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.
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!
Hey grownups, if you're planning on taking a family trip to Orlando this summer to be transported to magical universes well, you should know there's one portal you don't want to miss.
Your portal to the original universe Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, where they have flying dragons too.
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Take a behind-the-gates bus tour for an exclusive look at NASA's legendary launch sites and the future of space exploration.
Visitors also have the chance to meet an astronaut.
Talk about a core memory in the making.
And get this, our friends at Kennedy Space Center have offered our listeners $7 off admission.
Just use code WOW at checkout.
With missions to Mars, rocket launches, and deep space exploration...
No trip to Orlando is complete without landing at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
Discover something real.
We wow on the weekend.
We wow on the weekend.
We wow on the weekend.
Because this is what we do on the weekend.
Oh wait, no, I said laughing twice.
Uh, whatever!
Wee-wow on the weekend!
Yeah!
Wee-wow on the weekend!
Clap, clap!
Wee-wow on the weekend!
Cause this is what we do on the weekend!
Hello and welcome to Wee-wow on the weekend!
I'm your host, Dennis.
And that's Reggie, my co-host.
This is the show where we... Ah!
Reggie!
Stop!
Do you have to blend that smoothie right now?
Well, I'm trying to do the podcast intro where I tell everyone that this is the show where we chit-chat and Reggie stop.
I was saying we chit-chat and answer questions from our fans and listen to Tinkercast podcasts.
Well, thank... Are you done?
Okay, good.
So, Reggie, what do you think if...
Well, can I have a sip?
Thank you.
Oh, that's good.
Yeah.
Okay, let's hear from our devoted listeners with a Q&A segment.
The Q&A segment.
All right, let's just get the old answering machine pulled up here.
Okay, here we go.
Dennis from WeWow on the weekend.
That's me.
Do you have a question?
Well, I do too.
Lots of them.
And who's going to answer all my questions?
You?
Probably not.
But I guess I can answer yours.
Leave me a message.
Hi, Dennis.
This is Mimi from Parkland, Florida.
Hi, Mimi.
My question for you is, what's your dream job?
What's my dream job?
Well, one time I dreamed I sold donuts at the beach.
Yeah, and then one of the donuts turned into an inner tube and I floated out on a giant donut inner tube into the ocean.
And then the inner tube became a submarine and I went under the water and made friends with a manatee and we solved mysteries together.
So, I guess that would make my dream job a beach donut sales associate slash undersea detective.
With a manatee.
I also wouldn't mind being a postal worker.
Next question.
Hi, Dennis.
My name is Jonna, and I have a question for you.
Hi, Jonna.
Is baby Dennis a ballerina?
Is baby Dennis a ballerina?
Huh.
I don't know.
Let's ask him.
Oh, baby Dennis.
Come here real quick.
What is it, big Dennis?
Jonna wants to know, If you're a ballerina.
Well, Baby Dennis has done 12 years of ballet class, 8 years of modern jazz, and 4 years of tap.
So, are you a ballerina or not?
Tee hee.
Does this answer Big Dennis' question?
5, 6, 7, 8.
Chapelle.
Plie.
Reveille.
Chateau.
Chateau.
Chateau.
Baby Dennis, you really can do ballet.
Now is Big Dennis ready for the lift?
Lift?
What lift?
Here comes Baby Dennis.
Baby Dennis, no, I'm not ready.
I haven't stretched.
So to answer Jonah's question, Next question.
Hi, Dennis.
I'm Kate and I'm from Texas.
Hi, Kate.
I want you to put baby Dennis right now in a baby swing and lock him to sleep and then put him back in his box.
Bye.
Love you.
Show.
What?
Oh, gladly, Kate.
Okay, baby Dennis.
Let's put you in my old Baby swing.
No.
Yes.
And you go for beddy night.
But baby Dennis isn't tired.
Lullaby, a beddy night.
Go to sleepy baby Dennis.
You were annoying, but now you're snoring.
So I'll put you in this box.
There you go.
Good night, baby Dennis.
Great idea. your calls, everyone.
If you've got a question for me, call and leave me a message.
The number is 1-888-7-WOW-WOW.
That's 1-888-7-WOW-WOW.
I just might answer your question on WeWOW on the weekend.
Okay, that takes care of that.
Next up is a little segment I like to call Inside Tinkercast Studios.
Inside Tinkercast Studios.
This is the part where we revisit an episode of one of my favorite Tinkercast shows.
