Field Trip: An Airport Full of Neuroscientists

You love pigeons. You might not know it yet. Espionage! Fancy breeds! Internal GPS! Weird feet! Should you be afraid of them? Should you adopt one? Pigeon advocate, comic artist and author of “A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching,” Rosemary Mosco finally joins to answer all of our questions in a beautifully mellow and melodious wall-to-wall pigeon exploration. I loved every minute of making this one and if you stick around for the secret, I’ll take you behind-the-scenes. Listen, then sit on a bench and watch your new friends.Visit Rosemary’s website and follow her on Instagram, TikTok, and XBrowse Rosemary’s books including A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching: Getting to Know the World’s Most Misunderstood Bird and There Are No Ants in This BookRead Rosemary’s nature comic Bird and Moon and support on PatreonDonations went to Great Lakes Pigeon Rescue and PalomacyMore episode sources and linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesOther episodes you may enjoy: Ornithology (BIRDS), Plumology (FEATHERS), Chickenology (HENS & ROOSTERS), Oology (EGGS), Urban Rodentology (SEWER RATS), Egyptology (ANCIENT EGYPT), Scatology (POOP), FIELD TRIP: Birds of Prey and Raptor FactsSponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!Follow @Ologies on Instagram and XFollow @AlieWard on Instagram and XEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jacob ChaffeeManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek Website by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

Do trees have feelings? How do they talk? Which trees can you use to make syrup? Do bananas really grow on trees? Possibly the world's most enthusiastic tree expert, J. Casey Clapp, explains what makes coastal redwoods the coolest trees, how roots communicate with each other, and why a tree is like a cup of tea. Plus: bonus guest appearance by our friends (and the trees’), fungi.  Follow Casey Clapp on InstagramListen to his podcast, Completely Arbortrary: https://linktr.ee/arbortrarypod/A donation went to EcoTrust.orgFull-length (*not* G-rated) Dendrology episode + tons of science linksMore kid-friendly Smologies episodes!Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter and InstagramSound editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Steven Ray MorrisMade possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer, Emily White, & Erin TalbertSmologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

Come along like a frog in my pocket for an adventure to see an eclipse. After last week’s Heliology episode on the Sun, I rushed out of state to see what the fuss was about and to witness my first ever total eclipse of the Sun. Did it go as planned? Of course not? Did it work out? You’ll have to listen. We’ve got: a rollercoaster of emotions, last-minute pivots, chats with strangers, highway scenery, hope, anxiety, awe, and tears as we see if my seven-year wait for totality pans out. A donation went to Functional MagicCheck out Veritasium on YouTubeVisit Dr. Teagan Wall’s website and follow her on Instagram and XJarrett’s Webby-nominated Avatar: The Last Airbender podcast, “Braving the Elements” More episode sources and linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesOther episodes you may enjoy: Heliology (THE SUN/ECLIPSES), Selenology (THE MOON), Cosmology (THE UNIVERSE), Meteorology (WEATHER & CLIMATE), Nephology (CLOUDS), FIELD TRIP: Alie’s Mystery Surgery, Disasterology (DISASTERS), Genicular Traumatology (BAD KNEES)Sponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!Follow @Ologies on Instagram and XFollow @AlieWard on Instagram and XEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jacob ChaffeeManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek Website by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

Sunset flimflam! Auroras! Eclipse tips! Let’s get to know the center of our solar system, the Sun,  as the April 8th eclipse approaches. What is it made of? How big is it? Will it explode soon? Why can’t I stare at it? And why is it wearing sunglasses? Dr. Michael Kirk and almost-Dr. India Jackson are brilliant and charming Heliologists who have both worked with NASA’s heliophysics departments. Get to know them and also the giant hot plasma ball we revolve around. You’ll never (not look at it) the same. Follow Michael on Google ScholarVisit India’s website and follow her on Instagram, X and Google ScholarWatch NASA’s Total Solar Eclipse Live Broadcast on April 8, 2024Donations went to Astronomers Without Borders and the Grady Memorial Hospital Health FoundationMore episode sources and linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesOther episodes you may enjoy: Selenology (THE MOON), Cosmology (THE UNIVERSE), Meteorology (WEATHER & CLIMATE), Nephology (CLOUDS), Black Hole Theory Cosmology (WHAT ARE BLACK HOLES?!), Discard Anthropology (GARBAGE), Tiktokology (THE TIKTOK APP), Space Archaeology (SPACE JUNK), Aerology (MARS), Quantum Ontology (WHAT IS REAL?)Sponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!Follow @Ologies on Instagram and XFollow @AlieWard on Instagram and XEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jacob ChaffeeManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek Website by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

Spine mysteries, face purses, limericks, flim flam, flags, divebombs, sibling rivalries, and more! The warm and wonderful pelicanologist Juita Martinez studies these glorious dinosaurs and shares what it’s like to hold a floofy baby sea bird, how these birds’ ecosystems are being restored, and what she loves about being in nature. Also: How much fish can they fit in there, anyway?A donation went to BackyardBasecamp.orgFull-length (*not* G-rated) Pelicanology episode + tons of science linksMore kid-friendly Smologies episodes!Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter and InstagramSound editing by, and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, Steven Ray Morris, and Mercedes Maitland of Maitland AudioMade possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer, Emily White, & Erin TalbertSmologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

