Tom's SciCast

How would finding alien life, whether microbes or advanced civilizations, change how we think about ourselves in the universe? Would it matter if alien life looked like us or radically different?  

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Is the universe teaming with life, or is life on the Earth unique? Join me as I discuss the possibility of life from microbes to intelligent life in the universe along with the current limits of our …

Is Earth the only place in our solar system with life or is it wide spread? In this podcast, I discuss what life is, what conditions are needed for life to start, and places in the solar system where…

We are star dust. But what exactly does that mean? Learn how life is connected to the universe going  back to the Big Bang. 

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Have you ever wondered why you didn't lose weight when you started a new exercise program? Learn how science has led to major changes in how we understand the role of exercise on weight loss and our …

How did the introduction of a lake trout in Yellowstone reduce elk populations? How did the re-introduction of wolves in Yellowstone improve stream quality and songbird populations. I take a closer l…

Why do some animals remain unchanged for hundreds of millions of years or why do some evolve quickly with beautiful feathers or intricate songs. Listen in as I cover the different types of selection …

Some roots don't grow in soil and some leaves eat insects. Discover the amazing things that roots, shoots, and leaves can do. Plants are cool!

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Plants have had an enormous influence on the evolution of life on Earth. Learn how plants altered ancient climates, triggered the evolution of reptiles and mammals (amniotes), provide us with importa…

Despite the fact that GMOs are helping us solve problems in agriculture, medicine, and stopping the spread of diseases, there's a lot of negative propaganda against GMOs, I explain why they are safe …

What do energy, enzymes, and metabolism mean for life? I take a look at the relationships between energy and life, and the importance of enzymes for our metabolism. Specific topics include a descript…

The cell cycle is more than just memorizing the position of chromosomes on a slide, it can help us understand growth and development, lead to treatments for cancer, or repair damaged organs and limbs…

Star Wars, Zombies, Rhime of the Ancient Mariner, and Mullet (the fish, not the haircut) come together to help explain the role of energy, membranes, diffusion, transport, and chemical reactions to m…

What does eating a pizza and aging have to do with our organelles? This episode explores how organelles of the endomembrane system work together to make proteins in our saliva that help us digest our…

Don't fear the chemistry! Life is the result of chemical reactions. While many of us fear chemistry, a little chemistry knowledge can go a long way into understanding how we work and understanding so…

Astronomy and Biology in a single podcast! In this episode, I talk about how stellar processes made life possible.

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There's a hierarchy to the universe from the simplest atoms to the most complex ecosystems. At each level of complexity new properties arise and most importantly, life arises as an emergent property …

Are you an expert or a novice learner? Do you know the difference between understanding and memorization? Instead of a fun science topic, today, I'm talking about learning and different ways we learn…

What if I told you we could get rid of the most dangerous  animal on the planet? I make the case of why we should intentionally cause the extinction of a few disease carrying mosquitoes even though w…

Find out how the closed circulatory system and changes to the vertebrate heart helped them become the largest, fastest, most active, and among the most successful animals on the planet.

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