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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 7pm 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!
We'll be right back.
We'll be right back.
The sun is shining, the air is crisp, the trees are golden and I just changed the fan belt on my Ryder sewing machine.
Well, that wasn't supposed to fall off.
Just hammer it back on there.
That's better.
All right, let's just get this puppy started here and...
Look, Reg!
I'm riding and sewing at the same time!
I think I ran out of gas.
Oh, you want to know where I got this rider sewing machine?
Come on, Reggie.
I invented it.
It's a tractor built onto Grandma G-Force's old sewing machine.
Yeah, she used to use it to sew capes onto her wrestling leotards.
And now she's letting me borrow it to sew some masks.
Uh-huh.
I've got everything I need for it right here.
I've got fabric.
I've got thread.
Some elastic.
And most importantly, the secret ingredient, a crate full of hamsters.
Now let me just get these little critters out of their crate here.
Um, hand me that crowbar, Reg.
Thank you.
No, no, no, no, no.
Come back here.
Don't run away.
Oh, bonger balls.
It's going to take me forever to catch all those hamsters again.
And my hamster catching net is still at the dry cleaners.
Going to have to use my gerbil catching net now.
Where did I put that net?
I know it was around here somewhere.
How come I never put anything back in the same place twice?
Oh, look, I found a hot dog.
What is it, Reg?
Behind me?
Quick, Reg!
Hide all the astronaut ice cream!
Mindy, wait!
You'll never take me alive, spaceman!
No, Mindy, it's me, Guy Raz!
Guy Raz?
Yes!
What are you doing dressed up as an astronaut?
Wait a minute.
Guy Raz, is this what you meant when you said you needed more space?
No, Mindy, it's... because of COVID-19.
You know, that disease caused by the coronavirus that's going around and making people sick?
The whole reason we've spent the better part of this year inside?
Yeah, don't remind me.
I had to cancel my trip to the annual handshaking festival this summer.
Oh.
And then I had to awkwardly ask people to stop licking the doorknobs on the outside of my gingerbread mansion.
And don't even get me started on having to cancel our neighborhood human pigeon pyramid photo shoot for our holiday card this year.
It was going to be Reggie's turn to be on top.
Well, I have to admit, I was a little relieved to kiss that one goodbye.
Actually kissing.
Goodbye has all.
But Guy Raz, I still don't understand why you are dressed in a spacesuit.
Oh well, I just got back from the supermarket and, seeing as though I was going to be in an enclosed indoor space, I decided to cover up.
Yeah, all the way up.
Guy Raz, look at you.
I can barely see your face behind that shiny orange helmet of yours.
Knock, knock.
Hello?
Anybody home?
Ah, sick!
It's okay.
This whole COVID situation can be really exhausting.
I mean, it's easy to forget sometimes.
Yeah, you're telling me.
But, Kairos, don't you think that maybe you're just being a teeny tiny bit too cautious?
I mean, look at you.
You must be roasting in that space suit.
Yeah, maybe you are right.
Just give me a second to take this thing off.
Ah, there we go.
Better?
In the... What?
Hey, Roz, were you wearing another spacesuit underneath the first spacesuit?
Well, of course I was, Mindy.
I always double bag myself when I go to the supermarket.
Uh-huh.
You know us Rozes take our health and safety very seriously.
In fact, our family motto is Manus Lavandi Sunt.
Wash your hands.
I remember.
We even had that song.
Here, I'll pull it up on my phone here.
Oh, no, that's okay, Guy Raz.
I think we all remember this song.
Okay, I guess we're going to play it.
Oh, that's a real bop.
Isn't it, Reg?
Reggie?
All right, you can turn that off.
I think we've got the point.
Well, Mindy, with COVID this year, it's super important to wash your hands often.
Oh, I know.
And for at least 20 seconds, right?
Right.
And with soap and with water and not just licking your hands clean like what I used to do, right?
Right.
And it's also super important to cover your nose and mouth by wearing some kind of mask or face covering.
Oh, a mask.
And that is why you are wearing a space helmet.
Exactly.
Speaking of which, Mindy, I don't see you or Reggie covering your mouth and nose right now.
Okay well, first of all, I just lost a whole crate of hamsters, so I think we're focusing on the wrong things here.
And second of all, Reggie does not have a nose.
At least, not one like we do.
Right.
And besides, we are totally clean because we just took a dip in the inflatable hand sanitizer pool that I put in my backyard.
But if you think we should be wearing masks, don't worry.
I've got a whole box of them inside my gingerbread mansion.
I always wear them when I go out in public.
Oh, yeah?
Yeah.
Just wait right here and I'll go grab them.
Hey, Mindy.
Oh, hey, Dennis.
Mindy, is that a spaceman in your front yard?
Uh, no.
Dennis, it's me, Guy Raz.
Oh, Guy Raz.
I didn't recognize you in your astronaut costume.
Are you going to a dress-up party?
What?
No, Dennis.
I'm just trying to be COVID safe.
Me too.
Check it out.
What in the... Dennis, why are you dressed like a southern debutante?
It's called a hoop skirt.
Well, it's very flattering, Dennis, and bad.
Six-foot radius, baby!
Well, it certainly is a very intuitive way to stay socially distant.
My gown says, partay!
But my hoop skirt says, get away from my face!
1.5 meters!
I mean it!
Uh... Oh, Mindy's coming back.
I gotta get out of here.
She keeps trying to push me into her kiddie pool of hand sanitizer.
See you later!
Wait, Dennis!
Dennis, come back!
Not gonna happen, Mindy.
Ah, bunker balls.
I wanted to dip them in my inflatable hand sanitizer pool.
Anywho, here you go, Guy Raz.
Mask and you shall receive.
Mindy, what is this?
It's my mask collection.
Your mask collection?
How many do you have?
Well, take a look.
Oh, here's a good one.
Here, I'll put it on.
Check this out.
And the wow is that.
Ross, it's a mask.
But it's only covering your eyes.
You look like a cartoon burglar.
Fine, fine.
Let me see what else I have here.
Oh, how about this one?
Well, this one only covers half your face.
And it looks like it's made out of porcelain.
Yeah, it's Venetian.
Fine.
One last try.
Let's see here.
Oh, here we go.
This one you're gonna love.
Look, it's covering my nose and mouth.
That one looks much better, Mindy.
And this flappy thing in front leads to a little trap door.
Uh, wait a minute.
Why is there a huge hole cut out of it?
That's the trap door.
It's my eating hole.
Your eating hole?
Yeah.
I was tired of taking it off when I wanted to eat a snack, so I just cut a hole in the middle of it to make it easier to eat.
Pretty clever, huh?
No, no, no, no, no, Mindy.
What?
None of these masks will do.
They might look pretty and be slightly less of a nuisance than a regular mask, but none of them will help protect you against COVID.
Ugh, come on.
Where did you get all these masks from anyway, Mindy?
I signed up for this Mask of the Month Club subscription thing.
You know, they send you a different mask each month.
Each one as pointless as the last.
If you're going to wear a mask Mindy, you need to make sure that it covers both your mouth and your nose.
But, DeRoz, that's like two-thirds of my face.
Well, first of all, you have to understand how COVID travels from person to person.
Okay, how does it work?
You see, when a person sneezes or coughs or even just talks or breathes, a spray of liquid particles fly out of their mouth and nose.
Ah, ever heard of say it, don't spray it?
No.
That's exactly the point, Mindy.
Even when all you do is say it, you do in fact spray it.
Okay, and so what does this have to do with the virus getting from one person to another person?
Well, it's these tiny little liquid particles that the virus uses to ride like a bucking bronco through the air into another person's body that the coronavirus, which causes the COVID disease, is hitching a ride on our microscopic spit.
That's exactly right, Mindy.
And scientists have identified two types of spit that the virus can catch a ride on.
The first are droplets, which are usually quite large and can sometimes be seen by the human eye.
Oh, like in the before times, when you're watching a play and the actor on stage is getting really into their part and they're spitting all over the stage and the audience and you can see it in the lights.
Exactly.
So if you're really close to someone and they sneeze on you or they speak very loudly close to your face, that's a pretty good way to get infected, and by good you mean bad exactly.
But these droplets are so large and so heavy that gravity quickly brings them down to earth, which is good, which can be good.
But what scientists have also learned is that the coronavirus can also catch a ride on microscopic pieces of spit called aerosols.
Oh, yeah.
And these aerosols are one of the biggest reasons it's important to wear a mask, right?
Because these teeny tiny, microscopic pieces of spit can just hang around in the air for minutes after the person who's That them has left.
That's right, Mindy.
In fact, these aerosols can actually hang around for hours after somebody has left, if you're somewhere that isn't well-ventilated.
Like if you're inside of a gingerbread mansion and all of the candy windows and chocolate doors are closed.
