Tom's SciCast: Recent Episodes
Tom Kennedy
Let's explore the universe with some philosophy, pop culture, and sci-fi mixed in as I talk about all things science. Stay curious!
What is astrobiology? Why study astrobiology? I also discuss the age and scale of the universe, introduce some important laws of the universe, why Earth could be a template for understanding life in the universe, and discuss my own biases in astrobiology.
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I explain how the Modern Synthesis led to our current understanding of evolution. I also discuss the current issues in evolution including epigenetics, horizontal gene transfer, and abiogenesis and the need for a unified theory of life.
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A continuation on the mechanisms of evolution with a focus on sexual selection. I also define, sexual reproduction, two sexes, sexual selection, and provide examples of sexual selection.
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I focus on the mechanisms of random evolution and how mutations and recombination not only cause evolution but are important sources of variation.
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In this podcast, I explain the different types of natural selection including directional selection, stabilizing selection, disruptive selection, balancing selection, and a brief introduction to sexual selection.
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I explain why defining species is difficult and describe four species concepts including morphological, biological, polyphasic, and phylogenetic species concept.
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This is Chapter 7 of my Bio for Health Sciences text book. I cover cellular respiration, including why it's important, the four stages of respiration, and finally a quick ending with fermentation.
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This is Chapter 6 of my bio for health sciences text book. In this chapter, I cover a variety of related topics including: The structure and function of cell membranes, cellular transport (osmosis, diffusion, facilitated diffusion, and active transport), Energy, Redox reactions, and enzymes.
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This is Chapter 5 of my Bio for Health Sciences text book. It covers the similarities of all cells due to common ancestry, introduces prokaryotic diversity, eukaryotic diversity, the endomembrane system, and the cytoskeleton.
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This podcast is Chapter 4 of my book Biology for Health Sciences. Life is based on chemistry and it helps to know a little to help us in our everyday lives, like why some fats are good while others are bad or why glucose and fructose are both real sugar. In this chapter, I cover metabolism, the four macromolecules (carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids) and other vitamins and organic molecules
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This podcast is the 3rd chapter of my text book, Biology for Health Sciences. I cover the structure of atoms, the origins of the elements, chemical bonding, why carbon is the element of life, water, Ph, and the why this matters in our daily lives.
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Tom unpacks the complex definitions of life and challenges common misconceptions about living organisms, from mules and parasites to viruses. Listeners gain insights into the key characteristics that define life while exploring philosophical questions surrounding it.
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This is Chapter 2 of my textbook, Biology for Health Sciences, a college freshman course for students entering nursing, nutrition, exercise science, environmental science, or other careers in the health field. Topics include; what is life, the hierarchy of life, emergent properties, ecology, and evolution
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A look back on my life in science, birds, fish, invasive species, streams, dams, and climate change and sleeping lizards.
Where is every one? Why haven't we been visited by alien races, made contact with aliens, or even discovered a hint of an alien race? Ever since Fermi asked this simple question, people have been coming up with answers as to why we don't see aliens. Some solutions are scary, but I think a potential answer could be found by looking at our own solar system.
I believe humans are special and improve our chances of surviving as a species, I explain why we should colonize the solar system and beyond.
I explore how the Silurian Hypothesis provides insight into what it takes for a planet to host or evolve a civilization, how we might detect them, and the legacy of humans on Earth.
After 6 months, I'm back! I talk about how some of my views have changed to become more nuanced and how my own biases shape the way I think about astrobiology.
In researching astrobiology for my up coming book, I've started to view the evolution of life and civilizations in a paradigm shifting way that challenges the very basics of our understanding of evolution. Listen in as I explain why I think evolution is progressive.
What makes animals different from all other organisms? I discuss the evolutionary origins and unique features of animals along with a few other fun facts. And find out why I don't think sponges are animals.
The more I learn about plants, the more I'm amazed. From insects to fungus and bacteria, plants form many relationships. Some plants even talk to each other through the air or underground, while others form three-way relationships with ants and fungus.
Tatooine, Dagobah, Hoth, or the Death Star, how Star Wars resembles our solar system. I couldn't help myself, I had to do an episode comparing our solar system to my favorite movie. Learn how the Earth was like Mustafar. (Yes, I did say wookies were on Endor, Ewoks were supposed to be wookies)
From the nature of light, to the light reaction and through the Calvin Cycle I explain how photosynthesis works. I cover how light energy transformed into chemical energy and follow the electrons from water to the Calvin Cycle.
After a few memes with cats sitting on biology books making references to biology being soft and textbooks calling chemistry the central science, I figured it's time to start calling biology the Apex Science, or the apex of science. Drawing from my own experience, I explain how biology is special because it incorporates almost every other field of the natural sciences, putting it at the top
These are some of the biggest discoveries, events. and breakthroughs of 2022, from huge volcanoes, long-lived bacteria, breakthroughs in cancer treatments, AI, and why the James Web Telescope is one of the most important things we have done as a society.
