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Emojis. Squirrels. Monsters. Tasmanian devils. Crow funerals. These are only a few episode matters of one in every of my favourite podcasts in the world: Ologies by Alie Ward. For these of you who usually are not accustomed to it, Ward interviews consultants of their respective fields — usually people who find themselves ologists — primatologists, anthropologists, speech pathologists, and so on. Her motto, “Ask Smart People Dumb Questions,” is ideal. She asks the questions that you simply need to ask however are too afraid to. She begins every episode determining what ology could be applicable for her visitor’s particular space of data, breaking down the origin of the phrases. Thanks to her, I do know that the brontosaurus could possibly be making a comeback. Ologies is a enjoyable method to find out about area of interest matters of the world, together with the sciences and cultures.
Ward breaks down the sophisticated ideas for listeners. She at all times dedicates a part of the interview to listener questions from her Patreon supporters. I really like the range of matters, from spiderwebs to feathers to vampires. It’s not unusual for one thing to cease me in my tracks whereas listening to the present. So, in honor of the nice Alie Ward, I made a decision to place collectively a listing of nonfiction books whose authors could be proper at house on the podcast (or, in not less than one case, they have already got!) I did my greatest to seek out the proper ology per e book, however I needed to guess just a few instances.
Lions and Bears (Carnivore Ecology)
Wild Life by Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant (April 2, 2024)
Let’s begin with one in every of the scientists who has been a visitor on the podcast, Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant, a wildlife ecologist who has studied carnivores, together with grizzly bears, African lions, and black bears. Wild Life is her memoir about her life, rising up in California and falling in love with the pure world. She decides to change into a scientist in a area not recognized for its range. Tracking her adventures in her fieldwork and childhood, she makes the case that we’re linked to everybody and all the pieces and wish to raised care and share with the world.
Halloween (Halloweenology)
Trick or Treat?: A History of Halloween by Lisa Morton
Yes, Halloween was just a few months in the past. But I don’t care. It’s at all times Halloween in our house. Morton presents an interesting take a look at the historical past of this most beloved vacation, putting down flim-flam about the day. What was so putting was how a lot of Halloween is a very fashionable invention, even the trick or treating. So, in case you are as bananas about Halloween as I’m, that is the e book for you.
The Cosmos (Cosmology)
Starstruck: A Memoir of Astrophysics and Finding Light in the Dark by Sarafina El-Badry Nance
This memoir of Egyptian American astrophysicist Sarafina El-Badry Nance is a love letter to the stars and a memoir about her battle to change into a scientist. She recounts falling in love with the sky as a baby whereas watching the cosmos along with her father but additionally her challenges in dealing with obstacles alongside the method, together with misogyny, racism, and even well being crises. Nance opens every chapter with classes about the cosmos, aiming to instill her love of the evening sky to the reader.
Coyotes (Cynology)
Americans Hate Coyotes: How the War on America’s Song Dog Began and Why it Persists by Jazmin Murphy
I’m placing my playing cards out on the desk: I truly love coyotes. One of my favourite experiences on the CTA was seeing the coyotes wandering round Graceland Cemetery from the Red Line. But I suppose different folks really feel in a different way about this canine. (Note: I attempted to seek out the proper ology for this line of examine however the examine of canines, which coyotes are, was the greatest I may discover.) Murphy tries to seek out out why coyotes are so maligned in the US, exploring the function of coyotes in historical past and environmental coverage. Save America’s Song Dog!
Food (Foodology)
Foodology: A Food Lover’s Guide to Digestive Health and Happiness by Dr. Saliha Mahmood Ahmed
I needed to embody this one: it’s obtained an ology proper there in the title! This work explores the world of meals and digestion. It’s half memoir of rising up on Indian road meals and half exploration of analysis on how meals impacts us individually. Plus, she’s included 50 recipes that can make your mouth and intestine joyful.
Giant Fish (Mega-Ichthyology)
Chasing Giants: In Search of the World’s Largest Freshwater Fish by Zeb Hogan and Stefan Lovgren
As Americans, we actually prefer to deal with the largest, the quickest, the most costly factor. So, whereas Hogan, the host of the tv present Monster Fish on National Geographic, units out on a quest to seek out the largest freshwater fish, what he actually finds is the ecological disaster for these magnificent monsters which were understudied and threatened by human actions. It’ll provide you with an appreciation of the unimaginable range of nature, from pigeon-eating wels catfish in France to arapaima in the waters of the Amazon River. It additionally makes a case for the significance of the examine of animals to offer a scientific foundation for his or her conservation.
Ocean (Oceanology)
The Blue Machine: How the Ocean Works by Helen Czerski
We know oceans are necessary for the planet, however how precisely do they do this factor they do? The oceans are in bother, however we have to know the way it works to even know how you can defend it. Czerski explains in Blue Machine the “ocean engine” and the way the machine works collectively. She combines ecology, historical past, tradition, physics, and extra to elucidate how the ocean has been capable of maintain us and different animals.
Resurrection (Resurrectology)
Making the Monster: The Science Behind Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein by Kathryn Harkup
Frankenstein has been on my thoughts of late, so I used to be thrilled to seek out out that Harkup had written this work. I had learn her wonderful e book about Agatha Christie and poisons in A is for Arsenic, however on this one, as a substitute of poison, she explores resurrection, specializing in the scientists who might have impressed Mary Shelley to jot down her masterpiece. If you need to know extra about 18th and Nineteenth-century science, physique snatching, and associated matters, that is the e book for you.
Again, I had no thought what ology to make use of, so I made a decision to coin one.
So that’s simply eight ologies that might match (or have already match) in Alie Ward’s podcast Ologies. If you need to get began with the podcast, I’m an enormous fan of Teratology (Monsters), Curiology (Emoji), Corvid Thanatology (Crow Funerals), Teuthology (Squids), and Ciderology (scrumptious apple drinks).
If you need extra science books, try this listing of Summer 2023 Science Books. If you need microhistories about numerous objects and ideas (from the umbrella to espresso), try this listing of fifty Must-Read Microhistories.
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