Moss vs. Moths
34 min
•Jan 29, 20263 months agoSummary
Smash Boom Best hosts a debate between Moss and Moths, with debaters Emily Olcott and Tiz Irie presenting arguments for each organism's superiority. Judge Nora from Durham, New Hampshire, evaluates four rounds of arguments covering the unique abilities, ecological importance, and practical applications of both species, ultimately awarding the win to Moss.
Insights
- Moss has significant practical applications in medicine and environmental remediation, including historical use as wound dressing and modern carbon sequestration benefits
- Moths play a critical role in nocturnal pollination and ecosystem balance, particularly as bee populations decline due to climate change
- Debate format effectively teaches children about scientific argumentation, evidence-based reasoning, and evaluating competing claims with equal validity
- Both organisms demonstrate that 'small and simple' biological systems can have outsized ecological and practical importance to human survival
- Engaging judges through personal connection and relatable storytelling (costumes, travel anecdotes) influences decision-making as much as factual arguments
Trends
Growing educational focus on ecosystem services and biodiversity's role in climate change mitigation for younger audiencesIncreased recognition of pollinator diversity beyond honeybees, including nocturnal insect species in agricultural sustainabilityMoss-based biotechnology and biomimicry applications in water absorption, soil stabilization, and medical contextsFamily-oriented STEM content emphasizing debate, critical thinking, and scientific literacy through entertainment formatsShift toward highlighting overlooked or underappreciated organisms in nature education and environmental advocacy
Topics
Moss biology and bryophyte characteristicsMoth metamorphosis and lifecycle transformationNocturnal pollination and ecosystem servicesCarbon sequestration and climate change mitigationSoil erosion prevention and stabilizationInsect vision and sensory adaptationsPollinator decline and agricultural sustainabilityBiomimicry and nature-inspired technologyTardigrades and microscopic ecosystemsBat echolocation and moth defense mechanismsHistorical medical applications of natural materialsDebate structure and argumentation techniquesEnvironmental education for childrenBiodiversity and species interdependenceNature-based climate solutions
Companies
NASA
Referenced as having developed camera technology inspired by moth eye design for deep space photography
Lemonada Media
Parent company of Brains On Universe podcast network, mentioned in episode branding
People
Emily Olcott
Actor, writer, singer, comedian, and Story Pirates member who debated for Team Moss
Tiz Irie
Comedian, writer, and musician who debated for Team Moths
Nora
Judge from Durham, New Hampshire, interested in drawing, crafts, dog training, and costume design
Molly Bloom
Host of Smash Boom Best and producer of the episode
Quotes
"Moss reminds us that simple, small things can have a big purpose."
Emily Olcott•Declaration of Greatness round
"Moths are the full package and you wouldn't even know just by looking at them. But they have these incredible hidden superpowers."
Tiz Irie•Declaration of Greatness round
"War is not simple. There's many different angles, many different sides, and many different perspectives."
Nora•Judge introduction
"Moss, nature's doctor and nature's diaper."
Emily Olcott•Final Six round
"They were tied until the final six. And the final six, I loved Nature's Doctors."
Nora•Winner announcement
Full Transcript
Friends, we are so super duper excited to tell you that we just added a bunch more cities to our 2026 live show tour. Get ready for singing, dancing, magic tricks, game shows, mystery sounds and scientists falling from the sky in a totally safe way. We promise. Plus, there's a chance for you to attend special meet and greet parties in every city. So come on. This spring, we're coming to Milwaukee, St. Paul, Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale, Chattanooga, Durham, San Francisco, Portland, Buffalo, Toronto, and Ann Arbor. We're basically going to be everywhere. Look behind you. Are we there? No? Well, we probably will be soon. Head over to BrainsOn.org slash events for tickets. And make sure you grab passes to our meet and greet party. You get to ask us questions, take pictures with us, and I'll even do some close-up magic. That's BrainsOn.org slash events. Can't wait to see you. Lemonada. Brains On Universe. Have you heard the news? Smash Boom Best is now independent. We're so excited to be back with an epic new season, and it's all thanks to our SmartyPass members. They're the big-hearted helpers who power us by joining at SmartyPass.org. You can be one of them. Your support helps pay our debaters and sound designers, so we can keep making the fun and fact-filled shows your family loves. Plus, you get ad-free versions of all of our shows, bonus stuff, and access to virtual hangs with me, Molly. Again, that's SmartyPass.org. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Now, on with the show. 