How we do science is changing. I use my own experiences from graduate school to understand science and where it is going from question driven science to the importance of natural history and keeping up with Artificial Intelligence.
Can one number be used to rank a civilization's advancement? I discuss the Kardashev Scale and how we might expand upon it by looking at other measures of advancement beyond energy use.
Why are some people lactose intolerant? How can what we do in our life affect gene expression and importantly, how is this passed to our children? The answers is how our genes are regulated. I discuss gene regulation in bacteria, with a focus on eukaryotes including transcriptional regulation, epistasis, and epigenetic inheritance.
Why are some cancer cells immortal? What can we learn about aging from a lobster? Why does a gene from a human work in a bacteria? The answers lies in genetics. In this episode I explain how understanding the basics of DNA replication, the genetic code, and mutations improves our lives from treating cancer, slowing aging, to making medicines.
Why do we reproduce sexually, why do we look similar to our parents and siblings, but are different? In this episode, I take a close look at the origins of sexual reproduction, how meiosis generates genetic diversity, and Mendel's basic principles of inheritance. One of the major themes in my classes is that biology is complicated, and that goes for genetics so I also discuss extensions to Mendelian genetics. And lastly, I explain several common misconceptions about inheritance.
Why is the outer solar system perhaps the best place to look for life? If it is, then where should we look for it? And importantly, what would it mean to find life in our solar system?
For hundreds of years, we have wondered if life is on Mars. I take a close look at the evidence from nearly 50 years of orbiters, landers, rovers, and even Marian rocks found on Earth to answer this question. The evidence is compelling!
Surprisingly, defining life is hard. Listen in as Tom Kennedy takes a broader look at what makes something living.
When searching for life, look for liquid water. In this episode I discuss how knowing where the habitable zones of stars can quickly become quite complex based on the star and its planets.
Would alien life look like us or something very different? From simple microbes to intelligent beings, I ponder what alien life might look like.
What does the future hold for humanity? Join me as I speculate about the prospects of our survival into the future along with the obstacles we must overcome to ensure our survival. There's a lot of fun speculation in this podcast, I'd love to hear your comments!
What does walking, growing plants in dry environments, or making most of our ATP have in common? They all rely on transport across their membranes. Cellular membranes form the barrier between life and the outside world acting as the gatekeeper to cells. In this podcast, I explore how the structure of cellular membranes allows cells to regulate the movement of substances by diffusion, facilitated diffusion and active transport.
How does our definitions of life influence our explanations for the origin of life including the prebiotic soup, RNA world, or Metabolism first theories. I explain how each of these theories improved our understanding of abiogenesis, their limitations, and where we are today.
I discuss what it means to be living and how we do science by talking about the importance of observations and experiments. This podcasts is supplements my first lecture in our cellular and molecular biology course at the University of New Mexico.
Find out why I believe the Cenozoic Era ended in 1915 as I make my case that we caused the world to enter a new geological era where invasive species will play a large role in the future. I also speculate on the future of humanity as go forward into an uncharted future.
How would finding alien life from microbes to advanced civilizations change how we think about ourselves in the universe? What might alien life look like? Could we one day travel among the stars seeking out new life?
Is the universe teaming with life, or is life on the Earth unique? Join me as I discuss the possibility of life and intelligent life in the universe along with the current limits of our knowledge. This episode is part three of my four part series exploring life in the universe.
Are we alone? 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 might find life and why that would be important. This episode is part two of my four part series exploring life in the universe.
We are star dust. But what exactly does that mean? Learn how life is connected to the universe going all the way back to the Big Bang. This episode is first episode in my four part series exploring life in the universe.
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 health.
How can introducing a lake trout to Yellowstone Lake reduced elk populations, or how reintroducing wolves in Yellowstone improved stream quality and songbird populations. Learn how the introduction or removal of certain species can have a ripple effect across the landscape.
The animal kingdom is full of amazing animals, learn how some have remained unchanged for hundreds of millions of years or why some have incredibly beautiful feathers or intricate songs. In this podcast, I cover the different types of selection causing the diversity we see today including directional, stabilizing, disruptive, balancing, and sexual selection.
Roots do more than anchor a plant to the soul, shoots don't just support the leaves, and leaves do more than photosynthesis. Discover all the amazing things that roots, shoots, and leaves can do in this podcast.
Plants have had an enormous influence on the evolution of life on Earth, find out how plants altered ancient climates, triggered the evolution of reptiles and mammals (amniotes), provide us with important medicines, or just make us feel better
Find out how GMOs are helping us solve problems in agriculture, medicine, and stopping the spread of diseases. Unfortunately, there's a lot of negative propaganda against GMOs, I explain why they are safe.
