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 transcribedEver poked at roadkill? Watched videos of whales exploding? Drooled over a curio cabinet full of claws & bones? Peered into a jar with a pickled toad?...
Classical Archaeologist and TV host Dr. Darius Arya is back for a smologized version of this classic episode to dish about priceless garbage piles, p...
Part 2! Black hole suns, black hole movies, wormholes, time travel, matter evaporation, scientists being bitches, risk-taking advice, Italy’s favorite...
How big are black holes? Is time elastic? What is spacetime foam? Why is there a place called “elsewhere?” Enjoy this dazzling two-parter that starts...
Ah, charismatic megafauna! Teeth, claws, fur, poop, hibernation, hiking, nature preserves, and living your childhood dreams with Alie’s longtime -olog...
CAPYBARAS! Blocky faces. Chill vibes. Spa days. Finally. Hydrochoerologist, Dr. Elizabeth Beth Condgon, leads us into the muddy pond of Rodents of Unu...
Environmental models! Poetry! Scientists who are poets! Novelists who are scientists! Art + science = an actual -ology. Creative Ecologist, climate s...
This one’s got it all: teeny tiny cellular factories, mitochondrial relevancy, what big smelly vats of poop have to do with curing cancer, how many tr...
Let’s debunk some “dieting” myths by exploring our human machinery. And talk about Brazilian butt lifts. Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology and me...
Hairy crabs! Shell swaps! Carcinization! Will we all evolve to be crabs? What’s with having one giant claw? Why would a crab stab you? Adam Wall, a ca...
Plumage! Dance battles! Possible holographic disco birds? Natural History Museum of LA ornithology curator Dr. Allison Shultz is a professional plumol...
Claw hands! Beady eyes! Pinching forces that could crack your skull! Gentleman, scholar, curator of the Natural History Museum’s crustacea collection...
The what, where, and who of native plants is … ethnobotany! Which is under the umbrella of Ethnoecology! The wonderful botanist Leigh Joseph shares wh...
At just 22, Iddris Sandu’s life story was already legendary. This Architectural Technologist learned to program at the age of 11 and has worked with e...
It’s like a whole episode of secrets. And your questions. And your podmom, Jarrett, hanging out in a guest room answering all kinds of inquiries. This...
Do penguins have flippers or wings? What’s up with pebble gifts? Are they squishy or dense? And why why why are they so cute? We sit down with renown...
How did these tree-hopping furry angels evolve to be the cutest thing in the world, objectively speaking? They have saucer eyes, wet noses, chunky tai...
Tunnels of light. Unconditional love. Visions of dead aunts. And a lot of questions. What happens when you die… or almost die? GOOD QUESTION. Dr. Bru...
Scorpions: the victims of undue shade. A handful of people on planet Earth have a PhD in scorpions and Dr. Lauren Esposito is one of them. She spills...
He’s the guy pointing to a NASA launch behind him, in the most legendary shot in television history. He’s a science historian and Apollo Program corre...
