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Ologies with Alie Ward

Ologies with Alie Ward

By: Alie Ward
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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.2024 Alie Ward Science Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Crotalology (RATTLESNAKES) with Emily Taylor
    Jun 25 2025
    Fangs. Rattles. Misconceptions. Crawl out from under your rock for the angelic rattle of one of the world’s most maligned, misunderstood, gorgeous, mysterious, efficient creatures. Herpetology professor, rattlesnake scientist and thus, Crotalologist Dr. Emily Taylor discusses why rattlesnakes deserve our love, the parenthood strategies of rattlers, how to avoid getting bitten, dog rattlesnake training, rattlers’ relationships with squirrels, antivenom, vaccines, mattress trivia, mood snakes and who gets bitten the most. Hint: it’s not hikers. July 13-19, 2025 celebrate the Inaugural Snake Week and check out ProjectRattleCamVisit Dr. Taylor’s website and follow her on Bluesky and InstagramBuy Dr. Taylor’s book, California Snakes and How to Find Them, on Bookshop.org or AmazonHer latest book, California Lizards and How to Find Them, is also available on Bookshop.org and AmazonA donation went to The Rattlesnake ConservancyEmily’s Rattlesnake Perception Survey: take the pre-survey, listen to the episode, then complete the post-surveyMore episode sources and linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesOther episodes you may enjoy: Herpetology (REPTILES), Saurology (LIZARDS), Fearology (FEAR), Sciuridology (SQUIRRELS), Acaropathology (TICKS & LYME DISEASE), Forest Entomology (CREEPY CRAWLIES)Sponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesBecome 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 TikTokEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jake ChaffeeManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling Producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek Website by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn
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    1 hr and 21 mins
  • Aquaculture Ecology (SUSTAINABLE OCEAN FOODS) with Ben Halpern
    Jun 18 2025

    Farmed versus wild. Basement shrimp hustles. Mangrove drama. Anthropology. Animal welfare and plant-based diets. Climb aboard to meet UCSB’s super cool dude, researcher and Aquaculture Ecologist, Dr. Ben Halpern. You’ll hear about sustainable food sources, land vs. sea farming, bycatch, shellfish guilt, salmon who wear makeup, global marine populations, ditching iceberg for seaweed, and a gentle nudge toward vegetables. Progress over perfection; every little step counts.

    Visit the Halpern Lab and browse Dr. Halpern’s publications on ResearchGate

    A donation went to the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS)

    More episode sources and links

    Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

    Other episodes you may enjoy: Macrophycology (SEAWEED), Oceanology (OCEANS), Pectinidology (SCALLOPS), Ichthyology (FISHES), Carcinology (CRABS), Entomophagy Anthropology (EATING BUGS), Echinology (SEA URCHINS & SAND DOLLARS), Ursinology (BEARS), Chickenology (HENS & ROOSTERS), Road Ecology (ROAD KILL), Agnotology (WILLFUL IGNORANCE), Castorology (BEAVERS), Indigenous Cuisinology (NATIVE COOKING), Black American Magirology (FOOD, RACE & CULTURE)

    Sponsors of Ologies

    Transcripts and bleeped 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

    Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jake Chaffee

    Managing Director: Susan Hale

    Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth

    Transcripts by Aveline Malek

    Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

    Theme song by Nick Thorburn

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 25 mins
  • Bonus Episode: THE U.S. CONSTITUTION. Let's read it together.
    Jun 14 2025

    Have you ever read every word of The U.S. Constitution? You don't have to, because I read it with my mouth into your brain in this weird but vital episode on civil liberties. And of course, there are little sidenotes to make sure we both understand it. There has never been a better time to know what your legal protections are.

    This episode is a follow up to Nomology (CONSTITUTIONAL LAW) with the legendary law scholar Franita Tolson, the Dean and Carl Mason Franklin Chair in Law USC’s Gould School of Law. Start there for the basics and learn why knowing your rights and using your voice can change the future.

    Be safe. Stick up for yourself, and each other.

    Listen to our 2019 episode: Nomology (THE CONSTITUTION) with Franita Tolson

    A donation went to the American Civil Liberties Union

    More episode sources and links

    Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

    Other episodes you may enjoy: Political Sociology (VOTER TURNOUT & SUPPRESSION), Museology (MUSEUMS), Agnotology (WILLFUL IGNORANCE), Genocidology (CRIMES OF ATROCITY), Genealogy (FAMILY TREES)

    Sponsors of Ologies

    Transcripts and bleeped 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

    Editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, Steven Ray Morris, and Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

    Managing Director: Susan Hale

    Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth

    Transcripts by Aveline Malek

    Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

    Theme song by Nick Thorburn

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 25 mins

What listeners say about Ologies with Alie Ward

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    5 out of 5 stars

I loooooove this podcast

I love learning about new topics and now my four year old does too, yay! Must remember to only choose Smologies for him though as the poo segment in the Bufologies episode was proooobably not age appropriate. Oh well. Highly recommend.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Ali Ward is a goddess

Ali Ward is a down to earth, inspiring woman who knows her stuff (and is learning more stuff).

She is the woman you want at your dinner party, smart, talented and funny.

Each episode is like going down a YouTube black whole at 2am, informative, cool and gives you a lot of fun facts to sprout at your friends and family for days to come.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Nails “it”

Spreading knowledge while retaining a playful attitude. I can’t think of anyone I have encountered that wouldn’t benefit from listening to Ologies. I’m fortunate to have stumbled upon this podcast.

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    1 out of 5 stars
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What a disappointment

I had great expectations... not for long.
One star taken away for using imperial measures in a supposedly scientific talk.
Three stars taken away for using "Woman, and people assigned female at birth" in a supposedly scientific talk.

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