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Hello there! Yes, it's me again, your super sleuth host of a super secret podcast.
Today's adventure takes us back to the ancient days of the pharaohs and pyramids.
I read that the pyramids can be seen from airplanes thousands of miles above Egypt.
But like, who built them?
I have two theories...
giant mummies or aliens.
It's kind of a toss -up right now, but today I'll investigate to find out for sure.
I'm Carly Q, and this is Who When Wow Mystery Edition.
In our spectacular shared existence, we consider it our business to recognize a few vlogs you may not know.
Who When Wow made important inventions.
Who When Wow asked all the right questions, history will never be the same.
Good Morning, everyone!
Everyone at butt headquarters that morning was being so quiet.
What was going on? Everybody, what's going on?
Can't you see? No. I mean, no.
All I could see was a whole bunch of my co -workers crowded around a table.
I wormed my way through the crowd until I could see Louis working at a table building a house made of cards.
He had a base built and was carefully layering one card above the other, going higher and higher.
It was already four levels high.
I saw Amber and went to stand beside her.
Amber, what is Louis doing?
Louis made it to the Regional House of Card Building Championship, so he's practicing.
Card Building Championships?
That's a thing? Curlykill!
Keep your voice down.
I'm on level four and I need to focus.
Okay, I was just...
I was asking. Like that is a super specific kind of skill and I never imagined that there would be - Curly!
Stop talking. You are making me very stressed out right now.
No! No! No! Aah! Aah!
No, I'm gonna go head down to my desk right now.
Those files aren't gonna file themselves.
Curlykill! Didn't have anything to do with that!
Wasn't me! Whoops. Okay, so that was a pretty bad vibe.
I thought Louis's reaction was kinda extreme.
I mean, how hard is it to just build another house of cards?
Anyway, I had things to do.
Another full day of entering data into the system.
You know, all fun and games for me in the basement.
Hello? Is somebody there?
Hello? Strange. I thought I heard something.
Why am I hearing things lately?
Is it possible that I'm working too hard?
Definitely not. Ever since I found that mysterious note that said someone was watching me have been more creeped out than usual.
Luckily it was just nibbles this time.
I am so glad it's you.
But you honestly might be my only friend today.
I think Louis blames me for ruining his house of cards.
There is no way that it was my fault, right?
I mean, I am very light on my feet, and I do not speak very loudly.
I'm mostly always speaking at a kind of neutral, indoor voice you could call it.
Yeah, okay, I better get to work.
Let's hope I find something interesting.
I got to work, but the whole time my mind kept going back to Louis.
I didn't mean to distract him.
And really, how hard can it be to build a house of cards again?
You know, just stack them, right?
One on top of the other.
Luckily, just then...
It was a time sealed mystery just in time.
I really needed a distraction from feeling like I'd ruined Louis' life.
Pharaohs, they're construction mystery.
Ooh, a mystery. I can solve it right now.
Aliens, obviously. Let's see what H -Dad can tell us.
Here, back in action.
I'm just gonna enter the key words here.
Egypt, pyramids, and pharaohs.
The great pyramids at Giza are considered some of the most important archaeological elements of the ancient world.
Ooh, I like ancient.
The Great Pyramid, which dates back to 2560 BCE almost 4 ,000 years ago, is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Which number, I wonder?
In fact, it is the only wonder that is still standing.
And it's 4 ,000 years old?
Wow. Almost 4 ,000 years old.
Yep, of course, that's what I said.
Given their massive size, archeologists and engineers are still debating exactly how the pyramids were constructed.
Aliens. Ancient aliens.
Or mummies. But like giant mummies.
Or giant alien mummies.
The Great Pyramid stands near the Nile River and is colossal.
Its base is 756 feet on each side, and it stands at 450 feet high.
It is made of over two million stone blocks, all assembled and fitted tightly together.
Well, well, well. If it isn't Carly Q.
