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Hey, Wowzer fans, Mindy here.
And before we start the show, I gotta let you know that this November, with a special new episode featuring our friends at Circle Round and Terrestrials on Radiolab for Kids,
And don't miss when Elmo from Sesame Street stops by Wow in the World to make us all belly laugh on November 24th.
Oh, but that's not all, Reg.
On December 1st, we are sharing our 250th episode of Wow in the World with all of you.
We think this one is going to be music to your ears.
Literally.
Did I mention it's a musical?
And if you're a member of the World Organization of Wowzers...
Oh boy, do I have a surprise for you.
You can listen to our 250th episode early with me and other members from around the world on Saturday, November 22nd, at 7 pm.
Eastern.
That's right, we are throwing another listening party.
Join us as we dance along to our new songs.
React to the episode with other members in the chat and more.
Grownups.
If you want your wowzer to join this members-only listening party, you can sign up to become a member today at Tinkercastcom.
Slash wow.
Already a member?
Well, you can find the link and password to join the event when you sign in at Tinkercastcom.
Slash wow.
That's it.
It's going to be a November to remember.
But for now, let's get on with the show.
Woo!
Before we start the show, we just wanted to remind our D.C.
Wowzers that this weekend, Wow in the World will be at the USA Science and Engineering Festival in Washington DC.
And we'd love to see you there.
Parents.
To find out when Mindy and I will be there in person, just visit Tinkercastcom slash events.
Yeah, and if you're a member of the World Organization of Wowzers, you can RSVP for a special members-only meet and greet on Fridays.
So come meet us.
We'll shake your hand off.
We're not going to be shaking anyone's hands off, Mindy.
We will gently shake your hand off your wrist.
Once again.
For more information on this or our upcoming live show in Boston Massachusetts, visit Tinkercastcom slash events.
Wow in the World is getting out in the world this spring.
All right.
Let's start the show.
Three, two, one. seen the last of me, Revengers?
I think we have, Dr. Meanface.
No!
Mindy, Mindy, wake up.
The movie's over.
Mindy, you fell asleep.
Why do you drag me to all these movies if you're just gonna fall asleep?
I was not asleep, Guy Raz.
I was just watching it with my eyes closed.
Well, we better get out of here, Mindy.
They're starting to clean up this theater.
Anyway, Reggie's about to run out of time on the parking meter.
Okay, well, let me just pack up all my stuff here.
Did you really need to bring a suitcase full of snacks?
Do me a favor and just sit on it here so I can try to latch it shut.
We didn't eat as many as I thought we would.
There we go.
Perfect.
All right, let's go.
So what did you think of?
You know I was a little skeptical about a ninth sequel in the Revengers series, but this one really seemed to hold up a really inspiring story.
I know, right?
I am so inspired now to put together our own pack of superhero Revengers.
Well, that's not the kind of inspiration I was thinking about, but...
I'm thinking we could get my great uncle Godfrey, to be our super sniffer, since he's always got a runny nose.
And then maybe Grandma Jeepwurst could be our super super, since she loves soup so much.
Or, wait a minute.
Well, hang on, Mindy.
We don't have to go and recruit all of your relatives if we want to put together a team of superheroes.
We don't?
Well, you know, there are actually amazing natural superheroes all around us.
Natural superheroes?
All around us?
Like that guy?
Can I help you, sir?
Yes, I'm going to do the colossal size Coke, please.
But can I do half Coke, half nacho cheese?
You got it.
Thank you.
No, I'm talking about animals with extreme superpowers like... like Reggie, for instance.
Reggie?
Yes, Mindy, our pigeon Reggie is a superhero.
Well, he does swoop in to save the broccoli when it gets stuck between my teeth.
So Well, that is true.
But Mindy, I'm talking about how homing pigeons like Reggie have some really incredible natural abilities that to us humans can seem like superpowers.
Like what?
Well, for starters, pigeons like Reggie are amazing navigators.
That's true.
I've never seen him pull up Google Maps or even stop and ask for directions.
Well Mindy, this amazing sense of direction that pigeons have.
Well, it's the reason why they are such reliable messengers.
Yeah, pigeons are basically just email with wings.
Well, not exactly.
You see, long before the internet or cell phones, people used to communicate with each other over long distances by sending teeny, tiny letters that were attached to the feet and legs of pigeons.
Talk about a footnote.
So would these pigeons just deliver the messages from one place to another?
Yeah, exactly.
In fact, humans have been working with pigeons for thousands of years, from ancient Mesopotamia up until as recently as World War II, where pigeons would dodge bullets to deliver important messages from the front lines of battle.
Whoa, that must have been bonker balls.
So how are these bird brains able to find out where they're going if they don't even have a map?
Well, no one knows for sure Mindy, but scientists from the University of Auckland in New Zealand believe that pigeons are able to detect or feel the Earth's magnetic field and use that as a sort of built-in compass to know where to go.
Earth's magnetic field.
Oh, you mean that invisible force field that comes from deep in the center of the Earth?
Exactly.
Exactly.
Earth's magnetic field is like a giant magnet that helps to protect our planet from ultraviolet radiation.
And it also helps animals like Reggie know up from down and north from south.
Oh, that's so wow.
It's like these pigeons have a built-in GPS system or something.
And you know...
Reggie isn't the only one with superpowers.
He's not?
No.
The animal kingdom is full of amazing creatures with remarkable abilities.
And most of them are just living among us in plain sight.
Really?
Let me just see here.
Hey, little ant.
What's your superpower?
Well, I would guess his superpower is the powerhouse. of cooperation.
I mean, have you ever seen how ants work together so well?
Uh, yeah.
They did a great collaborative job eating the deck off my gingerbread mansion last week.
Team Alpha, you will be taking out the joists here and here.
You got it.
Mindy uses diagonal sway bracing, so the assault team will focus at these junctures here.
Once we secure the... Ooh!
What in the... Hey, you ants!
You better spit out that deck right now!
Anyway, like I was saying, Mindy, there are animal superheroes all over the place.
Here, look, we're almost at my house.
I'll show you.
Ooh, this is exciting.
Just need to punch in the code and... Opening up archives.
Whoa, Guy Raz, what is this?
What's going on? know you had this secret door.
Well, this is my vault where I keep my archive.
You know, for the past few years, Mindy, I've been putting together a team.
Wait, you've already been putting together a team?
Yes, can you believe it?
Great minds think alike, Mindy.
I was thinking about putting together a team of animals with extraordinary abilities.
You stole my revenger's idea that I stole from you without knowing it.
Yeah, the Animal Revengers.
Wait, you keep the team of Animal Revengers in this vault?
Well, there are no actual animals in this vault.
Whew, because I was going to say, wait, then what is in this vault?
Inside this vault is all of the information I've collected on some of the most extraordinary animals in the world.
And I think it's about time we started recruiting.
Recruiting?
Yeah.
I'm in.
So where do we start?
Well, according to the archive, we should search in the rainforests of South America.
Okay.
You hear that, Reggie?
We're going to South America.
Come on, let's go.
Well, hold on.
Don't you think we should pack some sunscreen first?
It's all in my adventure toolbox.
And for the rest, we'll just fly by the seat of our pants.
But I thought we were going to fly on Reggie.
Here?
We... Hold on a minute.
I just need to lock up the house here.
All right.
I'm all set.
Come on, Guy Raz.
Clem and Reggie, we gotta go.
Here we... Nice work avoiding those branches, Reg.
And congratulations on the superpowers I just heard.
Oh, stop being so modest.
All right, now go fly free and we'll call you when we're ready to be picked up, okay?
Okay, Garoz.
Got my spy goggles on and I'm ready to recruit.
So, who are we looking for?
Well, let's see, Mindy.
If you look up just there in those trees, you might be able to see him though he's black probably already seen, or rather felt, our presence.
I don't see any... Is that a snake, Guy Raz?
It sure is, Mindy.
It's a pit viper.
A pit viper?
So what makes this animal so super?
Something known as heat vision.
Heat vision?
Ooh la la.
This viper has small sensors on the side of its face that... allows it to see infrared radiation.
Ah, and infrared radiation is the kind of energy that living things give off as heat, right?
That's right.
And from there, the snake is able to make a picture of what's around it using this heat information.
Kind of like built-in heat-seeking goggles.
Exactly.
And not only that, but these sensors also also send signals to the snake's brain, or rather the somatosensory system in the brain.
Wait, the slow-mo tomato what system in the what?
The somatosensory system.
It's the area of the snake's brain that's responsible for its sense of touch.
And that means that the snake can literally feel the heat coming off of its prey or from the animal it's about to eat.
Oh. even when that animal is several feet away.
Wow, that is a serious superpower.
Okay, so do you want to ask her to join our team of revengers, or I guess I could do it.
Well, my snake communicating abilities are a little rusty, so... Okay, I got this.
Excuse me.
I mean, um...
Indy?
She's in.
As long as she gets a warm rock to sit on, three mice a week, paid vacation, and dental.
Man, she's really pushing it.
Hey, those fangs aren't gonna take care of themselves.
Okay, I guess she's got herself a deal.
Alright, Miss Pit Viper, just find a way to grab your things and follow us.
Okay, Guy Raz, so what's the next superpower we're looking to knock off our list?
How about immortality?
Immortality?
You mean like Like living forever?
Yes, immortality.
Because you know Mindy, we humans live for about 70 to 80 years on average, which isn't bad compared to an animal like the mayfly, which only lives for about five minutes.
A five-minute life?
What's the point?
It takes longer than that to eat ice cream.
Well...
Well Mindy, five minutes is actually just about long enough for that fly to find a mate and lay her eggs.
Wow, talk about speed dating.
But compared to other creatures, hours 70 to 80 years is like a drop in the bucket.
I mean, the Arctic bear...
Bowhead whale, for example, can live for more than 200 years.
Wow, that's a lot of candles to fit on one birthday cake.
The whole thing would catch on fire.
And that's nothing.
In 2006, researchers from Bangor University in the United Kingdom dredged up a clam off the coast of Iceland that was 507 years old, meaning that it was born in 1499.
Hello!
You found me!
My name is Hafrun.
Nice to meet you.
Tell me, what day is it?
It's 2006.
2006?
Oh no, I'm so old now.
Tell me, is the Ming Dynasty still a thing?
Wow, so what's its secret?
Yoga?
Kale smoothies?
Raw water?
Actually, Mindy, it's none of the above.
Well, then what is it?
Well, the common factor among all of these long-living animals is that they all live in very cold water.
And scientists think that these cooler environments lower the animal's body temperature and then in turn it slows down their metabolism.
Oh, and metabolism is just a scientific word for how quickly an animal can turn the nutrients from their food into energy for their body.
Yep.
And because of their slowed-down metabolism, researchers believe that these animals had, amongst other things, slower heartbeats and were able to make their food last longer in their bodies.
Huh.
So you're saying that the secret to a long life is to basically just chill out, i mean literally.
Yeah, i guess that's probably right.
Okay, so i guess we're gonna get one of these cool clams for our team of revengers.
Well, reaching your 500th birthday is a pretty big deal, especially when it comes to immortality, but for our team of revengers mindy, i have someone else in mind, A creature that can literally live forever.
Okay, so here we are back at this living forever business.
And Guy Raz, I'm really not sure I buy it.
I mean, nothing lasts forever.
Had to learn that one the hard way when I tried to achieve my 500th bottomless breadstick at the Olive Greenhouse.
Anything more for you, madam?
More breadsticks, please.
I'm sorry, what was that?
More breadsticks, please.
Ma'am, you've had 431 breadsticks.
According to the Surgeon General, I simply cannot... You sold these breadsticks for bottomless!
I want my money back!
See?
Nothing lasts forever.
