At just 22, Iddris Sandu’s life story was already legendary. This Architectural Technologist learned to program at the age of 11 and has worked with everyone from Kanye West to Nipsey Hussle to Space X. In this episode from 2020 we talk coding, holograms, what ancient flutes have to do with computers, how programming works and why it's important. The designer and entrepreneur also shares his favorite programming languages, philosophies on future technology and why we should all strive to be dynamic rather than single-minded. He’s a true inspiration and Alie shamelessly begged him for life advice.

SHAAAARKS. Leading shark researcher Dr. Chris Lowe dishes about why sharks get a bad rap, antibiotic mucus, 120 year old teenagers, eye lasers, and how to snooze when you’ve got to keep swimming. Alie learns that sharks are not the ocean's bad guys but true evolutionary marvels who suffer from sensationalized reputations and sometimes inside-out butts. Listen up as a science primer during this, the Week of the Shark.

Scorpions: the victims of undue shade. A handful of people on planet Earth have a PhD in scorpions and Dr. Lauren Esposito is one of them. She spills the beans on how venom works, what's up with the blacklight glow effect, how dangerous they *really* are, what all the movies get wrong, the best names for scorpions, where she's traveled to look under rocks, where a scorpion's butt is, if scorpions dance (SPOILER: YES), what good mothers they are, and how big they used to be millions of years ago. Get this one in your ears right away.

What IS an island? How do birds and plants and mammals GET there? What happens when they stay? Dr. Andy Kraemer studies how life populates and survives on hunks of remote rock and chats all about the Galapagos Islands -- where he does his research. We address the smallest island in the world, the largest, some bananas biological adaptations, Darwin's finchy mistakes, shrinking skeletons, and of course, pirates.

Cumulus! Lenticular! Venti sugar-free stratocumulus stratiformis translucidus undulatus! Those light and fluffy things that hang overhead weigh thousands of pounds and form under all kinds of conditions. Cloud doctor and nephologist Dr. Rachel Storer chats about why she loves clouds, the different varieties of them, what makes it rain, whether sailors delight at red skies at night, why clouds are never square and where we can find diamond rain.

It’s time. Otters. Sea otters. River otters. Big beefy otters. Tiny otters. Giant river otters. Dr. Chris J. Law, a professional Lutrinologist, shares tales about coastal vs. inland otters, magical teeth, lustrous fur, rock pockets, kelp naps, hand holding, toilet habits, and why otters make you trust them, despite the fact that you should perhaps not trust an otter.

How long can we live? How much of aging is genetics vs. environment? How old are your cells? What can we learn from the world’s oldest people? World-renowned aging expert and biogerontologist Dr. Caleb "Tuck" Finch takes a quick break from his prolific research at USC to answer Alie's sometimes basic questions about everything from molecules to Blue Zones.

Squids. Cuttlefish. Octopusseseses. The world's most impassioned squid nerd, Sarah McAnulty, picks Alie up in her squidmobile to talk about raising cephlopods from eggs, their personalities, camouflage, invisibility cloaks, and why she is so charmed by squid. Also addressed: Alien DNA and the Kraken.

The Red Planet. A mysterious dusty orb millions of miles away. Our emergency escape bunker. Alie sits down with Dr. Jennifer Buz to talk about what Mars’s DEEEEAL is, why we send rovers there, the poetry of the moon Phobos, Martian sunsets and whether we could landscape Mars to look like a golf course. Jennifer is maybe the chillest areologist on this planet and an absolute gem.

Soil! Dirt! Earth. Dr. Lydia Jennings, aka Native Soil Nerd, breaks down the stuff under our feet and explains everything from electrons in soil to why it can be different colors. Also: medicine from microbes, dirt versus soil, why we should care about the ground beneath out feet, and what makes the smell of rain so fantastic.

Yep. Here it is. A kid-friendly episode on… poop. Camel poop. Rhino poop. Dog poop. Cat poop. Your poop. The charming and informative Dr. Rachel Santymire -- aka Dr. Poop -- has a background in animal physiology and endocrinology and is elbow deep in dung as a research director at the Lincoln Park Zoo. Dr. Poop sits down with Alie to talk turds and why some critters like to chow down on their own (or others’), the stinkiest poopers, good smelling poop, how getting curious about poop can help save a species, and why the Lincoln Park Zoo has 17 freezers full of dookie. You’re welcome.

They are numerous. They are patient. They are COMING for the United States in droves this spring: They are cicadas. *The* Cicada guy Dr. Gene Kritsky joins to chat all about the annual cicadas you may see every summer vs. the periodical ones that cycle through the states in broods of giant numbers. Learn how they survive underground for decades, what they are doing down there, and all about their lifecycle. Plus, get inspired to take a cicada safari and appreciate their songs, which can be as loud as an ambulance. By the end, you’ll want to don a bug costume and take a road trip to witness Brood XIV’s emergence this spring!

The biggest eggs! The smallest eggs! The rarest eggs! Oologist Dr. John Bates gave Alie a tour of the egg vault at the Field Museum of Chicago and it was a barrage of beautiful sights and shocking facts about bird butts. Get ready for speckly eggs, pointy eggs, egg art, reptile eggs, mammal eggs, Easter bunny confusion, and whether or not you should snack on a bucket of cookie dough.

Thunder and lightning: very, very frighteningly interesting! Wildfire researcher and lightning scientist Chris Giesige answers questions about thunderclaps and lightning flashes in a laid back way that will put him at the top of your Fulminologist list. He explains everything from clouds to positive and negative charges, the link between lightning scientists and firefighters, volcanic lightning, ice particle mosh pits, how many gigawatts in a lightning strike, and how to enjoy a storm without getting zapped.

Feathery gills! Adorable smiles! Cultural icons! Habitat ecology! And superhuman limb regeneration? It’s an entire episode on axolotls. You either love these aquatic salamanders, or you’ve never heard of them. Clap your tiny slimy hands for Ambystomologist Dr. Jessica Whited, who raises and studies these beautiful creatures. Also discussed: their narrow niche, the ecology movement to save them from wild endangerment, pet care ethics, color morphs, green glowing genetically modified ones and so much more. And of course: Minecraft.

Ahoy matey, we’ve brought ye another ensmol’d episode of Ologies, this time on: Shipwrecks. We get to talk with maritime archaeologist and wreck nerd Chanelle Zaphiropoulos about her experiences with Shipwrecks, treasure, carbon dating, admirals worth admiring, ancient technology recovered from the depths of history, The Bermuda Triangle, and generally life as an underwater wreck detective.

An instant classic. You’ll listen on repeat as world-renowned author, botanist, Indigenous ecology professor and bryologist Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer talks about her passion for moss. Cozy up for the most beautifully doled-out information about hidden worlds, forests in miniature, making a home in the tiniest of spaces, why moss makes great diapers, whether they’re cozy to sleep on, and philosophies about science and ecology. Dr. Kimmerer, author of “Gathering Moss,” will change the way you see mosses forever, will inspire you to wear a loupe on a rope, and will soothe your soul with her beautiful voice and prose.

Crosswords! Puzzles! Magic? Ah yes, world-renowned Enigmatologist David Kwong drops in to chat about the intersection of sleight of hand and brain games, covering everything from tips for solving crosswords to how to get away with a surprise party unsuspected. Also: how puzzles are like hot sauce, why our brains like them, cryptic crosswords, how to get over your intimidation of all those empty squares, and a bonus read from his new kid’s book "How to Fool Your Parents: 25 Brain-Breaking Magic Tricks."

Mammals. You’re one. Your dog is one. So are giant rats. What do we have in common? I promise you’ll find out the answer from the incredible Southern Illinois University professor, researcher, science communicator and mammalogist Dr. Danielle N. Lee as she joins us to chat about everything from nature’s parenting styles, mysteries of the platypus, how the dinosaurs affected mammal evolution, the origin of the word mom, and how we’re all in this together.

This kid-safe edit of the classic Herpetology episode features frilly gills, frog tornadoes, legless lizards, and reasons to appreciate snakes. Also, why you shouldn’t kiss one. Dr. David Steen is a beloved herpetologist and wildlife conservationist and his answers are full of facts and flim-flam busters.