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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!
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No trip to Orlando is complete without landing at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
Discover something real. three tuna bites, and a side order of catnip stat.
Yes, chef.
Lindy, table 23 is still waiting on their sloppy tuna.
It'll be out in a second, Dennis.
And the sleigh cats are going wild out here.
They keep knocking the salt and pepper shakers onto the floor with their little paws.
Ah, Miss Dixon, behave yourself.
Give them one of those little mouse toys to distract them.
The food's almost ready.
Okay.
Ahem.
Can I offer a complimentary mouse toy for the table?
Steak?
No!
I said no refills on the umami overload.
What's going on in here?
Oh, hey, Guy Raz.
Guy Raz-y!
You made it.
Here, think quick.
Get that apron on, Guy Raz.
We got some hungry cats to feed.
Mindy, what in the world is going on in here?
What does it look like?
It looks like you're running some sort of diner or restaurant for cats.
You got it, Guy Raz.
Now, come on.
You can worry about clocking in later.
Right now, I need some help.
Andy, do we have the mushy tuna order for table 13?
Oh, right here.
Order up.
It's so stinky.
Just run the plates, Dennis.
Is it really just you, Dennis, and Reggie running this whole operation?
No.
I got the whole neighborhood here, Guy Raz.
I got Fingerling working as the maitre d' Dennis running tables and Grandma G-Force is making this drink she invented, called the Umami Overload.
Umami Overload?
Yeah, these cats are going bonker balls for this stuff.
It's the whole reason I opened up Tuna Time in the first place.
Tuna Time?
Oh, yeah.
That's the name of this diner.
I see.
And the whole reason you opened it up was because of a drink Grandma G-Force invented called...
Umami overload?
Exact Doritos, Guy Raz.
Now, I'll tell you about it as we cook, but right now, I need your help.
All right, Mindy.
Just let me tie up my apron, at least.
Reggie!
Where are we at with that sloppy tuna?
Excellent.
Look at all these orders you have coming through, Mindy.
Tuna salad, tuna tartare, tuna macaroni.
I'm just giving the people what they want, Guy Raz.
And by people, I mean cats.
Do you have anything other than tuna on the menu?
No.
Why would I?
Well, to add a little bit of variety, maybe?
Oh, but that's the thing, Guy Raz.
These cats don't want variety.
They want tuna.
It's scientifically proven.
Scientifically proven?
Yeah.
I read about it in a new study in the journal Chemical Senses.
Oh, that's one of my favorite chemistry-related scientific journals.
Mine, too.
Anywho, you know, it's been known for a while that cats love the smell and taste of tuna.
You don't have to remind me, Mindy.
Remember when I brought that tuna salad to your last cookout?
Your sleigh cats went crazy for it.
Oh, I remember.
Mindy, I'm here. salad for the cookout.
I hope that's okay.
Why did you say that?
Get off of me.
Get off of me.
Get back here, sleigh cats.
Oh, yeah.
That was not pretty.
You're telling me.
Well, now these researchers know why my sleigh cats went so bonker balls for your tuna salad.
And why is that?
Well, it has a little something to do with something called...
Umami.
Of course.
Umami, one of the five categories of taste.
That's right.
Along with sweetness, bitterness, sourness, and saltiness.
And umami is that sort of meaty, savory sort of taste that we get when eating something like a delicious hearty broth.
Exactly.
Oh, and I forgot.
I have a fun fact, Mindy.
I love fun facts.
Did you know that umami in Japanese means...
Essence of deliciousness?
I did not know that, but it definitely makes sense.
Our cat customers can't get enough of this stuff.
Look at them!
Huh.
And so, wait a minute.
This tuna is packed full of umami, and that's why cats love it?
Well, that's half the reason, Guy Raz.
Ooh, looks like our order of sloppy tuna is up.
Thanks, Reg!
And unfortunately, Dennis is nowhere to be seen.
Guy Raz, it looks like we're going to have to run this one ourselves.
Come on, get your skates on.
My what?
Your skates, your roller skates.
Here.
What in the... Mindy, these are just slippers with some office chair wheels attached to the bottom.
I know.
Can you believe it?
I made them myself.
Oh, I can believe it, Mindy.
Now, come on.
We've got some tuna to deliver to the table.
Fine.
Okay.
Ready.
Follow me.
Skate, skate, skate, skate, skate, skate, skate.
Whoa, this place is packed.
You're telling me.
Oh, look, there's Dennis.
Hey, Dennis.
What?
We got an order of sloppy tuna ready to go.
What's going on?
I don't know.
Fingerling keeps letting cats in even though we're out of tables.
Table for nine?
