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.
Capsicumology (CHILE PEPPERS) with Paul Bosland
Scoville units. Nightshades. Hot ones. Sweet ones. Scandalous data. Pull up a seat for a wild, hot ride through New Mexico. Pepper expert, horticulturist, and Capsicumologist Dr. Paul “The Chileman” Bosland of New Mexico State’s Chile Pepper Institute dishes up stories of how chile peppers got from the wild into your mouth, what parts of peppers are the hottest, why mild peppers don’t get enough credit, how to grow peppers at home, how to recover from the burn, some lore behind your favorite hot sauces, red vs. green, Guiness World Records, Ig Nobel Prizes, why you can’t handle peppers but your mom can, hot foods in hot places, seeds, walls, piths, myths, bigger lips, pepper roulette, and so much more. Also: I abuse myself with Ashes to Ashes.
Follow Dr. Bosland on Google Scholar
A donation went to NMSU Chile Pepper Institute
Visit the Chile Pepper Institute website and online store and follow them on Instagram
More episode sources and links
Other episodes you may enjoy: Gustology (TASTE), Evolutionary Anthropology (METABOLISM), Thermophysiology (BODY HEAT), Dolorology (PAIN), Foraging Ecology (EATING WILD PLANTS) with @BlackForager, Ethnoecology (ETHNOBOTANY/NATIVE PLANTS), Pomology (APPLES), Cucurbitology (PUMPKINS), Scatology (POOP), Allergology (ALLERGIES), Optical Technology (HISTORY OF EYEGLASSES + MODERN DAY VISION), Ophthalmology (EYES), Nomology (THE CONSTITUTION), Genocidology (CRIMES OF ATROCITY)
400+ Ologies episodes sorted by topic
Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes
Transcripts and bleeped episodes
Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month
OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!
Follow Ologies on Instagram and Bluesky
Follow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTok
Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jake Chaffee
Managing Director: Susan Hale
Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth
Transcripts by Aveline Malek
Website by Kelly R. Dwyer
Theme song by Nick Thorburn
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.