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 has kept people alive through wars and famines, can feed livestock, makes beautiful furniture, and might cure ailments from neurodegenerative diseases to the dark depths of your irritable bowels. Oh also? It can stand in for chocolate if you need it to. LET’S SHOW SOME RESPECT. Megan also chats about the #DisabilitiesinSTEM movement, academic gatekeeping, and making science more accessible. And cheesecakes.

Follow Megan Lynch at Twitter.com/May_Gun

Megan’s website: http://meganlynch.net/

A donation was made to STEMd.org

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More links and info at alieward.com/ologies/carobology

Buy Megan’s album! “Songs the Brothers Warner Taught Me”

Other Ologies episodes mentioned: Matrimoniology (MARRIAGE), Sexology (SEX), Entomophagy Anthropology (EATING BUGS), Corvid Thanatology (CROW FUNERALS), Molecular Neurobiology (NEUROTRANSMITTERS), Experimental Archeology (ATLATLS)

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Sound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media & Steven Ray Morris

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

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Carobology (NOT-CHOCOLATE TREES) with Megan Lynch