Ologies with Alie Ward

El Niño. La Niña. United Nations Environment Programme doomerism? It’s been a helluva week for Meteorologists and the humans who live on planet Earth, so we made you a fresh episode recorded just days ago with our favorite climate scientist, professor, author, and Weather Geeks podcast host, Dr. Marshall Shepherd.
What is going on with this hurricane season? How do Pacific waters affect you all over the globe, what’s behind the headlines of the UN’s “strategic retreat” on climate change mitigation, how have El Niño weather patterns changed over time, what’s dust from Africa got to do with it, should you quit your job and start a roofing company?
And if you’re like: dude I don't know if I can handle weather gloom: I implore you to listen so you know the flim-flam, how to read these climate articles in the news, what to tell friends and family who otherwise might not care, and how you can instigate change and keep yourself safe.
Visit Dr. Shepherd’s website and follow him on Instagram, TikTok, and Bluesky
Listen to his podcast Weather Geeks
A donation went to the Institute for Sustainable Communities
More episode sources and links
Other episodes you may enjoy: Meteorology (WEATHER & CLIMATE), Oceanology (OCEANS), Tempestology (HURRICANES), Climate Fervorology (ECO-ADVOCACY WITHOUT IT BEING A BUMMER), Fire Ecology (WILDFIRES), Fulminology (LIGHTNING), Nephology (CLOUDS), Phenology (FALL/SEASONS), Disasterology (DISASTERS), Conservation Technology (EARTH SAVING)
400+ Ologies episodes sorted by topic
Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes
Sponsors of Ologies
Transcripts and bleeped episodes
Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month
OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!
Follow Ologies on Instagram and Bluesky
Follow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTok
Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jake Chaffee
Managing Director: Susan Hale
Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth
Transcripts by Aveline Malek
Website by Kelly R. Dwyer
Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Bomb cyclones! Polar vortices! Atmospheric rivers! And rained out barbecues. One of the world’s leading Meteorologists, Dr. Marshall Shepherd – a former NASA scientist and current Professor of Geography and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Georgia – is here to field a downpour of questions. We chat about percentages in forecasts, hail, sleet, storm chasing, heatwaves, fluid dynamics, TV weather people, climate change delayism and his favorite weather-themed movies. Also: what not to do with a weather balloon.
Visit Dr. Shepherd’s website and follow him on Instagram, TikTok, and Bluesky
Listen to his podcast Weather Geeks
A donation went to the Institute for Sustainable Communities
More episode sources and links
Other episodes you may enjoy: Tempestology (HURRICANES), Fulminology (LIGHTNING), Nephology (CLOUDS), Snow Hydrology (SNOW/AVALANCHES), Cryoseismology (ICEQUAKES), Astrobiology (ALIENS), Oceanology (OCEANS), Phenology (FALL/SEASONS), Spesh Ep: Drawdown Design Project
400+ Ologies episodes sorted by topic
Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes
Sponsors of Ologies
Transcripts and bleeped episodes
Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month
OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!
Follow Ologies on Instagram and Bluesky
Follow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTok
Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and engineering by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media
Managing Director: Susan Hale
Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth
Transcripts by Aveline Malek
Website by Kelly R. Dwyer
Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Rituals. Gatherings. Celebrations. Surprise parties. Weekend getaways. Campfires and birthday candles are in our DNA, and colleagues/social psychologists Dr. Danielle Brick & Dr. Kelley Gullo-Wight explain why. This conversation was like if you got seated at a dinner party next to two friends who study why we have dinner parties. We cover the neuroscience of anticipation, how much is too much for the ‘gram, a time machine to the middle ages, and how enjoying the good times together helps us weather our storms.
Follow Dr. Brick on Google Scholar
Visit Dr. Gullo-Wight’s website and follow her on Google Scholar
Donations went to Middle Way House and Rosie’s Place
More episode sources and links
Other episodes you may enjoy: Matrimoniology (MARRIAGE), Fanthropology (FANDOM), Eudemonology (HAPPINESS), Awesomeology (GRATITUDE FOR LITTLE THINGS), Funology (YES, FUN), Food Anthropology (FEASTS), Zymology (BEER), Mixology (COCKTAILS), Enology (HOW TO DRINK WINE), Indigenous Fire Ecology (GOOD FIRE)
400+ Ologies episodes sorted by topic
Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes
Sponsors of Ologies
Transcripts and bleeped episodes
Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month
OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!
Follow Ologies on Instagram and Bluesky
Follow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTok
Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jake Chaffee
Managing Director: Susan Hale
Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth
Transcripts by Aveline Malek
Website by Kelly R. Dwyer
Theme song by Nick Thorburn



Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Creatures in inky trenches. Exploring the sea floor. Mud medicine. Tube worms. Harvard professor and Deep Sea Microbiology legend Dr. Peter Girguis tells tales of ocean expeditions and answers questions about extremophiles, life on other planets, Atlantis, shark encounters, methane munching, hydronauts, Trekkie trivia, the safety of submersibles, deep sea simulations, and how ocean organisms may just save your life.

Visit the Girguis Laboratory and follow Dr. Girguis on Google Scholar

A donation went to the National Immigration Law Center

More episode sources and links

Other episodes you may enjoy: Oceanology (OCEANS), Teuthology (SQUIDS), Medusology (JELLYFISH), Toxinology (JELLYFISH VENOM), Benthopelagic Nematology (DEEP SEA WORMS), Ichthyology (FISHES), Tardigradology (TINY SEMI-INDESTRUCTIBLE WATER BEAR MOSS PIGLET CREATURES CALLED TARDIGRADES), Evolutionary Biology (DARWINISM), Maritime Archaeology (SHIPWRECKS)

400+ Ologies episodes sorted by topic

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!

Follow Ologies on Instagram and Bluesky

Follow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTok

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jake Chaffee

Managing Director: Susan Hale

Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth

Transcripts by Aveline Malek

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn



Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What happens when you've been sprayed nine times in the face by a skunk? Part 2 with Mephitologist Dr. Jerry Dragoo answers that question. Also on the agenda: pet skunks, lavender skunks, skunk family planning, Pepe Le Pew on trial, why some of us enjoy the stench, how to handle a skunk approach, if skunks can smell themselves, and the very bizarre circumstances by which this guest first rose to international skunk fame. Also: the proper way to watch a skunk.

Check out the Dragoo Institute for the Betterment of Skunks and Skunk Reputations

A donation went to Friends of Big Bear Valley

“We Meet At Last” skunk shirt by jbstink.com

More episode sources and links

Other episodes you may enjoy: Zoohoplology (ANIMAL DEFENSES), Procyonology (RACCOONS), Sciuridology (SQUIRRELS), Lutrinology (OTTERS), Mammalogy (MAMMALS), Road Ecology (ROAD KILL), Discard Anthropology (GARBAGE), Indigenous Fashionology (NATIVE CLOTHING), Literary Olfactology (THE POLITICS OF SMELL), Disgustology (REPULSION TO GROSS STUFF), Meteorology (WEATHER & CLIMATE)

400+ Ologies episodes sorted by topic

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!

Follow Ologies on Instagram and Bluesky

Follow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTok

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jake Chaffee

Managing Director: Susan Hale

Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth

Transcripts by Aveline Malek 

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.