Ologies with Alie Ward

Exhaustion! 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 Dr. Kandi Wiens, to ask about the causes of burnout, warning signs, what professions are more at risk, how to recover from burnout and prevent it in the future, which was the focus of her book, “Burnout Immunity.” We also chat about neurodiversity, hockey mascots, childhood trauma, how do you tell your boss you're burned the F out, grit, and guilt. Also, you don't need to wait until you're on a tropical vacation to recharge. In fact, don't.Visit Kandi Wiens’ websiteBuy her book, Burnout Immunity, on Amazon or Bookshop.orgA donation went to Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ FoundationMore episode sources and linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesOther episodes you may enjoy: Eudemonology (HAPPINESS), Personality Psychology (PERSONALITIES), Attention-Deficit Neuropsychology (ADHD), Funology (YES, FUN), Genocidology (CRIMES OF ATROCITY), Suicidology (SUICIDE PREVENTION & AWARENESS), Traumatology (PTSD)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 XFollow @AlieWard on Instagram and XEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jacob ChaffeeManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling Producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek Website by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

They’re acrobatic fliers with long bodies and veined wings and their babies breathe through their butts: dragonflies. Let’s get into the difference between a damselfly and dragonfly, how fast they dart around,  how big they were in the age of the dinosaurs, sci-fi aviation inspiration, mating choreography, attracting them to your yard (maybe to eat them) and lots more with scholar, American Museum of Natural History curator, and dragonfly expert: Dr. Jessica Ware.Visit Dr. Ware’s website and follow her on Google Scholar, Instagram and XBuy Jessica’s children’s book, Bugs (A Day in the Life): What Do Bees, Ants, and Dragonflies Get up to All Day?, on Amazon or Bookshop.orgA donation went to the World Dragonfly AssociationMore episode sources and linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesOther episodes you may enjoy: Entomology (INSECTS), Lepidopterology (BUTTERFLIES), Cicadology (CICADAS), Sparklebuttology (FIREFLIES), Dipterology (FLIES), Entomophagy Anthropology (EATING BUGS), Plumology (FEATHERS), Melaninology (SKIN/HAIR PIGMENT), Ophthalmology (EYES)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 XFollow @AlieWard on Instagram and XEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jacob ChaffeeManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling Producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek Website by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

Folks, come with me. We’re hanging out under some train tracks late at night in Philadelphia doing street art. As the promised companion piece to our wonderful Modern Toichographology episode on murals and street art, this Field Trip takes us to where the action happens, chatting with several muralists as they work on their 17-foot paintings lining Front Street. You’ll meet UNAPXLXGETIQ, El Toro, and Iris Barbee Pendergrass a.k.a. These Pink Lips, Donna Grace Kroh, and Mr. Scoot and learn about their favorite inspirations, methods to making their designs huge, how many Sharpies it takes to outline a building-sized painting, sticker vs. marker vs. paint, graphic and text mural designs, freehand, and most of all, how not to get caught doing illegal art. Onward. A donation went to Mural Arts PhiladelphiaConrad Brenner / Streets DeptInstagram | websiteMural Arts PhiladelphiaInstagram | websiteDonna Grace KrohInstagramIris Barbee Pendergrass/ These Pink Lips Instagram | websiteEmmanuel Wisdom/ UnapxlxgetiqInstagram | websiteMichele Scott / Mr. ScoootInstagram | websiteJustin Nagatalon / El ToroInstagram | websiteEmily White (wasn’t in the ep but was the 4th muralist of the set)InstagramMore episode sources and linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesSponsors 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 XFollow @AlieWard on Instagram and XEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jacob ChaffeeManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek Website by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn   

