Tom's SciCast

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. Send us Fan Mail

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.  Send us Fan Mail

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.  Send us Fan Mail

I focus on the mechanisms of random evolution and how mutations and recombination not only cause evolution but are important sources of variation.  Send us Fan Mail

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.  Send us Fan Mail

I explain why defining species is difficult and describe four species concepts including morphological, biological, polyphasic, and phylogenetic species concept.  Send us Fan Mail

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.  Send us Fan Mail

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.  Send us Fan Mail

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.   Send us Fan Mail

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...

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. Send us Fan Mail

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. Send us Fan Mail

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 Send us Fan Mail

A look back on my life in science, birds, fish, invasive species, streams, dams, and climate change and sleeping lizards.   Send us Fan Mail

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.  Send us Fan Mail

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.  Send us Fan Mail

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.   Send us Fan Mail

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.  Send us Fan Mail

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.  Send us Fan Mail

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. Send us Fan Mail

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.  Send us Fan Mail

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) Send us Fan Mail

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.  Send us Fan Mail

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 S...

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.  Send us Fan Mail