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, did you know that you could be part of our attempt to set a Guinness World Record?
That's right, Reg.
We are attempting to be the record title holder for the most submissions to a fact hotline.
And it's all thanks to you Wowzers.
So many of you have already called to share your wows with us.
And since we started our WOW Hotline back in 2017, we've received calls from over 14,000 Wowzers.
And now, we're just a few thousand callers away from reaching our goal, so we need your help.
Wowzers to be part of our Guinness World Record.
Attempt, ask your grown-ups to call us at 1-888-7WOW-WOW so that you can share a wow fact with us.
If you're looking for some inspiration, we asked our special guest this week Elmo, to share his wow.
Here, take a listen.
Hi, thanks for calling Wow in the World.
After the beep, get ready to record. to share a special wow in the world about laughter.
Did you know that little babies can laugh before they can talk?
Yeah, that means baby Elmo was giggling before he could say mama and dada.
You know, laughing makes Elmo really happy.
And Elmo hopes that his wow in the world made you happy too.
Thanks for sharing your wow, Elmo.
To join Elmo and to be part of our Guinness World Record attempt.
Just ask your grown-ups to give us a call at 1-888-7WOW-WOW and share your wow fact with us.
Once again, that's 1-888-7WOW-WOW.
That's it.
And now let's get back to the show.
For everyone's second favorite game show after Apples vs. Oranges, it's Two What's and a Wow!
With your host, the scientific game show that separates the wows from the what.
And the category or theme for today is pumpkins.
Mindy, why don't you refresh our contestants on how the game works?
You know it.
Wowsers in each of our three rounds.
Today, Guy Raz and I will present you with three scientific statements about pumpkins.
But... And this is... is a big but.
Only one of those statements will be a true wow.
The other two, just a couple of made up woo!
Now, in each round, if you guess correctly, congratulations, you win a point.
But if you guess incorrectly, you must stop, drop, and do a ridonkulous physical challenge.
Woo-hoo!
OK, everyone ready to start the game?
Great, then let's do it.
OK.
Round one.
Which of the following statements is a true scientific wow?
Is it A, pumpkins can be other colors besides orange?
Or is it B, pumpkin leaves are poisonous to humans?
Or is it C, pumpkins are actually just orange watermelons?
When you think you have the answer, yell, can spice up your life.
Psst.
Hey, Reggie.
Cue the thinking music.
And time is up.
Let's now reveal the winning wow.
And to do just that, it's MJ.
MJ, tell us, what's the winning wow?
Hi, Mindy and everyone.
My wow in the world is that pumpkins can be different colors from just orange.
Winner, winner, colors for dinner.
Thank you, MJ.
Contestants.
If you guessed the answer A that pumpkins can be other colors besides orange Well, congratulations.
You found the winning wow.
There are hundreds of pumpkin varieties and thousands over the course of history.
They come in all sorts of shades of orange, as well as yellow white black, green and even bluish gray.
Pumpkin varieties have all kinds of unusual names, like Blue Moon or Baby Boo, Warty Goblin, Mr Wrinkles and Long Island Cheese.
Now, if you did not get that answer correct, you must stop drop and roll around in a pumpkin patch.
Okay, round two.
Which of the following statements is a true scientific wow?
Is it A, the world's heaviest pumpkin weighed as much as a large walrus?
Or is it B, the world's largest pumpkin was five 50 feet wide.
Or is it C, the world's smelliest pumpkin was grown by a farmer named P.J.
McPumpkinstank?
When you think you have the correct answer, yell, good gourds!
Hey, Reggie, can we get some thinking music, please?
And time is up.
And joining us by phone, it's Laurel and Juniper from Singapore.
Laurel and Juniper, please reveal the winning wow.
Hi, Mindy and Guy Ross.
My wow in the world is that the heaviest pumpkin ever grown weighs as much as a large walrus.
Winner, winner!
Pumpkins for dinner!
That's right, Laurel and Juniper.
Wowzers, if you guessed A that the world's heaviest pumpkin weighed as much as a large walrus.
Congratulations, you found the winning wow.
Because of their larger than average cells and high water content, pumpkins can grow really, really big.
And the heaviest pumpkin to date was about 21 feet in diameter.
This pumpkin took 184 days to grow and weighed in at 2749 pounds, about the weight of a Pacific walrus.
Now, if you did not get that answer correct, you must stop, drop, and waddle in the ocean.
Okay, time for round three.
Which of the following statements is a true scientific wow?
Is it A, there's a type of pumpkin whose seeds grow on the outside?
Or is it B, wearing a pumpkin on your head protects you as much as wearing a hard hat?
Or is it C, a farmer once paddled down a river in an 817-pound hollowed-out pumpkin?
When you think you have the correct answer, Write it in whipped cream.
Uh, thinking music, please.
And time is up.