I'm sure we can squeeze you in somewhere.
Just go talk to that fella over there.
Huh?
What's that, Fowler?
I need backup.
Where's Grandma G-Force?
G-Force!
Well, who wants the G-Force special?
The G-Force special?
No, Grandma G-Force no more specials.
It goes a little something like this.
Vagina!
Did she just rip the tablecloth with everything on it off the table?
Well, that's not good.
I thought all the plates and glasses would stay in place.
My bad.
Dennis, can you clean this up?
What?
Me?
Why me?
Because I said so.
Grab a G-Force.
Just keep making more of those umami overload drinks.
People keep asking for them.
Don't tell me what to do.
Okay.
What table are we going to, Guy Raz?
What?
It should say it right there on the ticket that you're holding.
Let's see here.
Table 14.
Oh.
Table 14, just over here.
Follow me.
Skate, skate.
Skate, skate.
Slow down, Mindy.
I'm still getting the hang of my slipper skates.
All right.
Howdy there, gang.
Now, who ordered the sloppy tuna?
OK.
OK.
One at a time.
Hey, one at a time.
OK.
So we're all going to share?
Great.
Yeah.
Because sharing is caring, I'll just pop it down in the middle there.
Those tuna bites should be coming right out.
Hi there.
Who ordered the... Oh, already done it, Guy Raz.
Let's head back to the kitchen.
Okay.
Follow me!
Uh-oh.
Mindy, I can't stop!
You okay there, buddy?
Yeah.
I think I'll... live.
Here, let me help you up.
Reggie, pass me one of those frozen tuna steaks for Guy Raz's head.
Got it.
Here you go, Guy Raz.
Put this one on your noggin there.
Uh-huh.
Okay, let's see here.
Three more mushy tunas.
Reggie, three more mushy tunas.
Stat!
So, Mindy, why are these cats so... cuckoo for umami.
Well, these researchers think it might be because of their taste receptors.
Their taste receptors?
Do you mean those little cells on our tongues that help us determine what different foods taste like?
Yeah.
See, just like us humans, cats get an umami boost when they eat stuff like tuna.
Huh.
Well, how?
Well, in our human mouths, the umami taste is by something called nucleotides.
Uh-huh.
And cats also get this umami flavor boost when they get it from something called amino acids.
Uh-huh.
But it works in the same way?
Well, basically.
See, both humans and cats get an enhanced experience when eating umami-loaded foods.
Huh.
You don't say.
Now here, help me plate up these mushy tunas.
Oh, sure.
What do you need?
Just hold these bowls.
OK.
Slop, slop, slop, slop.
You know, Guy Raz, one of the drinks that Grandma G-Force is serving tonight is taken directly from the study in that journal.
Oh, yeah?
Which one? the umami overload.
See.
To determine just how tasty tuna is to these cats, the researchers placed the chemicals that make the umami taste into different bowls of water.
Okay.
The first bowl had just a little umami in it.
The second bowl had more.
And the third had even more.
Until the last one was overloaded with umami.
Huh.
And what happened next?
Well, then They brought in some cats to see which umami bowl was their favorite.
And if cats love umami as much as I do, I'm guessing the bowl that was overloaded with umami was the favorite.
You know it.
25 out of 25 cats preferred the umami overload the bowl with the most umami chemicals in it, which is basically what Grandma G-Force's drink is just a bowl of water with some umami chemicals in it.
Hey, just giving the people what they want.
And by people, you mean cats.
Exactly.
All right, three sloppy tunas ready to run.
Coming, Mindy.
So, Mindy, what do these researchers want to do with these findings?
Well, Guy Raz, they're hoping that they can use this information to make more tasty cat food or, more importantly, more tasty medicine for cats.
Medicine?
Yeah.
Have you ever seen me trying to get the sleigh cats to take their delousing medication?
It is not a pretty sight.
Ah, but if it came with an umami overload, they might be more willing to eat it all up.
That's the plan.
Where is Dennis?
Mende!
Mende!
Dennis, come on.
You got three mushy tunas ready to go.
What are you waiting for?
Mende!
And Reggie's almost done with that rare tuna.
So stand by.
Mindy, table 23 is asking for a dessert menu.
I told them we don't have a dessert menu.
They said, why not?
And I said, because cats can't taste sweetness.
Wait, is that true?
Oh, yeah.
And they're not super great about tasting bitterness either.
And they're not happy about it.
They started hissing and going, meow.
And now they want to speak to the manager.
Manager?
Who's the manager?
Uh, Mindy, I think that might be you.
Ugh, just what I need.
Okay, uh, I'll talk to them.
Where are they sitting?