Licorice opinions! War chocolate! Candy corn origins, circus peanut secrets, the sourest sourballs, and your great aunt’s purse. Stay until the very end for the biggest shocked laugh I have ever had on this show. The incredibly charming author, journalist, candy historian, and Confectiologist Susan Benjamin chats about everything from apothecary origin stories, ethnobotany, having horehound on hand, the warheads that could save you, vegan candy controversy, sugar sources from beets to corn, Turkish temptations, Roman flim-flam, marzipan mini-sculptures, sugar plum ballets, what she gives out for Halloween candy. and the best way to enjoy treats if you're trying to stay healthy. An absolute instant classic. Visit Susan Benjamin’s historic candy company True TreatsBuy Susan’s latest book, Fun Foods of America: Outrageous Delights, Celebrated Brands, and Iconic Recipes, on Amazon or Bookshop.orgA donation went to Animal Welfare Society of Jefferson CountyMore episode sources and linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesOther episodes you may enjoy: Gustology (TASTE), Molecular Neurobiology (BRAIN CHEMICALS), Carobology (NOT-CHOCOLATE TREES), Glycobiology (CARBS), Diabetology (BLOOD SUGAR), Melittology (BEES), Native Melittology (INDIGENOUS BEES), Columbidology (PIGEONS? YES), Felinology (CATS), Attention-Deficit Neuropsychology (ADHD), FIELD TRIP: My Butt, a Colonoscopy Ride Along & How-To, Nephology (CLOUDS)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 XFollow @AlieWard on Instagram and XEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jacob ChaffeeManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling Producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek Website by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

Coffin engravings! Archaeology ethics! Linen wrappings! Repatriation! Sexy hippos!We’re back with more mummies in this Part 2 with the wonderful Drs. Salima Ikram & Kara Cooneywho chat about animal mummies, eating mummified remains, plant resins, the debate over human sacrifice, coffin reuse, Egyptian tourism, the worst temple gift shop in history, and what happens if you’re late to your own funeral. Also: is all religion magic? Let’s get into it. More Spooktober episodesVisit Dr. Cooney’s website and follow her on Instagram, X, YouTube, and FacebookGet Kara’s latest book, Recycling for Death: Coffin Reuse in Ancient Egypt and the Theban Royal Caches, and browse her other books on Amazon or Bookshop.orgSubscribe to Kara’s Substack Ancient/NowVisit Dr. Ikram’s website and follow her on FacebookGet Salima’s latest book, Let a Cow-Skin Be Brought: Armour, Chariots and Other Leather Remains in Tutankhamun’s Tomb, and browse her other books on Amazon or Bookshop.orgDonations went to the Yellowhammer Fund and Doctors Without BordersMore episode sources and linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesOther episodes you may enjoy: Egyptology (ANCIENT EGYPT), Attention-Deficit Neuropyschology (ADHD), Vampirology (VAMPIRES), Forest Entomology (CREEPY CRAWLIES), Demonology (EVIL SPIRITS), Ethnoecology (ETHNOBOTANY), Witchology (WITCHCRAFT), Etymology (WORD ORIGINS), Suicidology (SUICIDE AWARENESS & PREVENTION), Biogerentology (AGING), Taphology (GRAVESITES), Desairology (MORTUARY MAKE-UP), Thanatology (DEATH & DYING)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 XFollow @AlieWard on Instagram and XEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jacob ChaffeeManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling Producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek Website by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

Linen wrapping. Expensive resins. Sarcophagi. Preserving for eternity – or until someone raids their tomb. It’s a brand-new Spooktober episode with not one but two guests: Dr. Salima Ikram is a professor of Egyptology and expert on mummification of both people and animals, and is joined by veteran guest from the Egyptology episode, professor and author Dr. Kara Cooney. The two chat about mummification techniques, how food studies lead into the pyramids, controversy over the word “mummy,” whiffing the dead, socioeconomic factors in mummification, animal mummies, lingering mysteries, field work, a house mouse, and more. Next week in Part 2 we’ll dive into more ethics of collections, human sacrifice, the people who ate mummified remains, paint colors, coffin engravings and the meaning of “magic.” Visit Dr. Cooney’s website and follow her on Instagram, X, YouTube, and FacebookGet Kara’s latest book, Recycling for Death: Coffin Reuse in Ancient Egypt and the Theban Royal Caches, and browse her other books on Amazon or Bookshop.orgSubscribe to Kara’s Substack Ancient/NowVisit Dr. Ikram’s website and follow her on FacebookGet Salima’s latest book, Let a Cow-Skin Be Brought: Armour, Chariots and Other Leather Remains in Tutankhamun’s Tomb, and browse her other books on Amazon or Bookshop.orgDonations went to the Yellowhammer Fund and Doctors Without BordersMore episode sources and linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesOther episodes you may enjoy: Egyptology (ANCIENT EGYPT), Taphology (GRAVESITES), Desairology (MORTUARY MAKE-UP), Thanatology (DEATH & DYING), Ambystomology (AXOLOTLS … AND LIMB REGROWTH?), Melaninology (SKIN/HAIR PIGMENT), Spooktober episodes of the pastSponsors 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 XFollow @AlieWard on Instagram and XEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jacob ChaffeeManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling Producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek Website by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

