What is a rock? How big is a boulder? Why are they pretty and heavy? It’s rock talk with a true enthusiast, the charming and beloved Geologist Schmitty Thompson. Schmitty walks us through different types of rocks, minerals, geological formations, roadside wonders, countertop crystals, stone skipping, and why you should stare lovingly into a pit of gravel. Th ... Show More
Aug 12
Noctohabitology (SLEEP PROCRASTINATION) with Vanessa “Nessy” Hill
Late night scrolling. Couchlock. Habitual insomnia. You want to sleep — so why won’t you turn off the light, dumplin’? We’ve got someone for that: sleep scientist, globally known PBS correspondent, host of the series Braincraft, and Noctohabitologist, Dr. Vanessa “Nessy” Hill. So ... Show More
1h 37m
Aug 5
Hyaenidology (HYENAS) with Christine Wilkinson
Giggles. Pseudopenises. Matriarchies? Media slander. Hyaenidologist Dr. Christine Wilkinson delivers stories about the nature of matrilinearity, hot Lion King gossip, bristle backs, tiny heads, big teeth, animation errors, human-hyena interactions, tongue bumps, termite poisons, ... Show More
1h 16m
Jul 2025
She Turned Geology Into a Content Goldmine
There’s an influencer for everything—including the intersection of geology, volcanology, academia, and queer joy. This week, we are chatting with Denali (@dykanite), a PhD student and science communicator with nearly 300k Instagram followers whose viral posts make earth science f ... Show More
51m 6s
May 2023
Cosmic Queries – Volcanoes & Life in the Universe
<p>Have we disproven the idea of a “goldilocks zone”? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Paul Mecurio learn about space geology, magnetic fields, volcanoes, and the origins of life with cosmochemist Natalie Starkey, PhD.</p><p>NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episo ... Show More
51m 26s
May 2024
Introducing Smologies: The Shorter, Kid-Safe Ologies
<p>Ologies → Smologies. It’s all of the science, with none of the swearing! Smologies are shortened, kid-friendly episodes of the award-winning science podcast, Ologies, which covers topics from Toads (Bufology) to the Moon (Selenology) and everything in between. Enjoy clean and ... Show More
4m 25s
May 2024
THE MOON with Raquel Nuno
<p>In this throwback to our first ever Smologies episode - originally aired on our grown-up <a href="https://www.alieward.com/ologies">Ologies</a> feed - planetary geologist and selenologist Raquel Nuno chats about when the moon formed, what its made of, how moon phases work, gra ... Show More
26m 35s
Jun 2024
SPACE JUNK with Alice Gorman
<p>Gaze into the cosmos and wonder at broken satellites, retired rockets and shattered contraptions. Archaeologist Dr. Alice Gorman is a leading expert on orbital debris and chats about what’s up there, how it got there, and how to get it down. Strap in to hear about everything f ... Show More
24m 39s