And today we're listening to Wow in the World Season 3, Episode 19 called Pull a Face.
The science of four-legged facial mimicry.
Pull a face?
Whose face are we pulling?
Oh, pull a face means make a funny face.
Like this.
Okay, now you do one.
Oh, I wish the listeners could see your hilarious face.
But they can't.
Okay, here we go.
And play.
Wee Wow will be right.
Back message is for you.
Hey grown-ups, it's mindy and guy ross 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.
Plus, 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.
Now back to the show.
The next station is Block Street.
Please make sure to take all of your belongings with you as you exit from the our starboard side of the vessel.
Just having fun.
Roger, no silly voices.
I won't tell you again.
Aw.
Come on.
Wake up, Guy Raz.
We're almost there.
Oh, no.
No, not the peanut butter.
I have a dairy intolerance.
Hey, boss, wake up.
We're getting off at the next stop.
Oh, sorry, Mindy.
I must have dozed off there for a second.
Wake up.
We're going to miss our stop.
Come on.
I was up late last night reading up on today's competitors.
Oh, I know.
I have been so excited that I went ahead and just refilled all the ants in my pants.
You what?
Anywho, when I heard that our little old town was going to be hosting the Inner Species Face Pulling World Championships this year, I thought you know who likes twisting and pulling his face into different expressions.
This guy, Roz.
Huh?
That's a good face.
Or you could pull it this way with your ears out and your nose up.
Mindy.
Or the classic tongue out, one eye closed face.
Mindy, let go of my tongue.
Or you could go for the, Mindy, stop pulling my face.
Oh, but it's so stretchy like crazy putty.
Ouch.
Oops.
Sorry.
Well, anyway, Mindy, I'm so excited.
Making a face and mimicking other people's faces is, scientifically speaking, an incredibly rare thing, an ability only held by a few select animals.
And this is where the best of the best come to compete against each other.
That's right.
What we're about to see, Mindy, is a natural scientific phenomenon.
Sour Patch Arena.
If you're attending the World Face Pulling Championships today, this be your stop.
Roger.
That's it.
I'm replacing you with the robot voice.
No!
Here we are, Mindy.
Don't forget your stuff.
Forget my stuff?
How could I forget this?
What is this?
What even is that thing, Mindy?
The what?
Well, every time we go anywhere, I pack my adventure tool kit, and then you take one look at it and say Mindy, it looks like you brought everything but the kitchen sink.
So this time, I made sure not to forget it.
Well, I didn't literally mean bring the kitchen sink, Mindy.
And now you can fill up your reusable water bottle without having to find a toilet to dunk it in.
Okay, let's get off this train and...
Do you want to, do you want to get the door?
Uh, sure.
Doors opening.
Yarg.
Ah, come on.
Okay, let's see here.
We should be able to get out this way there.
Follow me, Mindy.
Right behind you.
Um, right behind you.
Excuse me, excuse me.
Pardon me.
Coming through.
Don't mind me.
Excuse me.
Pardon me.
Coming through.
Sour candy here.
Get your sour candy here.
100% genuine face pulling championship mouth pullers.
Ooh, Guy Raz, you want a mouth puller?
A mouth puller?
Yeah, check it out.
Um, hello, sir.
One mouth puller, please.
Okay, here you go.
And here you go.
Thank you very much.
Okay, let's see here, Guy Raz.
You put one end in one side of your mouth.
Then the strap goes around you.
And then you get the other part and put that in the other side of your mouth.
Then that goes around that ear.
And ta-da!
Mindy, get it off!
Get it off!
Aw, looks like you got a permanent grin on your face.
I think I'll leave the face pulling to the professionals, Mindy.
Are you ready to head in?
You know it.
Race ya!
Yeah!
I told you before, I can't run in this jacket.
I thought you said it was a sports coat.
What?
Mindy, wait up!
Whoa, hold your horses there, missy.
Sorry, got a little carried away there.
No, not you, the lady behind you.
Excuse me, you, miss, with the horses.
Please hold the horses.
We don't want them running around loose now.
Sheesh, some people.
How can I help you?
Uh...
Well, anywho, I've got two front row tickets to the face-pulling world championships.
Here you go.
Okay, let's just have a look here.
Ooh, I'm sorry, ma'am, but these tickets appear to be counterfeit.
Totally fake.
What?
That's impossible.
The weasel that sold them to me is one of the most trustworthy rodents I know.
