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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!
I have a question for you.
Sure, what's up?
Have you ever had a backache?
Oh, yeah, let me tell you.
So this one time I was going horseback riding and I was just going to do it the normal way, but then I decided you know what, let's spice things up a bit.
So I had the horse ride on my back.
You did what?
Yeah, I know.
I should have put a saddle on first, but sometimes you just got to learn things the hard way.
Okay, I don't recommend that activity.
But you know, Mindy, as we humans get older...
It's not unusual for us to get back pain, because the bones that support our back, our spine and backbones, are constantly carrying our bodies around.
And that's a lot of weight and a lot of work.
I know.
You should hear my backbone and spine.
They're always complaining and fighting with each other over who's pulling the most weight.
Okay, backbone.
I have literally been carrying her around since she can walk upright.
Oh, well.
She decided to wolf down 14 chimichangas all in one day, huh?
Well, I literally... Okay, spine, backbone, stop fighting.
There's enough of me to carry around, you guys.
Hmm, interesting.
Well anyway Mindy, the average American man weighs about 191 pounds and the average American woman weighs about 159 pounds.
Now, imagine being a giant sauropod.
You know, one of those giant dinosaurs with a long neck and body like an apatosaurus or a brachiosaurus.
Those dinosaurs could weigh as much as 173 thousand pounds, Mindy.
Imagine the back pain those dinosaurs had to deal with.
Wow, that's a lot of Tylenol.
Well, of course, animals don't use medicine like Tylenol to help with their pain.
And besides, there was no Tylenol back when dinosaurs roamed the earth.
But you have to wonder Mindy, how did those dinosaurs carry their massive bodies around without just Or maybe they did just collapse and that was the real end of the dinosaurs?
Or maybe they got around on wheels somehow.
Yeah, maybe they wore giant roller skates to roll around.
That's what I would have done.
Well, you would have to build the world's most powerful roller skates to help keep a sauropod moving.
But even then, it wouldn't answer the question.
Because those giant plant eaters had to carry all of that body weight around, even if they did have giant roller skates.
So how were these gargantuan dinosaurs able to even grow that big in the first place?
Mindy, that's a great question.
Now imagine for a moment that you lived in the United States in the late Jurassic period, so about 160 million years ago.
Okay, I'm imagining it.
Now I'm running.
I'm screaming my brains out.
Now I'm wondering where I can find some ice cream.
Maybe some friends to hang out with to help me run from these dinosaurs.
And just to be clear, there were absolutely no humans on the planet at that time.
In fact, our earliest hominid ancestors.
They only appeared on planet Earth about 145 million years after the sauropods were long gone and extinct.
Ooh.
No humans at all?
So no friends?
Okay, all right.
So I'm imagining that I'm here on Earth in the late Jurassic period dinosaurs roaming all around, but no friends, and I'm getting a little lonely and a lot scared.
Mindy, you're doing just fine.
Nothing to worry about.
Now, imagine seeing an Apatosaurus.
These creatures were 14 times bigger than the biggest elephant on Earth today.
So...
Take one elephant, invite 13 more elephants to join that elephant and ask those elephants to pile on top of each other, and you get the picture.
Wow, that's a big wad of elephants.
Or roughly the equivalent size of an apatosaurus.
And for a long time scientists who study dinosaurs paleontologists, have been trying to figure out how they got to be so big.
So what do they think?
Well, one theory or guess based on scientific evidence is that these sauropods had very thick legs, kind of like giant tree trunks.
And those legs helped to support their weight.
So maybe, you know, you've seen a building with pillars?
Yeah, like the U.S.
Capitol building.
That has a lot of pillars.
That's exactly right.
Or ancient Greek and Roman temples also had pillars, those strong, tall poles that were often made from stone that support the weight of a roof, for example.
And sauropods' legs acted as sort of pillars for the dinosaur's body.
Yeah, but these dinosaurs were so heavy.
I can't imagine that their big tree-trunk pillar legs would be enough to keep them from collapsing to the ground, Guy Raz.
I know, right?
I mean, imagine how long their backs were.
I mean, they could grow as long as 55 meters.
So if you've ever been to the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, that's about as tall as Cinderella's castle.
That is...
That is how long some of these sauropods could grow.
And for the longest time paleontologists were wondering how these dinosaurs' backbones could hold all of that weight.
But Mindy, they may be getting closer to the answer.
Oh, you're about to spill some beans.
Mindy, two paleontologists named John Fronimos and Jeffrey Wilson actually study this very thing.
They are vertebrae paleontologists.
And that means they specifically study the backbones of dinosaurs.
So basically, their whole job is to uncover the hidden mysteries of dinosaur spines?
That's exactly right, Mindy.
And spines are also called vertebral columns.
And a vertebra is one bone in the column.
So if you think about a backbone or spine, think of it as sort of like a series of circular bones stacked one on top of the other.
And together, they form a long column or backbone.
And dinosaurs basically had the same kind of bone in their backs.
Except, Mindy, in dinosaurs, these vertebral columns were massive.
Wait a minute.
So if these giant sauropods had backbones just like ours, how were they able to carry around their giant dinosaur bodies?
Well, that's a good question Mindy, because our backbones wouldn't be able to handle that much weight.
But, Mindy, those two paleontologists I mentioned were trying to figure out the same question.
And they noticed that the vertebrae, the bones that make up the backbone, the vertebrae for these sauropods, had these deep, zig-zaggy lines along the top.
And what they realized Mindy, is that these zig-zaggy lines actually connected to another bone with zig-zaggy lines, almost like a jigsaw puzzle.
What?
So are you telling us that these dinosaurs basically had puzzle pieces for bones?
Well, yeah, sort of.
Bones that fit together exactly like puzzle pieces.
And what that meant Mindy, is that these bones, by being attached in exactly the right way, were able to handle the pressure of all of that dinosaur weight.
They would never survive in my house.
We're always losing the puzzle pieces.
Anyway, so how did this back puzzle deal help them to handle all of that dinosaur weight?
Well, the way the bones connected one next to the other probably meant that the pressure on the bones was distributed or spread across the sauropod's entire spine instead of just one part.
And when the entire backbone was working to handle all of that weight, each vertebra pitched in to keep the dinosaur up and moving.
Think about when a bunch of grown-ups moves a heavy thing like a refrigerator.
Probably takes three to four adults to do that right.
Right.
And each grown-up makes sure that they're doing their part, keeping the fridge from falling to the ground.
And that's kind of how these individual bones in the dinosaurs' back worked.
Guy Raz, let's try this out.
Let's go pick up your car with our bare hands and walk it around the neighborhood.
We can tell everyone we're playing dinosaurs fine.
I don't think that would be a good idea.
Just in time for the holidays.
Made for the kids who love science and for the ones who don't.
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 curiosity.
That's it.
Back to the show.
Hi, what's your name?
Will.
How old are you, Will?
Seven.
Will, tell me a big wow in your world.
I won a raffle at school, so I was principal of the day.
I was wearing a tie and a suit like the principal.
And other than that I ate lunch in the teacher's lounge and drafted traffic at carpool until carpool was over.
Whoa!
So you get to be like the boss for the day.
Kind of.
What do you think that principals do all day?
Go to classes and do some work.
If you could make one crazy rule as principal of your entire school, what would that rule be?
One rule that would stick for the rest of the school year.
I wish it would stick forever.
No more reading homework.
No more reading homework.
Yeah, I like math homework.
So lots and lots of math homework.
Skip the reading.
Yeah.
So, Will, do you have any awesome Wow-worthy talents you could share with us?
Sure.
Whoa.
Can you tell everyone what that talent is called?
The fart talent.
Can you give us, like, your best one?
Okay.
Amazing.
Thanks for sharing your Wow in the World talent with us.
You're welcome.
Hey, thank you so much for checking out our new Thursday edition of Wow in the World.
Today's show is written by Guy Raz and me and produced by Jed Anderson.
Our theme song is by The Pop-Ups.
You can find more of their awesome music at thepopups.com.
Also, big thanks to the kids you heard in today's episode.
Jake and Will, you guys were awesome!
And we are looking for more kids to take part.
For a chance to be featured on an upcoming episode.
Have your grown-ups help you share something that's recently wowed you by dialing 1-888-7WOWOW.
Think of it as a wow in your world.
Thanks again for subscribing and telling your friends about our show.
We'll be back on Monday with a brand new episode.
And just for your ears, here's a little sneak peek of what's to come.
How did this scientist, what did you say her name was?
Oh, Frederica Ferdocino.
How did Frederica find this out?
Well, like I said, she was cleaning the wax worms out of her beehive like nobody's business, flucking them out and putting them in a plastic grocery bag, maybe to use as like fish bait for later.
And anyway, when she went back to the worm bag a little while later, she found it full of holes.
Wow, so the wax worms had eaten their way out?
That's it.
We'll be back on Monday for a brand new episode.
Until then, go forth and find your own Wow in the World.
Wow in the World is made by Tinkercast.
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