Let’s kick off Spooktober with… RATS: They love pizza. They invade taquerias at midnight. They scurry. They cuddle. They outsmart. They inspire movies that inspire musicals. Proving that not just woodsy megafauna can be charismatic, rats have lives we would never suspect. Globally-lauded Urban Rodentologist Dr. Robert Corrigan, or Bobby if you like, has been studying these animals in their big-city ecosystem for decades and he is a wonder-filled joy. Learn about rats’ origin story, the difference between a rat and a mouse, where they live, their preferred “food dialects,” and how to (hopefully humanely) keep one out of your house -- or car? Might as well start to love and respect them, because we’re not-too-distantly related and one day… they may be steering the ship. Follow Bobby on XA donation went to the Yash Gandhi FoundationMore episode sources and linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesOther episodes you may enjoy: Sciuridology (SQUIRRELS), Hydrochoerology (CAPYBARAS), Procyonology (RACCOONS), Opossumology (O/POSSUMS), Columbidology (PIGEONS? YES), Mammalogy (MAMMALS), Disgustology (REPULSION TO GROSS STUFF), Discard Anthropology (GARBAGE), Epidemiology (DISEASES), Maritime Archaeology (SHIPWRECKS)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 XFollow @AlieWard on Instagram and XSound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions, & Steven Ray MorrisManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling Producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek Website by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

Murals! Frescos! Graffiti! Street art! Philadelphia is the birthplace of graffiti and the mural capital of the world so we sit down with city historian, journalist, curator, and Toichographologist Conrad Benner to chat about public vs. private art, cultural movements, commissioned vs. um… un-commissioned murals, how mural topics are chosen, how much it costs to make a mural, where to get that money, vandalism and murals and the fine line between, and how everything you do is art. Let Philly’s history and 5,000 murals inspire you to gaze at what’s in your city and find out who made it, how you can get involved, and why it matters. Also: this episode will have a bonus Field Trip we’ll release in a week or so that will take you to a series of murals in the process of being born. Follow Conrad on Instagram, TikTok and XVisit his guide to Philadelphia’s public art and public space at StreetsDept.comDonations went to the William Way LGBT Community Center and SkypeAScientist.comPurchase a Frog Facts Advent Calendar at SquidFacts.net More episode sources and linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesOther episodes you may enjoy: Political Sociology (VOTER TURNOUT & SUPPRESSION), Nomology (THE CONSTITUTION), Domicology (ABANDONED BUILDINGS, RECYCLED HOUSES & GHOST TOWNS), Wildlife Ecology (FIELDWORK), Very Special Episode: BlackAFinSTEM, Mythology (STORYTELLING), Museology (MUSEUMS)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 XFollow @AlieWard on Instagram and XEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jacob ChaffeeManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling Producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek Website by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

Smaller than you can imagine. Potato-shaped. Mysterious. Romantic. And tough enough to survive the vacuum of space or decades of desiccation. Join professor and confirmed Tardigradologist Dr. Paul Bartels to saunter into a microscopic wonderland of bizarrely long naps, foreign genomes, moon landings, glow-in-the-dark moss piglets, cryptobiosis, kitten claws, knife mouths, balloon butts, spiders on Mars, splicing tardigrade DNA into ours, debunking flim-flam and the friends living in your gutters. Follow Dr. Bartels on ResearchGate and Google ScholarA donation went to the Xerces SocietyMore episode sources and linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesOther episodes you may enjoy: Bryology (MOSS) with Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer, Planariology (VERY COOL WORMS, I PROMISE), Benthopelagic Nematology (DEEP SEA WORMS), Radiology (X-RAY VISION), Microbiology (GUT BIOME), FIELD TRIP: My Butt, a Colonoscopy Ride Along & How-To, Diplopodology (MILLIPEDES & CENTIPEDES), Saurology (LIZARDS), Astrobiology (ALIENS), UFOlogy (UNEXPLAINED AERIAL PHENOMENA), Etymology (WORD ORIGINS), Ursinology (BEARS), Carnivore Ecology (LIONS, TIGERS, & BEARS)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 XFollow @AlieWard on Instagram and XEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jacob ChaffeeManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling Producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek Website by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

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 us understand the risk factors for suicide, prevention strategies, socio-economic factors, gender statistics, LGBTQ+ suicide prevention, what happens if you call a hotline, thoughts on hospitalization, how to support loved ones who have ideation, mourning those lost, learning to take care of yourself and your mental health and how living through the worst means by definition, shit gets better. ** IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING A CRISIS, PLEASE CONNECT WITH THE 988 SUICIDE AND CRISIS LIFELINE. CALL OR TEXT 988 OR VISIT 988LIFELINE.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION. OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES, CONSULT WITH FINDAHELPLINE.COM **Follow Dr. Meiffren-Lézine on ResearchGate, Instagram and LinkedInBuy his book, It is My Blood to Scribe: Poetry of a Suicide Attempt Survivor, on Bookshop.org or AmazonMore books by Dr. Meiffren-Lézine available on AmazonA donation went to Active MindsMore episode sources and linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesOther episodes you may enjoy: Dolorology (PAIN), Molecular Neurobiology (BRAIN CHEMICALS), Addictionology (ADDICTION), Traumatology (PTSD), Eudemonology (HAPPINESS), Awesomeology (GRATITUDE FOR LITTLE THINGS)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 XFollow @AlieWard on Instagram and XEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jacob ChaffeeManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling Producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek Website by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

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 eat the beans? How will climate change affect your morning coffee? Peter Giuliano is the executive director of the Coffee Science Foundation explains folk stories behind coffee, what makes beans taste the way they do, why cold brew and nitro feel like rocket fuel, shade-grown coffee, roasting chemistry, flimflam, atmospheric pressure, dead espresso, and the best way to brew it, in his opinion. Also: why it tastes better outside – for some of us. Follow Peter Giuliano on Instagram and LinkedInA donation went to the Coffee Science Foundation, an arm of the Specialty Coffee AssociationMore episode sources and linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesOther episodes you may enjoy: Gustology (TASTE), Disgustology (REPULSION TO GROSS STUFF), Scatology (POOP), Dendrology (TREES), Carobology (NOT-CHOCOLATE TREES), Critical Ecology (SOCIAL SYSTEMS + ENVIRONMENT), Agnotology (IGNORANCE), Pomology (APPLES), Lupinology (WOLVES)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 XFollow @AlieWard on Instagram and XEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jacob ChaffeeManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling Producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek Website by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

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 a good pal who passed away this morning. On the agenda of his legendary episode: Museums! Mummies! Paintings! Hot dogs! Alie sits down with her dear internet friend and museologist Ronnie Cline, who manages 30,000 artifacts over 22 California State Park Museums. Get the hot gossip about behind-the-scenes museum life, vintage ghosts, following your dreams, changing the tone of history and the time Alie ruined a 16th Century Dutch portrait. Also: why Jack London is your new dead celebrity crush.More episode sources & linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesOther episodes you may enjoy: FIELD TRIP: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, Metropolitan Tombology (PARIS CATACOMBS), Egyptology (ANCIENT EGYPT), Anthropodermic Biocodicology (HUMAN LEATHER BOOKS), Deltiology (POSTCARDS),  Hematology (BLOOD)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 XFollow @AlieWard on Instagram and XEditing by Steven Ray Morris, Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions, and Jacob ChaffeeManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling Producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek Website by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

Caves! Caverns! Grottos! Crystals! Let's get down and dirty with Speleology with explorer, researcher, professor, and paleoclimatologist Dr. Gina Moseley. She shares what it’s like to spend a week straight in a cave, safety tips, climate research breakthroughs, and the deepest and darkest caves. Also: stalactites, stalagmites, cave clouds, show caves, who counts as a spelunker, what ancient climate science can tell us about our current sticky situation, cave diving, cave rescues, creepy caves, gated caves, old school versus new school cave mapping, if cavers ever lose their damn minds down there, and why nothing beats the longing for the underground. Grab a friend and wear a helmet. We’re goin’ in. Follow Dr. Gina Moseley on GoogleScholarA donation went to the British Cave Rescue CouncilMore episode sources and linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesOther episodes you may enjoy: Chiropterology (BATS), Indigenous Pedology (SOIL SCIENCE), Geology (ROCKS), Disasterology (DISASTERS), Metropolitan Tombology (PARIS CATACOMBS), Fearology (FEAR)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 XFollow @AlieWard on Instagram and XEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jacob ChaffeeManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling Producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek Website by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