Uh, table 13.
No, wait, table 12.
No, wait, table 13.
Are you sure?
Uh, yes.
I remember because it's the same number of lives that a cat has.
Dennis, the phrase is, cats have nine lives.
Oh, then it's table nine.
Ugh, okay, uh, come on, Guy Raz, follow me.
Right behind you, Mindy.
Skate, skate, skate, skate, skate, skate, skate.
Okay, table nine.
Let's see.
Ah, there it is.
Hey, wait a minute.
Debbie, Donna, Pam, Miss Dixon, Carol, Cheryl, Janice, and Steve?
It's all your sleigh cats, Mindy.
Surprise!
Ooh!
Look, the sleigh cats have a sign.
Congratulations on the grand opening of your tuna-themed restaurant.
Hope you are...
Fine.
You cats did this for me?
This is the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me.
It is?
Wait, when did your sleigh cats learn how to write?
Come here, you cats.
Big hugs.
Ow.
Okay, okay, you're scratching me.
Ow, that hurts.
Okay, you're hissing in my ear.
Hooray, let's celebrate.
A round of umami overloads for everyone.
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 wowser learn about their world through play plus you can hear exclusive audio content from me and guy ross to help your wowser 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 That's it.
Back to the show.
My name is Charrette, and I live in Silver Spring, Maryland.
My wow is that tidal grids, which are microscopic creatures, can live up to 30 years without water.
Say hi to Dennis.
Howdy.
Baby Dennis.
Hee hee.
And Santa robot for me.
Greetings.
What is up?
Bye.
Hi.
My name is Lizzie.
And I am from Rock Valley, Iowa.
And my wow in the world is that when butterfly chrysalis feels threatened, they actually shake.
Isn't that creepy?
Say hi to Reggie, Dennis, Thomas Fingerling, and Grandma G-Force.
Bye.
Hello, my name is Grady.
I live in Arnold, Maryland.
My wow in the world is that people have played Fortnite longer than humans have existed.
That's so wow.
Say hi to Reggie and Dennis.
Huzzah!
Bye.
Hi, Mindy and Guy Raz.
I'm Mina, and I'm from New Mexico.
I'm 12 years old.
My wow in the world is that a type of fish called the cave angelfish can actually walk on land.
Bye.
Love your show.
My name is Adeline, and I live in Ontario, Toronto.
My wow is that mushrooms don't grow out of seeds.
Thank you.
Hi, everybody from Wow in the World.
My name is Danielle, and I'm from California.
My wow in the world is that cats on average sleep 16 hours a day.
Hello, my name is Everett.
My wow in the world is that opossums can't get rabies because their body temperature is too cold.
Hi, Mindings, I'm Roz.
My name is Nika and I live in Los Angeles and my wow in the world is that a blue whale is the biggest animal in the world.
Hi, my name is Evie.
I live in North Carolina.
I am nine years old and my wow in the world is that a cockroach one week without its head and hold its breath for 40 minutes.
Bye.
Hi, my name is Sophia, and I live in Santa Rosa, California.
My mom ruled that humans are great apes.
It's in that bunker ball.
They had a Reggie, Dennis, and this play cat.
And also, Reggie, this is for you.
End of messages.
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 production director, Jed Anderson, and audio producer Tyler Thull.
You can also hear Jed Anderson in the voices of Dennis Thomas Fingerling, Reggie and many of the other silly characters that you hear on our show.
Lizzie Freilich can also be heard as some of the silly characters 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 Kit Ballinger, Rebecca Caban, Dr Natasha Crandall, Kenny Curtis, Kristen Yang Twee Mack, Erica Medina, Henry Moskal, Jodi Nussbaum, Ali Paksima, Linda Rothenberg, Steph Sosa, Joanna Weber, Anna Zagorski and all of the other tinkerers at Tinkercast HQ.
And to keep the wow rolling after you finish this episode, visit us at Tinkercast.com.
There you can become a member of the World Organization of Wowzers to get year-round mailings and weekly activities.
Shop our Wow Shop.
Get tickets for upcoming events, find our best-selling books and learn about some of the other amazing podcasts from Tinkercast.
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 Tinkercast.com.
And if you're a kid with a big wow to share with us…
Call us at 1-888-7WOW-WOW for a chance to be featured at the end of our show or an upcoming episode of Two.
What's in a Wow?
Thanks again for listening.
We're here every Monday or you can check out Two What's in a Wow every Friday right here in the Wow in the World podcast feed.
And don't forget, we wow on the weekend with Dennis Saturday and Sunday.
Keep on wowing! in the world was made by Tinkercast and sent to you by Wondery.
