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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!
So, Mindy, what do you think?
Pretty neat, huh?
Okay, I'm only going to tell you this because we're best friends, but... What is it, Mindy?
Well, it's just that they kind of look exactly the same as your old glasses.
What are you talking about, Mindy?
They're completely different.
Look, these are crystal blue glasses.
And these are Arctic Azul.
See?
Yeah.
Well, I really like them.
I think they bring out my brown eyes and... What are you doing, Mindy?
Oh, getting all our stuff ready.
Ready for what?
Well, we've got those tickets to the big hippo race today, remember?
Hippo race?
Yeah, it's like horse racing, but with hippos.
You know, they're surprisingly quick.
Oh, I completely forgot that was today, Mindy.
Well, let me just drop my old glasses back at my micro house and then we can head off.
Oh, no time for that, Guy Raz.
Just leave them here and you can pick them up later.
Reggie will watch them while we're gone.
Won't you, Reg?
See?
Now, come on.
I've got your outfit out in the ice cream truck.
Outfit?
What?
Now, the thing to remember about hippo race is that, although hippos appear to be big and slow, their top speed is actually really fast.
Oh, interesting.
And the trick to picking the winning hippo is to... The world's fastest, fully cheese-powered sedan.
Hello and welcome to Wake Up and Watch.
Programmed to defend and... Fendi!
Fendi, are you home?
Hello?
I have something for you, Mindy.
Mindy, I'm serious.
Hello?
Reggie, is that you?
Can you answer the door, please?
What do you mean you're busy?
Oh, whatever.
I'm coming in.
Reggie, where's Mindy?
I have a package for her.
Well, the delivery person accidentally left it at my house, and now I have to know what's in it.
Yeah, whatever's in there is probably broken.
Well, because I accidentally dropped it a few times in hopes that the box would break open and I'd get to see what was inside.
Oh, calm down, Reggie.
It obviously didn't work.
And where's Mindy?
I want to get this thing open.
What?
Her and Guy went to the hippo races?
Those two are always going on adventures together.
And never once do they ever ask little old Dennis to tag along.
Okay, fine, sometimes they do ask me to tag along, but not every time.
You know, Reggie, just once, I'd like to have an adventure of my own, just like Guy and Mindy.
Ooh, what are these?
Are these Guy Raz's glasses?
What are they doing here?
He got new glasses.
Well, who's going to wear these?
Reggie, no.
I can't wear glasses.
Mother says it makes my beady eyes look even beatier.
But I think you might look good in these.
Well, here, try them on.
There we go.
Oh, Reggie, you look so smart, so distinguished.
Yeah, like a crow or a raven.
Hello?
Mindy?
This is Deputy Director Agent Man.
Are you home?
Ah!
It's the Postal Service!
They've come for me!
I must have spelled Mindy's name wrong when I signed for the package!
I thought her name had two D's!
Mindy!
Please!
I must speak to you!
It's urgent NASA business!
NASA?
Like the outer space rocket people?
Reggie!
No!
Don't open the door!
No!
I mean, welcome, officer.
Hello, my name is Deputy Director Agent Man of NASA.
Ah, I see from your blue iconic science spectacles, you must be Guy Raz.
I have to say I was told about your elaborate costuming abilities.
The pink flamingo suit, your karate kicking cockroach costume, but this pigeon suit it looks incredible.
If it wasn't for your glasses, I would have sworn you were an actual giant pigeon.
Ha!
You even sound like a giant pigeon.
Uncanny!
Uh, hello there.
You wouldn't happen to be here because of a certain package mistakenly delivered to a kind yet misguided neighbor.
What?
No.
That sounds serious, but that's not why I'm here.
Oh, whew!
So if you're Guy Raz, that must mean you're Mindy. correct?
Oh, no.
My name's Den.
I mean, yes.
Mindy.
My name's Mindy, spelled with two Ds.
Wow.
I'm so excited to meet you and so glad that you're home.
I know how busy you both can get.
Oh, yeah.
Always off on some adventure.
That's us.
How can we, uh, Mindy and Guy Raz, help you, Mr. Agent Man?
Well, Over the last six years, we at NASA have been developing the next generation in supersonic jet planes.
Uh-huh.
Supersonic.
Like that little blue hedgehog on TV.
Uh, no.
Supersonic means that these jets travel faster than the speed of sound.
Oh, right.
No, of course it does.
And we need you two to be our test pilots.
Test pilots, you say?
That's right.
There are no two people on this planet with more experience with this kind of machinery than you two.
Really?
Really.
Well, how's that possible?
Well, because of the Wow Machine, of course.
Oh, right, yes.
The Wow Machine, obviously.
Very sophisticated.
I knew that.
So, what do you two say?
Will you come with me right now to the test facility?
Want to make history?
I've always wanted to make history!
Is that a yes?
Of course it's a yes.
What, are you crazy?
It's a real-life adventure, tailor-made just for me, Denny, I mean, Mindy.
And Guy Raz here.
Excellent.
Oh, wow.
This is Agent Man.
I have the pilots.
We're on the move.
Copy that.
Ooh, walkie-talkie.
After you.
After you. cup holders.
Thank you again, Mindy and Guy Raz, for helping us out.
Not a problem, Mr. Agent Man.
Oh, good question, Reg.
I mean, Guy Raz.
Mr. Agent Man, where are we going?
Yes, it's about time I filled you in on the mission.
Here, take a look through these papers.
Oh my gosh!
This appears to be some sort of indecipherable language from another planet.
Um, well... Mr. Agent Man, do you mean to tell us that extraterrestrial life has been discovered?
Uh, no.
You have the paper upside down.
Oh.
Oh, it's just boring NASA stuff.
What you're looking at is the schematic for the X-59 supersonic plane.
Oh, it looks like a big triangle with a stick running through it.
Yes, well, that big triangle, Mindy, is the X-59's wings.
And that stick running through it is the cabin.
That's where you two will be seated.
Yes, of course, where we will be seated.
Wait, what?
We're going to ride in this thing?
Yes, of course.
You are our test pilots.
The pilots sit here and here.
And it's called the X-50 Lime?
X-59.
Oh.
And it's safe?
Well, for pilots trained like you, sure.
Oh.
And you two will have the honor to be the first to actually fly the X-59.
Right.
Goody.
You know what?
I may have made a mistake, because I'm just realizing I'm a little tired and overstimulated and I need to take a bath before dinner time and I need to water my plants and write in my journal.
And Oh, don't worry, Mindy.
If you're feeling tired, we'll just have Guy Raz here fly the plane.
And you can observe the flight from the cockpit.
But... Now, if you look here, you'll see some statistics for this particular aircraft.
As you can see, it is designed to travel past Mach 1.
Mach 1?
Where's that?
Near Chicago?
Uh, no.
Mach 1 is the scientific term for the speed of sound, which is around 761 miles per hour.
Oh, right.
No, I knew that.
Which in kilometers is, uh, uh, hold on.
Don't help me.
Um, are we the one?
Guy Raz, I said don't help me.
I was just about to say 1,235 kilometers per hour.
And as you two would know, speeds faster than Mach 1 are known as supersonic speeds.
And so this Chex 59 thing?
The X-59.
Right.
The X-59 is supposed to travel at supersonic speeds?
Yes.
This plane will travel at supersonic speeds.
And have humans flown planes like this before?
Oh, yes.
Supersonic flight technology has been around for quite a while.
As you can see here... Oh, hey!
That plane looks kind of just like your plane, but it's in black and white.
What happened?
Did your printer run out of color ink?
Uh, no.
That's a photo from 1969 of the Concorde aircraft.
Oh.
It was built over 50 years ago and could travel at... Supersonic speeds!
Oh!
But eventually, we had to stop using the Concorde.
Why?
Well, for a few reasons.
But mostly, because of one big problem.
What was it?
Was it a mystery?
No.
Oh, rats.
I like mysteries.
The big problem was... Yes?
Turn the page, please.
Oh, right.
A sonic boom.
Oh!
That's right, a sonic boom!
Wow.
What is it?
It's what happens when something travels faster than the speed of sound.
It's a very loud shockwave that sounds to humans like an explosive bang or a thunderclap.
Oh, so wait, they stopped using the Concorde just because it was a little noisy?
Well, this is no ordinary noise.
The sonic boom is so loud that the sound waves from it can cause damage to the buildings that it flies over.
Whoa.
Well, why not just wait until you're not around any buildings to go that fast?
They tried that with the Concorde but there were still some islands in the flight path over the Atlantic Ocean.
And their reviews of the plane.
We're not good.
Huh.
This one says, all the windows in my house were shattered.
One star.
Oh, yikes.
But we think we may have been able to solve the little problem of the sonic boom.
Ooh.
Uh, why are we stopping?
We've arrived.
Are you two ready?
Of course we are.
Mindy and Guy Raz are always ready.
Aren't we, Guy?
I love your attitude, Mr. Roz.
This is Agent Mann.
We're nearly there.
Copy that.
Now, follow me.
You got it, sir!
The X-59 is in that warehouse over there.
Walk with me this way.
Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk.
So, as I was saying...
This new experimental plane will solve the problem of the sonic boom by using a super-secret technology called What.
I said it's a super-secret technology called... I can't hear you!
It's too loud!
Hey, you were saying something about a super secret something or other?
Yes, I said it's a super secret technology called... Quiet Supersonic Technology.
Oh.
Or as we call it here at NASA, Q-U-E-S-S-T.
Oh, a quest.
Exactly.
Now, allow me to introduce you to the X-59.
Wow!
Beautiful, isn't it?
I mean, it's no wow machine, but it seems pretty cool.
Hello, sir.
We are ready for the flight test.
Excellent.
Well, Mindy, Guy Raz, this is where I leave you.
Yes!
Thank you, Mr. Agent Man.
I hope we meet again.
I'm headed to the flight control center.
I'll be in communication when you're in the air.
Oh, okay.
So I'll talk to you in a little bit, then.
Yes.
All right.
Strange fella.
Mindy?
Guy Raz?
Oh, yes.
Hello.
I've got your flight suits here.
Oh, a onesie.
This is going to be like a pajama party.
All right, Mr. Raz.
Let me help you get that pigeon suit off.
Oh, no, no, no, no, no.
He needs that for flying correctly.
Just squeeze the flight suit over the top.
We do it all the time, right, Guy Raz?
That's right, we do.
Okay, then.
Here we go.
Watch that wing there.
Sorry.
Okay.
Now, if you two just could follow me.
Okay.
Just up these stairs here.
Okay, here we go.
All right, Guy Raz, you will sit here.
And Mindy, you can get in right over there.
It's not super spacious in here.
How much did you guys pay for these seats?
Well, this particular aircraft cost $247.5 million.
What?
$147.5 million?
That's right.
And this is all the leg room I get?
Oh, well, you see... Well, what about pretzels?
Do I get pretzels on this flight?
Uh, yes, ma'am.
The pretzels are located just to the right of your seat.
Oh, yum!
Um, are you strapped in there, Guy Raz?
Great.
And how about you, Mindy?
Huh?
Oh, yeah.
Your pretzels are great.
Thank you.
Uh, cool.
Ahem.
This is Agent 2.
The test pilots are locked and loaded.
Over.
Copy that.
Good luck, Mindy and Guy Raz.
Oh, thank you.
Good luck to you, too.
Uh, oh boy.
Um, I'm getting a little nervous.
Ooh, it's really cramped in here.
Yeah!
I'm really having second thoughts here.
Ah!
I don't think I can do this.
What was that?
Was that the sonic boom?
No, it's just me, Deputy Director Agent Man on the radio.
Do you copy?
Well, don't scare us like that.
I'm freaking out in here.
You've got nothing to worry about, Mindy.
The materials this plane is made out of were designed and tested for supersonic flight.
Oh, well, that's a relief.
There is very little chance that the plane will break apart mid-flight.
What?
Break apart?
Let me out!
Let me out!
Reggie, you gotta get me out of here!
What was that?
Who's Reggie?
Oh, uh, no, not Reggie.
I said, uh, Veggie.
Guy Raz likes veggies.
Oh, right.
He certainly does.
Sorry, I forgot.
You're Guy Raz, and I'm Mindy.
Oh, you're right.
She'd be brave.
She's always brave.
I guess I'll be brave, too.
Ah!
X-59, this is ground control.
You are go for launch.
Copy that, ground control.
Let's do this.
Ready, Guy Raz?
In three, two, one, blast off!
All right, Gyros, accelerate to Mach 1.
400 miles per hour, 500, 600.
This isn't so bad.
700 miles per hour, prepare for sonic boom.
Oh, right, I forgot about that part.
Ooh, don't be scared, don't be scared, don't be scared, don't be scared, don't be scared!
Oh, it isn't?
Well, what was that noise?
That was the sonic boom?
Well, that wasn't so bad.
We did it!
Low sonic boom achieved!
Congratulations, pilots!
Turn her around and bring her in for a landing.
Woo!
We did it, Reggie!
I mean, Guy Raz!
Please land the plane now!
Woo!
You know...
I did pretty well.
I only screamed like half the time.
I'm feeling very confident right now and very brave and extremely proud of myself and Guys pause.
Easy on the landing.
I did it.
And I'm alive.
Oh, wow.
Very happy!
Thank you!
Thank you!
I know!
I'm amazing!
Mingi!
Guy Raz!
Hey, Mr. Agent Man!
Congratulations!
The test was successful!
Yeah!
I heard a big thud up there!
Exactly!
We were able to reduce that sonic boom to a sonic thud!
Wow, a sonic thud.
Yes, and it's all thanks to the quiet supersonic technology I was telling you about before.
Oh, right, Quest.
It's going to revolutionize air travel.
And it's a great acronym.
Well, what do you say?
Should we get you two home?
Sounds good to me.
Oh, do we get to keep the sonic pajamas?
Uh, sure.
Hooray!
Back at Mindy, I mean, my house.
That was really fun, Mr. Agent Man.
I just want to say, that was some fine work you did out there today.
Oh, don't be so modest, Guy Raz.
Thanks to you two, we're one step closer to commercial supersonic air travel.
Well, how many more steps are left?
Hmm.
The next step will be to test the sonic boom damping technology over actual communities to see how it affects the people living underneath those sonic flight paths.
Oh, well, don't test over my house anytime soon.
Gingerbread mansions are incredibly delicate.
Indeed.
We currently have those tests slated for 2024 and I hope we can count on your expertise again in the future.
You can count Mr. Agent Man.
That's what I like to hear.
It was an honor working with you both.
Goodbye.
Okay.
Well, Reggie, now what?
Oh, yeah.
We need to tell Mindy and Guy Raz what just happened.
When are they getting back from the hippo races?
Oh, perfect timing.
Mindy. you said we were going to hippo races.
Not a giant game of hippo tag.
Those animals weigh over 3,000 pounds.
Sounds like nothing but a load of excuses to me, Guy Raz.
Mindy!
Guy Raz!
Oh my gosh!
I have to tell you something!
What is it now, Dennis?
Okay, get this.
Me and Reggie...
And there was this package.
Well, it was your package, Mindy.
And Reggie had Guy's glasses on.
And they thought it was Guy.
And then Reggie and I went to this plane called, like, the Tex-Mex 89 or something.
And we got these cool Sonic pajamas.
And people cheered for me, Mindy.
And it was so meaningful.
And I was brave like you.
And now we're home again.
And you missed the whole thing.
Uh-huh.
It was a real adventure.
Uh-huh.
We traveled at supersonic speeds.
Supersonic speeds?
Ooh, sounds cool, Dennis.
I love playing imagination, too.
What?
Reggie and I do it all the time.
Right, Reg?
This wasn't my imagination, Mindy.
It was real.
Aw, sure it was, buddy.
I bet it felt totally real.
Anywho, Guy Raz and I have to go and get cleaned up.
You smell like hippo.
Oh, ew.
But we'll see you soon.
But Mindy!
Hi!
See you later, Dennis.
But Supersonic!
NASA!
Walkie Talkies!
No, Reggie.
I don't think they believed us.
Oh, you're right.
We did kind of steal Guy Raz's glasses, both of their identities.
I broke Mindy's package and spelled her name wrong.
Yeah, maybe it's best we just keep this adventure as our little secret.
No, I don't want to go on another one right now.
Because I'm tired and overstimulated and I need to get out of these pajamas and I need a bath before dinner and I need to water my plants and write in my journal.
Wow in the World will be right back.
Grown-ups, this message is for you.
Hey, grown-ups, it's Mindy and Guy Raz 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.
Grownups.
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.
Hi, thanks for calling Wow in the World.
After the beep, get ready to record.
Hi, Mindy and Tyrod.
My name is Amelia.
My name is Alex.
And we are from Troy, Michigan.
Our Wow in the World is that the human body is mostly made up of these Oh, snap.
Oh, snap.
I'm Indian Guy Roz.
My name is Eli from Ballyham Washington, and my wow in the world is that kinkajous can twist their hind feet backwards to climb trees.
Say hi to Dennis, Baby B, Grandma G for and Reggie for me.
Bye.
Love your show.
Hi, my name is from Venice, California.
My wow is that dolphins can quote-unquote see inside many animals by using sound waves.
Thank you.
Bye.
Hi, my name is Sawyer, and I live in Crested Butte, Colorado.
And my wow is that on Jupiter, microscopic bits of carbon get crushed together to form a diamond ring.
Isn't that bonker balls?
Say hi to Reggie, Grandma G-Force, Oh, yeah.
And Thomas Fingerlings.
Bye.
Hi, Mindy and Guy Raz.
My name is Callie, and I live in Greenville, South Carolina.
My wow in the world is that red pandas are not actually pandas.
They're actually related to weasels.
Say hi to Reggie, Grandma G-Force, Thomas Fingerling, and the annoying Dennis the Menace.
My name is Elijah and I'm from Glenburn Maine, and my wow in the world is that ants have two stomachs.
I love your show.
Bye.
Hi, Mindy and Gaia.
I'm Max from Maryland.
My wow is the largest megalodon tooth recorded is seven inches long.
That is almost five inches longer than a great white shark's tooth today.
Say hi to Grandma G-Force, Thomas Wingerling, and Reggie.
Hi, my name is Callum.
I live in Lansdale, Pennsylvania.
And my wow is that a minor league baseball player once hit a grand slam into the parking lot that went through the windshield of his own truck.
Say hello to Dennis.
Ahoy there.
Thomas Fingerling.
What?
Grandma G-Force.
Oh, isn't that nice?
And Reggie.
Bye.
Wow in the World is written by Mindy Thomas and Tom Van Kalken with help from me, Guy Raz.
Original sound design and music editing is done by our senior producer Jed Anderson and Tyler Thull.
You can also hear Jed Anderson in the voices of Dennis Thomas Fingerling, Reggie and many of the other silly characters you hear on our show.
Jessica Bode keeps our facts straight as our fact checker and Meredith Halpern-Ranzer powers the wow at Tinkercast.
Our theme song was composed and performed by three-time Grammy nominees, The Pop-Ups.
Find them at thepopups.com.
Special thanks to the rest of our team of tinkerers, including Anna Zagorski, Rebecca Caban, Kit Ballinger and Henry Moskal.
To keep the wows rolling, visit us at tinkercast.com.
There you can learn more about becoming an official member of the World Organization of Wowzers.
Learn more about upcoming events.
Shop our shop and pick up a copy of our new number one New York Times bestselling book, The How and Wow of the Human Body.
Grownups, you can follow Wow in the World on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at Wow in the World.
And our email address is hello.wow. at Tinkercast.com.
And if you're a kid with a big wow to share with us, call us at 1-888-7-WOW-WOW for a chance to be featured at the end of our show or an upcoming episode of Two What's and a Wow.
Thanks again for listening, and until next time, be fun wowing!
Wow in the world was made by Tinkercast. and sent to you by Wondery.