From the brains behind brains on, it's Smash Boom Best the show for people with big opinions.
Hi, I'm Molly Bloom and this is Smash Boom Best the show where we take two things smash them together and ask you to decide which one is best. today's debate is an out of this world throwdown between two dazzling sky spectacles Eclipses versus Aurora Borealis.
We've got Improvisor writer and Good Luck High Five podcast host Megan Wolf here to wrap the mighty Moon Shadowed mystery of team Eclipses.
Oh. That was howling at the moon.
And Improvisor content creator and fellow Good Luck High Five podcast host Maria Bartholdi will help the swirling shimmering colors of the Northern Lights shine for team Aurora Borealis.
Yes, the Northern Lights are going to put up a fight and eclipse the competition.
See what I did there?
And here to judge it all is a Lily from Victoria, British Columbia.
Lily loves synchronized swimming, growing veggies on her farm, and was once approached by porpoises while paddleboarding.
Hi Lily. Hi. So Lily, were the porpoises friendly?
Yes, they were so cute, and I was super excited.
I would also be very excited.
What did they do when they approached you?
Well, we were paddleboarding and they came up and they were kind of just swimming around us, and then they just swam off and it was really cool.
That is so cool. So you're a synchronized swimmer.
What is something people don't realize about how awesome synchronized swimming is?
It's really, really, really difficult.
Very hardcore, and I think a lot of people think it's just very, very easy, but it's really not.
I watched some of the Olympics over this past year, and it's incredible what's going on under the water.
I think my favorite part is probably the lifts, the highlights, because I like being thrown in the air.
Oh, so you're one of the people who gets to be thrown?
Yeah. That is so fun.
Do you have any advice for our debaters today?
Try to just show me lots of facts and humor.
And I really like good rebuttals, so.
OK. Will Lily side with a Megan or Maria?
Only time will tell.
But first, here are the rules of the game.
Every debate consists of four rounds, the Declaration of Greatness, the Micro Round, the Sneak Attack, and the Final Six.
After each round, our judge Lily will award points to the team that impresses her the most but she'll keep her decisions top secret until the end of the debate.
Listeners, we want you to judge too.
Mark down your points as you listen.
At the end of the show, head to our website, SmashBoom .org and vote for whichever team you think won.
Okay, Megan, Maria, and Lily, are you ready?
Yeah, let's go. I'm so ready.
Then it's time for the declaration of greatness.
In this round, our debaters will present a well -crafted immersive argument in favor of their side.
Then they'll each have 30 seconds to rebut their opponent's statements.
We flipped a coin, and Megan, you're up first. Tell us what makes eclipses so electrifying.
Welcome back to Chit Chat with Britt Platt.
I'm so thrilled to be sitting down with two pop icons, The Sun and Moon.
Your new collaboration, Eclipse has taken the music world by storm.
Tell me, Sun, what inspired your new duo?
Thanks, Britt. The Moon and I have both had such great solo careers, but last year things finally aligned and made it possible for us to work together.
It all started when The Sun sent me her original vision for the song, Hide My Light, and I fell in love with it.
Who are you to hide my light?
The moon only shines at night, so why are you here today?
To try and take my glow away?
Of course as the moon, my work is a little darker, some may say moodier.
You are a star, bright from afar.
No one knows I'm here whenever you were near.
So I did something cruel, I stole that line like it was a jewel.
So you two just held a massive live show together which drew millions of fans from around the world.
With that kind of success, is there more eclipse in our future?
We've decided for now to go back to our solo careers.
But… You never know.
I think in four or five years we just might have to collaborate again.
Well, I think I speak for all us when I say I hope you do.
Until then, let's enjoy the title track from Eclipse.
The sky will have so much fun.
Eclipse me, eclipse me, eclipse me.
Like the pop duo Eclipse, real solar eclipses are an awesome team -up between the Sun and the Moon.
During an eclipse, the Moon moves in front of the Sun, blocking it partially or entirely.
I got to experience this myself when I saw the solar eclipse on April 8th, 2024.
