Ice Age vs Jurassic

Summary

Smash Boom Best: Ice Age vs Jurassic (August 14, 2019)

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Episode Overview

This episode of Smash Boom Best brings together two epic epochs in Earth's history for a family-friendly debate showdown: the Ice Age—home to gigantic mammals and early humans—versus the Jurassic period, the land of dinosaurs. Hosted by Molly Bloom, with guest judge Layla (a young debate aficionado), the episode features Lee Overtree championing the Ice Age and Peter McNerney arguing for the Jurassic. Through clever banter, creative segments, and rapid-fire arguments, the two debaters try to win over Layla—and the listeners—to crown their era as "Smash Boom Best."

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage (00:00–05:02)

• Introduction of Main Theme: Debate between the Ice Age and Jurassic, explained as eras packed with fascinating creatures and geological drama.

• Meet the Participants:

  • Host: Molly Bloom—keeps things moving and fun.
  • Judge: Layla—a seasoned youth debater ready for a “time traveling twister.”
  • Debaters: Lee Overtree (Team Ice Age) and Peter McNerney (Team Jurassic).

• Fun Opener Quotes:

  • Lee on his preference: “Jurassic. Cause dinosaurs are sick.” (00:41)
  • Layla: “I do really like dinosaurs, but also like saber toothed tigers, you know?” (01:29)
  • Layla on debate skills: “It's really good to like take notes. And you can also spread which is just speaking really quickly to get your point across.” (01:54)

Debate Format

• Declaration of Greatness: Each side presents facts and lore.
• Micro Round: Each tackles a creative challenge.
• Sneak Attack: An impromptu task.
• Final Six: Persuade using just six words.

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2. Declaration of Greatness

The Ice Age—Lee Overtree (05:06–12:25)

• Ice Age Defined: The most recent ice age (the Pleistocene) was full of giant icy sheets and massive animals (“megafauna”).
• Key Creatures:
  • Glyptodon: “Imagine an armadillo that's up to 5ft tall, 10ft long, weighs as much as a car, and has a pretty cool, funny looking beard.” (07:25)
  • Mastodons & Mammoths: “Mastodons roamed... with tusks up to 16ft long. That’s more than two LeBron Jameses and like 40 Peters.” (08:00)
  • Dire wolf, Saber-toothed tiger (Smilodon), Giant sloths, apes, cheetahs.
• Significance for Humans:
  • “Modern Homo sapiens appeared in Africa somewhere around 200,000 years ago... the Ice Age helped humans move to new places. That's what we call teamwork.” (10:08)
• Fun Science Fact: “We are currently in the middle of an ice age right now... We just entered a warmer period... called an interglacial period.” (11:00)
• Climate Connection: “Humans are putting a lot more greenhouse gas into the atmosphere right now... If we don't do something soon, it's going to cause more intense, even dangerous weather.” (11:43)
• Notable Dialogue:
  • Lee: “If there’s one thing I know about ice, it’s that I love it.” (06:39)
  • “What’s cooler than cool? Well, as two great men once said, ice cold.” (02:54)
• Layla's Reaction: “It’s still relevant. It's still happening. Also, megafauna is such a cool word.” (12:31)

Jurassic—Peter McNerney (13:57–19:52)

• Jurassic Basics: Spanning from 200 to 145 million years ago; famous for dinosaurs and massive biodiversity.
• Dramatic Storytelling:
  • Hilariously describes the size of Brachiosaurus by stacking elephants, giraffes, and dolphins for scale.
  • Quote: “That’s about how big a Bronchiosaurus was back in the Jurassic era, because it was.” (18:33)
• Diverse Creatures:
  • Sauropods: Plant-eating giants; Brachiosaurus described in imaginative terms.
  • Allosaurus: “My arms might be tiny, but I've got a huge head equipped with dozens of sharp serrated teeth.” (18:46)
  • Stegosaurus: Tiny head, huge plates, spiked tail.
  • Ocean and Air: Liopleurodon, flying pterosaurs, and the first birds.
• Cultural Impact: “We still can't stop thinking about it, learning about it, making movies about it and doing podcasts about it.” (19:33)
• Layla's Reaction: Loved the playful metaphor making dino sizes relatable: “I really appreciated that example of how large the dinosaurs were with the elephants and giraffes and dolphins.” (19:59)

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3. The Micro Round: Top of the Hour (24:55–31:00)

Challenge: Debaters present a breaking news broadcast from their respective eras.

Team Jurassic—Peter (25:31–27:53)

• Setting: Reporting live from the belly of an Allosaurus.
• Key Segments:
  • Interview with Stegosaurus about “friendly” battles with Allosaurus.
  • Stegosaurus: “In my prime, I could swing that thing so hard that it could send an Allosaurus to an early extinction.” (27:32)
  • Stegosaurus starts a book club inside the Allosaurus.
• Quote: Peter: “Reporting live from the proverbial end of the road, I'm Peter McNerney. Please send help.” (27:53)

Team Ice Age—Lee (28:28–30:55)

• Setting: Ice Age News Network (WICE), Pat Penguin reporting.
• Key Segments:
  • Teens at airport swooning over a celebrity... who’s a glacier.
  • Interview with glacier about size, speed ("Glaciers like me can move 50ft a day." (29:18)), and how glaciers create lakes.
  • Glaciers carve “huge holes in the earth. Those lakes are my little gift to you.” (30:13)
• Quote: “If it isn't cold, it's not cool.” (28:28)

Layla’s Reaction: “I have swam in the lakes that Ms. Glacier made. I feel so honored.” (31:05)

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4. Sneak Attack: The Secret Handshake (31:40–36:49)

Challenge: Each debater improvises a secret handshake for their time period.

Team Ice Age—Lee (33:01–34:36)

• Four Steps:
  1. "Give them the cold shoulder" — pin ice between shoulders.
  2. "Keep a cool head" — pin ice between heads.
  3. "The freeze" — stand together until ice melts.
  4. "Break the ice" — together, swing an axe into a block of ice.
• Quote: “That’s called the cold shoulder... keep a cool head, everybody.” (33:10)

Team Jurassic—Peter (34:54–36:49)

• Four Steps:
  1. “Stomp, stomp”—approach and turn, dinosaurs style.
  2. “Double jaw snap”—clap hands together like dino jaws.
  3. “Tail swipe”—swing joined hands around and “smack tails.”
  4. “Reach for the sky”—hands up, slap above, “like two bronchiosauruses kissing each other good night.”
• Quote: “It's stomp, stomp, double jaw snap, tail swipe, reach for the sky.” (34:55)

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5. The Final Six (37:10–37:43)

Each debater gets just six words to make their conclusive case.

• Peter (Jurassic): “There is nothing cooler than dinosaurs.” (37:29)
• Lee (Ice Age): “You literally cannot get any cooler.” (37:39)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Lee Overtree: “If there’s one thing I know about ice, it’s that I love it.” (06:39)
• Peter McNerney: “Dinosaurs, baby. Has there ever been a creature more amazing, more captivating than the dinosaur? Scary, scarier, cooler. Name one. I dare you.” (03:32)
• Layla: “Megafauna is such a cool word.” (12:31)
• Lee’s Ice Age Reveal: “We are currently in the middle of an ice age right now... We just entered a warmer period of that Ice Age.” (11:01)
• Peter’s Size Explanation: “That’s about how big a Bronchiosaurus was... and that’s just one of the cool creatures around.” (18:33)
• Lee’s Rapid Rebuttal Rap: “Anything born from an egg, I don't trust. What's better than a lizard? ... megafauna.” (20:16)
• Layla’s Judging Rationale: “It's still relevant. It's still happening.” (12:31)
• Final Decision: “While it was a very difficult debate... I had to go with the Ice Age.” (38:02)
• Lee’s Closing Rap: “This age is so cold. Good luck trying to melt it. Dinosaurs fart. I know cause I smelt it.” (42:11)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment / Topic | |------------------|----------------------------------------------------| | 00:00–05:02 | Introduction, Meet the Participants, Debate Format | | 05:06–12:25 | Declaration of Greatness: Ice Age (Lee) | | 12:52–13:57 | Jurassic’s Rebuttal (Peter) + Layla’s Response | | 13:57–19:52 | Declaration of Greatness: Jurassic (Peter) | | 20:08–20:45 | Ice Age’s Rebuttal Rap (Lee) | | 24:55–31:00 | Micro Round—Top of the Hour News Broadcasts | | 31:40–36:49 | Sneak Attack—Secret Handshake | | 37:10–37:43 | The Final Six—Six Word Summations | | 38:02–40:00 | Judge’s Decision, Reflections, Goodbyes | | 41:59–42:09 | Lee’s Closing Rap (Bonus) |

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Final Decision & Reflections (38:02–40:00)

• Judge Layla sided with the Ice Age, citing the abundance of puns, ongoing relevance, and fondness for glaciers.
• Layla: “I felt it in my heart.”
• She also praised Peter’s size comparisons and fun with dinosaur names.
• Concluding camaraderie: Both debaters complimented each other’s research and creativity, with Lee’s rap and puns being a tipping point.

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Summary Table: Strengths of Each Side

| The Ice Age (Lee) | The Jurassic (Peter) | |---------------------------------|------------------------------------| | Still relevant; ongoing today | Dinosaurs: Most captivating creatures ever | | Epic mammals (megafauna) | Incredible diversity—sea, air, land| | Helped human migration | Giant size made relatable/fun | | Lakes and land shaped by glaciers | Inspired countless movies and imagination | | Clever climate science & puns | Vibrant metaphorical storytelling | | Audience engagement (rap/puns) | Hilarious, accessible explanations |

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In Conclusion

This fun, fact-filled, and pun-heavy episode showcases not just the wild creatures and climatic drama of two fascinating time periods, but how playful debate and kid-friendly logic can make “which is cooler?” a genuinely tough call. In the end, the Ice Age slides away with the win, but the Jurassic leaves a lasting roar.

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Want more? Cast your vote and discover more epic debates at smashboom.org.

Transcript

[Molly Bloom]

From the brains behind brains on, it's.

[Layla]

Smash Boom Best, the show for people with big opinions.

[Molly Bloom]

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 is best. We're taking history for a spin today in a time traveling twister of a debate. For our first contestant, we've got the two and a half million year period known for woolly mammoths and saber toothed cats known as the Ice Age. And for our second contestant, we've got the 54,4 million year period known for dinosaurs like the Stegosaurus and the Brachiosaurus. That's right, it's the Jurassic. Who will win this bruiser of a battle?

[Lee Overtree]

Jurassic. Cause dinosaurs are sick.

[Molly Bloom]

I would say the Ice Age, the humans were around in that period. Jurassic, It's a lot more sort of alien to what we see in day to day life.

[Lee Overtree]

The Ice Age was a time when.

[Layla]

There wasn't a whole bunch of life.

[Molly Bloom]

That could survive the climate of the earth.

[Layla]

And I find that very interesting. Jurassic because I like the movie better than Ice Age.

[Molly Bloom]

Will it be our free epic or our age of dinos? Hard to say. But luckily we have Laila to help us out. Hey, Layla.

[Layla]

Hi.

[Molly Bloom]

So Laila, what do you know about the Ice Age?

[Layla]

I know that there's a lot of movies about it. The animated feature Ice Age. And what about the Jurassic Land Before Time? A great movie. I love it.

[Molly Bloom]

So we got some movies in the background there. Do you have an opinion about which is cooler?

[Layla]

Not really. I think they're both really cool. I do really like dinosaurs, but also like saber toothed tigers, you know?

[Molly Bloom]

Mm. Yeah. You can't really go wrong.

[Layla]

Yeah.

[Molly Bloom]

Well, you sound like a great judge for this debate and I want to know, do you debate yourself?

[Layla]

I do. I've been doing debate for one year and I'll be going to a three week debate camp this summer.

[Molly Bloom]

Oh my gosh. So you. You really like debating?

[Layla]

I do.

[Molly Bloom]

So what strategies do you use when you debate?

[Layla]

It's really good to like take notes. And you can also spread which is just speaking really quickly to get your point across.

[Molly Bloom]

So do you participate in this fast talking?

[Layla]

I do my best. Yeah.

[Molly Bloom]

Do you want to try?

[Layla]

So this is me talking really quickly. I can talk about the Jurassic Park, I can talk about Ice Age, but I can talk about especially about dinosaurs and stuff like that. But I don't have anything in front of me to talk about really like. So I'm just gonna keep on repeating myself. Because I don't have any words in front of me on a sheet of paper. Yeah, that's amazing. That's not very fast.

[Molly Bloom]

That sounded fast to me. I'm impressed. You must have really good lung capacity, too.

[Layla]

Oh, my gosh. We have a joke in our debate team about getting lung extensions.

[Molly Bloom]

Oh, my goodness. Very, very impressive. Well, I'm very glad that you're here to debate with us today. You ready to meet our debaters?

[Layla]

I'm so excited.

[Molly Bloom]

First up, we've got our daring defender of the ice age, co host of the Story Pirates podcast, Lee Overtree.

[Lee Overtree]

What's up, Smashboom Best? Hi, Molly. Hi, Laila.

[Molly Bloom]

Hi, Leigh. So, Leigh, in one sentence, why is the ice age cooler than an ice cube?

[Lee Overtree]

Well, Molly, I point you no further than the word that you just used yourself to describe which was better. And that word is cool. And what's cooler than cool? Well, as two great men once said, ice cold.

[Molly Bloom]

Excellent. And now, arguing for the Jurassic, it's co host of the Story Pirates podcast, Peter McNerney.

[Lee Overtree]

Oh, hi. What's up?

[Peter McNerney]

It's me, Peter McNerney, ready to defend the Jurassic.

[Molly Bloom]

Hi, Peter. So, Peter.

[Peter McNerney]

Yeah?

[Molly Bloom]

Why is the Jurassic a stone cold classic in one sentence?

[Peter McNerney]

Wow.

[Lee Overtree]

There you go again. Stone cold classic.

[Peter McNerney]

Oh, okay. I guess this is your time. No, it's my time. And I got one word. Dinosaurs, baby. Has there ever been a creature more amazing, more captivating than the dinosaur? Scary, scarier, cooler. Name one. I dare you. See? Nothing. No one's naming one. I win. Let's go home.

[Molly Bloom]

Oh, man. This is gonna be a good one.

[Layla]

That's a really great argument.

[Molly Bloom]

All right, well, before this battle really begins, let's do a run through of our rounds. We'll start with the declaration of greatness. In this round, each debater will present all the history, facts, and lore you need to know about their side. Then we'll have the micro round. Each debater will deliver a response to a creative challenge and try to win you over with their imag imagination and delivery. The third round is the sneak attack. We'll ambush our debaters with a prompt they have to respond to on the spot. And to finish it off, we've got the final six. Each debater has just six words left to persuade our judge. Their side is the Smash Boom. Best. Layla will award a point after each round, but she's going to keep her decisions to herself until the very end of the show. We want you to play along, so listen closely and make sure to keep track of each point you Award throughout the show. Download a scorecard and tell us who you [e-mail] okay, Laila, are you ready to get this showdown started?

[Layla]

So ready.

[Molly Bloom]

How about you debaters? Are you ready?

[Lee Overtree]

Feeling cool? Feeling ready?

[Molly Bloom]

Great. Because it's time for our first round declaration of greatness. We've flipped a coin. And Lee, you're up first. Listeners, grab your ice pick and your crampons. Cause this is going to be one cold trip.

[Peter McNerney]

Ahem.

[Lee Overtree]

Well, before we start, can I offer anyone an iced tea? Perhaps an iced coffee? Or how about some delicious ice water? Hmm. Seems like all the most refreshing beverages have one thing in common. They are all served in a glass. I mean, they all have ice. Well, if you're a fan of the frozen luxury we call ice. Wait till you hear about a time known as the Age of Ice. I mean, the Ice Age. Now, like Spider man movies. There have been many different ice ages throughout history. These are periods where giant sheets of ice covered large parts of the planet. And I'm here to talk up the most recent one. Which started roughly two and a half million years ago. It's sometimes called the Pleistocene Glaciation. But you can just call it the Ice Age for short. Now, I want you to picture the North Pole. Where all of those handsome polar bears live. Thank you for the compliment, Lee. You are welcome. Handsome polar bear. Nice suit. Now, you're probably imagining a frozen, sparse landscape with no trees and no 7 11s. That's an ice sheet. Now, imagine that same landscape. Not just way up north, but covering all of Canada and even parts of the northern US From New York to Washington State. With ice sheets almost two miles thick. That's what it was like during parts of the most recent Ice age. Can you believe it? But, Lee, why is it so icy and cold? That's a great question, Bear. Scientists don't know for sure. But they think that our planet naturally goes through cycles of warming and cooling. Lots of things might play a role in this. Like volcanoes, which are pretty cool. Tectonic plates, which are also pretty cool. And gases in the atmosphere, like carbon dioxide. Not as cool, but, you know, it's a thing. Even the wibbly, wobbly way the planet orbits the sun Seems to change average temperatures over millennia. The result is that sometimes we go through long periods where summers never get hot enough to melt all the ice from winter. And it builds up year after year. If there's one thing I know about ice, it's that I love it. Now, let's get to the real stars. Of the Ice Age. I'm talking about megafauna, which is a super cool word that means big animal. And the Ice Age was full of awesome megafauna. First of all, there was the Glyptodon, which is like a giant armadillo. Armadillos already look really cool with their bony armor. But now imagine an armadillo that's up to 5ft tall, 10ft long, weighs as much as a car, and has a pretty cool, funny looking beard. It mostly roamed the swamps of north and South America. Go ahead and Google what a Glyptodon skull looks like and you'll have a pretty good idea of what to put on your band's next T shirt. Next, we have giant furry elephants. That's right. I'm talking about mastodons and mammoths. Mastodons roamed north and Central America with tusks up to 16ft long. That's more than two LeBron Jameses and like 40 Peters. Mammoths were also in North America and Europe and Africa and Asia. Man, they really got around. And they had these fatty humps on their backs that provided them warmth and nutrients in cold times. Uh, it's not a hump. It's a built in heater and a snack pack. Oh, cool. Um, thanks. Mammoth. He's really big.

