Ologies with Alie Ward Ologies with Alie Ward
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Every recent ology

50 of the most recent episodes. Members get the full back catalogue ad-free in a private feed.

  1. 01
    May 27, 2026 01:13:24

    Enology Part 2 (HOW TO MAKE WINE) with Tara Gomez & Mireia Taribó

    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...

  2. 02
    May 20, 2026 01:14:01

    Enology Methodology (HOW TO DRINK WINE) with André Hueston Mack

    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,...

  3. 03
    May 14, 2026 00:53:01

    Special Episode: Wall to Wall Secrets, Sorry!

    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...

  4. 04
    May 6, 2026 01:25:46

    Meleagrology (TURKEYS) with Cyler Conrad

    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,...

  5. 05
    Apr 29, 2026 01:13:17

    Antarcticology (ANTARCTIC RESEARCH) with Ariel Waldman

    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...

  6. 06
    Apr 22, 2026 01:42:43

    Dolorology (PAIN) Encore with Rachel Zoffness

    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...

  7. 07
    Apr 15, 2026 01:33:05

    Cannabinology (MARIJUANA) Part 2 with Ziva Cooper and Caroline Melly

    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...

  8. 08
    Apr 8, 2026 01:20:00

    Cannabinology (MARIJUANA) Part 1 with Ziva Cooper and Caroline Melly

    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...

  9. 09
    Apr 1, 2026 01:24:01

    Nudibranchology (GLAMOROUS SEA SLUGS) with Jessica Goodheart and Terry Gosliner

    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...

  10. 10
    Mar 25, 2026 01:25:28

    Megafelinology (SNOW LEOPARDS + OTHER BIG CATS) with Imogene Cancellare

    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...

  11. 11
    Mar 18, 2026 01:16:58

    Allergology (ALLERGIES) with Zachary Rubin

    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...

  12. 12
    Mar 17, 2026 00:37:16

    Field Trip: My Butt, a Colonoscopy Ride Along & How-To Encore

    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 –...

  13. 13
    Mar 11, 2026 01:27:33

    Coloproctology (COLON CANCER + BUTT FUN) with Carmen Fong

    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,...

  14. 14
    Mar 5, 2026 00:34:55

    Bonus Episode: How to Beat Perfectionism and Make a Quilt

    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,...

  15. 15
    Mar 4, 2026 01:19:38

    Quantum Ontology (WHAT IS REAL?) Encore with Adam Becker

    Is anything real? How many universes are there? Is everything a simulation being run by a quantum computer through a wormhole from a future era? Is the answer to everything really ... 42? The affable and charming astrophysicist, author and...

  16. 16
    Feb 26, 2026 01:46:05

    Culcitology (QUILTS) with Luke Haynes, Olivia Joseph, and Joe Cunningham

    Scrap quilts. Sewing bees. Secret codes. Political activism. Controversies. Three of your new favorite Culcitologists – Olivia Joseph, Luke Haynes, and Joe Cunningham – are stitched together for one mega episode on one of the most...

  17. 17
    Feb 19, 2026 01:11:24

    Zoohoplology (ANIMAL DEFENSES) with Ted Stankowich

    Barbs. Spurs. Stinks. Scutes. Shrieks. Fashion. Drama. Animal behaviorist, evolutionary biologist, Cal State Long Beach professor, and your new favorite Zoohoplologist, Dr. Ted Stankowich, divulges about putting your dukes up or curling...

  18. 18
    Feb 17, 2026 00:51:03

    Bonus Episode: ICYMI Moments of 2025 with newly beloved Ologists

    In case you missed it, ICYMI stands for In Case Y’all Missed It. And while 2025 was a weird year (not as weird as 2026!) it was filled with some favorite new Ologists and episodes. So since things have been a bit of a busy blur for many of...

  19. 19
    Feb 11, 2026 01:26:51

    Venereology (SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS) with Ina Park

    You’ve got junk, and we have info. The charming and hilarious researcher, professor, sex-positive health advocate, and author of the science book “Strange Bedfellows,” Dr. Ina Park, joins to talk about sores, symptoms, muffs, condoms,...

