logo
episode-header-image
May 14
1h 33m

Araneology (SPIDERS) with Marshal Hedin

ALIE WARD
About this episode

Why would a spider have a frog best friend? Why do they love your shower? Does lemon repel them? Should you rehome them outside? Why so hairy? How do you identify the harmless ones? Which ones get kinky? Hey. This will be fun. If you’re afraid of spiders, this is the best first step to conquering that fear forever. If you love spiders, you’re in good company with Dr. Marshal Hedin, a San Diego State University professor who has dedicated his life to the diverse array of araneids. Also: why they need and deserve your love. 

Visit the Hedin Lab at SDSU and follow Dr. Hedin on Bluesky, iNaturalist, and Google Scholar

A donation went to the San Diego State University Biodiversity Museum

More episode sources and links

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may enjoy: Kinetic Salticidology (DANCING SPIDERS), Spidroinology (SPIDERWEBS), Fearology (FEAR), Herpetology (REPTILES), Culicidology (MOSQUITOES), Speleology (CAVES), Aperiology (MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY), Scorpiology (SCORPIONS), Entomology (INSECTS), Forest Entomology (CREEPY CRAWLIES)

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

Up next
Yesterday
Fromology (CHEESE) Part 1 with Kyra James
Soft. Hard. Fresh. Aged. Stinky. Illegal. Let’s talk cheese with Certified Cheese Professional (CCP) and Fromologist, Kyra James. We chat about proprietary bacterial slurries, basement caves, cheese knife etiquette, rind eating, vegetarian versus vegan cheeses, cheese history, di ... Show More
1h 10m
Jul 2
Lampyridology (FIREFLIES) aka Sparklebuttology Updated Encore with Sara Lewis
Let’s light up your life and butt. World-renowned firefly expert Dr. Sara Lewis of Tufts University gives us some updates to her 2021 episode, sharing her love of a bug that many think is merely mythological. Learn how these tiny animals illuminate the night, the dos and don’ts o ... Show More
1h 7m
Jun 25
Crotalology (RATTLESNAKES) with Emily Taylor
Fangs. Rattles. Misconceptions. Crawl out from under your rock for the angelic rattle of one of the world’s most maligned, misunderstood, gorgeous, mysterious, efficient creatures. Herpetology professor, rattlesnake scientist and thus, Crotalologist Dr. Emily Taylor discusses why ... Show More
1h 21m
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2022
Not-So-Spooky Spiders
As Halloween approaches, we take a look at an animal that is sometimes considered spooky: the spider. From "excessive leggy-ness" to powerful venom, Casey and Sara discuss why people might be creeped out by spiders, and whether or not they really deserve their bad reputation (spo ... Show More
1h 10m
Oct 2024
A Different Kind of Web Developer—Spiders!
In this episode, hosts Rick and Marco are learning all about our eight-legged friends, spiders! To find out more, they are speaking with Taylor Cook, the wildlife care supervisor for the entomology department at the San Diego Zoo. Some people might find arachnids a little scary, ... Show More
37m 2s
Jun 2024
Why should you be happy to see spiders in your home?
What's your relationship with spiders like? Some people are pretty terrified of them, and for many their first reaction is to grab something to squash them with. Most likely, encountering spiders at home is a regular occurrence, and they're actually more beneficial than you might ... Show More
4m 50s
Mar 2022
SpiderMindy to the Rescue: How Spider Silk Can Help the Planet!
Mindy is up on her roof dressed as a... 9 legged spider?! Learn what she has spinning up her sleeves as Mindy, Guy Raz, and the gang discover the WOWs of spiderwebs. Find out how these webs might just help our planet! It's the who, what, when, why, how, and WOW of vegan spider si ... Show More
23m 4s
Oct 2024
WeWow Creepy Crawly Week 2024 - Day 4: The Return of Spider-Spider (10/24/24)
It's Day 4 of WeWow Creepy Crawly Week! Who doesn't love comic book superheroes? Dennis and Reggie tell their creepy crawly new cockroach friend a supernatural spider story, plus an encore of "Slingshot Spider!" Grownups, for more Halloween ideas and activities for your Wowzers, ... Show More
28m 35s
Aug 2024
Why we get scared—and why we like it
Jack Rodolico knows exactly what scares him. Sharks. But here’s what he doesn’t get: if he’s so freaked out, why can’t he stop incessantly watching online videos of bloody shark attacks? Why would he deliberately seek out the very thing that spooks him?To figure it out, Jack enli ... Show More
35m 53s
Oct 2024
Exploring the Science of Spookiness at the Recreational Fear Lab
Why do so many of us love a good scare? Whether it’s horror movies, haunted houses or creepy podcasts, there’s something thrilling about feeling spooked—especially around Halloween. In this episode, host Rachel Feltman dives into our fascination with fear and morbid curiosity wit ... Show More
17m 32s
Dec 2024
Short Stuff: Joro Spiders
These invasive spiders are everywhere these days. But how did they get to the USA and are they harmful?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
12m 11s
Dec 2023
771: Vegemite, Japanese Baby Names, & Mother God
Susie's annoyed about all the vacations Sarah takes, and Sarah is sorry not sorry. (Susie is just jealous.) We don't really understand Susie's new/old obsession with Australia, but now we're having to try vegemite for funsies, and it is truly a wild experience. We learn why Susie ... Show More
1h 24m