And joining us by phone, it's Benjamin from Colorado.
Benjamin, please reveal the winning wow.
A farmer from Massachusetts once paddled down a river in an 817-pound hollowed-out pumpkin.
Winner, winner, pumpkin votes for dinner.
That's right, Benjamin.
If you guessed C, that a farmer once paddled down a river in an 817-pound hollowed-out pumpkin, congratulations.
You found the winning wow.
In 2015, a farmer named Todd Sandstrom paddled seven miles down the Taunton River in a giant hollowed-out pumpkin weighing 817 pounds.
The next year he beat his record by paddling eight miles down the river in a pumpkin that weighed over a thousand pounds.
And he's not the only one to have captained a pumpkin boat.
These giant pumpkins are great at floating, but unstable and hard to paddle, which makes them pretty entertaining to watch.
In fact, pumpkin regattas are held around the United States every year.
Now, if you did not get that answer correct, you must stop, drop, and row, row, row a giant pumpkin.
And now it's time to take a moment to thank our sponsors.
Today's show is brought to you by Pumpkin Spice.
Get into that autumnal spirit with thousands of seasonal products.
Pumpkin spice candles, pumpkin spice toothpaste, pumpkin spice instant mashed potatoes, pumpkin spice foot cream, pumpkin spice motor oil and more.
Contains no actual pumpkin.
Do not put pumpkin spice motor oil in your car or it will explode.
Okay, thank you pumpkin spice everything.
Now let's take a quick break and hear some other important messages for grown-ups.
To What's in the Wow, we'll 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 wowzer learn about their world through play.
What? can hear exclusive audio content from me and Guy Raz to help your wowzer 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 curious wowzer in mind you can shop our wow in the world toys at tinkercast.com slash toys that's tinkercast.com slash toys Now back to the show.
Welcome back to Two What's and a Wow.
The scientific game show that separates the wows from the what.
What was that?
Oh, Guy Razzi, that sound can mean only one thing.
The studio is haunted?
Nope.
It's time for today's Bonker Balls bonus round.
If you listen to our Wow in the World episode titled Baby Shark Case, you'll know the answer to this one.
And if not, go back and give it a listen.
And the Bonker Balls bonus question is a baby shark at this time of year in this part of the world, localized entirely off the coast of Southern California?
That's right.
A local wildlife filmmaker and biologist, believe that they have found the first ever video of a baby shark in the wild.
What gave it away that this wasn't just any other shark?
Was it A, the shark was completely white?
Or was it B, the shark had a pacifier in its mouth?
Or was it C, it was half the size of a normal adult shark?
And here with the answer, it's Reggie!
If you guessed the answer A, you are correct.
The shark recorded by wildlife filmmaker Carlos Gauna and UC Riverside biology student Philip Stearns in July 2023 was completely white from nose to fin.
Scientists believe that this is because it was still covered in an embryonic layer, something that gives newborn baby sharks their nutrients.
Well, congratulations to all of our winning wowzers.
Mindy, what's today's prize?
Oh, Guy, Today's winning wowsers will all be receiving their very own bucket of pumpkin guts.
Mindy, that's a terrible prize.
Oh, Reggie, cue the prize cannon.
Fire away!
All right, everyone, grab a bucket from under your seat.
Well, that's about all the time we have for today.
But if you want to keep the fun going, then become a member of the World Organization of Wowzers and unlock hundreds of activities.
And for any teachers in our listening audience.
Consider joining Tinker Class, our free brand-new learning platform that helps get kids wild about science.
Just visit Tinkercast.com slash membership.
That's Tinkercast.com slash membership.
And be sure to come back on Monday for a brand new episode of Wow in the World.
This weekend for some WeWow in the weekend with Dennis.
And again on Friday for a new episode of Two What's and a Wow.
Until then, keep on wowing.
And before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short survey at wondery.com slash survey.
Two What's in a Wow is executive produced by Meredith Halpern-Ranzer, Mindy Thomas, and me, Guy Raz.
Our writers are Ruth Morrison and Anna Zagorski, with collaboration from our head writer, Kenny Curtis.
Sound production and design is by Marion Lozano with help from Jed Anderson and Tyler Thull.
Special thanks to Rebecca Caban, Dr Natasha Crandall, Lizzie Freilich, Kristen Yang Thuy Mac, 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.
Our theme song was written and composed by The Pop-Ups.
For more on their three-time Grammy-nominated all-ages music, find them at thepopups.com.
And to keep the wow rolling after you finish this episode, you can 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 all about the other amazing podcasts from Tinkercast.
Grownups, you can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at WowInTheWorld.
And our email address is hello at Tinkercast.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 1-888-7WOW-WOW.
Thanks again for listening and playing along.
Meet us back here next Friday or every Monday for Wow in the World.
Wow in the World was made by Tinkercast and sent to you by Wondery.
