English 箭头
Podcast Cover

[Wow in the World: Caterpillars, Cotton Candy, and Musical Milestones]-[Two Whats?! And A Wow! - Metamorphosis Gym (encore)]

Wow in the World · B1 · 2020-06-16

Preschool Enlightenment
Or study on the web version

📋 Summary

Wow in the World: Exploring Science and Curiosity

In this episode of Wow in the World, hosts Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz bring their signature blend of humor and scientific discovery to listeners. The episode serves as a hub for upcoming show announcements, toy promotions, and their popular game show segment, "Two Whats and a Wow."

Exciting Milestones and Upcoming Events

Mindy opens the show by teasing a "November to remember" for fans. Key highlights include:

  • Special Collaborations: The show plans features with Circle Round and Terrestrials on Radiolab for Kids.
  • Celebrity Guests: Elmo from Sesame Street is scheduled to visit on November 24th.
  • The 250th Episode: A significant milestone is approaching on December 1st, which the hosts describe as a "musical." Members of the "World Organization of Wowzers" are invited to an exclusive early listening party on November 22nd to celebrate.

The Game Show: Two Whats and a Wow

The core of the episode centers on the game "Two Whats and a Wow," where listeners must distinguish between scientific facts and made-up "whats."

Cotton Candy Origins

In the previous round's challenge, listeners were asked to identify the origin of cotton candy. Natalie from Ohio correctly identified the "true wow": Cotton candy was invented by a dentist in 1897.

  • The Science: Mindy explains that dentist William Morrison and candy maker John C. Wharton created a machine that "spins heated sugar through a screen," resulting in the treat we know today.
  • Clarifications: The hosts clarify that other options were partially rooted in reality: scientists have indeed developed a clock run by "dead flies," and duct tape was created during World War II as a "waterproof tape" for soldiers.

The Caterpillar Challenge

Shifting the focus to nature, Mindy introduces a new round of the game with the theme of caterpillars. She humorously claims to have opened a "caterpillar-only fitness center," complete with "tiny treadmills and miniature dumbbells," to help them prepare for "metamorphosis."

The new scientific challenge asks listeners to identify the true fact among three options:

  1. Masked birch caterpillars rub their booties on leaves to make music when alone.
  2. Once a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, it forgets all of its experiences as a caterpillar.
  3. Caterpillars have more muscles than humans.

Hands-on Learning: Operation Crayon Mountain

To encourage active learning, the hosts propose "Operation Crayon Mountain." This project challenges young listeners to simulate the lifecycle of a butterfly using household items. By using "paper or leaves" to create a cocoon around a crayon and crafting wings from "pipe cleaners, paper, or coffee filters," children can engage with the biological stages of metamorphosis in a tangible, creative way.

Educational Toys and Engagement

Throughout the episode, the hosts promote their new line of Wow in the World toys, including "100 experiments" kits and astronomy tools. These products are designed to help young "Wowzers" learn through play, reinforcing the show's mission to make science accessible and entertaining for children and parents alike.

🎯Key Sentences

1
Let's pick up the pace now.
2
Show me what you got.
3
I'm not sure that's how they train.
4
Winner, winner, cavities for dinner!
5
You know it.
Expand All

📝Key Phrases

1
music to your ears
2
dance along to
3
get on with the show
4
pick up the pace
5
not too far off
Expand All

📖 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.

ListenLeap Brings You Into Real Context Learning

🎨 Interesting Content
🌍 Real Materials
📱 Listen Anytime
Or study on the web version