  20. 20
    Feb 4, 2026 01:08:26

    Genealogy (FAMILY TREES) Encore with Stephen Hanks

    Histories, mysteries, memories and families: it’s time to clamber up our ancestral trees. Author and genealogist Stephen Hanks -- who teaches genealogy classes in Portland, Oregon and has contributed to PBS genealogy documentaries -- sits...

  21. 21
    Jan 28, 2026 01:15:57

    Asinology (DONKEYS) with Faith Burden

    Tall ears. Huge teeth. Underestimated wit. And vocalizations that would make a songbird envious. Let’s talk donkeys with researcher and Director at The Donkey Sanctuary, Asinologist Dr. Faith Burden. We cover pop culture donkeys, their...

  22. 22
    Jan 21, 2026 01:24:03

    Paleohistology (WHY TEETH EXIST) with Yara Haridy

    Excuse me, why do you have teeth? How did they get in your mouth and where did they come from? Let’s ask researcher, tooth enthusiast, and Paleohistologist Dr. Yara Haridy. She opened up the archives at Chicago’s Field Museum to chat about...

  23. 23
    Jan 14, 2026 01:15:55

    Marmotology (GROUNDHOGS) with Daniel Blumstein

    Tongue twisters. Frosty holidays. Scandals. Big ol’ rodent butts. Let’s talk groundhogs with UCLA conservationist, field biologist, professor and Marmotologist, Dr. Daniel Blumstein. We cover what broadly is a marmot, the Buddhism and...

  24. 24
    Jan 7, 2026 01:11:06

    Venusology (VENUS) with Vicki Hansen

    Gassy veils! Orange sunlight! Alien life? It’s the sole goddess of our solar system: Venus. And to tour us through her beauty is the charming and enthusiastic planetary geologist and Venusian expert Dr. Vickie Hansen, a Senior Scientist at...

  25. 25
    Dec 31, 2025 01:37:09

    Attention-Deficit Neuropsychology (ADHD) Part 2 Encore with How to ADHD, Black Girl Lost Keys, Jahla Osborne + more

    Did Part 1 leave you informed and now you need a pep talk? Get ready for an absolute banger of an encore episode with 5 experts: René Brooks of BlackGirlLostKeys.com, TEDTalk speaker and How to ADHD YouTuber Jessica McCabe and...

  26. 26
    Dec 24, 2025 01:40:25

    Attention-Deficit Neuropsychology (ADHD) Part 1 Encore with Russell Barkley

    Focus. Productivity. Relationships. Distraction. Neurodiversity. How do you know if you have ADHD? How can you get others to understand your ADHD brain? What are your treatment options and how can they help? In this encore of our wildly...

  27. 27
    Dec 17, 2025 01:09:28

    Ornithorhynchology (PLATYPUSES) with Tahneal Hawke

    Duck bills. Beaver tails. Underground lairs. Eggs. Milk. Venom? A platypus has it all. Scholar, conservationist, and Ornithorhynchologist Dr. Tahneal Hawke is here to run through the baffling anatomy and answer all of our WHAT’S THE DEAL,...

  28. 28
    Dec 15, 2025 00:48:21

    Bonus Episode: Nutritional Microbiology (GUT HEALTH & DIET) with Miguel Freitas and Elaine Hsiao

    The microbiome is back! In 2018, we chatted with Dr. Elaine Hsiao - a UCLA microbiome researcher– and learned all about the hot cauldron of your guts. In this 2025 update bonus, we chat again with Dr. Hsiao to get updates on the last 7...

  29. 29
    Dec 10, 2025 01:11:05

    Astrobromatology (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. She shares how the intersection of design and science led her skyward, doing...

  30. 30
    Dec 3, 2025 01:03:33

    Pteridology (FERNS) with Fay-Wei Li

    Fronds. Forest dwellers. Spores. Houseplants. Queer icons. We’ve got ferns. The charming and hilarious professor and author of “Ferns: Lessons in Survival from Earth’s Most Adaptable Plants,” Dr. Fay-Wei Li, tells me all about fern...

  31. 31
    Nov 27, 2025 01:11:40

    NEW 2025 Interview: Genocidology (CRIMES OF ATROCITY) Part 2 with Dirk Moses

    Note: if you haven’t already heard it, please start with our original, May 2024 episode with Dr. Moses: A lot has happened since then, and author, scholar and genocide expert Dr. Dirk Moses was kind enough to return for a 2025 episode. We...

  32. 32
    Nov 19, 2025 01:30:07

    Bisonology (BUFFALO) Encore with various bisonologists

    Bison bison! Not just something to holler into the sky, but also the scientific name for North America's majestic wild bovines. In this encore, we explore a beast that once roamed the plains in the tens of millions. What's up with their...

  33. 33
    Nov 12, 2025 01:11:12

    Strigiformology (OWLS) Part 2 with R. J. Gutiérrez

    We’re back with Dr. R.J. “Rocky” Gutiérrez to answer listeners’ questions on owls. How much wisdom lies behind those big, immovable eyes? Are owls good or bad omens? What’s their proclivity for snatching hats? Is The Staircase owl theory...

  34. 34
    Nov 5, 2025 00:55:22

    Strigiformology (OWLS) Part 1 with R.J. Gutiérrez

    OWLS. FINALLY. In no particular order: what’s up with their eyes, legs, hoots, feathers, silent flight, nests, folklore, necks, barfs, conservation status, and omens? Go take a walk or sit on a porch in the dusk and make friends with...

  35. 35
    Oct 29, 2025 01:14:13

    Historical Toxicology (OLD TIMEY POISONS) with Deborah Blum

    Metal poisons. Odorless ones. Toxic plants. Iocane powder, arsenic, old lace, poisons as self-defense, black mirrors, Aqua Tofanas, movie myths, and the start of testing for that which ails or kills you: we’ve got Historical Toxicology...

  36. 36
    Oct 22, 2025 01:03:36

    Critical Ponerology (WHAT IS “EVIL”?) with Kenneth MacKendrick

    What is evil? Who is evil? Does evil exist? Who decides? Can we scream over turkey at grandma’s house? Let’s chat Critical Ponerology with scholar, professor, author of Evil: A Critical Primer, and a gem of a person, Dr. Kenneth...

  37. 37
    Oct 20, 2025 00:27:51

    Bonus Episode: COCKROACH MILK with Joshua Benoit and Sinead English

    Cockroach milk for Spooktober. STAY HERE. Don’t tell me you like haunted houses and slasher films but can’t listen to a lovely conversation about how cockroaches make milk to feed their young. It’s one of the most nutritious substances on...

  38. 38
    Oct 15, 2025 01:08:10

    Blattodeology (YES, COCKROACHES) with Dominic Evangelista

    Dazzling colors. Remote habitats. Gentle parenting. Fantastic genitalia. And yeah, swimming through sewers to surprise you. It’s cockroaches and I promise you will find something to love about them in this chat with cockroach evangelist...

  39. 39
    Oct 8, 2025 01:13:08

    Haunted Hydrology (SPOOKY LAKES) with Geo Rutherford

    Mudbank bones. River wrecks. Salty seas. Pink ponds. Poison dust devils. Steamy streams.. It’s Haunted Hydrology with your favorite Spooky Lakes ambassador, the artist and author Geo Rutherford who is widely known as Geodesaurus. Geo...

  40. 40
    Oct 1, 2025 01:09:30

    Serpopsychology (WHAT’S CREEPY?) with Frank McAndrew

    Are you creepy? How would you know? What’s “creepy” as opposed to scary or eerie? We talk to the pioneer of this research, Serpopsychologist, Dr. Frank McAndrew, a professor emeritus at Knox College. We chat: dates that give you the...

