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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!
In the morning on 97.3 The Wobble, wobbling your way through the work week.
Oh, good.
We didn't miss it.
Hey, Reg, we didn't miss it.
If you're tuning in right now, you're probably getting ready for our big giveaway.
I am.
Oh, boy.
We received thousands of entries over the last couple weeks.
Tell them what's up for grabs, Bongo.
Well Toot.
One of our lucky listeners will win a spot for themselves and two of their closest friends to go behind the scenes on the hottest show on TV.
Witches!
Date or Bait!
The matchmaking show that pairs up two single spiders who are looking to find their one true love!
I love that show!
Part matchmaking show, part dance-off, part makeover spectacular!
What's not to love?
Probably the fact that all the contestants are spiders!
Oh yeah!
Okay, listeners, I got all of our entries right here in this giant fishbowl.
So why don't you go ahead and grab that fishing rod over there.
You got it, Bongo.
And cast it in.
Woo!
Okay, I think I got one.
Drum roll, please.
Please be me.
Please be me.
Please say my name.
And the winner is... Please say my name.
Mindy!
Wait, really?
That's it?
Just the name Mindy?
It just says Mindy.
There's no address or... Yeah, it just says Mindy.
Reg, I won!
Reg?
Super weird.
Hey, Alex, can we follow up on this Mindy character?
Yeah, no, there's no address.
Just a name.
It's just a name.
Winner, winner, Mindy's for dinner.
Hey, Reg!
Man, he missed the whole thing.
Guess what?
Nope.
Uh, no.
Not even close.
Okay, okay, I'll tell you.
So, you know those thousands of letters that you helped me mail to Wobble FM?
Yeah, for that spider matchmaking show?
Well, I won.
I know, I'm so excited.
So, got any plans for tonight?
Sausage making class.
All right, we'll have you back here by seven.
Okay, so let me just grab my things here.
Wallet, keys...
Magnifying goggles.
What?
Spiders are really small.
And a banana-flavored cake.
You can never have too much potassium.
Okay, Reg, you ready to kick it?
Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk.
Open the door.
Closing the door.
Locking the door.
Key code 111111.
Hey, Mindy.
You know, you should really consider using a variety of numbers.
Like maybe a three.
Hi, Dennis.
Oh, a seven.
That would be a great number.
Well, now what are you doing?
Um well, I just won tickets to go behind the scenes of the television smash sensation Date or Bait.
So I, Oh cool.
Reality TV.
Super retro.
You know, Mindy, you should really watch something more substantial.
They say it's the golden age of television, after all.
Okay, sure.
Thanks, Dennis.
Bye.
There's this new docuseries on HBO about candle making.
It's fantastic.
There he is!
Oh, hey, Mindy.
What are you doing out here in your yard?
Well, it's a Tuesday morning, Mindy, so I'm tending to my tulips.
Oh, isn't that right, little tulip?
Oh, yeah.
Tulip Tuesdays.
How could I forget?
Hey, where are you and Reggie off to?
Oh, super exciting news.
Are you ready for it?
As I'll ever be.
Okay.
I just won a behind-the-scenes tour of... Wait for it.
I'm waiting.
Wait for it.
I'm waiting.
Wait for it.
I'm waiting.
Date or bait.
Date or...
Bait!
I can't get a good read on your inflection.
Have you heard of it?
Ever heard of it?
Mindy, it's my favorite show.
Wait, really?
Because I always took you as more of a historical documentary miniseries on the history of kale kind of guy.
Well, yeah, that is true.
While Kale to the Chief is one of my favorite TV shows.
Yeah, until the network execs Kaled it.
I love Date or Bait.
It's actually a really scientifically fascinating show.
In fact, check it out.
I have one of their shirts on right now.
I use it for gardening.
Wait, what does that T-shirt say?
Eancy weancy spider love to strut and pout?
Date or Bait.
Hey, Ross, do you want to come with us?
Can I do that?
Guy Raz, you can do anything you put your mind to.
Except for sneeze with your eyes open and tickle yourself.
Yes, of course you can come.
Bongo and the Big Toot said I could bring two buddies.
Bongo and who?
The Big Toot.
From the radio?
Oh, right.
Well, I'd love to come, Mindy.
Let me just change into something a little more appropriate for the occasion.
You're going to do that right here?
Oh.
Were you wearing that suit under your gardening clothes this whole time?
Of course I was.
You never know when you're going to have to make a quick change.
Hey, that's what Grandma G-Force always says.
Except she always wears her wrestling leotard under her clothes, which are also wrestling leotards.
Anywho, we should probably get going.
The radio station didn't mention any time or place... or even where we're supposed to be meeting.
Uh... But I figured we could just ask your Zoodle where they shoot the show and then just go there.
Oh, sure.
I just upgraded her firmware.
She now interrupts you to finish your question.
Wow, that sounds really... Annoying?
Yeah, I know, but it also makes my requests 22% more efficient.
Uh-huh.
Hey, Zoodle, where do they shoot date or... Dater.
A person who goes out on dates, typically on a regular basis.
Oh, boy.
No, Zoodle, where do they shoot... Shoot.
To kick, hit, or throw a ball in an attempt to score a goal in a sporting match.
No, Zoodle, where do they... It's Hollywood!
What?
I just looked it up on my phone.
Mindy, I really don't think you're taking advantage of The.
HMS Advantage was an old wooled wooden ship built in 1590 by the Royal Navy.
Okay, you ready to go?
You betcha.
Alright, let me just climb up here.
Hey, hey Mindy, can you give me a hand?
Yep, hold on tight little buddy and I'll pull you up.
Okay, hold on tight, Guy Raz.
And Reg, set a course for Hollywood, California.
Because here we go!
Ooh, Guy Raz, look down there!
There it is, the TV studio!
Hey, Reg! at this place, Mindy.
I know.
A real-life TV set.
Lights, cameras, a craft services table, snacks.
Don't mind if I do.
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run.
Tropical ranch-flavored exploding ants.
Mindy, Mindy, Mindy, I think that food's for the actors and crew.
Um, can I help you?
Yeah, I'm a winner.
Uh, cool.
I'm sorry.
What I meant to say was I am the winner for the date or bait behind the scenes tour.
Oh, you must be Mindy.
That's me.
Well, I'm so glad you made it.
The show's about to start.
Follow me.
Talk about perfect timing.
Actually, perfect timing is filling on the other lot.
Sorry.
Oh, no, I was just saying... Here we are.
Okay, here are your guest passes.
Are the tweed suit and the pigeon with you?
Hey, I'm more than just a pretty tweed suit.
I'm a... Oh, yes, yes, they are.
Great.
If you just want to put these around your neck, you should be good to go.
Oh, well, ooh-la-la, mine is shiny.
The stage is right through there.
I'll leave you to it.
Enjoy the show.
Thank you.
Thanks.
Wow.
Hey, Mindy, I can't believe we're actually here.
I know.
I'm so excited I can throw up.
In fact... It went away.
Everyone, please find your seats.
We are about to begin the show.
Come on, Mindy.
I think I spot some seats right there.
You too, Reg.
Roll sound.
Hello and welcome back to the hottest show on TV.
It's Dead...
This week, as with every week, our goal is to help these spiders find their one true love.
Now, by round of applause, how many of you have seen this show before?
So you know what to do, ladies and gentlemen.
Let's keep that round of applause going for our first bachelorette for this evening.
Say hello to Charlotte.
She's a jumping spider from North America.
Her favorite food is blowflies, and when she's not devouring her prey, you can find her chilling in temperate rainforests, scrublands and mountainous regions.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage, Charlotte.
I think she's going to win.
Hey, Roz, you haven't even met the other contestants yet.
Shh.
Oh.
And now for our first bachelor, also a jumping spider from the Harbronatus Perithrix species.
This itsy bitsy spider says his best feature is his bright red face.
And his biggest fear is being eaten by a female jumping spider.
Well, good luck with that, buddy.
Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to Aragorn.
Doesn't want to be eaten by a female spider, what? about, Guy Raz?
That's like the main point of the show, Mindy.
I thought you said you watch this all the time.
Okay, so I've only seen one episode and I was fixing the wow machine while I was watching it, so I really have no idea what this show is about.
Well, lucky for you, you've got the world's biggest date or bait fan sitting right next to you.
Reggie?
No, Mindy, I'm talking about me.
Oh, yeah, right.
So what's the deal with not wanting to be eaten?
Well, that's one of the things about jumping spiders.
The females of the species are cannibalistic.
Cannibalistic?
You mean they eat their own species?
That's right.
If the male jumping spider is unable to impress the female jumping spider during its mating dance, well then, Oh.
Unlucky, Aragog.
Ugh, yikes.
Looks like you were not Charlotte's one.
True love.
I guess that's why they call it date or bait.
Exactamundo.
Okay, ladies and gentlemen, let's bring out our second bachelor.
Okay, so give me the lowdown on how the rest of the show works.
Okay, so each bachelor, or male spider, is brought out to dance for the female spider.
Dance?
That's right.
Check it out.
Okay, ladies and gentlemen, it looks like our bachelor has opted for the inflatable tube man dance move here.
Whoa, look at him go.
He's got his two little front legs waving above his head, all wiggling around all over the place.
He kind of looks like you when you dance, Guy Raz.
Mindy, Mindy, check it out.
I call this one the dizzy giraffe.
Yeah, yeah, I see that.
You look just like a dizzy giraffe.
Oh, boy.
So these spiders do this dance to impress the female spider, and then what?
Well, the next part of the show is actually taken from a study that was conducted by researchers at the University of Florida.
Huh.
Have you noticed, Mindy, that all of these male jumping spiders have bright red faces?
Oh, yeah.
They do.
Well, it turns out this is actually a way for these male jumping spiders to attract females.
Whoa.
And did these scientists figure out if it works?
So the scientists wanted to find out how big of a role this played in the whole mating ritual.
You mean they wanted to see whether the female spiders were all ooh-la-la over their sweet dance moves or their little red tomato faces?
Exactly.
So as part of this study, these researchers... painted these spiders' faces with black eyeliner.
So they went from having red faces to just being black all over.
And they wanted to see if the females would still be interested in how they danced.
And what did they find?
Well, that's the next part of this TV show, Mindy.
Oh, right, the makeover part of the show.
Exactly.
Look, here comes our bachelor.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, looks like he survived... I mean, passed our first round...
Of love.
And now we're on to our second round.
Our bachelor has just spent the last 20 minutes in the makeup chair and is ready to come out.
Are you ready, folks?
Okay, ladies and gentlemen, let's see if our Charlotte can't learn to love this itsy bitsy spider, even without his stunning red face.
Unlucky, pal.
Yikes!
So Mindy, the study found that the female spiders were more likely to attack and eat males that had their faces covered in black eyeliner compared to those with their normal red faces.
Huh.
But could this have anything to do with red being a sort of don't-eat-me kind of color?
Huh.
What do you mean, Mindy?
Well in nature.
There are a couple of ways to not get eaten by predators, and one of them is to use camouflage.
Like a caterpillar that's the same color as the leaf it lives on.
Yeah, so you can either try to blend in with your environment using camouflage, or you could go in the complete opposite direction and try to stand out.
Stand out?
Like? with bright colors?
Exactoritos.
So it's something called aposematism, or warning colors.
And some animals will have these super bright colors all over them that warn other animals that hey, I might be poisonous so don't even try me.
Wow, that makes total sense.
Then why the jumping spiders with the colored-in faces are attacked more than those with the bright red faces?
That's what I think.
I mean, it's half...
Hey, check out my cool red face.
And half, hey, don't eat me or I might poison you to death.
Man, this show has so many nuances to it.
All right, ladies and gentlemen, are you ready to see your last victim?
I mean, Bachelor Virtunite.
From the jumping spider species, Mavia Inclemens.
Please welcome to the stage, She-Ra.
I think that this is from the last part of the study, Mindy.
Uh, did the study have?
The spiders wear big old wigs on their heads to impress the lady spiders too.
Well, yeah, kind of.
What?
Well Mindy, if you look a little closer, you'll notice that this jumping spider has a brown hairy face right.
Yeah, hard to miss.
That's because he's a member of a different species of jumping spider.
And this species?
Instead of having bright, red faces to attract females well, they have tall hairs on the top of their heads.
And that's what that funny-looking wig is?
Oh, no, remember, this is the makeover round.
What this spider has stuck to its head, well, they're fake eyelashes.
Uh, hold the phone, Guy Raz.
You're telling me that that spider is wearing fake eyelashes on his head?
Correctamundo.
What possible reason could those researchers from the University of Florida have to attach fake eyelashes to the heads of jumping spiders?
Well, in the same way that they wanted to see how red faces affected the spider's chances of mating with the female spider.
They also wanted to test how the height of these head hairs affected this spider's chances of not getting eaten.
And they found that the taller the hairs, the better the odds.
So this guy's probably in luck then.
With a wig that tall?
I'd say so, Mindy.
Oh!
Ladies and gentlemen, it looks like love has triumphed once again here at Date or Bait.
Be sure to join us here next week folks, as we try to rekindle the flames between two love-struck black widow spiders.
And until next time... Creep it real!
I love a happy ending.
This is just for you, 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. and change colors depending on what they are on and what they eat.
Bye.
Love the show.
Hi, Mindy and Guy Raz.
I'm Ada.
I'm from Cincinnati, Ohio.
My wow in the world is that lemons contain more sugar than strawberries, which is very surprising because lemons are very, very sour.
Bye, Mindy and Guy Raz.
Hi, Reggie.
Woo-hoo! in Monterrey, Mexico.
In my wonder world, the daddy seahorses carry their babies and not the mommy seahorses.
This can be like two thousands, but it's as thick as a baby.
Bye!
Hi, Mindy and Guy Raj.
My name is Esme.
I'm from Littleton Colorado, and I went on.
The world is that spaws only go to the bathroom once a week and it would take them five minutes to cross a street.
Thanks.
Say hi to Reggie.
Hi, my name is Jack.
