Ologies with Alie Ward

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, rosé, orange, and white wines, stemware, judging a wine by its label, the best glass of wine he’s ever tasted, needless snobbery, aeration, decanting, and what thos...

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 exposure therapy + life advice and embarrassing tales from me, your actual biological father from the internet. Is it too long? Too bad! Is it too boring? I don’...

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, Meleagrologist, and turkey researcher,  Dr. Cyler Conrad. We’ll find out if they can fly, do they like to kiss, where did they get their audacity, turkeys versus my car...

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 “Life Unearthed” and answers a blizzard of questions about camping in the middle of an ice sheet, hauling microscopes to the ends of the Earth, what’s living in a dr...

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 heartache? Why does chronic pain persist? Can we turn down our pain dials? To answer these huge questions, pain psychologist Dr. Rachel Zoffness enthusiastically explain...

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 Smith College cannabis anthropologist Dr. Caroline Melly. We’ll probe the great mystery and misfortune of hyperemesis, the effect of THC on memory and neuroplastici...

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 anthropologist Dr. Caroline Melly covers the storied history of the weed’s trek across continents, the endocannabinoid system,  the “bliss” molecule, brain receptors...

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 bunny horns, finger backs, stolen weaponry, “buttflowers,” doomed first dates, high fashion, tiny eyes, gender fluidity, “Finding Nemo” cameos, the boardgame you...

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 field work, snow-capped mountains, narrow escapes, camera trap revelations, DNA discoveries, brinks of extinction, if big cats like big boxes, why tails can be bobbe...

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 “All About Allergies” Dr. Zachary Rubin. The Doc takes a quick break from his many demanding jobs to let me pepper him with questions about sneezing, allergy sho...

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 – and staring down the barrel of my first-ever colonoscope — I recorded tips, tricks, taste tests, foggy drug hazes, bar room advice, and finally my surprising resul...

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, butt plugs, heartburn, douches, bidets, farts, vacation constipation in the nation, ostomy awareness, second sphincters, Crown Jewels, pregnancy agonies, ‘roids,...

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, featuring advice from Joe Cunningham and Kule Haynes, plus dozens of friendly Ologies listeners/quilters. Cut up some scraps, pick up a needle,  and make something. Yo...

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 philosopher of tiny particles Dr. Adam Becker pulls up a seat. And enjoy this encore episode as Alie has an existential crisis or two as they discuss the drama,...

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 underappreciated and widely practiced arts in the world: quilting. We cover donated quilts, galleries vs. linen closets, incarcerated quilters, the ONE person you do not...

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 into a ball so you don’t die. Either/or, sometimes both. I went to his lab down at California State Long Beach, for a tour and a chat about armadillos, skunks, pan...

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 us, we wanted to give you a sampler platter/refresher on some of the best moments of last year’s episode. Because it's not just what we learned, but it’s the fr...

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, testing schedules, titillating vaccine developments, miracle medications, Brazilians, HIV magic, stepping out vs. opening up, toilet seats, antibiotics, new scientif...

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 down to chat in this encore episode about what ignited a passion for learning about his own history. Also: how to find your family through census records, county...

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 road to domestication, how much they can carry, whether you should ever saddle up on a donkey, mule genetics, zoo sexism, how to care for a donkey, what their noise...

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 ancient skulls, drawers of bones, and the evidence that changed how we think about chompers. Drop your jaws as we discuss the origins of teeth, why yours hurt,...

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 paganism of the midwinter slump, marmot parenthood, what they are singing into the wind, how to co-exist with one in your garden, why they don't get stressed about h...

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 the Planetary Science Institute. In what is sure to become an instant classic, Vickie will delight you with tales of space probes past and future, dazzling terr...

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 neuroscientist Dr. Jahla Osborne of University of Michigan. What is it like to get diagnosed? How do you know which medication – if any – is right for you? Why is there such...

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 popular Part 1 episode, we talk racing thoughts, brilliant brains and the causes and effects of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder with the world’s leading e...