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Smologies with Alie Ward: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Alie Ward
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.
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- 3 days ago29 min
OWLS with R.J. Gutiérrez
OWLS. FINALLY. In no particular order: what’s up with their eyes, legs, hoots, nests, necks, barfs? Is it ok to hoot back at them? What do you mean one of their toes is reversible? Go take a walk or sit on a porch in the dusk and make friends with Rocky. Dr. R.J. “Rocky” Gutiérrez is a celebrated researcher, Professor Emeritus at the University of Minnesota, a legend in the owl world, and simply one of the loveliest ologists. He’ll take us on a trip next to a river, scrambling up some trees, over rocky terrain and through the forest to learn why owls are so magnetic. Yeah, I called owls the best bird. Not backing down. Follow Dr. Gutiérrez on Google ScholarDonations went to the International Owl Center and Northcoast Environmental CenterFull-length (*not* G-rated) Strigiformology episodes + tons of science linksMore kid-friendly Smologies episodes!Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!Follow Ologies on Instagram and BlueskyFollow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTokSound editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jake ChaffeeMade possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer, Aveline Malek and Erin TalbertSmologies 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.
- 1 weeks ago29 min
BRAIN CHEMICALS with Crystal Dilworth
Serotonin! Dopamine! Norepinephrine! Neurotransmitters: what's their deal? Dr. Crystal Dilworth, aka Dr. Brain, stops by to have a spirited discussion about how chemical messengers change our moods and behaviors. We chat about sleep, focus, happiness, depression, anxiety, what chemicals drive us to get off the couch, ADHD, the microbiome, and so much more of what goes into making our noggins work they way they do. Visit Dr. Dilworth's website and follow her on InstagramA donation went to The Geena Davis InstituteFull-length (*not* G-rated) Molecular Neurobiology episode + tons of science linksMore kid-friendly Smologies episodes!Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!Follow Ologies on Instagram and BlueskyFollow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTokSound editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions, Jake Chaffee, Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, and Steven Ray Morris Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer, Aveline Malek and Erin TalbertSmologies 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.
- 2 weeks ago26 min
SPACE FOOD with Maggie Coblentz
Dehydrated eggs. Airborne tortillas. Pouches of chicken. Tang. Work up an appetite for space food with artist, designer and Astrobromatologist, Maggie Coblentz. We talk micro-gardening in space, recycled water, dehydrated beef, velcro fatigue, the problem with crumbs in zero gravity, how to make barbecued wings in orbit, and what’s being done to make space food more delicious. Visit Maggie’s website and follow her on InstagramA donation went to AstroAccessPods Fight Poverty is raising money for Rwandan families via GiveDirectly.org/ologiesFull-length (*not* G-rated) Astrobromatology episode + tons of science linksMore kid-friendly Smologies episodes!Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!Follow Ologies on Instagram and BlueskyFollow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTokSound editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jake ChaffeeMade possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer, Aveline Malek and Erin TalbertSmologies 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.
- 3 weeks ago27 min
FERNS with Fay-Wei Li
Fronds. Forest dwellers. Spores. Houseplants. Gametophytes? We’ve got ferns. The charming and hilarious professor, pteridologist and author of “Ferns: Lessons in Survival from Earth’s Most Adaptable Plants,” Dr. Fay-Wei Li, tells me all aboutwhat makes ferns such oddities in the plant world, fern evolution, why they have beef with flowering plants, tips for growing your own fern gully, whether they have roots or rhyzomes or friends, and how ferns could help cool down a warming planet or grow better crops. This episode is, in Fay-Wei’s words, “ferntastic.”Visit Dr. Li’s lab website and follow him on Google ScholarBuy his book, Ferns: Lessons in Survival from Earth’s Most Adaptable Plants, on Bookshop.org or AmazonA donation went to the ASPT Herbarium Emergency FundFull-length (*not* G-rated) Pteridology episode + tons of science linksMore kid-friendly Smologies episodes!Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!Follow Ologies on Instagram and BlueskyFollow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTokSound editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jake ChaffeeMade possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer, Aveline Malek and Erin TalbertSmologies 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.
- Sep 3, 202627 min
BEAVERS with Rob Rich
Orange teeth! Multi-purpose tails! Architecture with twigs! Field naturalist, conservationist, wildlife tracker and “beaver believer” Rob Rich works with the National Wildlife Federation’s coordination of the Montana Beaver Working Group and answers all of our Castorological questions about: baby beavers, tooth tools, lodges, dams, the sound of water, the slap of a tail, beavers throughout history and in your dreams forever. Follow Rob Rich on LinkedIn A donation went to Tracker Certification North America Full-length (*not* G-rated) Castorology 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 & 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.
- Aug 27, 202628 min
GOOD FIRE with Amy Christianson
Cultural burns. Prescribed blazes. A healthy forest. What exactly is “good fire?” Let’s ask Indigenous fire scientist Dr. Amy Christianson, who is a co-host of the podcast ...Good Fire. This wonderfully generous and informed scholar took a quick break from her Canadian wilderness vacation to fill me in on Indigenous history, thoughts on cultural burns, flim-flam, evacuations, hunting strategies, land stewardship, learning from Indigenous wildfire fighters, Two-Eyed Seeing and more. Huge thanks to her and Matt Kristoff -- who also hosts the Your Forest Podcast -- for allowing us to use excerpts from their Good Fire interview. Subscribe to both podcasts to get more ecological knowledge in your ears. Follow Dr. Amy Christianson on Bluesky Check out the Good Fire podcast and the Your Forest podcast A donation was made to Indigenous Residential School Survivors Full-length (*not* G-rated) Indigenous Fire Ecology 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, Jake Chaffee, Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media & Steven Ray Morris 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.
- Aug 14, 202629 min
WILDFIRES with Gavin Jones
As Smashmouth said, “My world’s on fire, how ‘bout yours?” Why yes, Mr. Mouth, it is, indeed, on fire. As so many of us around the globe are sharing in this burning sensation, what better time than now to sit down and fire off a lot of questions at Fire Ecologist, Dr. Gavin Jones. We talk about what fire is, how hot it burns, fire trends, tinderboxes, lots and lots of forest fire flim-flam, tolerant wombats, cunning pine cones, thick bark, Indigenous fire stewardship and more. This episode might get you pretty heated but that’ll only release seeds of new ideas and hope, because it's serotinous. That bad joke will make sense after you listen. Follow Dr. Gavin Jones on Bluesky A donation was made to The Common Good Community Foundation Full-length (*not* G-rated) Fire Ecolology 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, Jake Chaffee, Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media & Steven Ray Morris 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.
- Aug 11, 202627 min
WASPS with Eric Eaton
Wasps!? Don’t even THINK of skipping this one, my beautiful chickens. You’re about to change your outlook on the most maligned winged sky babies, and we are delighted that author, bug dude, and spheksologist Eric Eaton is about to change your mind and fill your heart with respect and appreciation. Hunker down for itty bitty critters, papery nests, stinger myths, bug corsets, gardening secrets, and snack vaults. Get ready to hear about the misunderstood and beautifully diverse world of wasps, from the teeny tiny to the large and legendary. Wasps: they’re not as mean as you think. Buy Eric's book wherever books are sold Check out Eric’s website and follow him on Bluesky A donation went to Xerces.org Full-length (*not* G-rated) Spheksology 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, Jake Chaffee, Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media & Steven Ray Morris 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.
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About Smologies with Alie Ward
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.
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