Dr. Zoffness is back to chat about her brand new book, Tell Me Where It Hurts.

PAIN. What is it? Where does it come from? And how can we hurt less? Which hurts more, a kidney stone or heartache? Why does chronic pain persist? Can we turn down our pain dials? To answer these huge questions, pain psychologist Dr. Rachel Zoffness enthusiastically explains the brain, pain and how to retrain it. She is an unabashed neuronerd and a ray of hope in a field that is misunderstood...

Neurodivergence and weed. Munchie remedies. Long term toking. The Entourage Effect. Drag a bean bag into the circle and kick back for Part 2 of Cannabinology with UCLA’s Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoids director Dr. Ziva Cooper and Smith College cannabis anthropologist Dr. Caroline Melly. We’ll probe the great mystery and misfortune of hyperemesis, the effect of THC on memory and neuroplasticity, why edibles sometimes send you to a distant galaxy, CBD and inflammation, the risks of psychosis, older vs. younger brains and cannabis, a guy named Rick Simpson, how much weed is the right amount of weed, and...

Gummies vs. pre-rolls. THC vs. CBD. Indica vs. sativa. Hemp vs. marijuana. Dad grass vs. modern trees. This extended 2-part deep dive with UCLA’s Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoids director Dr. Ziva Cooper and Smith College cannabis anthropologist Dr. Caroline Melly covers the storied history of the weed’s trek across continents, the endocannabinoid system,  the “bliss” molecule, brain receptors, cancer therapeutics, edible mishaps, the munchies, legalization, titration, addiction, kief, hash, dabs, shatter, strains, and so much more. 

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Discovery. Drama. Diversity. Design inspo. Let’s squirm into the sea grass and the tidal crevices with California Academy of Sciences legend Dr. Terry Gosliner and the American Museum of Natural History’s Dr. Jessica Goodheart to discover bunny horns, finger backs, stolen weaponry, “buttflowers,” doomed first dates, high fashion, tiny eyes, gender fluidity, “Finding Nemo” cameos, the boardgame you need, and how your phone can warm a scientists heart just by slipping on a windbreaker and looking for beautiful things.

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Cheetahs. Tigers. Jaguars. Pumas. Panthers. Snow leopards. How big is a big cat? And who decides? Let’s ask the charming wildlife biologist, science communicator, and Megafelinologist Dr. Imogene Cancellare. She shares tales of remote field work, snow-capped mountains, narrow escapes, camera trap revelations, DNA discoveries, brinks of extinction, if big cats like big boxes, why tails can be bobbed, lioness manes, big cat attacks, and making huge biscuits. Also: how to make your cats *Obsessed* with you. 

Visit Dr. Cancellare’s website and follow her on Instagram, Bluesky, and Google Scholar

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Dander enemies. Gluten intolerances. Runny noses. Shellfish bummers. Skin prick tests. Epipen pockets. Allergies? WE GOT ‘EM, folks. And we’ve got double board-certified allergist, immunologist, and author of the New York Times Bestseller “All About Allergies” Dr. Zachary Rubin. The Doc takes a quick break from his many demanding jobs to let me pepper him with questions about sneezing, allergy shots, Benadryl naps, home testing vs. office visits, oral challenges, unfriendly fruits, street tree sexism, and so much more. We’ve been itching to do this one for a while, so get it in your system ASAP.

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Come check out my butt with me (again)! 1 in 16 people in the U.S. will have colon cancer, and 0 in 16 want to talk about getting a camera up your guts to check things out. I am one of them, but after losing loved ones to colon cancer – and staring down the barrel of my first-ever colonoscope — I recorded tips, tricks, taste tests, foggy drug hazes, bar room advice, and finally my surprising results. It may save a life. Possibly yours. 

Find out more about colorectal cancer here

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So, you don’t want colon cancer, but you DO want buttsex secrets? Have we got an episode for you. Coloprotocolgist Dr. Carmen Fong charms us in a brand-new episode about prostate orgasms, shady polyps, fibermaxxing, colon cancer branding, butt plugs, heartburn, douches, bidets, farts, vacation constipation in the nation, ostomy awareness, second sphincters, Crown Jewels, pregnancy agonies, ‘roids, fissures, fixes, endometriosis, diverticulitis, IBS, hydrotherapy, a shocking shower revelation, and how a blissful colonoscopy could change and save your life.  

This one pairs great with our Field Trip: My Butt, a Colonoscopy Ride Along and How-To

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Our Culcitology (QUILTS) episode taught you why quilts are agents of rebellion, community, and chill vibes all in one. This bonus episode  will tell you how to start and how to dive into anything creative without freaking out first, featuring advice from Joe Cunningham and Kule Haynes, plus dozens of friendly Ologies listeners/quilters. Cut up some scraps, pick up a needle,  and make something. You never know where it might lead you, and who it could help in the future. Including you, kiddo. 

Luke Haynes Ologies quilt pattern

The quilt Luke made for Alie!