What’s the difference between Southern cooking and “soul food?” Is there a correct type of mac and cheese? And whose business is it what you eat? (Hint: no one’s). Culinary historian, scholar of African American life and culture critic Dr. Psyche Williams-Forson is a professor at University of Maryland College Park and department chair in the Department of American Studies. She also authored the books “Eating While Black: Food Shaming and Race in America” and “Building Houses out of Chicken Legs: Black Women, Food, and Power.” We chat about everything from oral traditions to “soul food” in popular culture, gendered roles in cooking, hyperlocal produce, systemic oppression and why someone would make chicken without seasoning it. On national television. Visit Dr. Psyche Williams-Torson’s website and follow her on Instagram and TwitterBuy Dr. Williams-Torson’s books: Eating While Black: Food Shaming and Race in America and Building Houses out of Chicken Legs: Black Women, Food, and PowerA donation went to: Cultivate Charlottesville  More episode sources and linksOther episodes you may enjoy: Glycobiology (CARBS), Microbiology (GUT BIOME), Indigenous Cuisinology (NATIVE COOKING), Food Anthropology (FEASTS), Bisonology (BUFFALO), Critical Ecology (SOCIAL SYSTEMS + ENVIRONMENT), Melaninology (SKIN/HAIR PIGMENT), Black AF in STEM, Genealogy (FAMILY TREES)Sponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesBecome 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 InstagramEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media and Mark David ChristensonTranscripts by Emily White of The WordaryWebsite by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

Jump in, we’re going to the Valley to talk to cool, funny screenwriters about ... Artificial intelligence-drafted scripts! Trillion-dollar companies pretending they’re broke! Emmy-nominated writers with side hustles! Teamster bosses dropping mics! What an exciting time to gossip about Hollywood… labor unions! Listen, we all love watching our Programs and laughing, learning and loving. But things are getting WEIRD behind the scenes, and the Writers Guild of America is on strike, showing up in picket lines in front of movie and TV studios. Sometimes in costume. Sometimes with live mariachi bands. And always with the wittiest signs in showbiz, baby. I heard from the writers themselves about why this strike is so important in a rise in labor awareness all over the world. I meant for this episode to be 20 minutes long, but turns out – it’s pretty juicy. WGA On StrikeA donation went to the Entertainment Community Fund and the new Choreographers Guild (Twitter / Instagram)More about the strikers:WGA Board Member Dailyn Rodriguez - IMDB / Instagram / TwitterTeagan Wall - IMDB / website / Instagram / TwitterWGA Negotiating Committee Member Danielle Sanchez-Witzel -IMDB / Bio / TwitterLa ListaStephen Langford - IMDB / TwitterWGA Captain Judalina Neira - IMDB / website / Instagram / TwitterOmar Ponce - IMDB / websiteErica Harrell - IMDBFlaco Navaja - IMDB / Instagram / TwitterWGA Captain Jimmy Clabots - IMDB / Instagram / TwitterElle Lipson - IMDB / website / TwitterAnnie Mebane - IMDB / TwitterSam Laybourne - IMDBAnd choreographer Kathryn Burns - IMDBSponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesBecome 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 InstagramEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam MediaTranscripts by Emily White of The WordaryWebsite by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

It’s 2-for-1! Ticks AND Lyme: together in one helpful, disgusting, gossipy, empowering episode. This pair of episodes is about tiny, thirsty ticks and the diseases they spit into you is wall to wall wisdom from Dr. Neeta Pardanani Connally of the West Connecticut State University Tick Lab and Dr. Andrea Swei of SFSU’s Swei Lab cover how to remove a tick, if you should spray your yard and with what, how landscaping affects tick exposure, why Lyme Disease is spreading, the Lone Star Tick rolling into town, how to protect your pets and why the CC ruined poppyseed muffins. Also: Powassan virus, meat allergies, paralysis ticks, and twin princesses Borrelia and Babesia. Dr. Neeta Pardanani Connally and  Dr. Andrea Swei will charm their way into your heart like a hypostome under your skin.Dr. Neeta Pardanani Connally’s videos, website, Twitter and InstagramFollow Dr. Andrea Swei and her lab SweiLab on TwitterDonations were made to TickEncounter, Union of Concerned Scientists, and 826 ValenciaMore episode sources and linksOther episodes you may enjoy: Opossumology (O/POSSUMS), Scorpiology (SCORPIONS), Epidemiology (DISEASES), Cervidology (DEER), Forest Entomology (CREEPY CRAWLIES), Planariology (VERY COOL WORMS, I PROMISE, Dipterology (FLIES), Kinetic Salticidology (DANCING SPIDERS), Diplopodology (MILLIPEDES & CENTIPEDES), Myrmecology (ANTS), Sparklebuttology (FIREFLIES), Spheksology (WASPS), Lepidopterology (BUTTERFLIES), Melittology (BEES), Entomology (INSECTS), Urban Rodentology (SEWER RATS)Sponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesBecome 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 InstagramEditing by Steven Ray Morris, Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions, and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam MediaTranscripts by Emily White of The WordaryWebsite by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

Invisibility cloaks. Transparent frogs. Stealth bombers. Gorilla mischief. Theoretical optical physicist and Invisible Photologist Dr. Greg Gbur joins Alie to chat about light, illusions, secret technology, science fiction inspiration, terrible camouflage, great movies, historical mishaps, and even a few great household life hacks – and why you should go read a book on your porch. Perhaps his book, Invisibility: The History and Science of How Not To Be Seen. Visit Dr. Greg Gbur’s blogs, Skulls in the Stars and Science Chamber of Horrors, and follow him on Twitter, Mastodon, Instagram and TikTokBuy Dr. Gbur’s book, Invisibility: The History and Science of How Not To Be Seen, on Bookshop.org or AmazonHis 2019 book, Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics, is also available on Bookshop.org and AmazonA donation went to Doctors Without BordersMore episode sources and linksOther episodes you may enjoy: Molecular Neurobiology (BRAIN CHEMICALS), Ophthalmology (EYES), Malacology (SNAILS & SLUGS), Teuthology (SQUIDS), Cosmetology (GLAM/GROOMING), Quantum Ontology (WHAT IS REAL?), Cosmology (THE UNIVERSE) Parts 1 & 2, Plumology (FEATHERS), Medusology (JELLYFISH)Sponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesBecome 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 InstagramEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media and Mark David ChristensonTranscripts by Emily White of The WordaryWebsite by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn

How do our bodies build our bodies? What does a stem cell look like? How do they know what to do? What diseases could stem cells cure? And why is Canada such a hot place for research? Dr. Samantha Yammine – known by many as Science Sam – is a stem cell biologist and science communicator and takes us back to the discovery of stem cells, chats ethical questions, spotting scams, cloning, gene-edited babies, helping your body heal faster and what advancements are being made, albeit by slowly growing in a dish. Visit Dr. Samantha Yammine’s website, links and follow her on Instagram, Twitter and TikTokDonations went to A Closer Look at Stem Cells and The Marsha P. Johnson InstituteMore episode sources and linksOther episodes you may enjoy: Genicular Traumatology (BAD KNEES), Dolorology (PAIN), Molecular Neurobiology (BRAIN CHEMICALS), Ophthalmology (EYES), Neuropathology (CONCUSSIONS), Bovine Neuropathology (HEADBUTTING), Oreamnology (MOUNTAIN GOATS ARE NOT GOATS), Malacology (SLUGS & SNAILS), Glycobiology (CARBS)  Biogerontology (AGING), Microbiology (GUT BIOME), Systems Biology (MEDICAL MATHEMATICS)Sponsors of OlogiesTranscripts and bleeped episodesSmologies (short, classroom-safe) episodesBecome 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 InstagramEditing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media and Mark David ChristensonTranscripts by Emily White of The WordaryWebsite by Kelly R. DwyerTheme song by Nick Thorburn