As I drove through New Hampshire, I saw thousands of other people, set up with chairs and telescopes, ready to see the eclipse.
That's one of the most incredible things about eclipses.
They bring people together to experience something amazing.
When I saw the eclipse, I stood on a frozen lake surrounded by hills.
It was the middle of the day.
But suddenly, the sky darkened like it was twilight, and the stars came out, Looking at the black circle where the Sun used to be, I felt this incredible awe, and through that, I felt connected to all the people for thousands of years who have been scared, or inspired, or mystified by eclipses.
More than 2 ,500 years ago, an eclipse actually ended a war in ancient Greece.
The two kingdoms had been at war for six years, and then boom!
The eclipse happened during a battle, and they stopped.
The sun, it's disappearing!
It's an omen! But what does it mean?!
We should stop fighting and go home!
My favorite kind of omen.
Come on, let's get out of here.
This was so silly. What were we even fighting for?
Many years later, Bonnie Tyler recorded the hit song Total Eclipse of the Heart, proving that eclipses have power everywhere from the battlefield to the recording studio.
There's nothing I can do but total eclipse of the hive.
And humans aren't the only ones who notice these incredible celestial events.
During an eclipse, many animals begin their nighttime routines.
Frogs and crickets sing, bees fly home to their hive, and nocturnal predators get ready to hunt.
Eclipses are proof that even if you're small, you can still have a big impact.
The sun is 400 times bigger than the moon, but when everything is perfectly aligned during an eclipse, even that little moon could block out something so much bigger.
Ever since I saw the solar eclipse, I've told everyone, go see one.
It'll change the way you see the world.
Okay, a delightful declaration that will have me never stop whispering, Eclipse me!
All right, Lily, what stood out to you about Megan's declaration of greatness?
I really liked the songs.
The songs were really good.
And I thought the facts about the animals starting their nighttime routine was really interesting.
All right, Maria, it is time for your rebuttal.
Tell us why eclipses are overshadowed. You've got 30 seconds, and your time starts now.
So can I just start off by saying that seeing an eclipse is basically going where the sun don't shine and getting mooned?
Does that sound like a good time to anybody?
Not me, knock knock, who's there?
Not the sun, or anything cool to see in the sky for that matter.
You can't even look at it with your bare eyes.
Do you want to see an eclipse?
I say you're just going through a phase.
Totally predictable and boring.
And time! Whoa. I came in under the, under the clock there.
You're so concise. All right, Maria, it is your turn.
Tell us why the aurora borealis is the star of the sky.
It was a very cold night.
You know the kind where the moonlight shimmers on the snow like diamonds and the air inside your nose freezes up.
It was a night just like that when I first saw the aurora borealis.
Some people spend their entire lives searching for these ethereal illusive lights but never find them.
And me, I saw them completely by accident one late night when I just happened to look up.
Whoa. Light splashed across the sky, bending, twisting, and shimmering in a hypnotic celestial valet.
Imagine a soft swirling green glow amongst the stars, deep blues hugging the moon, and vibrant reds popping in with a fiery flourish, and they all blended together to create a and magnificent Symphony of the Sky.
I believe the Aurora Borealis is the most incredible site in the natural world.
These luminous light shows have bewitched humans for hundreds of years.
It was actually Galileo who named them in 1619 after Aurora, the Roman goddess of dawn, and Boreas, the Greek god of the north wind.
Auroras form when tiny charged particles from the sun blast out into space at ridiculously high speeds, over a million miles per hour.
These space particles slam into the Earth's upper atmosphere.
Most bounce right off Earth's protective magnetic field, but some particles sneak through, reacting with our atmosphere and creating Mother Nature's finest fireworks display.
Isn't science beautiful?
And they're not just a feast for the eyes.
Auroras also make sounds.
When scientists set up recording equipment and listened to the night sky in Finland, they found some of the strongest auroras made hissing, popping, and crackling sounds.
A Finnish band even put some of these sounds into one of their songs called Northern Lights.
Pretty neat, huh? But that's not all.
Auroras also make radio waves that can be turned into sound.
How about we get a little closer and have a listen?
I just so happen to have an extra guest pass for a trip aboard a spaceship.
Welcome aboard the USS Smash Boom.
I'm Captain Smirk, your starship commander.
Do you like my hair?
A robot did it. This is the finest ship in the fleet, equipped with all the conveniences of modern -day space travel.
Computer, chocolate milk, lukewarm.
Captain, Aurora Borealis!
Straight ahead! I'm picking up some unusual signals.
Enhancing audio now.
Captain. Are the lights trying to communicate with this?
A first contact situation.
Everybody at cool. Aroras have actually been seen on seven out of the eight planets in our solar system.
The light shows on Jupiter are particularly spectacular.
The Hubble telescope has captured photos of its intense auroras, which are happening constantly.
Plus, they're huge!
If you could visit Jupiter and see one of its aurora displays, it would stretch as far as your eyes could see because they're bigger than our entire planet.
And while Auroras on Earth may last for a few hours, on Jupiter, they never end.
Incredible. Bridge selfie time.
Auroras can appear and disappear in our skies in the blink of an eye.
They can be mysterious and elusive, so you have to be pretty lucky to see them because there's no certainty as to when or where they're going to appear.
At best, aurora hunters have two hours advance warning, and even then the skies may stay dark.
You can predict eclipses like clockwork, but auroras don't follow anyone's schedule.
So whether you marvel at their spiffy colors, their unusual and haunting sounds, or their mysterious appearances, one thing is for sure.
The Aurora Borealis is a jaw -dropping, mind -blowing, utterly magical display.
It's proof our universe can be both powerful and beautiful at the same time.
Time to return to Earth, crew.
Now, who wants some more chocolate milk?
It's lukewarm. Okay, that declaration was transporting even before we got on the spaceship!
Oh my goodness, amazing.
All right, Lilly, what stood out to you about Maria's argument?
The name, I did not know that's where the name came from so that was really interesting.
And the sounds were really cool, too.
Absolutely. Megan, it is time for your rebuttal.
Tell us why the Aurora Borealis is all glow and no show.
You've got 30 seconds and your time starts now.
Aurora Borealis? More like Bora -rora snore -realis.
You think seeing an Aurora is hard core, but, Maria, really, you're just a lightweight.
The Aurora is fireworks?
You know what else is fireworks?
Fireworks are fireworks.
And you're telling me it makes hissing popping and crackling, what, am I making popcorn in my own home?
I can get those noises just by using the stove.
But you know what, at the end of this I'm all about...
And time. I mean, if you're making popcorn, can I have some?
Yeah, absolutely, you can come over.
Me too? Yeah. Yes. It's for everybody.
Oh, yes. Nice. OK, Lillee, it is time to award some points.
Please give one point to the declaration of greatness that you like best and one point to the rebuttal that won you over.
You get to decide what makes a winning argument.
Did one team's jokes make you giggle?
Was another team's logic impeccable?
Award your points, but don't tell us who they're going to.
Have you made your decision?
Yes I have. Oh excellent.
Maria and Megan, how are you two feeling so far?
Oh, I feel great. This is all I want to do all day is sit here and talk about space.
Absolutely. All right it's time for a quick break.
Dig out your shades and wide -angle lens and we'll be right back with more Smash Boom VES.
Smash boom ves. A state of debate home to raging rhetoric and awe -inspiring argumentation.
Hello, how are you?
What's new? I'm Debate Champion Taylor Lincoln, and I'm here with my cheesy chum, Todd Douglas!
Today's debate comes to us courtesy of my pal Patty Provolone when she was shopping for new record albums. Let's see if we can spot the problem in this musical homage to Fromage.
Excuse me, do you have a section for cheese core records.
Hmm a fellow cheese core head nice you can find them over there between the banana rock and the drip hop albums. Cool so I guess that's where I can find the new Breeders album?
As if the Breeders are totally soft cheese rock.
No, true cheese core music is only made up of hard cheese." Oh, all right—all right, no problem.
I guess I'll just take this old Red Hot Chili Pepper Jacks album, then.
P .U.! That answer stinks worse than a wedge of Limburger that's been sitting on the counter for a WEEK!
You said it, Todd. Classic No True Scotsman's fallacy.
That's when someone has very strict rules about what something is, and argues that if something doesn't exactly follow those rules It's not the real thing.
Well, I guess it's time to a -see -ya go -go.
Oof. Gouda one, Todd.
See you next time on State of Debate.
State of Debate. Hey, friends.
Molly, Sandan, and Marc here with some very big news.
Drum roll, please. T -we're hitting the road in search of adventure, fresh air, and you.
That's right! We're gonna be live at the Boulder Theater in Boulder, Colorado on Sunday April 27th!
Our science -themed live stage show takes the audience on an adventure through the brain, complete with magic tricks, dance moves, out of body experiences, mystery sounds, and a game show!
Molly, you almost left out the most important part!
Yeah, Molly! Don't forget the big party!
Oh right! After the shows, we're throwing a braintastic bash.
Join us afterwards for a VIP party, where we'll play games, guess mystery sounds, pose for photos, and give as many high fives as humanly possible.
Snag a spot by purchasing a VIP pass when you buy your show ticket.
Oh, that reminds me.
I've got to start training!
These hands aren't going to high five by themselves.
And… Good idea. And remember.
Spots are limited, so grab your tickets today at brainson .org slash events.
Brains On Universe is a family of podcasts for kids and their adults.
Since you're a fan of Smash Boom Best, you'll love the other shows in our universe.
Come on, let's explore.
It's alien exercise hour!
Hi -ya! Hoo! Ha! While I stowtch my snoodles and bounce on my trampolini, I'll listen to a new podcast. Ha ha!
Ha ha! Ha ha! Ha ha!
Ha ha! I'm going to try forever ago the best history podcast ever.
To understand why anyone would think a TV show could change the world, we need to go way back, to America in the 1960s.
Rock and roll was pretty new.
Ford released the iconic Mustang Muscles.
Zorp, come back here podcast. Must listen to Forever A Go now.
Listen to Forever A Go, wherever you get your podcasts.
You're listening to Smash Boom Best. I'm your host Molly Bloom and I'm your judge Lily.
And we love getting debate suggestions from our listeners.
Take a listen to this slithery debate idea from Kaemi.
I am in Hawaii and my debate idea is King Cobra versus Python. Oh king cobra versus python. That's a debate I wouldn't want to piss.
We'll check back in at the end of this episode to see which side Ka 'Aime thinks should win.
And now it's fact or debate, eclipses versus aurora borealis.
That's right. And it's time for round two, the ...
Micro round. For the micro round challenge, each team has prepared a creative response to a prompt they received in advance.
For Megan and Maria, the prompt was Silicon Valley.
Debaters, for this challenge, you're the CEO of a startup presenting your brand new topic inspired app to an audience.
What's it all about?
Megan went first last time, so Maria, you're up.
Give us your Aurora Borealis themed app idea.
Tired of sitting home at night, bored out of your gourd?
Stuck folding socks and daydreaming about how exciting it would be to fold more socks?
Is your biggest adventure these days a trip from the couch to the fridge?
Guess I'll just eat this bottle of ketchup.
Be born no more with Aurora Anywhere.
With our miraculous teleportation technology, you'll go from your couch, to watching the sky light up like a neon disco under the northern lights.
No more waiting for overpriced ride chairs or trudging through airport security, Aurora Aurora Anywhere sends you on a cosmic field trip by simply disintegrating your atoms and putting them back together again.
Hopefully in the right order.
Wait, is this teleportation technology safe?
Probably. Before Aurora Anywhere, the best vacation I'd ever taken was to Iowa.
Iowa. Can you believe it?
Now I can show my friend's photos of me dancing under the lights in Finland.
Take that, Korn. Thanks to Aurora Anywhere, I've communed with nature in Alaska.