[Peter McNerney]

I heard that.

[Lee Overtree]

Also we got the dire wolf in North America, which is basically like really cool big wolves. Or as Laila mentioned, the saber toothed tigers. Like the Smilodon, which is also a pretty cool and like cheerful name. Like, thanks for keeping it positive. Smilodon. A smilodon's fangs are 11 inches of. Watch out. Don't touch that thing.

[Taylor Lincoln]

Meow.

[Lee Overtree]

You should see how much these babies fetch me from the Tooth Fairy. Good joke, Tooth Fairy. There's also giant sloths, giant cheetahs, giant apes. Basically, when it comes to animals, the Ice Age was like, go big or go home. But there's another important player that showed up as well during the Ice Age. That's right. I'm talking about top of the food chain, baby humans. Modern Homo sapiens appeared in Africa somewhere around 200,000 years ago. Over time, Homo sapiens spread to what's now the Middle East, Europe and Asia. But the Americas, you're probably thinking they're like way over the water, right? Well, not during an Ice Age. You see, much of the planet's H2O was frozen as ice, which made the sea levels dramatically lower. So low, in fact, that a land bridge emerged between Siberia and Alaska. Like, if you've ever like been In a pool that doesn't have water in it. It's really cool to, like, walk around and skateboard in that thing. That's what we're talking about. Scientists think that early humans crossed this land bridge, or as I call it, empty swimming pool, around 20,000 years ago. Probably to get away from some boring cousins. These brave explorers spread all the way down to South America. So the Ice Age helped humans move to new places. That's what we call teamwork. Roar. Wow, Lee. This is all so cool. Polar Bear, I don't want to freak you out or anything, but we are currently in the middle of an ice age right now.

[Molly Bloom]

What?

[Lee Overtree]

That's right. I just blew your mind. That last age I told you about, it never really ended. We just entered a warmer period of that Ice age. And that started, you know, 10,000 or so years ago. It's called an interglacial period. See, an ice age is any period in which there is at least one big ice sheet present. And the Earth currently has two. One in Antarctica and one in Greenland. You are blowing my mind with facts, Roar. You know what else probably blew your mind? That I pronounced the C in Antarctica, which most people don't do. But here's the thing. Humans are putting a lot more greenhouse gas into the atmosphere right now, which scientists say is heating up the planet and melting those ice sheets we talked about. If we don't do something soon, it's going to cause more intense, even dangerous weather. It's going to raise sea levels and could force us to lose our super cool Ice Age status. So, if you're a fan of things the way they are, thank the Ice Age. It's all any of us have ever known. And honestly, this Ice age has treated all of us pretty well. Especially, come to think of it, Peter, you could say he's coddled by the current Ice Age. The end.

[Molly Bloom]

Wow, that was a rousing argument for the Ice Age. Laila, what stuck out to you about Leigh's argument?

[Layla]

It's still relevant. It's still happening. Also, megafauna is such a cool word.

[Molly Bloom]

Megafauna is a very cool word. And those megafauna themselves sound super cool, too. And now we're gonna hear from Team Jurassic. Peter, you have 30 seconds to respond to Lee's declaration of greatness. And your time starts now.

[Peter McNerney]

Oh, I'm sorry. What? I fell asleep, like, five minutes ago. Lee started talking about ice like it was a cool thing, and I said, oh, okay. What? The Ice Age. You've got bigger animals than we have now. Megafauna More like Boo Laymifauna. I'm embarrassed for you and I'm embarrassed for the listener that they had to listen to all of that. Polar bears. I can find you a polar bear tomorrow. I just gotta buy a plane ticket and time. But yeah.

[Molly Bloom]

Lee, is there anything you wanna say to Peter before we move on?

[Lee Overtree]

I just want to say that, Peter, I respect you and I'm a little sad for you.

[Peter McNerney]

Not about any of this, just about me in general. That's fair.

[Layla]

I guess. You thought it was a dinosnore.

[Molly Bloom]

All right, we're gonna hear more from Peter now. It's time for your declaration of greatness. Listeners, ditch the ice pick for some binoculars and safari gear because we're headed to the Jurassic.

[Lee Overtree]

Have you ever heard of a little.

[Peter McNerney]

Movie called Jurassic Park? You know, that real old movie about dinosaurs that was so realistic and scary that I may or may not have had to spend the entire third act hiding in the lobby by myself? Yeah, that one. Well, that movie and its roughly 900 sequels gave us an awesome, if not totally accurate glimpse into the most incredible era in our planet's history. An era of change. An era of monsters. An era of dinosaurs. Sorry. I knew that was gonna happen and it's still scared me. That's right. I'm talking about a time 200 to 145 million years ago called the Jurassic era. It all started at the end of the Triassic, which was like the Jurassic, but with fewer and less cool dinosaurs. So who cares, right? The land on Earth was clumped together into one gigantic island called Pangea. So picture one big boring land lump.

[Pangea]

Hey, I wasn't that boring.

[Peter McNerney]

Oh, hey, Pangea. I did not expect to see you here. Or anywhere.

[Pangea]

Frankly, no one ever does.

[Peter McNerney]

Anyway, since the bulk of the land was in Pangea's center, most of it was far from the water. This made hot summers hotter and cold winters colder. It was really intense. But then things started to change. Over millions of years, Pangaea split across the middle and oceans filled the gaps. Eventually there was a lot more land closer to water, which meant less dry air and less intense weather. Perfect conditions for some major changes to life itself. And you know who really benefited? That's right.

[Molly Bloom]

Plants.

[Lee Overtree]

Yeah, we did.

[Molly Bloom]

Woo.

[Lee Overtree]

It's a plant party. Hey, are the plants. Look at all this fertile soil. Let's spread and grow like crazy.

[Peter McNerney]

That's right. And while there weren't yet any flowers on the land, ferns and ginkgos and forests full of pine tree like plants exploded across the globe. And with all that growth, you're bound to attract the ultimate plant party pooper. Herbivores.

[Stegosaurus]

Uh, wait, sorry, what's an herbivore?

[Peter McNerney]

Again, great question. Plant herbivores are animals that only eat plants.

[Stegosaurus]

Oh, right, right, right, right, right. Wait a second.

[Peter McNerney]

We're plants.

[Lee Overtree]

Everybody run. We're not moving. Darn these roots.

[Peter McNerney]

With so much fresh vegetation to eat, herbivores grew and grew and grew into some of the largest land animals that came ever lived. Sauropods were a type of giant plant eating dinosaur that spent all their days eating literally tons of leaves. They were so big, it's hard to even imagine. But let us try. Imagine if you will. You go to a park and out from the trees walks a full grown elephant. Wow, you think that is a really big animal? Then out of nowhere, another elephant comes running out into the clearing, jumps onto a huge springboard, flies into the air and lands gracefully onto the first elephant's back. Before you have time to think, well, that was the craziest thing I've ever seen. From the woods, a full grown giraffe is shot out of a cannon. And that giraffe lands perfectly on top of the upper elephant's back. Then from the sky, another giraffe skydives out of an airplane. And right at the last second, her parachute opens and she lands light as a feather on the first giraffe's head, extending the hybrid elephant giraffe monster's neck to double giraffe length. At this point you're probably thinking duh, duh guh guh, because you're pretty sure you've lost your mind. But then three adult dolphins come riding out on motorcycles. They do a dramatic slide stop and fly. Fly off their bikes to land in a perfect chain with the first dolphin grabbing hold of the top elephant's tail, creating a 30 foot long tail of dolphins. You stand back to take in the full shape and size of this dolphin elephant giraffe monster. And you think I should probably run for my life. But what you really should be thinking is, wow, that's about how big a Bronchiosaurus was back in the Jurassic era, because it was. And that's just one of the cool creatures around. Back then there was also the Allosaurus, a fearsome meat eater that walked on two legs.

[Lee Overtree]

My arms might be tiny, but I've.

[Pangea]

Got a huge head equipped with dozens.

[Lee Overtree]

Of sharp serrated teeth.

[Peter McNerney]

And the Stegosaurus.

[Stegosaurus]

I've got a tiny head, but my.

[Lee Overtree]

Back is covered in these giant plates. And check out my tail, it's got spikes look out. Whoa.

[Pangea]

Oops.

[Peter McNerney]

Sorry. In the ocean, there were equally intense creatures like the Liopleurodon, a giant swimming reptile with jaws the size of a grown person.

[Stegosaurus]

Hey, you all, come take a dip.

[Peter McNerney]

Oh, no, I'm good.

[Stegosaurus]

Aw, man. Know it every once in a while.

[Peter McNerney]

Not to mention the flying pterosaurs or some of the first tiny mammals. Or the first ever birds. While the Jurassic period was 200 to 150 million years ago, we still can't stop thinking about it, learning about it, making movies about it and doing podcasts about it. I mean, can you blame us? I mean, honestly, was there ever an era that has captured our imaginations like the Jurassic?

[Pangea]

No.

[Peter McNerney]

The answer is no.

[Molly Bloom]

Wow. My imagination is captured. Laila, how about yours? What caught your attention in Peter's declaration?

[Layla]

Well, I really appreciated that example of how large the dinosaurs were with the elephants and giraffes and dolphins. Appreciated.

[Molly Bloom]

Lee, it's your turn to tell us why Team Jurassic got it all wrong. You've got 30 seconds for your rebuttal. And your time starts now.

[Lee Overtree]

Here we go. What's cooler than cold? It's ice. Ice, baby. Are dinosaurs lame? The answer is maybe their heads are too big for a brain. Like a walnut covered in feathers. Can't even get a haircut. Dinosaurs are boring. Just like we discussed. Anything born from an egg, I don't trust. What's better than a lizard? I'll tell you. Cause I wanna some animals I know who are called the megafauna. This age is so cold, good luck.

[Molly Bloom]

Trying to melt it.

[Lee Overtree]

Dinosaurs fart? I don't know. They got smacked in.

[Peter McNerney]

They got smacked.

[Lee Overtree]

Oh my gosh.

[Molly Bloom]

We have never had a rapt rebuttal before.

[Layla]

I'm impressed. Genuinely. That was genuinely impressive.

[Molly Bloom]

Well, that is it for our first round of debate. Layla, it is time to award a point. Remember, don't tell us who you're giving it to, but chew over all you just heard. Listeners, we want you to decide too, which debater made the coolest case. And remember, you get to define what coolest means. Which declaration was funnier? More fact filled, Most moving. It is up to you. Completely subjective. All right, Layla, have you decided? I have. And you've marked it down?

[Layla]

Yep, it's right there.

[Molly Bloom]

Excellent. Well, everyone take a breather. This debate will be right back.

[Layla]

Stay tuned.

[Taylor Lincoln]

Taylor Lincoln here with 14 time debate champ, Todd Douglas. And today we've got the latest on the debate everyone is talking about.

[Lee Overtree]

Yes, indeed we do. And let me tell you, it's a heart wrenching scene in Fort Worth, Texas, where it's sister against sister on the debate battlefield.

[Taylor Lincoln]

Okay, it's not that dramatic.

[Lee Overtree]

I find sibling feuds very stressful, Taylor. And my therapist says I should vocalize those feelings.

[Taylor Lincoln]

Oh, well, sounds like you've got yourself a great therapist there. But let's get back to the matter at hand. Cynthia and Karina's parents told them they can decide how the family spends the last two weeks of their summer vacation, but the sisters can't reach an agreement. Let's listen in.

[Molly Bloom]

There's no point trying to cram in another vacation, Karina. I just want to sleep in, enjoy the AC and work on my Captain Marvel fanfic, not get stuck in an airplane for like 14 hours. I won't be able to focus.

[Taylor Lincoln]

Okay, but hear me out. International vacations aren't just exciting and fun, they're good for you. Studies have shown that traveling lowers your risk of heart disease and decreases stress. And it can even boost your creativity to help you with your fanfic.

[Lee Overtree]

Now those are some compelling arguments from Karina. But are her facts airtight enough to win this debate?

[Taylor Lincoln]

Let's see how this plays out for staycation loving. Cynthia.

[Molly Bloom]

Where do you find all these studies about vacations? That stuff sounds made up.

[Taylor Lincoln]

No way. I did my research. And those facts come from studies conducted by researchers at the Global Coalition on Aging, the University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology in Austria, and Columbia University, among others. Want me to send you some links?

[Layla]

No, no, that's fine.

[Molly Bloom]

I guess getting out of town could be kinda inspiring.

[Lee Overtree]

Wowee. Heckin.

[Peter McNerney]

Zowie.

[Lee Overtree]

She backed up those facts like nobody's business.

[Taylor Lincoln]

Yeah, Cynthia fact checked her sister, which is always a smart move. But Karina did her research and she came out on top.

[Lee Overtree]

My sister never cared enough to fact check me.

[Taylor Lincoln]

Aw, Todd, I'll always fact check you.

[Lee Overtree]

Thank you, Taylor. That means a lot.

[Taylor Lincoln]

No problemo. Now make sure your facts are confirmed by trustworthy sources, debate heads, and we'll catch you next time on State of Debate.

[Lee Overtree]

Boom.

[Molly Bloom]

Smash. Smash Boom Best. I'm Molly Bloom and this is Smash Boom Best, the show about showdowns. Sailor from San Carlos, California sent us this fantastic debate idea.

[Layla]

My debate idea is glass versus metal.

[Molly Bloom]

We'll hear sailors pick at the the end of the show. And if you have an epic debate idea, send it over. Visit smashboom.org to let us know. Now, where did we leave off with this freezing fracas? Or is it a balmy battle? Either way, it's time for Ice Age.

[Layla]

Versus Jurassic round two.

[Molly Bloom]

Lee And Peter, are you ready? Oh yeah.

[Lee Overtree]

Never been more ready.

[Peter McNerney]

Molly.

[Molly Bloom]

Great. It's time for micro round. We sent our debaters this challenge in advance. It's called Top of the hour. Lee and Peter will play local news anchors and they'll deliver all the breaking news, politics, arts and culture about their sides. They might even throw in a tear jerking human interest story. Or dinosaur interest story. We'll see. All right. Lee went first last time. So Peter, you're up. Give us the scoop on the Jurassic.

[Peter McNerney]

Hello, I'm Peter McNerney reporting live from the belly of a beast. Literally. That's right. I've been eaten by a dinosaur. But not just any dinosaur. I've been eaten by one of the Jurassic era's greatest carnivorous hunters. The Allosaurus. A terrifying creature standing 16ft tall and 43ft long while being devoured by a dinosaur was not what I had planned for today. I'm a professional journalist who would never pass up the opportunity for an inside scoop. And yes, that pun was intentional. I'm standing here with a very old Stegosaurus who was also bested by the beast. Tell us, Stegosaurus, how did you end up eaten?

[Stegosaurus]

Well, I am a very old Stegosaurus. And not lively as I once was. Old Allosaurus and I have a long history of friendly fighting. And by friendly, I mean terrifying and ferocious. This time, he finally got me.

[Peter McNerney]

And may I ask, how did those epic battles go? I couldn't help but notice that unlike the Allosaurus, you don't have dozens of sharp teeth that are serrated at the front and rear edges.

[Stegosaurus]

Boy, yes, that was definitely an advantage for old Al. And you know what's crazy about those teeth? Sometimes they fall out during feeding, but then they get replaced by new teeth. That guy's a regular prehistoric tooth factory. Not fair.

[Molly Bloom]

Right?

[Peter McNerney]

So how did you last so long against such a mighty foe? Not to be rude, but even though you're the size of a bus, I hear your brain is no bigger than a walnut.

[Stegosaurus]

That's a common misconception. It's actually more the size and shape of a bent hot dog. Fun, but I had my trick. Have you seen this spiky tail of mine? This thing is no joke.

[Peter McNerney]

Wow. Looks like one of them is broken.

[Stegosaurus]

Yeah, in my prime, I could swing that thing so hard that it could send an Allosaurus to an early extinction. If you know what I mean.

[Peter McNerney]

I sure do. Well, congratulations on an impressive career. And good luck with your retirement here inside the Allosaurus.

[Stegosaurus]

Thanks. I've already started a book club with These smaller sauropods that were also eaten.

[Peter McNerney]

Hi.

[Lee Overtree]

We're reading Lost World.

[Peter McNerney]

Well, don't spoil the ending. Reporting live from the proverbial end of the road, I'm Peter McNerney. Please send help.

[Molly Bloom]

I would tune in to that newscast. Laila, what did you think?

[Layla]

I would definitely tune into that. Do you have. Do you have any video?

[Peter McNerney]

We're trying to stream from in here, but reception is a little shoddy.

[Stegosaurus]

No wifi.

[Layla]

It must be pretty dire.

[Molly Bloom]

All right, it's Lee's turn to take the mic. Lee, what's been going down in the Ice Age?

[Lee Overtree]

Welcome back to wice, the Ice Age News Network, where, if it isn't cold, it's not cool. I'm Pat Penguin at the airport tarmac, where a large crowd of teens have gathered. They're holding up signs and waiting for someone or something to step out of a very large plane. Excuse me. Excuse me, Miss.

[Peter McNerney]

Scuse me.

[Lee Overtree]

Who are you waiting to see? Is it a famous musical group or perhaps a young and dreamy political figure?

[Layla]

Um.

[Stegosaurus]

No.

[Lee Overtree]

We're waiting for. Hey, they're here. I love you. The door of the very large plane is opening, and it's.

[Peter McNerney]

It's. Well, it's the coolest thing in.

[Lee Overtree]

In the entire Ice Age. A glacier. We love your ice. It's so cold. Excuse me, Ms. Glacier. Ms. Glacier. Yes, Ms. Glacier, is it true you're an absolutely gigantic piece of ice that is always moving, albeit very slowly?

[Pangea]

Slowly? Glaciers like me can move 50ft a day.

[Lee Overtree]

Fascinating.

[Pangea]

And personally, I think of myself as petite.

[Lee Overtree]

I would never say you're wrong about that.

[Pangea]

I'm less than a hundred miles long. I'll have you know some of my cousins are over 200 miles in length.

[Peter McNerney]

Wow.

[Lee Overtree]

I wonder what the teens think about your size and shape and the way you move. We love how slow you are. At one point, glaciers covered one third of the planet. Wow. Great fact, teen. Now, quiet. Ms. Glacier, is it true you're many centuries old?

[Pangea]

A lady never tells. But let me say, it takes lots of snow falling many, many decades to build up and make a beauty like me.

[Lee Overtree]

Yes, but what about glacial landforms? I understand that you have created many of our favorite lakes.

[Pangea]

It's true. As I glide over the land, I carve out huge holes in the earth. The holes fill up with water once I pass them by. Those lakes are my little gift to you.

[Lee Overtree]

Well, as someone who enjoys swimming in the ocean and not lakes, I thank you.

[Peter McNerney]

Thank you, Glacier.

[Lee Overtree]

Thank you for Great Lakes. You're the best.

[Peter McNerney]

Wow.

[Lee Overtree]

The teens Also, like you, teens like to hang out on lakes. So I hear. And perhaps they can go skiing on a lake.

[Pangea]

You're welcome, my darlings. Enjoy skiing.

[Lee Overtree]

Well, Ms. Glacier, thank you for your time. This has been Pat Penguin reporting.

[Peter McNerney]

I'm going to go do penguin stuff now. Don't ask. Bye.

[Molly Bloom]

An informative and thrilling broadcast. Laila, what did you think?

[Layla]

I have swam in the lakes that Ms. Glacier made. I feel so honored.

[Molly Bloom]

All right. Well, Layla, you heard the broadcast from the Jurassic and the ice age. And now it's time to award a point. Listeners, you too. Have you awarded your point?

[Layla]

I have.

[Molly Bloom]

Excellent. Then it's time for our next round. The sneak attack. Like a stealthy saber toothed cat pouncing on its prey. Or an allosaurus lurching out of the forest. This round is a total surprise. Lee and Peter have no idea what's coming. Are you ready, guys?

[Lee Overtree]

We're ready.

[Peter McNerney]

Yes.

[Molly Bloom]

Excellent. Your challenge is secret handshake. Lee and Peter, we need you to describe what's involved in your side's secret handshake. Narrate each action as you do it and get someone in the studio to do it with you. Listeners, see if you can figure it out at home, too. We're going to give Lee and Peter a few minutes to figure out their handshakes. And listeners, while we wait, we want you to invent your own. Maybe it's a smashboom best handshake. Or maybe it's a secret handshake you do with your mom. Whatever it is, send us a video of yourself doing it and tell us about it. Just head to smashboom.org to upload your file. Okay, let's hear some hold music While Lee and Peter puzzle over their handshakes.

[Lee Overtree]

Megafauna stomp. Frozen ground. Direwolves.

[Molly Bloom]

Cave bears abound. Ice age baby.

[Peter McNerney]

We're living in in one now.

[Lee Overtree]

Jurassic pink Dinosaurs. Liopleurodons and stegosaurs. Stomp, stomp, roar.

[Molly Bloom]

Hide behind that tree. All right, Lee, Peter went first last time, so you are up first. Tell us about this ice cold handshake.

[Lee Overtree]

All right, so. So my handshake has four major parts to it. And because I heard that Layla loves puns, each section of my handshake involves a pun. And the first section is stand next to your handshake partner and give them the cold shoulder. What you do with that is you take a piece of ice and just like I'm doing right now, pin that piece of ice between your shoulder and your partner's shoulder. Go ahead, do it. Right now. Now take another piece of ice and pin your other shoulder to your partner's shoulder. So now both of your shoulders should be touching with a piece of ice in between each one. That's called the cold shoulder. Second part of the handshake is keep a cool head, everybody. And put another piece of ice between the back of your head and the back of your partner's head. So now you're standing back to back. Both of your shoulders have a piece of ice pinned between them, and your head also has a piece of ice pinned between your head and their head. It's easy to do. Everyone should do it. Next part of the handshake is called the freeze, which of course means just pushing up against each other until the ice melts. And finally, we have the culmination of the secret handshake called Break the Ice, in which everybody screams. To break the ice. You also bring out a giant piece of ice, grab an ax, and both hit the ice at the same time. Both hands on the same axe. Just like this. One, two, three. That's it.

[Layla]

Wow.

[Peter McNerney]

Can I just say, that was a nightmare.

[Molly Bloom]

It was a somewhat messy and dangerous handshake.

[Layla]

Also cold and very cold.

[Lee Overtree]

All ways that we roll in the ice age.

[Molly Bloom]

Excellent. Well, Peter, I'm ready.

[Peter McNerney]

Are you ready for this?

[Molly Bloom]

Oh, we're ready.

[Peter McNerney]

Cause I created a handshake that's possible to do. That's right. That's my twist on this game. It's fun and possible. All right, so here's it. It's got four parts. The four parts are called this. It's stomp, stomp, double jaw, snap, tail swipe, reach for the sky. Alright, and what does that mean? Here's how it works. First, stomp, stomp. You're gonna wanna face your partner and you're gonna do two giant stomps in which you walk towards each other and then turn so that you're both facing the same direction. So like a giant sauropod, you go stomp. And then twist, stomp. Now you're standing next to each other. So now we're gonna do double jaw snap. Okay, so person on the right, you're gonna put your hands out with your fingers up. And these are the bottom jaw of an allosaurus. And you got a whole bunch of teeth are your fingers and the person to the left, you've got your hands up in the air and you've got your teeth pointed down. And then you bring this jaw down together so it snaps. Double jaw snap. And then you close your mouth together. And then this is the hard part. Okay, this is the tail swipe, where you then extend your hands straight out to the air and make a paddle with your hands. And then you both swing in opposite directions to the left and right and come around to the back with your paddle hands. And you see you smack your tails together in the back and you go, ow. That was the back of my knuckles hitting your knuckles. And you say, it's okay. Pain. Pain is gain in this friendship handshake. And you go boom. And that bounces you right back and you swivel all the way back till you're facing each other. And then you reach up like a bronchiosaurus and your hands go all the way up and you reach for the sky. And you're very close, face to face. You make intense eye contact as your hands go up and you go reach for the sky and you slap hands up above your head like two bronchiosauruses kissing each other good night.

[Molly Bloom]

So, Laila, it's time for you to award a point for this sneak attack round.

[Layla]

Oh my gosh. The rounds just keep getting harder and harder.

[Molly Bloom]

These debaters are fierce listeners. You too, mark down a point for whoever you think came out on top of this handshake sneak attack. Alright, Layla, have you awarded a point?

[Layla]

I have.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay, it's time for our final fearsome round. The final six. Our debaters have one last chance to convince Layla that their side is the best time of all time. Peter, let's hear your six word tribute to the Jurassic.

[Peter McNerney]

There is nothing cooler than dinosaurs.

[Molly Bloom]

All right, Leigh, in six words, why is the Ice Age the coolest?

[Lee Overtree]

You literally cannot get any cooler.

[Molly Bloom]

And there you have it. Layla, it's time to award your final point. Listeners, you should mark down your point for the final six too. Have you decided, Laila?

[Layla]

I think I have.

[Molly Bloom]

Then it's time to determine the winner of this epic debate. Laila, who is taking home the title of Smash Boom. Best.

[Layla]

While it was a very difficult debate and there were some good points, I had to go with the Ice Age.

[Lee Overtree]

No.

[Peter McNerney]

This is literally the worst day of my life.

[Molly Bloom]

Layla. What? That settled it for you? Please talk us through some of your thinking.

[Layla]

Well, I feel like there's just so many great ice puns for one. I also like how it's still relevant. And I like glaciers. And even though I really do like the Land Before Time, I just. I had to go with the Ice Age, you know, it's just. I felt it in my heart. Also, he did use nothing cooler than dinosaurs. And I just yeah.

[Molly Bloom]

What? What was wrong with that?

[Layla]

I mean, it says cooler. Yeah, it says cooler.

[Peter McNerney]

Yeah. I was trying to put down all of the Ice Age. Yeah.

[Molly Bloom]

Were you?

[Peter McNerney]

Boy, if I had known this whole pun thing, this would have gone a very different direction.

[Layla]

It wasn't just the puns. Okay. But I appreciate it.

[Peter McNerney]

Had a lot to do with the puns.

[Lee Overtree]

I also rapped Peter.

[Layla]

Oh, my gosh. I love that so much.

[Peter McNerney]

Okay, okay. Pick a man when he's down.

[Molly Bloom]

What was your favorite thing about Peter's act?

[Layla]

About Peter's argument? Let me look at my notes.

[Peter McNerney]

Oh, yeah. Don't try too hard. How about a 30 foot long dolphin tail?

[Layla]

I was just thinking about that. I also really like dinosaur names. Dinosaur names are always really cool.

[Lee Overtree]

No, but honestly, you made incredible. I think you did better research than me. I had to resort to some low blows in order to score cheap points. And I think you're amazing. I truly, truly respect your intellect.

[Peter McNerney]

Well, thank you. I was very impressed. You won fair and square when you were rapping. I knew it was over.

[Layla]

That was the beginning.

[Molly Bloom]

Ice Age may have won Laila over, but maybe the Jurassic was your choice for Smashboom Best.

[Layla]

Cast your vote for Team Jurassic or Team ice [e-mail], visit the site and you can see who other listeners voted for, too.

[Molly Bloom]

That's all for today's debate. Smash Boom. Best is brought to you by Brains on and American Public Media.

[Peter McNerney]

It's produced by Mark Sanchez, Sandin Totten, Molly Bloom, Elissa Dudley and Rosie Dupont.

[Lee Overtree]

We had engineering help from Corey Schreppel and Sam Baer.

[Peter McNerney]

And we had production help from Maneka Wilhelm, Christina Lopez and Lauren D. Brenna.

[Molly Bloom]

Everson is the voice of our hold music and our announcer is Marley Feuer, Worker Otto. We want to give a special thanks to Melanie Renee, Justin Kuh, Austin Cross, Taylor Kaufman and Ryan Copeland. Peter, is there anyone you want to thank today?

[Peter McNerney]

I would like to thank you, Molly Bloom, my friend I have known since I was 11 years old.

[Molly Bloom]

Aw, Peter. And what about you, Lee? Anyone you want to thank?

[Lee Overtree]

I want to thank Peter McNerney and Ryan Cober and the Story Pirates and Sam Baer.

[Molly Bloom]

Layla, do you want to give a special shout out to anybody?

[Layla]

Shout out to my cats. You're really great. And I'm supposed to be cleaning your cat boxes right now. And shout out to my mom, who drove and is also really great.

[Molly Bloom]

Well, before we sign off, let's hear some more from Sailor the listener with the idea for a metal versus glass debate. Here's who she thinks would win.

[Layla]

I think metal would win because metal can only get indents and glass can break.

[Molly Bloom]

An excellent point. You can send us all your most epic [e-mail] who knows? Your idea could end up on the show. Check back next week for another diploma bait battle.

[Stegosaurus]

Bye.

[Molly Bloom]

Bye, guys.

[Lee Overtree]

Bye.

[Molly Bloom]

Than the rest.

[Lee Overtree]

It's smash the west. It's smash the west. I have one more couplet I didn't get to. If anybody wants to hear it.

[Molly Bloom]

Yeah, go for it.

[Lee Overtree]

Okay, here we go. This age is so cold. Good luck trying to melt it. Dinosaurs fart. I know cause I smelt it. Take off your sweater cause it's cool to be cold. A dino is silver and the ice age is gold. One more point before this rap is done. I hope you like ice ages cause you're living in one. Oh man.