Taboos. Intolerable foods. Sad songs. Sexy kinks. Candy that looks like poo. Let’s get a little gross, shall we? The foremost expert in disgust, Dr. Paul Rozin, chats about the emotions related to revulsion – and BOY HOWDY do we cover some ground. Why do some things gross us out and others don’t? Can we change that? Learn how research psychologists study disgust, from butterflies to bigotry, and from pranks to power dynamics. Maybe don’t eat lunch while you listen, but definitely tune in to learn how to conquer some fears. Browse Dr. Rozin’s publications on Google ScholarDonations went to InterAct Theatre Company and the International OCD FoundationMore episode sources and linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesOther episodes you may enjoy: Personality Psychology (PERSONALITIES), Scatology (POOP), Gelotology (LAUGHTER), Gustology (TASTE), Attention-Deficit Neuropsychology (ADHD) Part 1 & Part 2, Dipterology (FLIES), Chickenology (HENS & ROOSTERS), FIELD TRIP: Alie’s Mystery SurgerySponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!Follow @Ologies on Instagram and XFollow @AlieWard on Instagram and XEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jake ChaffeeManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek and The WordaryWebsite by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

Where have I been? What surgery did I have? Am I going to die? I took you along for the whole wacky, sometimes scary process in hopes it might help someone and urge you all to draft up your wills and call your doctors if anything seems weird. If you think this thing has *nothing* to do with your own life, you’ll learn why it very much indeed does. Cryptic! What am I, a princess? Tune in for the journey of the last few months behind the scenes at Dadward HQ. And thank you for all of the support, for reals. Onward!More episode sources and linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesOther episodes you may enjoy: FIELD TRIP: My Butt, A Colonoscopy Ride-Along & How To, Gynecology (NETHER HEALTH), Attention-Deficit Neuropsychology (ADHD) Part 1 & Part 2, Sports & Performance Psychology (ANXIETY & CONFIDENCE), Traumatology (PTSD), Dolorology (PAIN), Urology (CROTCH PARTS), Phallology (PENISES), Surgical Oncology (BREAST CANCER), Genicular Traumatology (BAD KNEES)Sponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!Follow @Ologies on Instagram and XFollow @AlieWard on Instagram and XEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio ProductionsManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek and The WordaryWebsite by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

Peach fuzz. Chin hairs. Mammalian ponytails. WHY DO THEY HAPPEN. Yale researcher and associate professor Dr. Valerie Horsley stops by California to chat with Alie about the nature of hair and what it has to do with skin and nails, stem cells, how it grows, why some of us have curly hair or straight hair or thin hair or thick hair, and why we love and hate and need our hair as animals.Dr. Valerie Horsely is on FacebookThe Horsely Lab at YaleFull-length (*not* G-rated) Trichology episode + tons of science linksMore kid-friendly Smologies episodes!Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!Follow @Ologies on X and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on X and InstagramSound editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Steven Ray MorrisMade possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer & Erin TalbertSmologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

Why does clutter happen? How can we get rid of it and how will it affect us psychologically if we do? Buckle up for an encore that will lift your spirits and quite possibly change your life. We all have unfolded piles of laundry, that closet we don’t want to open, a tornado of papers on our desk that seems impossible to sort through. Enter: Oikology, the science of keeping things contained. Alie hunted down world-famous professional organizers, Jamie & Filip Hord of Horderly to chat about -- FIRST OFF-- their name, plus gender and messes, when to call in a pro to help, the step-by-step process to tackle the entropy in your home and life, what do do about gifts you don’t want, what tools you might need, the KonMari method, how to overcome the emotional attachment to objects, and why decluttering becomes addictive. We also called in the big guns, research psychologist Dr. Joe Ferrari of DePaul university, to share his research on clutter, its psychological causes and effects, if the “spark joy” method works for everyone, when to call a professional organizer and how many pants is too many pants. Also: dispatches from my own front lines. This episode already changed my own life… and closet.Visit Jamie and Filip Hord’s website and follow them on Instagram, X. and YouTubeListen to Dr. Ferrari in the Volitional Psychology (PROCRASTINATION) episode and check out his book: Still Procrastinating?Donations went to Dress for Success and the Institute for Challenging DisorganizationMore episode sources & linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesOther episodes you may enjoy: Attention-Deficit Neuropsychology (ADHD) Part 1 & Part 2, LIFE ADVICE, Volitional Psychology (PROCRASTINATION), Eudemonology (HAPPINESS), Discard Anthropology (GARBAGE), Disinfectology (BLEACH)Sponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!Follow @Ologies on Instagram and XFollow @AlieWard on Instagram and XEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions, Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media & Steven Ray MorrisManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek and The WordaryWebsite by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

Ever poked at roadkill? Watched videos of whales exploding? Drooled over a curio cabinet full of claws & bones? Peered into a jar with a pickled toad? Then this one is for you. Whether you’ve heard it before or are new to this classic ep, you’re sure to be delighted by this Ologist’s storytelling. Arguably the world's most famous comparative anatomist (and pretty-much-also functional morphologist) Dr. Joy Reidenberg pulls up a chair at Mt. Sinai Hospital to talk about her fascinating backstory, exploding whales, taxidermied chipmunks, dead toadfish, animal's weird anatomy and its function and how it might help human health. She is absolutely amazing and you will become obsessed with her work.Dr. Joy Reidenberg on X &  FacebookBrowse her publications on ResearchGateMore episode sources & linksSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesOther episodes you may enjoy: Evolutionary Biology (DARWINISM), Veterinary Biology (CRITTER FIXING), Nassology (TAXIDERMY), Road Ecology (ROAD KILL), Acoustic Ecology (NATURE RECORDINGS), Procyonology (RACCOONS), Lemurology (LEMURS), Delphinology (DOLPHINS), Ichthyology (FISHES), Mammalogy (MAMMALS), Ornithology (BIRDS) Sponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!Follow @Ologies on Instagram and XFollow @AlieWard on Instagram and XEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Steven Ray MorrisManaging Director: Susan HaleScheduling producer: Noel DilworthTranscripts by Aveline Malek and The WordaryWebsite by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn