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.
442 episodes transcribedExhaustion! Numbness! Anger! You’re stressed out. I get it. Let’s fix it. I cornered one of the world’s experts on Ergopathology, scholar and author D...
They’re acrobatic fliers with long bodies and veined wings and their babies breathe through their butts: dragonflies. Let’s get into the difference be...
A donation went to Mural Arts PhiladelphiaConrad Brenner / Streets DeptInstagram | websiteMural Arts PhiladelphiaInstagram | websiteDonna Grace KrohIn...
Licorice opinions! War chocolate! Candy corn origins, circus peanut secrets, the sourest sourballs, and your great aunt’s purse. Stay until the very e...
Coffin engravings! Archaeology ethics! Linen wrappings! Repatriation! Sexy hippos!We’re back with more mummies in this Part 2 with the wonderful Drs....
Linen wrapping. Expensive resins. Sarcophagi. Preserving for eternity – or until someone raids their tomb. It’s a brand-new Spooktober episode with no...
Let’s kick off Spooktober with… RATS: They love pizza. They invade taquerias at midnight. They scurry. They cuddle. They outsmart. They inspire movies...
Murals! Frescos! Graffiti! Street art! Philadelphia is the birthplace of graffiti and the mural capital of the world so we sit down with city historia...
Smaller than you can imagine. Potato-shaped. Mysterious. Romantic. And tough enough to survive the vacuum of space or decades of desiccation. Join pro...
Give yourself a hug and take a deep breath and let’s chat with renowned Suicidologist Dr. DeQuincy Meiffren-Lézine. He is an absolute wonder and helps...
When did coffee get into our mouths? Who’s right when it comes to the best coffee? What’s the most ethical way to enjoy it? What about the cats that e...
A very special encore in memory of our favorite Museologist, Ronnie Cline. In this 2018 episode, we talked about the life and work of a great dude and...
Caves! Caverns! Grottos! Crystals! Let's get down and dirty with Speleology with explorer, researcher, professor, and paleoclimatologist Dr. Gina Mose...
Forks on teeth. Lip smacking. Metal on metal. (Don’t worry, there are no sonic examples of triggers in this episode!) Why do some of us haaaate certai...
What exactly is “fun?” How will you know when you’re having it? Do introverts have special alone fun? Is it okay to seek fun in bleak times? Catherine...
It’s an updated mega-encore of one of my favorite episodes — with 2024 research — to learn: How many genders are there? How do you know if you’re quee...
Feathery gills! Adorable smiles! Cultural icons! Habitat ecology! And superhuman limb regeneration? It’s an entire episode on axolotls. You either lov...
Part 2 is here! It’s wall to wall listener questions about magic mushrooms, LSD, ayahuasca ceremonies, set and setting, how mushrooms go stale, decrim...
Magic mushrooms, LSD, ayahuasca ceremonies, DMT, ketamine: take a trip into the science and research of hallucinogens. Renowned psychiatry professor...
Sexuality and disability! Invisible illnesses! Airline frustrations! How many of us are disabled! July is Disability Pride Month, and professor, resea...
