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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 7 pm.
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!
Ozzy, what you reading there?
Oh, hi there, Mindy.
I'm reading a book about elephants.
And you'll never believe what the pages are made of.
Uh, trees?
Nope.
Try again.
Uh, unpaid parking tickets?
No, Mindy.
All of the paper in the book is made from recycled elephant dung.
Wait, what?
Recycled elephant dung.
Uh, you mean recycled poop?
Yeah, and it's really soft.
Here, feel it.
I'll just take a pass.
Oh, no need to worry.
They clean the fibers from the dung really well before they use it to make the paper.
See, it even smells like normal paper.
Toilet paper.
Mindy, paper made from recycled elephant dung helps to save trees.
And when we save trees, we're saving the planet.
And when we're saving the planet, we're saving ourselves.
And when we're saving ourselves, we're saving... I think...
We're going to have to save the rest of this conversation for later, Guy Raz.
We've got a game show to do.
Oh, right.
Uh, places, everyone.
Start the engine.
Feed the fish.
And turn on the dishwasher in three, two, one.
And now for everyone's second favorite game show after if a jellyfish could talk, would it want to talk about Sting?
It's Two What's and a Run! and round of Two What's and a Wow.
Two What's and a Wow.
The scientific game show that separates the wows from the what's.
The category for today is Species Feces.
Mindy, why don't you refresh our contestants on how the game works?
You know it.
Wowzers, we are going to present you with three scientific statements about animal feces or poop, but and this is a big but Only one of those statements will be a true wow.
The other two, just a couple of made up what?
Okay, let's get started.
Which of the following statements is a true scientific wow about species feces?
Is it A, there's a type of caterpillar whose feces resemble the shape of a bird?
Or is it B, The methane in animal feces can be used to create electricity.
Or is it C?
Pink sand is made up of butterfly fish feces.
When you think you know the answer, whisper it to an expired milk carton in your refrigerator.
We're going to take a quick break to give you a chance to think.
And when we come back, we'll reveal whether your wow is the winning wow.
Our Wow in the World toys help your wowzer learn about their world through play.
Play you can hear exclusive audio content from me and Guy Raz to help your wowzer discover even more wows.
Grownups.
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.
Okay, Wowzers, it is time to reveal the winning wow.
But before we do, let's do a quick review.
We gave you three scientific statements about animal feces and challenged you to guess which one was the one.
True, wow.
Was it A, there's a type of caterpillar whose feces resembles the shape Of a bird.
Or was it B?
The methane in animal feces can be used to create electricity.
Or was it C?
Pink sand is actually made up of butterfly fish feces.
And to answer today's question, joining us by phone, it's Oliver from Washington, D.C.
Oliver, what's the wow?
Hi, Mindy and Guy Raz.
My name is Oliver.
I'm seven years old and I live in Washington, D.C.
My wow is that animal poop can be turned into electricity.
Say hi to Thomas Fingerling for me.
Winner, winner, electricity for dinner!
If you guessed B that the methane from animal feces can be used to create electricity, you found the winning wow.
The key to cleaner energy might just be to dirty it up a little.
Turns out that when you let cow poops decompose, they produce a methane-rich biogas that can be turned into power.
You can also dehydrate poops to generate a fuel similar to coal energy.
Now, if you guessed A or C, you weren't too far off.
While there isn't a caterpillar whose feces resembles a bird, there is a caterpillar commonly known as the bird poop caterpillar.
And this caterpillar can camouflage itself as a bird poop to defend itself from predators.
And if you guessed C, it turns out the pink sand beaches of Hawaii actually come from parrotfish poop.
These parrotfish grind up the coral skeletons they eat and excrete it as sand.
They produce hundreds of thousands of pounds of sand or poop each year.
Now, Mindy, why don't you tell our winning wowsers what they've won?
Well, Guy Raz, all of our winning wowsers today will be taking home their very own invisible toilet paper raincoat.
This cozy and fashionable piece came straight to us from a failed runway run at New York Fashion Week.
It might not protect you from the rain, but it is two-ply.
Okay, well, congratulations to all of the winning Wowzers.
That's just about all the time we have for today.
But before we go, we have a little scientific challenge for you.
We call it Operation Don't Lose It, Reuse It.
We talked a lot today about different ways that human and animal waste can be reused to make paper and generate energy.
Once it's properly cleaned, of course.
We challenge you to reuse something too.
But just to be clear, we do not want you to reuse anything that should be flushed down the toilet.
Find something around your house that you typically throw away, like a snack bag or a straw or a sheet of paper and, instead of throwing it away or recycling it, find another use for it.
Maybe that snack bag can be turned into a purse or a sheet of paper can be turned into a tiny origami hat.
And don't forget to take a photo or a video.
Grown-ups, you can upload pictures and videos to us at tinkercastcom slash, share and be sure to come back on Monday for a brand new episode of wow in the world, and again on Friday for a new episode of two what's in a wow.
Until then, keep on wowing.
Two What's and a Wow was produced by Mindy Thomas and me.
Our writers team is made up of Anna Zagorski, Darnell Walker, and Heba Gouda.
Jason Rabinowitz adds The Wows as our audio producer.
Jessica Bode keeps our facts straight.
Jacob Stein rounds out our creative team.
And Meredith Halpern-Ranzer powers The Wow at Tinkercast.
Special thanks to Anya Grunman and the team at NPR.
Our theme song was written and composed by The Pop Ups.
For more on their three-time Grammy-nominated all-ages music, find them...
And if you'd like to become a member of the World Organization of Wowzers, where you can get an autographed picture of me and Mindy, an exclusive t-shirt, magnifying goggles, special activities for each episode and much more, visit Tinkercastcom to find out how.
And for more up-to-date news, you can find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at WowInTheWorld.
Our email address is hello at WowInTheWorld.com.
Finally, if you're a kid with a big wow to share, it could be used on an upcoming episode of Two.
What's in a Wow?
Call us at 1-888-7-WOW-WOW.
Thanks again for listening.
Now go forth and find your wow.
What's in the Wow is made by Tinkercast.
Grownups, if you like Wow in the World, you can listen early and ad-free right now on Wondery Plus.
Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Wondery Kids Plus on Apple Podcasts.
Prime members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music.
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