CAROB with Megan Lynch
You might only know carob as not-chocolate, which is a tragedy of its disco-era branding. This tough, gnarly, drought-resistant plant is the real-life Giving Tree, explains passionate carobologist Megan Lynch. Dripping with leathery banana-shaped legume pods, this tree quietly dots suburban streets but can also be found in unexpected ingredients lists, beautiful furniture pieces, and tasty cheesecakes – when you let it be itself. Oh also? It can stand in for chocolate if you need it to. LET’S SHOW SOME RESPECT.
Listen via Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Check out Megan’s music on Bandcamp
A donation went to STEMd.org
Full-length (*not* G-rated) Carobology episode + tons of science links
More kid-friendly Smologies 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
Sound editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jake Chaffee, Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media, and Steven Ray Morris
Made possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer, Aveline Malek and Erin Talbert
Smologies theme song by Harold Malcolm