Yeah.
So you're saying that these little just hang around in the air just waiting for someone to walk into them?
Exactly, which is why it's so much safer during COVID to do outdoor activities rather than indoor activities.
Ah, because when you're outside, the wind can help blow most of those aerosols away.
Exactly.
Okay, so what exactly does this all have to do with wearing masks?
Well, by wearing a mask, you're able to do two things.
One.
The mask stops a ton of those spit particles from leaving your mouth in the first place and hanging in the air.
And reason number two?
Number two the mask helps to prevent those airborne particles from other people from entering your mouth and nose.
Makes sense.
Well, the good news is, Reggie and I here have been sewing masks on my rider's sewing machine all morning long.
How about this one?
What on earth is that, Mindy?
It's a mask.
But it's tiny.
It barely fits over your thumb.
Oh, that's because it's for a hamster.
A hamster?
Yeah.
Wait a minute, Mindy.
Was that what all that commotion was about before I came over?
Yeah, we were having a little problem where all of my clients decided to get up and run away before I could even make them a mask.
Your clients?
Yeah.
There's John Hamster and Scarlett Johamster.
And then there's Alexander Hamsterton.
Who?
Yeah, that last one's a little bit of a stretch.
No, Mindy, you're making masks for these tiny little rodents?
Uh-huh.
So I had read about this study from the University of Hong Kong that showed that mask wearing helped reduce virus transmission between hamsters.
Wait a second.
You're telling me that these scientists put tiny little masks on each of these hamsters to...
See how effective masks were at reducing virus transmission?
Well, not exactly.
See, what the scientists actually did was place one group of sick hamsters in one cage.
And then in a cage directly opposite them, they placed a cage of healthy hamsters.
Go on.
And then, between these two cages, they placed a screen that was made out of the same material that a lot of masks are made out of.
And that helped stop the transmission of the virus?
You know it.
And among the hamsters that were not protected, more than two-thirds of them became infected or sick.
Wow.
But among the hamsters that were protected, only a small percentage of them got sick.
Less than 17%.
Wow.
That protective material really works.
Yeah.
And I mean they're hamsters, not humans.
But it does give us a pretty good idea of how the virus is transmitted between living creatures.
Huh.
But outside of the lab, these hamsters are going to need something a little more portable than a screen between two cages.
Which is why you're making tiny little hamster-sized masks.
Exact Doritos, Guy Raz.
Ooh, did someone say hamster?
I'd love to eat a hamster right about now.
Don't you dare.
Dare eat my furry little hamster friends.
No, not the rodent.
Hamster is what I call a ham sandwich.
Thomas Fingerling?
Oh, hello there, Mr. Ozzie.
Ham, excuse me.
What?
Am I invisible?
G-Force, quit making fun of my poor eyesight.
Grandma G-Force, hugs.
Nope, six feet, Mandy.
Oh, sorry, sorry.
Hey, so, uh, what are you guys doing here?
And what are you doing not wearing masks?
What are you talking about, boy?
I am wearing a mask.
Yes, but you're wearing it like an eye patch.
So?
Grandma G-Force, you have to wear your mask over your mouth and nose.
That's the only way it's going to catch all of the gross micro-spit that's coming out of your mouth.
Micro-spit? the microspit that could be carrying the virus.
What?
The virus, G-Force.
You know, the Ramona 19.
Ah, hush puppies.
And Mr. Fingerling, you're not wearing a mask at all.
All right, the mask.
I got it right here.
Just got to clean it off a little bit.
Here we go.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
Excuse me.
Just a little dusty there.
Ugh.
Gross.
What even is that?
This, Mr. Razzy, is a certified, genuine supply mask.
It looks like it's 100 years old.
Oh, it's older than that.
What?
Yes, sir.
I picked this bad boy up in 1918, back when this whole mask fad really kicked off.
1918?
How old are you?
Wait a minute.
Mr. Fingerling, are you talking about the Spanish flu of 1918?
The Spanish what now?
The Spanish flu.
Oh, yeah, Spanish flu.
Now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time.
Here come the memories.
The year was 1918.
And humanity was bedeviled by a terrible virus.
That sounds familiar.
Ah, Springerlings telling a story.
A terrible and severe virus called the Spanish flu.
Oh, and it made people very sick.
Not only in the U.S. of A, but all over the world.
So young whippersnappers like myself masked up.
And that's when I picked up this little guy.
Oh, excuse me.
Ugh, gross.
Get that mask away from me, Fingerling.