Sure, my toes are where my nose used to be.
Wait, is this permanent?
Again, probably! With Aurora Anywhere, you can enjoy nature's fireworks anytime!
And it won't cost you an arm and a leg!
Aurora Anywhere may actually cost you an arm and a leg due to untested teleportation technology.
Aurora Anywhere! Download today!
May be worth it, I think.
Yeah, for sure. The forests are amazing.
That's a risk I'll take.
All right, Meghan, now it's your turn to tell us about your eclipse themed app idea.
From the company that brought you Sunsets, the app for when you need it to be dark, comes a brand new innovation.
Eclipse -it. With E -Clips -It, the moon can cover for you any time you need it.
Oh, no, it's the first day of school and I have a huge zit on my face.
E -Clips -It. Wow, no one can see my zit with the moon right in front of it.
Now, they'll focus on my great back to school outfit instead.
Thanks, moon. Oh, I spilled fruit punch on the couch. My parents are going to be so mad.
Eclipse it. Whoa! The moon totally covered up that stain.
Plus my dad was really excited to get to see all the lunar craters up close.
Shoot, I tripped and fell at the dance recital.
I'm never going to forget this.
Eclipse it! The moon went right in front of me!
And no one saw me fall down!
Thanks! Existence! Little mistakes shouldn't get in the way of a great day, so next time you need a hand, Inclusive!
Okay, very useful, and very adorable.
Lilli, what did you like about Megan and Maria's micro rounds?
They were both very funny.
What do you think about using those apps?
Do you think they'll be useful?
Oh yeah, totally. Wonderful.
Well, it is time to award a point.
Please award a point, but don't tell us who it's going to.
Have you made your decision?
The decision is made.
Fantastic! Then it's time for our third round, the super stealthy… Sneak Attack!
This is our improvised round where debaters have to respond to a challenge on the spot.
Today's Sneak Attack is called Oscar -Winning Moment.
Debaters, we want you to pretend your side is the star of a fantastic, dramatic movie and deliver the award -winning monologue from that movie.
OK, we're going to start with Megan.
Let's hear your eclipse -themed, Oscar -winning moment.
All right. This is the impassioned monologue of someone who's been, like, thrust into leadership that they weren't anticipating having.
Absolutely. So they're just going to have to, you know, they're going to have to try to rise to the occasion as best they can.
All right. The sun may be gone, but this is our time to shine.
We can't see where we are, or where we are going, we might march directly into the sea, but we will march into the sea with purpose, with the knowledge that today we are the ones, despite our size, who shall emerge victorious against the great forces that stand against us.
To the sun? No, my friends, I say to the moon instead." Oh, I am stirred.
I found that totally rousing.
I'm ready to march into the sea.
All right, Maria, it is your turn.
Let's hear your Aurora Borealis themed Oscar winning moment.
Okay, great. This movie is Titanic Two.
It occurs out on the ocean when the Titanic is sinking.
The only difference is that there's Aurora Borealis overhead in the sky as the ship is going down.
And this is a speech made by Kate Winslet, what's her character's name?
Who can say - This is Rose's speech on the bow of the ship to Leo DiCaprio, what's his character's name?
Jack. Jack. You know a lot about this film.
Look, they just wanted to cash in on the titanic name and they got nominated for an Oscar for it so that's the good news, okay, as the ship's going down.
Jack, hold my hand here on the bow of the ship and look up overhead.
Do you see? It's not the blackness and darkness of space in the sky.
No, it's the beautiful rainbow of colors that connects us all.
I know that we'll make it through together because of the hope I see overhead in front of us now.
Take my hand, Jack, and get on this tiny little wooden door.
it can hold both of us, science has actually gone back and proven that.
Stay with me and we'll survive and create a beautiful life together.
Oh, beautiful. I mean, I really think it's really bold that Titanic 2 gave people the ending to Titanic 1 that they always wanted.
Yes. Yes. Yeah, and it is true.
Science has proven that they both could have survived on that door.
That is beautiful. policy of roars inspiring us to greatness.
