Tinker Class: Exploring the Science of Smell

Introduction to the November Wowzer Experience

As the podcast transitions into the holiday season, the team at Wow in the World is preparing a series of high-energy engagements for their listeners, affectionately known as "Wowzer fans." Mindy highlights a busy schedule for November and December, featuring collaborations with Circle Round and Terrestrials on Radiolab for Kids. A significant milestone is approaching: the 250th episode of the show, which will be presented as a "musical." Members of the "World Organization of Wowzers" are invited to an exclusive listening party on November 22nd to celebrate this achievement, emphasizing the community-driven nature of the podcast.

Tinker Class: A Crash Course in Science

Following the promotional announcements, the episode pivots to the core educational segment: "Tinker Class." This segment is designed as a "crash course in Science Fun 101" for young "science seekers and adventuritos." This week’s curriculum is centered on the "science of smell," specifically exploring the biological and sensory reasons why "different sniffs get different whiffs."

Day 3: The Sensory Collection Project

Building upon previous days' activities—which included active listening and identifying pleasant scents around the home—Day 3 focuses on the tangible collection of odors. Listeners are encouraged to curate a "container that can hold all of your smells." Mindy provides examples of diverse scents, ranging from a "fresh rose" and "lavender essential oil" to "lemon rind." The project emphasizes hands-on interaction, encouraging children to gather items that represent a variety of olfactory inputs.

Data Collection and Sensory Testing

Once the collection is assembled, the episode guides listeners through a structured experiment. The goal is to move from simple observation to "the next step in the tinkering process: test." Listeners are instructed to involve their families in a sensory evaluation, which requires:

1. Strength Rating: Utilizing a scale of 1 to 7 to measure the intensity of the scent, where 1 is a "weak smell" and 7 is a "strong smell."
2. Pleasantness Rating: Utilizing a scale of 1 to 7 to measure subjective preference, where 1 is "very unpleasant" and 7 is "very pleasant."

By recording this "data or information," the Tinker Class aims to teach children the basics of the scientific method: observation, hypothesis testing, and data recording. The episode concludes with a call to action for families to gather these results in preparation for the next stage of the project on Day 4, reinforcing the idea that science is a continuous, iterative journey of discovery.

Conclusion

This episode serves as both a community update and a practical guide for scientific inquiry. By turning everyday experiences—like smelling a washcloth or a lemon—into a structured experiment, Wow in the World encourages young listeners to engage with their environment through a lens of curiosity and empirical testing. As Mindy says, the goal is to "go forth and keep on wowing."