Volcanoes. Trees. Drunk butterflies. Mars missions. Slug sex. Death. Beauty standards. Anxiety busters. Beer science. Bee drama. Take away a pocket full of science knowledge and charming, bizarre stories about what fuels these professional -ologists' obsessions. Humorist and science correspondent Alie Ward asks smart people stupid questions and the answers might change your life.
Smologies #29: PUMPKINS with Anne Copeland
PUMPKIN PUMPKIN! Not only a thing to scream while passing a patch, but also the name of the book by author and human delight Anne Copeland. Yes, she's so charmed by pumpkins that she dedicated a whole book to exploring their folklore, history, planting protocol, care, and cooking. Alie stops by her house in the rural hamlet of Yucaipa, California to chat about everything from creation myths surrounding pumpkins to the secret medicinal properties of pipitas, loving pumpkins (warts and all), and the big flimflam Anne needs the world to know about the pumpkin origin story. Also: who is Jack and why does he have a lantern?
Anne Copeland's book "Pumpkin, Pumpkin: Folklore, History, Planting Hints and Good Eating" is available via Amazon
Full-length (*not* G-rated) Cucurbitology episode + tons of science links
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Sound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, Steven Ray Morris, and Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions
Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm