Latest Alien life Podcast Episodes
61. A Biologists Looks at 50
Tom's SciCast - April 05, 2024 00:00 - 1 hourA look back on my life in science, birds, fish, invasive species, streams, dams, and climate change and sleeping lizards.
The Fermi Paradox, aliens, biology, evolution
Tom's SciCast - March 13, 2024 01:00 - 59 minutesWhere 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 potent...
60. The Fermi paradox, aliens, biology, evolution
Tom's SciCast - March 13, 2024 01:00 - 59 minutesWhere 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 potent...
59. Why we should colonize the solar system
Tom's SciCast - March 02, 2024 14:00 - 37 minutesI believe humans are special and improve our chances of surviving as a species, I explain why we should colonize the solar system and beyond.
58. The Silurian Hypothesis, evolution, civilizations, aliens, and the legacy of humanity.
Tom's SciCast - November 26, 2023 17:00 - 45 minutesI 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.
57. Life, aliens, opinions, and other things I've been thinking about lately
Tom's SciCast - October 12, 2023 21:00 - 40 minutesAfter 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.
57. Life, aliens, my own biased opinions, and other things I've been thinking about lately
Tom's SciCast - October 12, 2023 21:00 - 40 minutesAfter 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.
56. Do the laws of nature make life likely to occur and evolution progressive?
Tom's SciCast - March 27, 2023 15:00 - 40 minutesIn 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.
56. Do the laws of nature make life likely and evolution progressive?
Tom's SciCast - March 27, 2023 15:00 - 40 minutesIn 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.
55. What's so special about animals?
Tom's SciCast - March 10, 2023 15:00 - 41 minutesWhat 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.
54. Plants have relationships too!
Tom's SciCast - March 03, 2023 23:00 - 39 minutesThe 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.
54. Plants have relationships
Tom's SciCast - March 03, 2023 23:00 - 39 minutesThe 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.
53. If our solar system was like Star Wars
Tom's SciCast - February 23, 2023 16:00 - 36 minutesTatooine, 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)
52. Photosynthesis explained
Tom's SciCast - February 18, 2023 15:00 - 44 minutesFrom 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.
52. Photosynthesis, light, the Calvin Cycle, energy, and electrons
Tom's SciCast - February 18, 2023 15:00 - 44 minutesFrom 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.
51. Biology is the Apex of Science
Tom's SciCast - January 19, 2023 02:00 - 42 minutesAfter 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 specia...
50. From AI to Giant Space Telescopes: A look back at 2022
Tom's SciCast - December 20, 2022 18:00 - 59 minutesThese 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.
50. A look back at 2022
Tom's SciCast - December 20, 2022 18:00 - 59 minutesThese 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.
49. What is the future of science?
Tom's SciCast - December 06, 2022 15:00 - 1 hourHow 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.
49. The future of science
Tom's SciCast - December 06, 2022 15:00 - 1 hourHow 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.
48. How to Move Beyond the Kardashev Scale
Tom's SciCast - December 01, 2022 15:00 - 1 hourCan 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.
48. Can we Move Beyond the Kardashev Scale?
Tom's SciCast - December 01, 2022 15:00 - 1 hourCan 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.
47. How gene regulation makes our life possible
Tom's SciCast - November 22, 2022 07:00 - 1 hourDo you have mutant super powers like eating ice cream without it hurting your stomach? How can diet and exercise slow down aging, or why do age in the first place? Does what happen to you affect your children? How do we make more proteins than we have protein-coding genes for? Lastly, how can t...
46. DNA: replication, cancer, and aging.
Tom's SciCast - November 15, 2022 19:00 - 51 minutesWhy 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 trea...
46. The relationship between DNA replication, cancer and aging.
Tom's SciCast - November 15, 2022 19:00 - 51 minutesWhy 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 trea...
45. The Relationships Between Sexual Reproduction and Inheritance
Tom's SciCast - November 10, 2022 15:00 - 1 hourWhy 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 c...
45. Sexual Reproduction and Inheritance
Tom's SciCast - November 10, 2022 15:00 - 1 hourWhy 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 c...
44. Is the outer solar system the best place to find life?
Tom's SciCast - November 08, 2022 14:00 - 55 minutesWhy 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?
43. Is there life on Mars?
Tom's SciCast - October 22, 2022 01:00 - 1 hourFor 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!
42. What is life?
Tom's SciCast - October 12, 2022 17:00 - 30 minutesSurprisingly, defining life is hard. Listen in as Tom Kennedy takes a broader look at what makes something living.
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