Destroyer of Worlds.
What are you reading about?
Hi, Louis. I'm researching the Great Pyramid of Giza, trying to figure out how it was built.
Doubt anyone distracted the builders.
Right. Anyway, two million blocks of stone are in the Great Pyramid alone.
I mean, how did the aliens stack them and then move them and lift them?
Did they have some kind of spaceship that beamed down?
Who? The aliens. Pay attention, Louis.
How did they get the job done?
Let me think. I bet they had to focus and help them out.
Everyone else kept things pretty quiet.
Okay, we get it. Sorry I breathed from my human lungs while you were building your house of cards.
It is not that big of a deal.
It's a big deal to me.
The regional championships are coming up and I still haven't perfected my triple -decker technique.
Want to sneak into the elevator and see how to really build something?
Maybe. Where are we heading?
Ancient Egypt. Ooh, you're going back to Ancient Egypt.
I am so there. I missed out on it before.
Oh, yeah. You had a doctor's appointment or something?
Hand massage, actually.
Lucian is a miracle worker.
My metacarpals never felt so relaxed.
I'm not even kidding.
Well, I'm glad you can come with us this time.
Me too! Who knows? Maybe I can pick up a few building tips.
I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong with my card houses, but when I get to that fourth story, they just collapse.
Especially if you're in the room.
I agree, Nibbles. He should lead me out of this.
Come on, both of you.
Attention, butt -headed boy.
Perfect timing to the elevator.
Nibbles into the back row.
Salisbury mistake. You heard that right.
It was supposed to be salisbury safe, but somebody queued.
Hey there, Carly Q.
Where are you heading today?
Hey, Odie. You think you could send us back to Ancient Egypt, specifically to 2500 BCE?
4 ,000 years ago? Almost 4 ,000 years ago.
So I guess you're going to check out the pyramids.
Hopefully it doesn't cause them to fall.
Louis, calm down. We're trying to figure out exactly how they built them all those years ago.
I mean, how could they have the technology to cut and move more than two million stones?
Let me guess. You think it's aliens?
Bingo! Or giant mummies.
But actually, that sounds ridiculous when I say it out loud.
Aliens is much more logical, but I need proof.
Well, get into the elevator, my friends.
And just remember, the tallest tower and the smallest shack are both built the same way, one brick at a time.
Do you have any wise words about cars?
Do I lift with your legs?
I don't do manual labor.
Hey, grown -ups. Mindy here from Wow in the World.
And let me tell you, Carly Q and I are so excited to make it wow in New York City—I mean, New York!
And San Francisco with our new live show, Make It Wow, presented by Audible.
There's more to imagine when you listen.
And apparently, you're excited too, because our San Francisco performance is filling up, and our New York City performance is almost sold out.
So, we're adding even more wow with a second show for New York City!
Grown -ups, get your tickets today at Tinkercast .com slash events.
That's Tinkercast .com slash events.
That's it. We'll see you there.
We stepped out into a bright sunny day in a vast desert to find a massive structure in front of us.
It was the base of the pyramid, and it was only about six levels high.
There were thousands of people everywhere, talking, working, lifting.
Ancient Egypt, 2500 BCE, right?
Incredible! Look at the construction!
Look how they're hauling that stone!
Ooh, it must weigh a ton!
Look at all those men, pulling on the ropes!
Hm, they are humans, right?
You don't see anything extraterrestrial about any of them?
No antennae sticking out of their heads, or giant ears, or big glassy eyes?
Oh, they're people, all right!
100 % homo sapiens! And about your age!
Maybe a little taller, wearing stylish head wraps and ice sandals?
Nibs, how do you know so much about ancient Egyptians?
Because one of them is walking over here.
Oh! Hello! Are you the new workers?
When did your boat arrive?
No, we're not. We're at...
Yes! Yes, we are. Right, Louis?
Well, uh... We're workers, and we are at work.
Kind of. Excellent!
I am Ameni. I was sent to the Nile River bank to wait for the new crew of workers, so...
is that a mouse? Hey!
I quickly stuffed nibbles down in my backpack.
Ameni was looking at us like we'd just landed from a different planet.
And that's when I realized that the wardrobe converter on the elevator was acting up again.
I don't know what he thought of me in my jeans and fleece sweatshirt, but I do know one thing.
It was getting pretty hot.
That was an impressive trick!
Where are you from?
I don't recognize your clothing.
What is your tribe?
Is it from the land beyond the desert?
We are from a faraway tribe called Buthedonia.
We are here as friends.
We were sent to bring you good wishes on your construction of the pyramids.
We are also trying to learn about how you are undertaking this task.
Does everyone in your tribe speak this way?
Nope. Just him. He's the...
tribe mascot. Ah. Well, yes.
Everyone is curious about how we are building these pyramids.
They've been working on them since before I was born.
And who specifically is working on them?
Um... we are. Don't you see us all working?
I see thousands of men and lots of pulleys and ropes and stones and chisels, but how did you come up with the idea for this?
Like, whose idea was this?
The Pharaoh's idea, of course.
Built for his glory.
Ah, there we go. Architect.
That's the word I was looking for.
The person who designs the building and makes the plan that the workers follow.
But, how was I going to ask about the Architect without seeming suspicious?
What we're wondering is, we're wondering who is the...
Oh, I have to go. That's my father calling me.
He's the head Architect.
Oh. Well, that was pretty easy.
Lewis and I followed him, with Nibbles still tucked away in my backpack.
Where did they find all these people to work here?
I actually think these might be enslaved people, Carly.
They might not have a choice.
I wondered. Maybe the Pharaohs had done horrific things and forced people to work on the pyramids.
I decided to ask H -Dad to find out.
Sorry, Nibbs. Hey! That's my tail, Carly!
Excuse me, but I need H -Dad, and there it is.
Um, just let me type this in.
Great pyramid, Giza, enslaved people.
Although it has been commonly believed that enslaved people were forced into labor during the construction of the pyramids, recent research by archaeologists has led to the theory that skilled laborers were actually hired and used.
This is because there were special tombs found for many pyramid laborers built close to the pyramids themselves.
A sign of honor. Okay, well, that's good news.
Ooh! Look, look, look, look, look, look!
That stone right there!
It's massive! They're trying to pull it off the ramp!
Uh, is it supposed to slide like that?
That doesn't look good.
Those ropes are slipping.
This is not going to end well.
Flashbacks to my cards collapsing!
Lewis. I have PTSD!
This is not the same thing.
This is unequivocally worse.
It's exactly the same!
We watched as a massive stone tumbled down the ramp and crashed, breaking into thousands of pieces.
A many ran back to where we were standing, and even though we were far, the dust from the broken rock filled the air.
Great. Now we have to take a break until the dust settles.
You can't see or do much until it does.
It looks like we won't have any work for you today after all.
Does that happen a lot?
No, not really. But some days are harder than others.
Many of those stones weigh about 4 ,000 pounds.
4 ,000 pounds is more than 1 ,800 kilograms.
That's really heavy.
It's the weight of a full -sized truck, or like 40 bags of cement.
I figured they must have some supernatural help.
This seems like such a lot of work.
Have you had any special help during the construction?
Oh, brother, ignore that question.
Look, can you tell us a little about how your father designed this pyramid?
Well, he designed it very carefully.
Timeless humor. We cut the blocks from quarries.
Each one takes a long time to cut out of the stone.
Then we have to carry each one to the site.
We use rollers, or sometimes we drag them, putting them on the sand.
It takes a really long time for each stone to arrive.
That's why it's a shame we lost one.
But this pyramid has already taken many years.
It will need many more before it is finished.
So basically, you did this?
One stone at a time.
Boring, but true. Oh, no.
I didn't mean one stone falling at a time.
We need to secure those rocks.
Oh, that's right. We gotta get back.
Thank you, Amani. I wish we could stick around and watch this, but it seems like we'd be here for quite some time.
Good luck. I am sure it's going to turn out great.
Yeah, we're sure it'll turn out to be a real wonder.
Well played. I hope so.
We'll keep going one stone at a time.
See you! Okay, let's go.
Quick, quick. Alright, get in.
How was ancient Egypt?
Well, we saw the great pyramid while it was under construction.
No aliens, just hard work.
It's like I said, the tallest tower and the smallest shack are both built the same way.
One brick at a time.
Huh. Wow. Odie, you were right.
Again, it's a gift.
Have a nice day, Carly.
Louis. Odie. Thank you, Odie.
That was exactly what Amani had been telling us.
They knew they were building something amazing, but they still had to do it methodically, one stone at a time.
I mean, no one is right all the time.
Even when they had a setback, like the rock falling, they just kept going.
There he is. For me?
What's going on, Amber?
We want Louis to try this card house again.
We all put our money together during lunch at...
Hey, where were you two?
And why are you so dusty?
Oh, we were in the desert.
Desert. Not desert.
We got desserts. Oh, right.
Exactly. We skipped the main course and we went right for the dessert.
Love that dusty pie.
Okay. Anyway, we all decided to buy new card decks for Louis so he could keep practicing.
Why, that is so thoughtful of all of you.
Thank you so much. Here we go.
You got this. Every great structure is built one card at a time.
The whole office ended up going to the card building championship that weekend to cheer Louis on.
But not that we cheered, exactly.
We just kind of silently sent good energy.
He patiently built his card house to eight stories, winning the second place trophy.
He did it one card at a time.
And that's how I'm building this podcast, too.
One mystery at a time.
Really? No, that wouldn't be fun.
But you wouldn't know that because you never heard this.
You can go to tinkercast .com slash survey.
This podcast is Kenny Curtis and Carly Sharaki is a producing consultant.
Big shout outs to the rest of the Tinkercast team, including Jed Anderson, Jessica Bodhi, Rebecca Caban, Natasha Crandall, Lizzie Freilich, Kristin Jang, Tui Mac, Erica Medina, Henry Moskal, Jodie Nussbaum, Ali Paxima, Linda Raffenberg, Steph Sosa, Tyler Thall, Joanna Weber and Anna Zegorski.
Megaphone emoji. Applause emoji.
The Who and Wow theme song was composed and performed by The Pop -Ups.
For more information on their three -time Grammy -nominated all -ages music, find them at thepopups .com.
Producers for GZM shows are David Kreismann, Ben Strauss, Chris Terry, Amy Servini and Claire McClanahan.
The production manager is Sharon Michaels.
Sound design and editing for Who and Wow Mystery Edition is done by Chris Terry and Oded Levarri.
Headphones emoji. Microphone emoji.
Thumbs up emoji. Original music was created by Jennifer Roecamp.
Voice editing is by Yoni Rekim and voice direction is handled by David Kreismann and Amy Servini.
Uh, could you give me another one on that please?
And voice direction is handled by David Kreismann and Amy Servini.
Our main cast features Carly Shiraki as Carly Q, Brandon Salerno as Louis, Melissa Vander Schiff as Nibbles the Rat, Kenny Curtis as H -Dad and Angel Desai as Odie.
Help support Who and Wow by becoming a member of the World Organization of Wowzers and discover wows all year long.
Sign up today at tinkercast .com slash membership.
You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel at tinkercast .com slash YouTube for full -length episodes of Who and Wow Mystery Edition.
And reach out to us at hello at tinkercast .com if you have a mystery you would like butthead to investigate.
H -Dad, powering off.
Peace sign emoji. Who and Wow was made by Tinklecast and sent to you by Wondery.
Shh, it's starting.