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 certain noises and other folks cannot comprehend how a sound could be so irritating? Let’s meet in the middle with a professional Misophonologist, clinical psychologist, and Oxford University research fellow Dr. Jane Gregory. Dr. Gregory not only has misophonia, but has propelled research and public awareness of the condition. We lob so many questions to learn: what it feels like to have it, how many people experience it, the most common sounds that trigger it, what your brain thinks is happening, why certain people or situations may be worse than others, how to be helpful to people with misophonia, headphones, earplugs, exposure therapies, cognitive behavior therapy, experimenting on oneself, age and misophonia, and where zombies fit into it. Visit Dr. Jane Gregory’s website and follow her on Instagram and XGet her book, Sounds Like Misophonia: How to Stop Small Noises from Causing Extreme Reactions on Bookshop.org or AmazonRead her papers on ResearchGateA donation went to soQuiet2024 #WorldLizardDay Programming with Dr. Earyn McGeeMore episode sources and linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesOther episodes you may enjoy: Etymology (WORD ORIGINS), Disgustology (REPULSION TO GROSS STUFF), Neuroparisitology (NATURE ZOMBIES), Food Anthropology (FEASTS), Disability Sociology (DISABILITY PRIDE), Screamology (LOUD VOCALIZATIONS), Dolorology (PAIN)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 XFollow @AlieWard on Instagram and XEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio ProductionsManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling Producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek Website by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

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 Price is an award-winning journalist and author who spent years researching the science of fun for her book “The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again.” She let me lob many questions at her including: adult vs. childhood fun, what’s the difference between happiness and laughter and fun, what does fun do to your actual meat body, how can you have more of it, do substances mean more fun, and how to have fun when the world is crumbling in cinders around you – and why it’s important that you do. It’s a fun one, I promise. Visit Catherine’s website and follow her on Instagram and XRead her book: The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive AgainSubscribe to her Substack newsletter, How to Feel Alive with Catherine PriceA donation went to Breakthrough T1DMore episode sources and linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesOther episodes you may enjoy: Eudemonology (HAPPINESS), Gelotology (LAUGHTER), Attention-Deficit Neuropsychology (ADHD), Addictionology (ADDICTION), Felinology (CATS), Genocidology (CRIMES OF ATROCITY), Ludology (VIDEO GAMES),  Quasithanatology (NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES), Psychedeliology (HALLUCINOGENS)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 XFollow @AlieWard on Instagram and XEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jacob ChaffeeManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling Producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek Website by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

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 queer? Is sexual orientation biological, and if so, how? The amazing neuroscientist and endocrinology researcher Dr. Daniel Pfau joins to share their path in academia finding the perfect research, understanding their own genderqueer identity, what animals in nature exhibit queer behavior, how hormones affect our moods, the variation of gender expression, queer lizards, how a strict gender binary is harmful to entire populations, hormone replacement therapy, hormones in sports, gender dysphoria, additional info on the Gender Unicorn and more. They are just charming and kind and wonderful and this episode will help you understand just how many ways there are to be human. I’m off in the woods this week for a wedding, and I can’t think of a better occasion to revisit this one. Follow Dr. Daniel Pfau at Twitter.com/endokweerA donation went to MarshaP.orgMore links at alieward.com/ologies/NeuroendocrinologyEncoreSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesOther episodes you may enjoy are up at Pride Month: Guests to Know and LoveSponsors 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 XFollow @AlieWard on Instagram and XEditing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, Steven Ray Morris, Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jacob ChaffeeManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling Producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek Website by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

Feathery gills! Adorable smiles! Cultural icons! Habitat ecology! And superhuman limb regeneration? It’s an entire episode on axolotls. You either love these aquatic salamanders, or you’ve never heard of them. Clap your tiny slimy hands for Ambystomologist Dr. Jessica Whited of Harvard Medical School’s Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology who raises and studies these beautiful creatures — including the biomedical marvels being discovered. Also discussed: their narrow niche, the ecology movement to save them from wild endangerment, pet care ethics, color morphs, green glowing genetically modified ones and so much more. And of course: Minecraft.Follow Jessica on InstagramVisit the Whited Lab and browse Dr. Whited’s papers on ResearchGatePre-order her children’s book: Axolotl (Young Zoologist): A First Field Guide to the Amphibian That Never Grows Up (October 1, 2024)A donation went to ADOPTAXOLTL via Instituto de Biologia de la UNAMMore episode sources and linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesOther episodes you may enjoy: Stem Cell Biology (CELLS MAKING CELLS), Molecular Biology (PROTEINS), Evolutionary Biology (DARWINISM), Bufology (TOADS), Dipterology (FLIES), Diplopodology (MILLIPEDES & CENTIPEDES), Planariology (VERY COOL WORMS, I PROMISE)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 XFollow @AlieWard on Instagram and XEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jacob ChaffeeManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling Producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek Website by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

Part 2 is here! It’s wall to wall listener questions about magic mushrooms, LSD, ayahuasca ceremonies, set and setting, how mushrooms go stale, decriminalization, strains and potencies, placebos, the “Stoned Ape Theory,” neurodivergence, tripping in an MRI, recent F.D.A. hearings, astrophysics and psychedelics, and how to be a good trip sitter with a professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine and co-editor of the Handbook of Medical Hallucinogens, Dr. Charlie Grob. Also: the safest way to take psychedelics, what is reality, avoiding barfing and at the very end, my own first-person ramble about following clinical guidelines for a big trip. In Oregon. A donation was made to Human Rights WatchMore episode sources and linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesOther episodes you may enjoy: Oneirology (DREAMS), Mycology (MUSHROOMS), Molecular Neurobiology (BRAIN CHEMICALS), Quantum Ontology (WHAT IS REAL?), Quasithanatology (NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES), Cosmology (THE UNIVERSE), Thanatology (DEATH & DYING), Radiology (X-RAY VISION), Scotohylology (DARK MATTER), Futurology (THE FUTURE), Witchology (WITCHES & WITCHCRAFT), Ethnoecology (ETHNOBOTANY)Sponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, stickers, totes!Follow @Ologies on X and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on X and InstagramEditing 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

Magic mushrooms, LSD, ayahuasca ceremonies, DMT,  ketamine: take a trip into the science and research of hallucinogens.  Renowned psychiatry professor and psychedelics researcher Dr. Charles Grob of Harbor-UCLA Medical Center sits down to talk about ethnobotanical origins of psychedelics, how much LSD is too much LSD, what juices are squirting in the brain when you're tripping out, who should NOT take psychedelics, talking to dead people, antidepressants and mushrooms, the murky history of psychedelic research, and future paths of study that may help the world. Next week, wall-to-wall listener questions and some tales from your internet dad’s own  journey. Browse Dr. Grob’s publications on ResearchGateBuy his book, Hallucinogens: A ReaderA donation was made to Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant MedicinesMore episode sources and linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesOther episodes you may enjoy: Oneirology (DREAMS), Mycology (FUNGI), Molecular Neurobiology (BRAIN CHEMICALS), Quantum Ontology (WHAT IS REAL?), Quasithanatology (NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES), Cosmology (THE UNIVERSE), Thanatology (DEATH & DYING), Radiology (X-RAY VISION), Scotohylology (DARK MATTER), Futurology (THE FUTURE)Sponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, stickers, totes!Follow @Ologies on X and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on X and InstagramEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jacob ChaffeeManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling Producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek Website by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

Sexuality and disability! Invisible illnesses! Airline frustrations! How many of us are disabled! July is Disability Pride Month, and professor, researcher, activist, and Disability Sociologist Guinevere Chambers joins to bust myths and provide perspective on everything from the history of ableism to sign language to eyeglasses, the criminal justice system, caregiving, how to ask for what you need, handling curious strangers, disclosing disabilities, where ADHD and autism come into play, and how to follow this study path. Follow Guinevere Chambers on Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTubeA donation was made to HEARD (Helping Educate to Advance the Rights of the Deaf) and The Trevor ProjectMore episode sources and linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesOther episodes you may enjoy: Attention-Deficit Neuropsychology (ADHD), LIFE ADVICE: For anyone who is tired & needs some hacks, Traumatology (PTSD), Addictionology (ADDICTION), Fearology (FEAR), Systems Biology (MEDICAL MATHEMATICS), Virology (COVID-19), Carobology (NOT-CHOCOLATE TREES), Dolorology (PAIN)Sponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, stickers, totes!Follow @Ologies on X and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on X and InstagramEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jacob ChaffeeManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling Producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek Website by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn