Ologies with Alie Ward — Discard Anthropology (GARBAGE)
Hosted by Alison Ann Ward · 10 decoded episodes · newest Oct 3, 2026
“Discard Anthropology” is an episode of Ologies with Alie Ward exploring the science, culture, and human systems surrounding garbage. Alie Ward speaks with Dr. Robin Nagle about landfills, treasures in the trash, corporate conspiracies, composting, and the often-overlooked work of sanitation.
Episodes 10
- Oct 3, 2026 · 53 minShared laughter strengthens relationships and resilienceAs social isolation grows, research on laughter shows how small moments of shared connection can support healthier, more durable relationships.
- Sep 30, 2026 · 1h 12mOpals reveal Earth’s weathering, microbes and deep timeThis episode turns a familiar gemstone into evidence of planetary chemistry, fossil preservation, mining history and unresolved geological questions.
- Sep 24, 2026 · 1h 14mPatrick Dougherty turns saplings into living architectureThe episode shows how renewable materials, communal labor, and site-specific art can reconnect people with nature without separating making from the landscape.
- Sep 16, 2026 · 1h 4mEl Niño reshapes weather, food security and wildfire riskUnderstanding Pacific Ocean cycles helps explain why climate hazards cascade across regions and hit communities with unequal capacity to prepare and recover.
- Sep 9, 2026 · 1h 16mMarshall Shepherd explains why warming brings heavier stormsUnderstanding forecast uncertainty and climate-driven extremes helps communities prepare for hazards while reducing emissions.
- Sep 5, 2026 · 45 minCelebrations turn shared joy into social supportThe episode argues that marking positive events together can build relationship resources before people need them in difficult times.
- Sep 2, 2026 · 1h 24mDeep-sea microbes reveal life’s hidden possibilitiesThe deep ocean may contain unfamiliar ecosystems, useful chemistry, and clues to life beyond Earth, yet pollution and mining threaten what science barely understands.
- Aug 26, 2026 · 1h 8mSkunk science turns spray, rabies, and stigma into survival lessonsUnderstanding skunk behavior can reduce dangerous encounters while clarifying the animal’s ecological value and conservation challenges.
- Aug 19, 2026 · 1h 1mSkunk researcher makes the case for living alongside themSkunks are often treated as nuisances, but their biology, ecological role, and conservation challenges make coexistence more complicated than their reputation suggests.
- Aug 12, 2026 · 1h 38mBedtime procrastination reveals the needs sleep cannot meetThe episode reframes delayed sleep as a response to autonomy, identity, stress, and inequality rather than a simple failure of discipline.