Wolf howls, wolf packs, wolf history and more! We’re dishing up a puppy-sized and kid-friendly Smologies with lupinologist and Princeton professor Dr. Brigette vonHoldt. Learn about wolf populations, canine family dynamics, Game of Thrones direwolves, if wolves howl at the moon, myths and truths about alphas, and how you can help our lupine friends.

The vonHoldt Lab

Benefunder for Dr. vonHoldt

A donation went to Red Wolf Coalition

Full-length (*not* G-rated) Lupinology episode + tons of science links

More kid-friendly Smologies episodes!

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!

Follow @Ologies on X and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on X and Instagram

Sound editing by Zeke Thomas Rodrigues & Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media and Steven Ray Morris

Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Mercedes Maitland, Kelly R. Dwyer, Emily White, & Erin Talbert

Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

What is happiness? How do our circumstances affect happiness? Why is the word “gratitude” kinda cringey? What can we do to feel better? Should we try to feel happy all the time? Yale cognitive scientist, Eudemonologist, and host of The Happiness Lab podcast Dr. Laurie Santos chats about how scientists measure human happiness and what their research has shown helps achieve it, even during the worst of times. Also: silver medal face, which will make sense when you listen.

Follow Dr. Laurie Santos on Instagram

Her podcast The Happiness Lab

Donations went to DonorsChoose.org

Full-length (*not* G-rated) Eudemonology episode + tons of science links

More kid-friendly Smologies episodes!

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!

Follow @Ologies on X and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on X and Instagram

Sound editing by Zeke Thomas Rodrigues, Steven Ray Morris, Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, Jacob Chaffee, & Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions

Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer, Aveline Malek, & Erin Talbert

Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm

At long last: an episode dedicated to veterinary medicine! Dr. Terrence Ferguson & Dr. Vernard Hodges have been friends for nearly 30 years and have co-owned their rural Georgia veterinary clinic, Critter Fixers, for over 20 years. The two wonderful buddies talk about getting accepted into vet school, caring for spiders & camels & lizards & toads & kittens & doggos, the weirdest things they’ve extracted from animal tummies, if our pets love us back, keeping kidneys healthy, grain-free diets, what to do if your (Alie’s) dog is plumping up by a few pounds, what they wish animal owners knew, when it’s time to let go vs. keep treating a pet, the daily rollercoaster of emotions that come with vet med -- and their charming, informative show “Critter Fixers: Country Vets” on NatGeo Wild.

Follow Dr. Hodges & Dr. Ferguson on Instagram & check out their vet practice

Watch “Critter Fixers: Country Vets” on National Geographic

A donation went to It Takes a Village Foundation

Full-length (*not* G-rated) Veterinary Biology episode + tons of science links

More kid-friendly Smologies episodes!

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!

Follow @Ologies on X and Instagram

Follow @AlieWard on X and Instagram

Sound editing by Zeke Thomas Rodrigues & Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media and Steven Ray Morris

Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Mercedes Maitland, Kelly R. Dwyer, Emily White, & Erin Talbert

Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm