crisscrossing Science

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Welcome to crisscrossing Science, the podcast in which we answer the science questions that you never thought to ask. Every other week, co-hosts Michael Crosser and Chad Tillberg will share their love of natural science by discussing a topic that they find interesting.

Michael Crosser & Chad Tillberg


    • Apr 28, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 31m AVG DURATION
    • 77 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from crisscrossing Science

    Episode 225: Turtles, tortoises, and terrapins... Oh MY!!

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2025 30:42


    Chad and Mike discuss the ancestral plight of turtles and how strange a journey it was for sea creatures to come onto land, then return to the water, and (in the case of the tortoise) return back to land.To join us on other learning journeys, subscribe to the podcast. That way, you'll download the latest episodes automatically.

    Episode 224: Angular Momentum

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2025 31:39


    Mike and Chad discuss angular momentum and some of the seemingly counterintuitive predictions that come from it. Yet so many things in our daily lives rely on this concept.

    Episode 223: Nobel Laureate Randy Schekman

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2025 31:54


    Chad and Mike invite Nobel Laureate Dr. Randy Schekman to discuss his research into yeast cells and the mechanisms that yeast (and human) cells use to direct traffic. Proteins that are created within the cell need to be pushed into the appropriate places and Schekman is one of the discoverers of those mechanisms.Enjoy these episodes ad free!

    Episode 222: Packing and Shipping

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2025 34:50


    Chad and Mike are preparing for our next episode in which we talk to Nobel Laureate Randy Schekman. He won the award for learning the mechanisms for how proteins within the cells are moved to where they need to go. The process can be very complicated, so we are doing a pre-episode to help us understand more. So be sure to listen to both this episode and the next one with our special guest.

    Episode 221: Einstein's Greatest Blunder

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2025 31:27


    Mike and Chad celebrate Einstein's 146th birthday by discussing his Greatest Blunder. Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube Shorts.

    Episode 220: The Goss on Moss

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2025 32:22


    Chad tells Mike all about moss, and the entire ecosystem that lives in that tiny, fluffy, world.Look for crisscrossing Science on Social media!

    Episode 219: The Science of Milk

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2025 31:32


    Mike and Chad discuss milk. Why do mammals drink it? How do mammals produce it? What is pasteurization? Answers to these questions, and more, when you listen to crisscrossing Science!

    Episode 218: Star Formation

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2025 30:29


    Mike and Chad invite astronomer Dr. Kathryn Devine to discuss the process of astronomy and how we can determine how stars form. Subscribe to the podcast to download the latest episode as soon as it is available.

    Episode 217: PET Eating Bacteria

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2025 31:57


    Chad and Mike invite Dr. Jay Mellies to talk about his research into bacteria that are able to break down plastics into their constituent pieces. To learn about plastics and more, subscribe to the podcast, wherever you listen to them.

    Episode 216: Champagne Supernova

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2024 31:39


    Mike and Chad discuss the bright events called supernova and the chain of events that makes them happen.For this and other episodes, subscribe to the podcast.

    Episode 215: Plastic

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2024 32:07


    Mike and Chad discuss how plastic is created and why it is so ubiquitous in our modern world. We also consider why plastics are often not recycled and why it will be hard to stop making more.To get more uplifting stories like this, be sure to subscribe to the podcast.

    Episode 214: Wallace and Darwin

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2024 31:31


    Chad tells Mike about the co-discoverers of the mechanism of evolution by natural selection: Wallace and Darwin. What? You've only ever heard of Darwin? Listen and learn...Subscribe to download the latest episodes as soon as they are available.

    Episode 213: Primates!

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2024 31:20


    Chad and Mike welcome Stephen Frost onto the podcast to discuss the evolutionary history of primates.Subscribe to the podcast to download the latest episodes.

    Episode 212: The Solar Neutrino Problem

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2024 32:17


    Imagine studying one problem for forty years until finally the scientific community accepts your research. Mike and Chad discuss the work of Raymond Davis, Jr. who measured the number of neutrinos emitted by the sun. His numbers did not agree with theory and it took decades to prove that new physics was involved.

    solar neutrino raymond davis
    Episode 211: Original Antigenic Sin

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2024 32:17


    Chad and Mike delve into disease and vaccinations and consider the role of B cells. When are new B cells produced and when do older ones ramp up production of antibodies?Follow us on social media to see short reels of interesting science!

    Episode 210: Tesla & Edison's Current War

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2024 31:23


    Mike and Chad talk about the differences between AC and DC power. We then delve into the history of electrifying the world, when advocates for AC (Tesla, Westinghouse) beat out arguments for DC (Edison). It is a crazy story.Find us on social media for new content updated regularly.

    Episode 209: Take Me Home-ing Pigeon

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2024 31:48


    How do Homing Pigeons find their way? It turns out researchers have done many experiments to confuse them! We also have a tie in to Game of Thrones, so be sure to tune in.Find us on social media! Search for crisscrossing Science on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

    Episode 208: It's STILL GOLD, I tell ya!

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2024 31:42


    We've been busy watching the Olympics, which got us thinking about GOLD!! So while we finish our efforts for Season 8, we are replaying this episode about where gold comes from.

    Episode 207: Still Humming Along

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2024 32:23


    Mike and Chad are gearing up for Season 8 and have a lot of ideas for upcoming episodes. In the meantime, we were enjoying hummingbirds flying around and thought it would be fun to revisit an episode from 2021 about these little guys that migrate surprisingly far distances. Enjoy.

    Episode 206: Still WaterLogged!

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2024 31:39


    Enjoy this encore episode in which our guest Janet Peterson discusses how much water we should be drinking.

    Episode 205: The Crisspies II - Revenge of the Science!

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2024 32:14


    This is our second annual Crisspies award show, celebrating the Best Science in Science Fiction.The awards this year go to the best depiction of the Science behind pandemics (too soon?). Which movie will win this year?

    Episode 204: Stressed Bees

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 9, 2024 31:14


    Chad and Mike invite Adam Dolezal to discuss the plight of bees and how they are facing new struggles with parasites, pathogens, pesticides, and poor nutrition. To learn more about all insects, subscribe to our podcast!

    Episode 203: Replaying Sunspots

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2024 34:43


    You may have been wondering about the aurora that have been visible in the last few weeks. Mike tells Chad about sunspots and how these lead to the cool events in our atmosphere.Follow us on social media. Search for crisscrossing Science.

    Episode 202: Magnets, and how do they work?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2024 29:57


    Mike and Chad take a tour through magnetism and explain how magnets are used in everyday life.Follow our feeds on social media for short video content! Look for crisscrossing Science on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts.

    Episode 201: Great Galls of Fire

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2024 29:49


    Chad and Mike talk about plant formations called Galls in which an external object (insect, bacteria, etc) cause the plant to make small circular scars on its leaves. You can follow us now on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts. Check us out!

    Episode 200: The 0.2 K

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2024 24:51


    Chad and Mike are celebrating 200 episodes of crisscrossing Science! Join us as we look back on the past and remember our favorite episodes.

    Episode 199: Bernoulli and Magnus Effects

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2024 30:57


    Mike and Chad answer a listener's question about why spin affects the flight of baseballs. Now follow us on TikTok. Search for crisscrossing Science.

    Episode 198: Termites: How to eat food you can't actually digest

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2024 31:51


    Chad tells Mike all about termites, the Russian nesting dolls of the insect world. Termites can't actually digest wood all by themselves and so utilize trichonympha to help them digest. Meanwhile, trichonympha themselves utilize smaller bacteria to help them digest wood. Follow us on any good social media platform.

    Episode 197: Total Eclipse of 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2024 31:11


    Mike and Chad answer all your questions about the total solar eclipse happening on April 8, 2024. Check out our accounts on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube Shorts. We are putting new content about three times per week.

    Episode 196: The Malaria Vaccine

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2024 31:13


    Chad tells Mike about the new vaccine to prevent malaria. This has been decades in the making and Chad explains why this was such a difficult vaccine to create.Find us on social media!

    Episode 195: Pulsars and Bursts...Oh My!!

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2024 31:54


    We often think of astronomical events as ephemeral; however, today we are talking about three evanescent events that are making astronomers very excited. Pulsars, gamma ray bursts, and fast radio bursts are all at the forefront of science. So listen and learn more.

    Episode 194: Replay of Seventeen Year Itch

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2024 32:09


    This summer, two different broods of cicadas will be coming of the ground to breed. One brood only mates every 13 years, the other every 17 years. And both cycles happen to match in 2024. So, we are replaying an episode from the last time a large brood of cicadas came up.

    Episode 193: Discovery of Viruses

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2024 31:22


    Chad tells Mike about how viruses were first discovered, explaining why, once and for all, tobacco is good for mankind.Subscribe to this podcast, wherever the finest podcasts are found.

    Episode 192: Keystone Species

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2024 31:57


    Chad tells Mike about Keystone Species, the idea that a single creature can have an outsized effect on an area's ecosystem.

