''Ologies with Alie Ward'', also known as ''Ologies'', is a weekly science podcast hosted by

Alie Ward Alison Ann "Alie" Ward (born November 6, 1976) is an American writer, actress, and television and podcast host. Born in California, Ward graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a degree in cinema. In 2016, she won an Emmy ...

. Each episode, Ward interviews an expert from a distinct scientific field (

somnology Somnology is the scientific study of sleep. It includes clinical study and treatment of sleep disorders and irregularities. Sleep medicine is a subset of somnology. History After the invention of the EEG, the stages of sleep were determined in 1 ...

bryology Bryology (from Greek , a moss, a liverwort) is the branch of botany concerned with the scientific study of bryophytes (mosses, liverworts, and hornworts). Bryologists are people who have an active interest in observing, recording, classifying or ...

, philematology, etc.). ''Ologies'' is usually one of the top three science podcasts on

Apple Podcasts Apple Podcasts (known as simply Podcasts in Apple operating systems) is an audio streaming service and media player application developed by Apple Inc. for playing podcasts. Apple began supporting podcasts with iTunes 4.9 released in June 20 ...

. It is often cited by university newspapers and blogs as an example of how to make science communication more accessible and interesting. When recording the episodes, Ward aims to avoid "expert sound bites" in favor of a more conversational tone, and she cuts in segments to explain concepts that her guests introduce.

History

Ward first had the idea for the podcast in 2002. Further inspiration built when a visit to the

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is the largest natural and historical museum in the western United States. Its collections include nearly 35 million specimens and artifacts and cover 4.5 billion years of history. This large coll ...

in 2013 led into a weekly volunteer shift and a career change into science communications for Ward. After building a following on

Patreon Patreon (, ) is a membership platform that provides business tools for content creators to run a subscription service. It helps creators and artists earn a monthly income by providing rewards and perks to their subscribers. Patreon charges a co ...

, Ward launched ''Ologies'' in 2017. By February 2021, ''Ologies'' released more than 130 episodes and acquired more than 50 million downloads. In July 2021, ''Ologies'' began releasing shortened versions of classic episodes called "Smologies." Edited specifically for classrooms, Smologies episodes run roughly 20 minutes, and do not have profanity.

Awards and recognition

* 2019: ''Time Magazine'' named it one of the 50 best podcasts of the year. * 2022: the

iHeartRadio Podcast Awards The iHeartRadio Podcast Awards is a podcast awards show that celebrates podcasts heard throughout the year across List of radio stations owned by iHeartMedia, iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide and on iHeartRadio, iHeartMedia's digital music p ...

named ''Ologies'' “Best Science Podcast” and the

Webby Awards The Webby Awards are awards for excellence on the Internet presented annually by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a judging body composed of over two thousand industry experts and technology innovators. Categories include ...

honored Ward “Best Podcast Host.” * 2023: named as one of ''Town & Country'''s "top 23 podcasts of 2023." * 2024: won Best Science & Technology Podcast at

The Shorty Awards The Shorty Awards (also known as “The Shortys”) honors the most innovative work globally in digital and social media by brands, agencies, nonprofits and creators. The Shortys’ mission is to celebrate, inspire and push the boundaries of exce ...

and was listed under "Best Science Podcasts" in ''

Wired ''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San Fra ...

s list of 60 best podcasts of 2024.

References

{{Podcasting Audio podcasts 2017 podcast debuts Infotainment Science podcasts Webby Award winners American podcasts Independent podcasts

History

Awards and recognition

See also

References