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, we're debating two wonders of the natural world. One is a perfect little patch of groovy greenery. The other is a fine and fluttery friend. It's Moss vs. Moths. Not the easiest to say, but easy to argue about. Here to be a megaphone for Moss is actor, writer, singer, comedian, and story pirate, Emily Olcott. Thanks, Molly. Yeah, I'm new to Smash Boom Best, so just like Moss, I'm pretty green. But unlike Moss, I will not be going soft on my opponent. Ooh, and flying in for fabulous moths is comedian, writer, and musician, Tiz Irie. Yeah, I just want to say shout out to lights everywhere. To bright lights. Here to judge this woodsy debate is Nora from Durham, New Hampshire. She's into drawing, arts and crafts, training dogs and making her own costumes. Hi, Nora. Hi. So, Nora, tell us about your dog. Her name is Spice. She's a mini American Shepherd or most people know them as mini Australian Shepherd. But yeah, she's only like seven months old. Oh my gosh. So cute. So how are you training her? I'm doing like a few different dog sports and things. I'm working with like, you know, positive reinforcement training, that kind of thing, and basic obedience also. Would you say she's like an easy dog to train or is she sort of strong headed? I mean, she's very smart, but doesn't like to cooperate sometimes. So that can be a challenge. But she is pretty eager to please and very loyal. Does she love treats? Depends on her mood. Okay, so not super food motivated. That's always tricky. Yeah. So what's your favorite thing about your dog? Probably that she's snuggly. She likes to climb up on you and lick your face. Oh, that's so sweet. Okay, so you're also a sewer. You make your own costumes. Tell me some of the coolest costumes or ones that you're most proud of that you've created. Probably the one that I'm most proud of is the one I did this year, which was a Twi'lek from Star Wars. And they're like the—most people have seen them. They're like the alien that have two tentacles or head tails on their head. and I made like a headpiece like out of foam. So that was pretty cool when it was finished. That's very impressive. So you're a big Star Wars fan. Yeah. And I'm wondering what life lessons have you gotten from the world of Star Wars? Probably that war is not simple. There's many different angles, many different sides, and many different perspectives. And that goes for like almost all life. There's always another perspective. Oh, very good. Would you say you spend a lot of time in nature? I like it as a concept, but not so much when there are bugs crawling on me. Oh. Okay, okay. Yeah, I like it as a concept until I have like 10 bazillion mosquito bites because I forgot to put on bugs right. Mosquitoes. Yeah, luckily we're not debating mosquitoes today. Thank goodness. Will Nora pick Team Moss or Team Moths? We're about to find out. 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, Nora, 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. OK, Tiz, Emily and Nora, are you ready? Yeah. Let's do this. I was born 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, Tiz, you're up first. Flap your mouth for those winged wonders known as moths. Let's get right into it. Moths are the full package and you wouldn't even know just by looking at them. But they have these incredible hidden superpowers. Think about it. Super vision, super smell, and they can shapeshift. They're like three of the X-Men rolled into one. Let's start with the eyes. Because most moths fly at night, they have these special eyeballs designed to take in as much light as possible. These powerful peepers help them navigate really dark places. In fact, moth eyes are so sophisticated that they even inspired a NASA camera that takes pictures of things in the deepest darkness of space. That's one small step for man. One giant leap for moth kind. I mean mankind. They use their antennae as noses. You know, those little pokey things on top of their head. And those antennae are tuned in on true love. Lots of insects use antennae, but moths use theirs to sniff out stuff that's really far away. Male silkworm moths have really fluffy antennae on their heads that look like feathers, and they use them to track down mates. They can actually smell a female moth from more than six miles away. They don't need an app to find that special someone. They just need a good whiff. And they could sniff out the plants they need for food. So that's like dinner and a date. But that's not all. Moths are also masters of metamorphosis. That's just a fancy word for when something starts out as one thing, and then over time, it becomes something completely new. A moth begins its life as something funny-looking, a little worm-like caterpillar. Hey, who are you calling funny looking? I happen to have starred in a very important book. Maybe you've heard of it. It's called The Very Hungry Caterpillar. It's true. Caterpillars are very hungry. They're basically eating machines because it's their job to store up as much energy as possible so they can become a moth. Here's how it works. Once a caterpillar gets big enough, it makes its own silking cocoon. And that's when things get really wild. Inside the cocoon, the caterpillar basically breaks down its body into a blob and reforms itself into something new, growing wings, a little feathery antennae, and long, delicate legs. It becomes a bomb. And now to reveal my new look I can get over how wild metamorphosis is It be like you wrapping yourself in a sleeping bag and emerging a penguin Or a platypus. And moths have range. There are more than 160,000 different types, and they come in all sizes, shapes, and colors. Like nature's winged rainbow. No matter what you're into, there's a moth for you. I like really, really big stuff. Oh, that's easy. You'll like the Atlas moth. It lives in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia and has a wingspan more than a foot wide. Picture a moth the size of a Subway sandwich. Well, I also have a mysterious goth side. Oh, you'd like the Luna moth. It's got long lime green wings and markings that look like big eyes, which confuse the animals that want to eat it. Like owls. Are they stacked with cool powers? Yep. Do they come in lots of cool shapes, sizes, and colors? Absolutely. Is the fact that they can change from one thing to another one of the coolest tricks in nature? Of course it is. There's nothing about these creatures that isn't totally moth-rageous. Wow, I was drawn into that argument. The glowing, beautiful light of that declaration of greatness. Nora, what stood out to you about Tiz's argument? It was really cool. I learned a lot of new things. Like, I didn't know about, like, their eyes and things. So that was really cool to learn. Mm-hmm. Absolutely. Well, Emily, it is time for your rebuttal. You get 30 seconds to tell us why moths are just winging it. And your time starts now. Wow, wow, wow. So Tiz laid out quite an argument and has a beautiful voiceover voice. But do not be fooled, you guys. I'm doing the moth, and it does not add up. And let me tell you why. Moths think they are better than us, okay? They've got superpowers. That's not relatable, okay? I have bad eyesight, so I don't relate on that point. Also, moths don't need apps to find true love. I also don't relate to that, okay? And another thing, moths star in books. The Hungry Caterpillar, you know that moths are raking in those residuals, okay? Moths think they're better than us. I'm blown away. I'm just, you know, I'm going to fly somewhere now. No, Tiz, look, Tiz, I know you're reeling. That actually wasn't a moth pun. I kind of emphasized that word as if it was, but it wasn't. But it felt good to get that out. I have to say, I can actually relate to the mob's good eyesight. I'm like the only person in my family that doesn't need glasses. Nora, no. What? Incredible. Don't go down this path, Nora. Okay. Well, this is a frothy, mossy moth debate. We're going to hear more in just a minute. Today's episode is sponsored by EveryPlate. EveryPlate is the go-to dinner solution for busy families juggling work, school, and activities. I don't know what it is, but I am not good at meal planning. I look at the week ahead and I think, wow, there's so many possible meals I could make and they would be so delicious. And then guess what? It doesn't happen. 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To get $2.99 per meal on your first box, plus free steak for a month. Offer varies by plan. one free 10-ounce serving of steak per box for four weeks with active subscription. Ditch the dinnertime dilemmas with every plate. Best. Boom. Smash. Smash. Boom. Best. Okay, we're back, and it's time for Emily to lay out the case. Take the stage and tell us why Moss is boss. Ah. Hey, what's up? Oh, right, the debate. Sorry, I was prepping for Smash Boom Best when I saw some moss and decided to get some Smash Boom rest. Is there anything more chill than sitting next to a patch of green, fuzzy moss? Exactly, bird that randomly landed on my shoulder. There's nothing this chill. Yeah, I know. And when I pet the moss, it's like I'm petting nature itself. So soft. But there is so much more to moss than just how chill it is. What's that badger who just sat down next to me? You want to know more? Well, pull up some moss and I'll tell you. Oh, gather round, animals. Moss is a plant. In fact, it's a member of the oldest living group of land plants on Earth, the bryophytes. But it's not like your typical tree or fern or rosebush no-no. For starters, moss doesn't have roots. It has little threads called rhizoids that help mosses stick to things like rocks or trees. But mosses don't suck up nutrients or water with those rhizoids. Instead, they get everything they need from their simple leaves. The leaves photosynthesize, which means they eat sunlight. And those leaves drink too. And boy, are they thirsty. Mosses can soak up to 20 times their own weight in water. Hydration heroes. That would be like me drinking a whole pool of water. Not an Olympic-sized one, but you know, like one of those above-ground ones that you can put in your backyard. Yeah, you guys get it. It's like that. But in my belly. But mosses aren't just super sponges. They are the super glue holding parts of nature together. Yes, giant moose that is extremely big and kind of scary, but also clearly sweet and gentle that just joined me on this patch of moss. This plant helps animals big and small. For starters, it's home to a jungle of microscopic critters, including one of the most famous microcritters of all time, the tardigrade. These nearly indestructible, super mini, little bear-looking creatures are sometimes called, wait for it, moss piglets. I know, great nickname, bird, that I was talking to before. Moss helps add more nutrients to soil, which is like food for other plants. So trees and bushes do better when moss is around. When all that water in moss evaporates, it cools off the area like a fluffy green air conditioner. or, wow, I want one in my apartment, and mosses even fight climate change. Climate change is caused in large part by too much carbon dioxide trapping heat in our atmosphere. But scientists have found that mosses absorb and store over 6 billion tons more carbon than the bare patches of soil moss is often growing near. So more moss equals less carbon. Hello. You said it, Wolf, who was eating trail mix from my hand. Moss is low-key saving the world. It's also so pretty. There are ones that look like green mats of tangled noodles and ones that look like mini pine forests. That's why so many people use moss in their gardens or terrariums. Moss is also inspiring. Whether it's the awe you feel seeing this silent, resilient little plant just chilling in nature, or it's the woe you feel peeking at all that's going on in moss under a microscope, Maybe it's an artistic inspiration from seeing how moss paints the nooks and crannies of nature. Or maybe it's an eco-inspiration thinking of how moss helps the planet. Moss reminds us that simple, small things can have a big purpose. Right, nature friends? Oh that actually reminds me One last thing Animal friends do you mind if I get personal for a second Oh you want me to Oh good So, I recently went on a vacation to the Irish countryside where I hiked 10 hours a day. And guess who was a constant friend throughout the trip? Moss. When my feet were sore, I rested them on moss. When my poncho was soaking wet, I dried it on moss. when I was suddenly overcome with the need to sit down and eat large amounts of dried mango to avoid crashing out. Moss supported me. Moss became a friend to me, and I consider Moss my chosen family. So yeah, I'm team Moss all the way, baby. Now, who wants to curl up on this moss patch and have a cat nap? I knew you'd be down, forest cat. Let's be like Moss and chill. Excellent job, Emily, who is debating right now into a microphone. Really nicely done. Nora, what were your favorite points in that declaration of greatness? You guys are making it really hard for me. They're both so good. I liked that the moss helped with climate change. That's really cool. And yeah, the random animals that popped up throughout the thing were amazing. All right, Tiz, you get 30 seconds to step all over Team Moss's arguments. You got 30 seconds and your time starts now. Boy, was that sporing. I'm more of a fun guy, you know what I mean? Yeah, hang out with, we could fly, hang out with us. We could fly. Butterflies are pretty cool. They're cool versions of us. They're our cooler cousins. We're dangerous butterflies. Hang out with the moths. And time. Wow. I had no idea that moths were the bad boys of the insect kingdom. But just on a personal note, Tiz, wow. Deeply, deeply offended by what you said. We had to wake him up for that rebuttal. Yeah, wow. Okay, Nora, it is time to award some points. Please give one point to the declaration of greatness that you liked best and one point to the rebuttal that won you over. You get to decide what makes a winning argument. Did one team's science strike a chord with you? Did another team's jokes make you LOL? Award your points, but don't tell us who they are going to. All right, points awarded. Ooh, wonderful. Tiz and Emily, how are you two feeling so far? I feel alive. I mean, I'm scared. I don't know what's going to happen next. I'm freaking out, and I feel great all at the same time. Excellent. I feel like I'm curled up next to a campfire. I feel great. I feel real good. Right, because Moss is so relaxing, so. Of course. It is time for a quick break. Go flap around a light bulb or gather on a sitting stone. And we'll be right back with more Smash Boom Best. You're listening to State of Debate, home to rage and 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 Patti Provolone, when she was shopping for new record albums. Let's see if we can spot the problem in this musical homage to throw-mage. Excuse me, do you have a section for cheesecore records? Hmm, a fellow cheesecore 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 osse-a-go-go. Oof. Gouda one, Todd. See you next time on... State of debate. Smash Boom Best. You're listening to Smash Boom Best. I'm your host, Molly Bloom. And I'm your judge, Nora. And we love getting debate suggestions from our listeners, like this competitive suggestion. My name is Kaya from Boise, Idaho. And my debate idea is video games versus board games. Either way, it's fun to play. We'll check back in at the end of this episode to see which side Kaya thinks should win. And now, back to Moss vs. Mobs. Get ready for round two. It's the... Micro round. Emily and Tiz, you will each get three chances to make a micro argument backed by a cool fact. Tiz started things off last round, so Emily, you're going to go first this time. Let's hear your first fact. Okay, let me tell you about Dr. Moss. Yes, in World War I, when doctors were running out of bandages, what did they slap on wounds? Not moths. I'll tell you that much. That would be gross. They used a type of heat, moss. Not only did it absorb blood like nobody's business, it turns out moss had special properties that helped get rid of bad bacteria. So fewer infections? Thank you, Dr. Moss. Yeah, moths are masters of disguise. They do this to keep other things from eating them. And some of those disguises are wild. There are ones that look like dead leaves, even. The hornet moth looks like a hornet to scare off enemies. There's even a moth that mimics bird poop, because no animal's going to eat that. I'm so glad you brought up poop, Tiz, because another cool moss fact coming in hot. Native people used moss bags instead of diapers. Yes, they would put a young kid in a moss bag. And when that little one let a number one or two go, the moths would absorb the mess. Moss is a super pooper trooper. A moth could never. You're talking about fertilizer. Moths are the greatest pollinators in the world. Lots of plants rely on little creatures to pollinate them so they can survive. Our planet will be cooked without pollinators. And guess who's working the night shift at the pollination factory? Moths are. After other creatures have called it a day, moths come out and keep the pollination party going. In fact, some flowers stay closed during the day and only open at night. Thank goodness moths are there. Moths staying up late so bees don't have to. Well, moths aren't the only hard workers around, Tiz. In fact, your arguments are crumbling, just like soil without moss. So moss can help keep soil from eroding. Yes, that's right. So they're hard at work in a different way. Every year, we lose billions of tons of valuable soil to erosion. It just crumbles and falls into bodies of water where it can mess with the careful balance of minerals. But slap on a carpet of happy growing moss and that ground is going to do a better job staying in place. Moss, small but mighty. Well, I'm not going to defend myself against your attacks, but I will tell you how some moths defend themselves. Check this out. The tiger moth is active at night, and so are bats, who would love to eat a juicy moth. Bats hunt by using short bursts of sound called echolocation. They listen to the echoes of the sound to figure out how near or how far things are, kind of like nature's radar. Well, tiger moths jam that radar by making their own high-pitched clicks. It confuses the bats and messes up their hunting. Later bats, moths win again. Wow. Oh, my goodness. This was an incredible micro round. Nora, what stood out to you about the facts that they were throwing around? Oh, there were some really interesting ones in there. I got to say I love Dr Moss That pretty cool But also the pollination that is also really cool So there a lot of cool stuff they can both do You guys are making it hard for me. This is really tough. This is really tough. But yes, I'm so sorry, Nora. You can only pick one side to receive a point. So please award that. But don't tell us who it's going to. Criteria, totally subjective and totally up to you. Have you made your decision? Yep. Fantastic. Hold tight. We'll be right back with more debate after this. Want Smash Boom Best without the ad bricks? Join SmartyPass and get an ad-free feed of this and all the other Brains On Universe shows. Plus, you'll get to do virtual hangs with me and the crew and discounts on merch. Sign up at BrainsOn.org. Thanks. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Smash. Boom. Rest. We're back, and it's time for our third round, the super stealthy... Ha-ha! Boop-ha! Sneak attack. This is our improvised round where debaters have to respond to a challenge on the spot. And appropriately enough, the challenge is... Superhero. Imagine your side has a caped crusader dedicated to them. What would this superhero's name be? Describe their costume, their superpowers. Maybe tell us how they saved the world or maybe who their arch nemesis villain might be. Tiz, you are going to go first. Please tell us about a superhero based off of moths. The super librarian, this moth, hangs around and reads. It's the greatest moth ever. It's great. And it's smart. And no one hates it because it's awesome. It's a moth. Ah, yeah. And it has all of the powers that all of the moths have, right? They could fly. It can smell things from really far away. It helps pollinate the earth. Like, people are worried about bees going away because climate change, moths are doing it. That's right. Moths, they have jobs. They're not just chilling on trees. They're great, man. Okay, so your superhero is called the Super Librarian. Did I get that right? That's right. That's right. It's keeping the Earth alive, the Earth's memories. I love that. Can you describe the costume? It wears glasses, right? It's gray. And it flies so fast it looks like teleportation this month. It's the best month. Speedy, gentle, bookish. That's how we like our superheroes here at Smash Boom Best. Excellent work. Okay, Emily, please tell us about your mossy hero. Absolutely. I'm imagining a fabulous superhero named Miss Moss. And, you know, naturally, Miss Moss is all green, of course, not dissimilar to Elphaba from Wicked. But I feel like instead of having like a theme song like Defying Gravity, her theme song is called Embracing Gravity. because Miss Moss really encourages everyone to lie down. Miss Moss is all about rest. She's all about getting comfortable. She's all about laying your head down on nature's pillow. And she's all about, you know, let's try embracing gravity. So she's a diva and she also knows how to calm down and relax and kind of like reset the nervous system. I don't know. I feel like we all need that right now. Miss Moss. Miss Moss coming through for the whole world. All right, Nora, these are both excellent superheroes. They're here for us, but only one of them can receive a point. Which hero are you calling for in times of trouble? Please award a point to the superhero that impressed you the most. Have you made your decision? Yep. Wonderful. All right. 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. Emily, make it count for Team Moss. Okay. I'm ready. Moss, nature's doctor and nature's diaper. Excellent work. Okay. Tis, it is your turn. Last chance to mouth off for Moths. Pollination kings of bright lights. Wow. Sounds like a really excellent novel or movie, too. Totally. So poetic. Amazing. Nora, please let these six words sink in, mull it over, and then award your final point for this final six. Have you made your decision? Yep. Not an easy one. Oh, this is not an easy one today. All right, tally up the points. Drum roll, please. And the winner is... Moss. Moss, M-O-S-S? Yes. We have to double check. We need to spell the winner today. Wow. Oh, my gosh. I'm honored. Thank you so much. It was really, really close. Was there a moment that really, like, stuck out to you? That kind of swung it? So they were tied until the final six. And the final six, I loved Nature's Doctors and I forgot what the rest of it was. Nature's diaper, of course. Yes, of course. Of course. Wow. As close as a debate can be today. Tiz, I love that we were neck and neck and make so much sense. You really, really made me laugh today. I love your joke style. I was cracking up here in my home studio. So, you know, as Nora mentioned earlier when she was talking about Star Wars, war is not simple, but I was honored to be your opponent today in the ring. Yeah, Emily, it was great. You really showed the fighting spirit and I enjoyed the debate that we had. And I'm really appreciating Moss more and more. I might just lay down in some grass. Yeah, it sounds very relaxing. A great way to recuperate after a fierce debate. Well, that is it for today's debate battle. Nora crowned Moss, M-O-S-S, the Smash Boom best, but what about you? Head to smashboom.org and vote and tell us who you think would win. This episode was produced by me, Molly Bloom, Sanin Taunton, and Mark Sanchez. We had sound design by Mark, too, and he also wrote the theme music. Wow, he is busy. We had engineering help from Jake Smith. Our announcer is Marley Foyerworker Otto, and we want to give a special thanks to Austin Cross and Taylor Kaufman. And Tiz, is there anyone you'd like to give a shout out to today? Yeah, shout out to my cousin, the butterfly, monarch, peacock, red admiral, you know, the family. Awesome. And how about you, Emily? Any special shout outs? I want to shout out my friends at the Story Pirates because I love that there's a Story Pirates smash boom best crossover. That's so fun and inspired by Tiz. I'll also give a huge shout out to grass, bushes, leaves and trees, which I feel like are kind of in the Moss family. Totally. And Nora, how about you? Any special thanks or shout outs? I am so glad that we have both mobs and moss in our world. They're super cool, both of them. And I learned a lot today. So I'm going to shout out both of mobs and moss. Excellent. Well, before we go, let's check in and see who Kaya thinks should win video games or board games. I think board games would win because you do not need lots of equipment to do them. 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 drag out debate, head to smashboom.org slash contact and drop us a line. And if you're a fan of the show and want to keep it going, head to smartypass.org to subscribe. We'll be back next week with a new Smash Boom Best episode, T-Rex versus Triceratops. Ta-ta! Bye! See you later. Bye! Bye! Bye! Bye! Bye! Bye! Bye! Bye! Bye! Bye! Bye! Bye! Bye! Bye! Bye! Bye! Bye! Bye! Bye! Bye! Bye! Bye! Bye! Bye! Oh, it's Smashbook West Oh, better than the rest It's Smashbook West It's Smashbook West You can't snuggle them up. The dark side. No, you know from Star Wars. Yeah, that's not a good place to go. Don't become Darth Vader. Moth Vader. Come over here. There's good sap over here. No, tis. Tis, stop, no.