I think it's pretty well known that weasels are typically kind of sneaky, Mindy.
What?
That is a misconception, actually.
Statistically speaking, weasels are quite trustworthy.
Now, possums, those are weasels.
Anyway, afraid I can't accept these fake tickets.
Look, the name of the event is even misspelled.
Let me see that.
The Face Dulling World Dampening Ships?
Man!
Open and shut the case.
Oh, no.
I was really looking forward to these championships.
Don't give up that easy, Guy Raz.
I bet someone around here is selling tickets.
Tickets!
Looking for two tickets, please.
Hmm, let's see.
I see a woman dressed up as a giant lemon.
I see a Sherbert salesman.
Hey, what's that?
What's what?
Up there in the sky.
It's a bird.
It's a plane.
Nope, it's dolphinily a bird.
Not just any bird, though.
Reggie!
Selling tickets?
For charity?
So, Reg, you think you can hook us up?
We need two tickets.
Oh, Reggie, thank you so much.
You saved the day.
Oh, and I gotta pay you.
I think five paper clips and a pinch of belly button lint should cover it.
You can keep the change.
Okay, let's try this one more time, Guy Raz.
Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk.
Hello again.
Why, if it isn't Miss McPhony Ticket Face.
Yeah, that's me, but not for very much longer.
Check it out.
Bam!
Two tickets.
Okay, let's see here.
No spelling errors, and yes, see?
These tickets are elastic, so they're genuine.
Let's go.
Wait a minute.
What's that you're carrying?
It's the kitchen sink.
Read the sign, please.
No outside food or drink, no skateboarding, and no kitchen sinks.
That's right.
Except for, of course, medical kitchen sinks or emotional support kitchen sinks.
Is that an emotional support kitchen sink?
Well, uh... Just what I thought.
I'll need to confiscate that sink.
Whatever.
Let's just go, Guy Raz.
Here, catch!
Wait, go!
Ah!
Let's go.
Wow.
This place is huge, Bindi.
It's even bigger than I thought it would be.
Now we just got to find a place to sit.
Oh, look.
I bet we can find somewhere to sit in that fancy booth over there.
Ooh la la.
VIP section.
Brought to you by Lemon Juice.
Wrinkling faces and going places since 1920.
Oh, a sponsor.
Mindy, VIP?
We're not VIP.
Not with that attitude, we're not.
Mindy?
Rozzy?
Look, just follow my lead.
Nose up, pearls on.
Pearls?
And just say stuff like this when you walk in.
Oh, excuse me, sir.
Could you show me to the caviar?
Excuse me, sir.
Could you show me to the caviar?
Yeah, just like that.
Okay, follow me.
Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk.
Pardon me, madam.
This area is for VIP members only.
Oh, excuse me.
I didn't see your pearls.
My apologies.
Come right in.
Oh, not to worry.
As you were.
Come on, Guy Ross.
Excuse me, sir.
Could you show me to the caviar?
Of course, right there next to the shiffer room.
I shall have someone fetch you a crystal spoon and freshly buttered dose points from the butler's pantry straight away.
Thank you kindly, sir.
Over here, Guy Raz.
Check out these seats.
Nice seats, Mindy.
It even has a vibration mode.
You can see the whole arena from up here, Mindy.
And it looks like the first event is just about to start.
Ladies and gentlemen, birds and bees, welcome to the annual Interspecies Face Pulling World Championships.
This is so exciting, Mindy.
I know.
I've been watching the Face Pulling World Championships since Grandma G-Force was a kid, believe i'm actually here.
So remind me mindy, are they playing by european rules or north american rules?
Oh, north american.
So here's how it works two competitors go face to face literally, and pull the funniest face they can muster.
Then the first animal to break loses.
I'm so excited.
Have you seen the lineup for this year, mindy?
Oh yeah.
So first we've got some of the regular competitors.
You know, the apes, the monkeys, the humans.
Did you see when Brad the Human won the competition last year?
I mean, he beat out my favorite face puller, Chad the Chimp.
Remember that face he pulled with his bottom lip stretched all the way over his nose?
Yeah, but this year there's a newcomer.
Someone completely unexpected.
Who's that?
Round one of the Face Pulling World Championships is set to begin.
I'll tell you all about it after this round.
In the red corner, hailing from the jungles of Java, weighing in at 190 pounds, his favorite food is bananas.
Give it up for Oscar, the Orangutan in the blue corner from Columbus Ohio.