In this podcast, I discuss the relationships between energy and life, and the importance of enzymes for our metabolism. Specific topics include a description of what it means to be living, I define energy and how it's governed by the laws of thermodynamics, the different types of energy and relate how life gets energy from chemical reactions and the need role of enzymes in our metabolism. I end with a discussion on the latest findings of quantum biology and how that may challenge our notions of how enzymes work
The cell cycle is more than just memorizing the position of chromosomes on a slide, it can help us understand growth and development, lead us to treatments for cancer, or repair damaged organs and limbs. I go over the major steps of the cell cycle including interphase and the mitotic phase. Education level - high school to non-majors
Star Wars, Zombies, Rhime of the Ancient Mariner, and Mullet come together to help explain the role of energy, membranes, diffusion, transport, and chemical reactions to make something living.
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 food. Also, learn how we may eventually slow down our aging by studying lysosomes and mitochondria.
Don't fear the chemistry! Life is the result of chemical reactions breaking down and making new chemicals. While many of us fear chemistry, a little chemistry knowledge can go a long way into understanding how we work and understanding some of the basics behind nutrition. In this podcast, I introduce the most important types of molecules used for life without getting too technical.
Astronomy and Biology in a single podcast! In this episode, I talk about how stellar processes made it possible for life.
In this podcast I explain the hierarchy of life and how life is the result of emergent properties.
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. Many of us have been in school for years and never thought much about how we learn, what it means to learn, or the best ways to learn.
Do you think we should intentionally cause the extinction of an animal? What if that animal is the most dangerous animal on the planet? In this podcast, I make the case as to why we should intentionally cause the extinction of a few disease carrying mosquitoes even though we are in the 6th mass extinction
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
In this podcast, I discuss how we know we are causing the 6th mass extinction. I also, shred the argument from paleontologists who think we are not causing a mass extinction. Warning: this is a hard podcast to listen to.
How did we get to a world teaming with life? In this podcast I discuss four evolutionary innovations from early in life's history that paved the way for multicellular life.
Did you know plants can sense and respond to their environment! Learn about the different types of senses plants use, how plants grow to light, open and close their stomata, and defend themselves against herbivores. Follow along as I dive into the depths of how plants move toward and open and close their stomata in response to light and water stress.
Even though species are fundamental to evolution, it has proven difficult to develop a single definition applicable to millions of different organisms including plants, animals, and their fossils, or even asexually reproducing organisms. In this podcast, I discuss three different species concepts, why they work, and their limitations. Along the way, I talk about dancing male jumping spiders, lung-less salamanders, Dark-eyed Juncos.
Find out why photosynthesis is one of the most important evolutionary innovations in the history of the planet. Learn how plants evolved to live in dry environments despite the fact that photosynthesis evolved over 3 billion years ago in a marine environment and has changed very litle.
Sometimes, teaching lessons on plants is a "hard sell" for many students. So, I made this podcast explaining why plants are important for evolution, for ecosystems, for society, and even for own happiness. If it weren't for plants, the world would be really different!
Early in this podcast, I sometimes interchanged green algae with plants. Plants evolved from green algae sometime around 475 million years ago. I may have referred to ancient green algae as plants, I hope I'm not too confusing. Also, when discussing what makes plants unique, I intentionally left out alternation of generations.
Is evolution a fact or a theory? Why did Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection not only revolutionized science, but is also considered one of the most important theories in all of science. In this podcast, I explain how scientific theories have changed how we understand the universe and our place in it. I also discuss why many people do not believe in evolution and explain the evidence for it and why evolution by natural selection is a valid scientific theory.
I take on the arrogance of climate deniers and explain the four pillars of science denialism used to attack the science of climate change and other hot-button issues in science.
Although not debated among scientists, many in the public, including politicians and talking heads on news entertainment shows still debate climate change. In this podcast, I explain how we know humans are causing the climate to change and how we can rule out natural causes this time.
I dream of a day when humans will leave our solar system and explore the universe. Assuming we don't develop faster than light travel it will take us centuries to travel even to the nearest star. What are the biggest challenges we would face in building a spaceship that would last thousands of years carrying people between the stars?
Why do we care about cellular respiration, what makes it so important and what part is the "secret to life"? Why is there multi-cellular life like animals, sexual reproduction, two sexes, or why do we age? I know it seems like a stretch, but the answer to these questions, at least partially, is connected to cellular respiration. In this podcast, I answer some of these questions as I explain why cellular respiration matters while providing an overview of the entire process. And, I also explain why I what I think is the secret to life; hint, it's part of cellular respiration!
What do you have in common with a bacteria? How can bacteria affect your health? Or, how did Eukaryotes evolve from two vastly different prokaryotes? What can we learn about aging by studying organelles? I explore the answers to these fun questions about cells.
Have you ever wondered why too much corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup is bad for you? Or have you wondered whether artificial sweeteners are safe? Did you know that carbs are more than just a source of energy? In this podcast I talk about all things carbohydrates and answer some of your questions about carbs. This is part of my text book to podcast series and corresponds to Chapter 4.
I'm trying something different, rather than narrating my biology textbook, I'm doing it as a podcast instead. So, here it is: Chapter 1 What is Science?
At the heart of this podcast, I advocate for science and the role science plays in our lives.
I talk about the nature and limitations of science and the difference between facts, laws theories. I explain how science works and the why science matters