It's true, Mindy.
Hold on.
I think I have a photo of the little guy on my phone here.
Go for a bottomless breadstick right now.
Ah, yes.
Here it is.
Say hello to Turrotopsis dorni, or the immortal jellyfish.
When this little guy gets injured or is close to starving to death...
He'll just transform himself back into one of his previous life stages.
What?
How?
So it would be like you getting a cut on your finger and transforming back into a five-year-old and just trying again.
Whoa, like a big, fat, built-in reset button.
Yeah.
Okay, so I guess next stop is a visit to this incredible invertebrate?
Well, actually we don't have to, because my great-great-grandfather, Herschel Siegfried Bartholomew Ross, Who
...talked... the immortal jellyfish into joining our Revengers team like 200 years ago.
Wait, but we just thought of this idea like five minutes ago.
So how did your great-great-grandfather, Herschel, even know 200 years ago that... I don't know.
We'll worry about that later.
In the meantime, I think I know a guy who might be perfect for the team.
Who's that, Mindy?
Oh, you'll see.
Okay.
Reggie!
Okay, so Reg, we need you to take us to... Come here, get closer.
Hop on, Guy Raz.
Where are we going?
Oh, you'll see.
You ready?
Here we go!
Woo!
Thanks for the ride, Reggie.
Yeah, thanks, Reg.
Uh... Okay.
Now I need you to trust me and just let me do the talking, okay?
I don't like the look of this place, Mindy.
Where are we?
Now I just need you to stay cool as we open this door and walk down that hall, okay?
Walk, walk, walk, walk. taking Guy Raz.
Who is this mystery animal?
Will Guy Raz ever learn to walk casually?
Hey, find out in part two of this episode next week on Wow in the World.
Brought to you by Bloody Oats cereal, the only cereal that makes you say, ooh, I don't feel good.
Wow in the World will be right back.
Grunups, this message is for you. grown-ups it's mindy and guy ross here from wow in the world mindy and i have some brand new wow in the world toys out in the world just in time for the holidays made for the kids who love science and for the ones who don't yet from our 100 experiments that wow kit To the telescope and astronomy kit, our Wow in the World toys help your wowzer learn about their world through play.
Plus, you can hear exclusive audio content from me and Guy Raz to help your wowzer discover even more wows.
Grown-ups.
Give the gift of wow and wonder this holiday season with our latest Wow in the World toys designed with your curious wowzer in mind.
You can shop our Wow in the World toys at Tinkercast.com slash toys.
That's Tinkercast.com slash toys.
That's it.
Back to the show.
Wow in the World.
Hi, thanks for calling Wow in the World.
After the beep, get ready to record.
Hi, I'm Dua.
And I live in the village of Chappaqua, New York.
My wow in the world is that blue whales weigh 400,000 pounds and only eat krill and shrimps.
And they are 90 feet.
Bye.
Hi, my name is Venetia.
I live in Maplewood, New Jersey.
I'm six months really soon.
And my wow in the world is I went to this huge crayon factory and learned how to make crayons.
They're made out of wax.
Is Reggie real?
Hi, Mindy and Guy Rods.
My name is Misha and I live in San Jose, California.
And my wow is capybaras and they're the world's largest rodent.
Hi, my name is London and I am nine years old.
I live in Shenzhen, China, but I am from Boston, Massachusetts.
My wow in the world is I found your podcast.
Without you, I would not know stuff I know now.
Keep up the good work.
Bye, Mindy and Guy Raz.
Hello.
My name is Rhett, and I'm from Asheville.
And my wow is that bats use echolocation to see what's in front of them or to find food.
I love your show, Mindy and Guy Raz.
Bye-bye.
My name is Liam.
I am from Orem, Utah, and my wow is that geckos can climb on slippery, slimy glass.
Hi, my name is Maeve and I'm six years old and I live in Collingwood Ontario, Canada.
Brain is the size of a jeep.
Bye, mindy and guy ross.
I love your videos.
End of messages.
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Hello.
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