    Episode 191: Re-electile Dysfunction

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 2, 2024 31:50


    Happy New Year! Since 2024 will involve contentious elections in the United States, the mathematics of voting seems like a perfect topic to consider. Professor of Mathematics Chuck Lundon joined us in the studio to discuss this important topic.

    Episode 190: Recharging Electric Vehicles

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2023 32:20


    As we recharge from a hectic semester, here is an encore presentation of our episode from last year about electric vehicles.

    Episode 189: Gravity

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2023 32:31


    Mike and Chad dig deeper into a heavy topic: Gravity. We have touched on gravity in a few recent episodes and listeners have been falling for more information.

    Episode 188: Another Tired Topic

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2023 29:59


    The weather is getting frightful, so it is a perfect time to discuss the tires on our cars. Mike and Chad discuss why we have to re-inflate them in cold weather and why it is safer to drive on properly inflated tires. If you have topics that you would like us to consider, email us at crisscrossingsci@gmail.com

    Episode 187: Re-Broadening our definition of Food

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2023 31:43


    With Thanksgiving almost upon us, Mike and Chad are replaying a favorite episode about food. It is time to be thankful for new and interesting dishes.Subscribe to the podcast to get new episodes as soon as they become available.

    Episode 186: Supermassive Black Holes

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2023 31:10


    Mike and Chad talk about black holes and how they seem to be necessary for the development of galaxies. Subscribe to the podcast today for more great topics.

    Episode 185: Autumn Leaves

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2023 31:29


    Why does foliage change color in the Fall? Chad answers this question from many different angles, and LEAVES no stone unturned. Subscribe to this podcast to download the latest episode as soon as it is available.

    Episode 184: Heliocentric Model

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2023 31:12


    Mike and Chad discuss the historical evidence behind the heliocentric model, that the Earth (and all of the solar system) orbit around the Sun. It's a fun ride.If there are other science topics that you think you know but realize that you don't know all of the story, email us at crisscrossingsci@gmail.com

    Episode 183: Disease Susceptibility

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2023 32:04


    Chad and Mike talk about mechanisms of how pockets of the human population could be especially susceptible or resistant to different diseases. Follow us on Facebook.

    Episode 182: Rock you like a Hurricane/Typhoon/Cyclone

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2023 32:22


    Mike and Chad discuss the phenomena of hurricanes and why it was strange for a hurricane to recently land in California. If you have questions for why things happen, contact us at crisscrossingsci@gmail.com

    Episode 181: Replaying Harmony in a World of Dissonance

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2023 29:56


    Mike and Chad are off this week, so are replaying a favorite episode about how musical instruments create sound and briefly why musical scales exist the way that they do.Follow us on Facebook for more interactions.

    Episode 180: Parenting Gone Wrong

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2023 32:25


    Chad and Mike discuss ways that different animals parent their young, and how sometimes these behaviors can lead to kidnapping and worse. To listen to all of our content, subscribe to the podcast!

    Episode 179: The Origins of the Moon

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2023 30:08


    Mike and Chad talk about how the Earth's Moon came to be. Was it captured by the Earth? Flung out from the Earth itself? Or created some other way? Listen to find out.If you have questions, email us at crisscrossingsci@gmail.com

    Episode 178: The Crisspies`

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2023 41:06


    Mike, Chad, and guest Kevin award the first Crisspies - "The Best Depiction of Science in Science Fiction" for Space Travel. Join us as we debate the pros/cons for Apollo 13, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Gravity, Interstellar, and The Martian.

    Episode 177: Tower of Babel

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2023 30:42


    Chad and Mike discuss the ways in which culture and language can transfer and evolve similarly to genetic information. Our next episode will involve discussions of science in science fiction. We will discuss the movies 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Martian, Apollo 13, Gravity, and Interstellar. Rewatch these movies and enjoy our next episode with us.

    Episode 176: Electrical Fish

    Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2023 31:56


    Chad and Mike invite Bruce Carlson to discuss how electric fish produce voltages and can use them to detect their environments. If you know of shocking science, email us at crisscrossingsci@gmail.com

    Episode 175: Cancelling Murder Hornets

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2023 31:34


    Two years ago, Giant Asian Hornets were a new, invasive species to the United States. Dubbed Murder Hornets by the media, for how quickly they could kill honeybees, scientists were quick to implement eradication efforts. It has recently been reported that there were no sightings of murder hornets in all of last year. To celebrate, we are replaying an episode about them from 2020.

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