Ologies with Alie Ward | |
---|---|
Presentation | |
Hosted by | Alie Ward |
Genre | Science |
Language | English |
Updates | Weekly |
Production | |
Theme music composed by | Nick Thorburn |
Publication | |
Original release | 2017 |
Related | |
Website | ologies.com |
Ologies with Alie Ward, also known as Ologies, is a weekly science podcast hosted by Alie Ward. Each episode, Ward interviews an expert from a distinct scientific field (somnology, bryology, philematology, etc.).[1] Ologies is usually one of the top three science podcasts on Apple Podcasts.[2] It is often cited by university newspapers and blogs as an example of how to make science communication more accessible and interesting.[3][4][5]
Ward first had the idea for the podcast in 2002.[2] Further inspiration built when a visit to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County in 2013 led into a weekly volunteer shift and a career change into science communications for Ward.[6] After building a following on Patreon,[7] Ward launched Ologies in 2017.[2] By February 2021, Ologies released more than 130 episodes and acquired more than 50 million downloads.[2]
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.[8]
In 2019, Time Magazine named it one of the 50 best podcasts of the year.[9]
In 2022, the iHeartRadio Podcast Awards named Ologies “Best Science Podcast” and the Webby Awards honored Ward “Best Podcast Host.”[10][11]