Aw, come on.
It's not that bad.
You know, you really should replace your mask each season, right?
Says who?
The who.
No, I'm asking you who.
Is there an owl around here?
No, not who.
Who?
The WHO, the World Health Organization.
Who?
They suggest that you change your mask each season because repeated washes can loosen the cloth fibers in the mask.
You don't say.
Hold the phone.
So, Thomas Fingerling, are you saying that even 100 years ago, people were using masks to try to slow the spread of viruses and keep people from getting sick?
You got it, dude.
Why, I still remember the old song they used to play on the wireless about it.
Wear a mask, save a life, to keep your loved ones out of strife.
Oh, I remember that old ditty.
Well, I guess good advice is timeless, huh?
I guess so, Mindy.
The only difference now is that, thanks to all the research done by scientists this year, we now know exactly why wearing a mask is a good idea.
That's right.
Because it helps to catch and trap the spit that flies out of your mouth when you speak, cough or sneeze.
Or breathe.
And it's that spit that the virus uses to get to and then infect other people.
And hamsters?
Speaking of, I should probably go looking for those little critters before they start to wreak some havoc around the neighborhood.
Uh, anyone want to go hamster spotting with me?
I'll just take a hamster with cheese and a little bit of mustard.
I'll get the nets, Mindy.
Oh, and maybe grab a couple of new masks for these two.
Hamsters?
Can somebody help me with this mind?
I can't say a thing.
Ah, gee, Flores, you got your mask over your eyes again.
Come here and let me fix it.
Now get, Fingerling.
I don't want you breathing all over me.
Fine, I'll hold my breath.
Now come here.
Uh, six feet.
Get away.
Get away.
C4, stop breathing on me.
You're talking on me.
Well, only because you won't be quiet.
I dare you to laugh on me.
I don't want all your microbes, Spiddle.
Oh, Spiddle.
I never Spiddle.
Wow in the World will be right back.
Glutops, 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 wowser learn about their world through play plus 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 show.
Wow in the World.
Hi, thanks for calling Wow in the World.
After the beep, get ready to record.
Hello, my name is Declan.
I live in Omaha Nebraska, and my Wow in the World is that riding on a roller coaster can break up kidney stones.
Say hi to Reggie Grandma G-Force Thomas from Berlin.
Dennis Hi, my name is Hayden and I live in Bakersfield Vermont, and my wow in the world is that little brown bats can sleep up to 20 hours a day while hanging upside down.
That's a lot of hanging around.
Say hi to Grandma G-Force, Reggie and Dennis for me journal ahoy there, bye.
Hi, my name is lauren and i'm 10 years old and i'm from grand rapids michigan, and my wow in the world is that honey never spoils.
Hi, this is cole from fircrest, washington.
My wow in the world is that the eiffel tower can be 15 centimeters taller during the summer.
Isn't that awesome?
Thanks, love your show.
I'm Indian.
Guy, Roz and Reggie.
I'm Isaiah and I'm 10 years old.
And I'm Wyatt and I'm seven years old.
And we live in Moorefield, North Carolina.
My wow in the world is that about one out of five adults has peed in a public pool.
Oh, and by the way, tell Dennis I want him featured in a TV show.
Oh, and also say hi to Rexy for me.
Don't you remember Rexy, that chicken you talked about back in like 2018 or something?
Anyway, bye.
Hi, my name is Bodhi, and I live in Franklin, Tennessee.
And my wow in the world is, did you know termites have been around since the time of dinosaurs?
They eat nonstop 24 hours a day and can destroy a house.
Bye, love your show.
Hi, Mindy and Guy Raz.
My name is Anthony, and I live in Britain, Michigan.
My wow in the world is that there is an island called Falcon Point in the middle of a lake, in the middle of an island, in the middle of a lake, in the middle of an island, in the middle of an ocean.
Hi, Mindy and Guy Raz.
This is Jenny, and I live in Urbana, Illinois, and I'm a reproductive physiologist researcher.
And my wow in the world is that some animals that are marsupials they can be pregnant but they can choose not to have the baby yet.
It's called embryonic diapause.
And that is super cool.
Say hi to Reggie and Static Man and Thomas and Grandma G-Force for me.
Did somebody call my name?
End of messages.
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 grown-ups.
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 wowintheworldcom.
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.
Tom?
Hello there.
Thanks also to Jessica Bode, Anna Zagorski, 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 on their three-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.
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!
Made by Tinkercast.
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