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[Illuminating Science: A Journey Through the Wonders of Light]-[Two Whats?! And A Wow! - In The Spotlight (2/23/24)]

Wow in the World · B1 · 2024-02-23

Preschool Enlightenment
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📋 Summary

Exploring the Science of Light with 'Two Whats and a Wow'

In this engaging episode of the Two Whats and a Wow podcast, hosts Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz take listeners on a scientific adventure focused on the theme of light. Through an interactive game show format, the hosts present listeners with scientific facts and misconceptions, aiming to distinguish the "wows" from the "whats."

The Speed and Travel of Light

The first round of the game highlights the incredible velocity of light. The hosts confirm that "light can travel around the world in less than one second." Scientifically, light travels at approximately 186,282 miles per second. Given that the Earth's circumference is about 24,900 miles, light is capable of traversing that entire distance in the time it takes for a human to blink.

The second round delves into the vast distances of space, confirming that "it takes 8 minutes and 19 seconds for sunlight to travel to Earth." With the sun situated roughly 93 million miles away—a distance scientists refer to as one "astronomical unit"—light emitted from the sun takes about as long to reach us as it does to "make a hard-boiled egg."

Bioluminescence: Nature's Glow

During a brief intermission, the show introduces the fascinating biological phenomenon of "bioluminescence." This is described as "the light made by living things." The process involves a molecule called "luciferin," which reacts with oxygen to produce light. This natural occurrence allows various plants, animals, and fungi to glow, providing a biological solution to darkness.

Advanced Vision: The Mantis Shrimp

In the final round, the hosts reveal a remarkable fact about the animal kingdom: "a mantis shrimp can see UV light, but humans cannot." While humans possess three color receptors, mantis shrimp are equipped with twelve, granting them a superior range of vision. This ability to detect ultraviolet light provides the shrimp with a significant evolutionary advantage, allowing them to spot prey in dark ocean environments where other animals might remain hidden by absorbing UV light.

Conclusion and Challenge

Beyond the game, the episode encourages listeners to engage with science in their own homes through the "Light Locator" challenge. By identifying and counting different sources of light—whether natural like the sun or human-made like computer screens—listeners are invited to explore the physics of their immediate surroundings. The episode reinforces the spirit of curiosity and play, inviting young "Wowzers" to continue discovering the wonders of the world around them.

🎯Key Sentences

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But for now, let's get on with the show.
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I bet the audience will just love listening to our beautiful voices.
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📝Key Phrases

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music to your ears
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get on with the show
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have a choice
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the show must go on
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refresh our contestants
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📖 Transcript

Grownups, Wondery Plus subscribers can listen to Wow in the World early and ad-free right now.
Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or Wondery Kids Plus on Apple Podcasts.
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.

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