I'm from Phoenix Arizona, and my wow in the world is the longest bicycle ever was 135 feet and 107 inches.
Bye.
Hi, my name is Iwan.
My name is Graham, and I live in Edmond, Oklahoma.
And my wow in the world is that ladybugs can smell with their feet.
Hi, Mindy and Guy Ross.
My name is Mira, and I live in San Francisco, California.
And my wow in the world is that fertilizer is made out of poop.
Bye.
I love your show.
Hi, Mindy and Guy Ross and Reggie and Jay and Dennis, I guess.
My name is Vega, and I live in Oxnard, California.
And my wow in the world is that Rainbows are made out of sunshine and water.
It's so cool.
Bye, Mrs. Indira.
End of messages.
Hey, Wowsers.
Before we go, I've got one more big announcement to make.
Before the break we put out a call to all of the inventoritos in the audience to come up with an original gizmo or gadget for our adventure toolkit.
And boy, howdy, did you deliver.
We saw invisibility diapers, science-infused snack balls, animal translating devices, taco spitting systems and lots and lots of hilarious video outtakes.
We loved each and every one of your inventions, and picking one winner from the bunch was nearly impossible.
But with that said, we called in our judges and we found our winner.
And then Guy Raz and I called her.
Here's how it went.
Guy Raz...
Let's call Mina.
You ready?
I think I'm ready, Mindy, yeah.
Dialing the number, dialing the number.
It's ringing.
It's ringing.
Hello.
Hello, is that Mina?
Yes, it is.
It's her.
Mina, it's Guy Raz here, and I'm with Mindy.
Hi, Mina.
Big, big fan.
Hi.
Guess why we're calling you.
Because I won the toolkit contest.
Actually, we were calling to order a pizza, but as long as we have you here, Guy Raz, you want to tell her.
Yes!
Mina, we are calling to tell you that your invention, the handy-dandy 5D Sensory Hat D, has won our Inventoritos Inventors Toolkit Contest.
Your handy-dandy 5D sensory hat-D invention wowed us in so many ways.
From its stylish design, aesthetic and thoughtful execution to its unique abilities and endless possibilities.
We knew from the moment you presented it to us that it was a must-have for our adventure toolkit, and we can't wait to use it on Wow in the World.
Okay.
Mina, can you tell everyone else who's listening what makes your invention so amazing?
Um.
The handy, dandy 5D sensory hat was the invention I created that can help you experience animal super senses.
That's so wow.
Mindy, it's amazing.
It's like a helmet you would wear at a construction site, except it has all of these buttons and dials and tools that
We'll allow you and me to sense things like in a superhero way.
Like we'll be able to taste things a thousand times more and hear things a hundred times better and see things like base telescopes.
I know, it's incredible.
Mina, where in the world did you come up with the idea for this invention?
I really like animals and I know that you talk a lot about animals on the show.
On the show.
So if you had a tool that could help you experience senses like animals, you would understand them better.
Wow, I can't wait to try this thing, Mindy.
Same here, Guy Raz.
Mina, thank you for your incredible invention and for sharing it with us.
And, with your permission, we would like to officially make the handy-dandy 5D Sensory Hat D the newest addition to our adventure toolkit.
Just as soon as we remove some of the castles.
What do you say?
Absolutely.
Yay!
Mina, thank you so much.
Keep on wowing.
And thanks for being part of our world.
Thanks, Mina.
Bye.
Hey, everyone.
Thank you so much for hanging out with us this week on Wow in the World.
And to keep the wow rolling, check out this week's scientific conversation starters at our website wowintheworldcom.
And grownups.
There you can find more info on how your kids can become members of the World Organization of Wowzers shop our Wow Shop.
Upload photos and videos to us and check dates for our upcoming live events.
That's wowintheworld.com.
Our show is produced by Jed Anderson.
Who provides the bells, whistles, and silly characters.
Say hello, Jed.
Hello.
Our show is written by me, Guy Raz, and Thomas Van Kalken, who also provides silly characters.
Thanks also to Jessica Bode, Casey Kofer, Rebecca Caban, Kit Ballinger, and Alex Curley.
Meredith Halpern-Ranzer powers the wow at Tinkercast.
Our theme song was composed and performed by The Pop-Ups.
For more info on their two-time Grammy-nominated all-ages music, find them at thepopups.com.
And grown-ups.
You can follow Wow in the World on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at Wow in the World.
And our email address is hello at wowintheworld.com.
And if you're a kid with a big wow to share with us, call us at 1-888-WOW for a chance to be featured at the end of the show.
Also, if you haven't already done so, please subscribe to Wow in the World on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Yeah, leave us a few stars, a review, or just tell a friend about the show.
Thanks again for listening, and until next time, keep on wowing.
Jinx!
And before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short survey at wondery.com slash survey.