  41. 41
    Sep 24, 2025 01:30:26

    Revolutionology (REBELLIONS & SOCIAL CHANGE) with Jack Goldstone

    Storming the Bastille. Facing off with tanks. Canceling a streaming subscription. We’re talking protests, boycotts, insurrections, and demonstrations. Scholar, professor, and actual real life Revolutionologist Dr. Jack Goldstone lays out...

  42. 42
    Sep 17, 2025 00:57:48

    Human Technomorphology (SWAPPING OUT BODY PARTS) with Mary Roach

    Pigs with human kidneys. Iron lungs. Bionic prostheses. And bendable genitals. Mary Roach is here, and Alie is freaking out. Over the last two decades, this science icon has written seven New York Times bestsellers, including Stiff, Bonk,...

  43. 43
    Sep 10, 2025 01:12:52

    Ceramology (POTTERY) with Potted History’s Graham Taylor & Sarah Lord Taylor

    Porcelain. Earthenware. China. Archaeology. Stoneware. Anthropology. Amphora. Throwing wheels. We got it all. Master potters, history aficionados and Potted History’s icons Sarah Lord Taylor and Graham Taylor are here for our 8th...

  44. 44
    Sep 3, 2025 01:37:01

    Neuropathoimmunology (MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS) with Aaron Boster

    Neurons. Immune systems. MRIs. Weed gummies? One of the greats in neurology, Dr. Aaron Boster, takes time to chat all about Multiple Sclerosis, a neurological autoimmune disease close to our hearts. Alie’s mom, your grammapod a.k.a. Fancy...

  45. 45
    Aug 27, 2025 01:02:42

    Lutrinology (OTTERS) Encore with Chris J. Law

    YOU’RE NOT READY. But it’s time. Otters. Sea otters. River otters. Big beefy otters. Tiny otters. Giant river otters. Otters chasing you down the street. Dr. Chris J. Law, a professional Lutrinologist, shares tales about coastal vs. inland...

  46. 46
    Aug 20, 2025 01:22:19

    Trolleyology (MORAL DILEMMAS + THE TROLLEY PROBLEM) with Joshua Greene

    Train tracks. Split decisions. And a philosophy humdinger worth debating. Dr. Joshua Greene is a Harvard Psychology professor, neuroscientist, and *actual* Trolleyologist. This thought experiment pops up in everything from policy...

  47. 47
    Aug 13, 2025 01:01:45

    Tempestology (HURRICANES) Part 2 with Dr. Kim Wood & Matt Lanza

    The info storm continues! Part 1 covered the anatomy of a cyclonic storm, the bizarre histories behind the category system, and where hurricanes come from, but this week’s conclusion with Matt Lanza and Dr. Kim Wood gets you covered on...

  48. 48
    Aug 6, 2025 01:11:14

    Tempestology (HURRICANES) Part 1 with Matt Lanza & Dr. Kim Wood

    Hurricanes. Typhoons. Cyclones. Tropical storms. Tropical depressions. What does it all MEAAAN? Let’s dive in. Career meteorologists Dr. Kim Wood of the University of Arizona and Space City Weather’s Matt Lanza join for a two-guest...

  49. 49
    Aug 1, 2025 00:51:07

    Bonus Episode: Optical Technology (HISTORY OF EYEGLASSES + MODERN DAY VISION)

    When were glasses invented? What happened back then if your horse stepped on them? How is the digital age changing adults’ and kids’ vision? The first half of this special bonus episode about Optical Technology features the charmingly...

  50. 50
    Jul 30, 2025 01:19:37

    Literary Olfactology (THE POLITICS OF SMELL) with Ally Louks

    Smell and culture. Scent descriptions in novels. Fragrances and class. Stink and stigmas. We cover it all. Scholar, author, and Literary Olfactologist Dr. Ally Louks burst into the zeitgeist in 2024 with her PhD thesis “Olfactory Ethics:...