Lily, it is time to award a point.
Have you made your decision?
I sure have. Wonderful, it is time for our final round.
The final six. In this round, each team will have just six words to sum up the glory of their side.
Maria, let's hear your six words for the celestial brilliance of the Aurora Borealis.
Aurora's color skies, eclipses just dim.
Mm, very nice. Okay, Megan, it's your turn.
Give us your six words on the effervescent, extraordinary eclipse.
Light is dark, day is night.
Ooh, another excellent final six.
Lily, I'm sorry to say, Only one of them can get this final point for the final six.
It's a tough decision.
But have you made it?
I sure have. Okay. Are you ready to crown one team the Smash Boom Best?
Yup. Okay. Drum roll please.
And the winner is..
Aurora Borealis. Wow!
I was not expecting that.
I must say. But I'm honored, thank you!
Me and the skies, thank you, Lily.
So Lily, was there a moment that, you know, sealed the deal for Auroboros?
Honestly, I really liked the Declaration of Greatness.
That was really good.
Excellent work. It was very close, though.
Was it like, tied to the end pretty much?
Yeah. Oof. As close as close can be.
I know Meghan's eclipse journey that she went on last summer was very cool to hear about it, because I know it was just such a magical moment and I wish I could have seen it because it just sounds awesome.
Maria, I should have known that you would come prepared with a pun -laden takedown of my declaration of greatness.
And also, I feel like the Aurora embodies your personality of taking a very normal sky and making it very lovely.
Well that is it for today's debate battle.
Lily crowned Aurora Borealis the Smash Boom best but what about you?
Head to smashboom .org and vote to tell us who you think won.
Smash Boom Best is brought to you by Brainzon and APM Studios.
It's produced by me Molly Bloom.
Anna Wegle. And Adan Woldesolasy.
We had engineering help from Derek Ramirez and Paul Saunders, with sound design by Anna Wegle.
Our editors are Shayla Farzon and Sandynn Tauten, with fact checking by Rebecca Rand.
And we had production help from the rest of the Brainzon Universe team, Rosie DuPont, Rachel Breith, Anna Goldfield, Nico Gonzales -Whistler, Ruby Guthrie, Lauren Humpert, Joshua Rhea, Mark Sanchez, and Charlotte Traver.
Our Executive Producers, Beth Pearlman and the APM Studios executives in charge, are Chandra Cavati and Joanne Griffith.
Our Announcer is Marley Feuerworker -Otto, and we want to give a special thanks to Austin Cross, Taylor Coffman, Will Roberts, Koko and Luna.
Megan, is there anyone you'd like to give a shout -out to today?
My cat. Her name is Bernadette.
Aw, thanks Bernadette.
She's great. that. How about you, Maria?
Any special shout outs?
I'll give a shout out to my two cats, Moxon and Lear.
Oh, have they met ever?
No. Wow. I think it would.
I think it would be king.
And how about you, Lily?
Any special things or shout outs?
Yeah, I want to shout out my siblings because they love this podcast and they convinced me to be a judge.
So yeah. What are their names?
Silas, Lucy, and Wesley.
Thanks guys. Before we go, let's check in and see who Kaimi thinks should win the King Cobra versus Python debate.
I think Python would win because it can swinger the King Cobra hole.
SmashBoomBest is a nonprofit public radio program.
If you're between the ages of 13 and 18 and you'd like to be a judge, or if you're any age and you have an idea for a knockdown to rag out debate and a smashboom .org slash contact and drop us a line.
And make sure to sign up for the Brains on Universe newsletter for bonus activities, reading recommendations and more.
We'll be back with a new smash boom best debate battle next week, tag versus hide and seek.
Bye. See you. Bye, everybody.
Wilwar. That's goodbye in Welsh.
Oh, very nice. I have a special request. Oh, went through the test Oh, in the Smash Bros.
Oh, Batman and the R .E .S .T.
In the Smash Bros. it's Smash Bros.
Eclipse it! Eclipse it!
Eclipse it! Eclipse it!