Mr Brexyface, the man with the moldable mug Brother Human.
Hello.
Ladies and gentlemen, let's get ready to facepalm!
Okay, you two.
Only funny business.
Three, two, one, pull.
Brad has gone for the nose-up-ears-out face.
Amazing.
How is it even possible without a third hand?
Oscar, going for a teeth-out-eyes-crossed face.
Oh, I think I heard a snicker.
It looks like Brad is about to break.
Just like that, Rad is eliminated from the Face Pulling World Championship.
What an upset.
Rad, the reigning champion from last year's competition, is out.
Ooh, that's gotta hurt.
Man, I did not see that one coming.
So Mindy, what about this newcomer you were talking about?
Someone that's never been in the competition before?
Oh, yeah, right.
The species everyone's keeping an eye on this year.
The underdog for this whole competition, the newcomer, is Susan the sun bear.
Susan the sun bear?
Yep.
Not only is it the first time that a sun bear has competed in the world face-pulling championships, but it's also the first time that any species like it has competed.
Well, what do you mean, Mindy?
Ladies and gentlemen.
Oh, hang on.
I'll tell you in a second.
Let's hear it for our semi-finalists.
First up, you might remember his famous move from last year's competition, the twisted kisser.
Give it up for the one, the only, Chad the Chip!
And his challenger from the North Central African Savannah, with her bright red cheeks and even redder face.
Please welcome Brenda the Bubba.
All right, no boogers, no farty noises.
Three, two, one, pull!
And let's see what Chad has for us this year.
Oh, going for a nip over the nose move.
What a feat.
I mean, what a face.
Brenda, already starting to grin.
And... Oh, and Chad the Chip has shown once again why he's one of the best in the world.
He will be moving on to the finals. go chad go chad oh you're a big chimp fan huh you bet mindy hey check it out i have his trading card here in my wallet it's my good luck token oh look at that face right he's a shoo-in for sure this year not so fast guy roz remember that new species of a competitor i was telling you about Susan the sun bear?
Yep.
And remember how I said that she wasn't just a first of her species to compete in the face-pulling world championships, but also her type of species.
Yeah.
Well, what I meant by that was that sun bears are what are known as solitary animals.
Oh.
Huh.
And solitary animals are species that tend to live by themselves in nature rather than in groups.
Yes.
And animals that like to live in groups are called social animals.
So, like monkeys and apes and, well, basically every other competitor in this competition.
You're right, Mindy.
Brad the human, Oscar the orangutan, Brenda the baboon...
They're all primates.
Mm-hmm.
So what you're saying Mindy, is that Susan the sun bear is not only the first of her species to compete in the face-pulling world championships, she's also the first solitary animal to ever pull a face here.
Bingo, Guy Raz.
Many animals, including us humans, use our faces to convey or to show how we're feeling with the people around us, from anger to joy, to sadness.
And we humans and other social animals are super great at this.
We mimic or copy a friend's face to show that we care about what they're saying.
Yeah, and for the longest time, scientists thought that this was just something that only a few skilled social animals could do.
Right, but it's like Susan the sun bear came along and proved them all wrong?
Exactoritos.
So there was this primatologist, you know, a scientist who studies primates.
Primates like monkeys, chimps, and other apes.
Yeah.
So a primatologist named Marina de Villa Ross from the University of Portsmouth in England wanted to see if this skill at mimicking or copying faces was more common in the animal kingdom than we thought.
So did she go out into the wild to spy on animals?
Well, not exactly.
She went to a rehabilitation center for animals in Malaysia.
And a rehabilitation center is a place where injured or endangered animals are taken to get better or reproduce before being let back out into the wild.
Exactly.
She went to one of these rehabilitation centers to see if any animals other than primates were able to mimic faces.
And what did she find?
Well...
She filmed 22 different sun bears for a bunch of days.
And when she got back to the lab and looked over the footage, she saw that most of these bears, when interacting with each other, pulled faces at each other.
Well, what kind of face pulling are we talking about here, Mindy?
Like when I put hooks in your cheeks?
Or when I pull your tongue out?
Or when I push your nose in?
My nose!
You're plugging up my nose!
Oh, sorry.
Oh, man!
So anywho, what I was saying is that the researchers observed, or noticed, that the sun bears would often come up to each other bare their teeth, Ha.
Bear!
Nice one!
Thank you very much.
They would bare their teeth and open their mouths really wide, And then, a split second later, the other bear would do the same thing back.
Suggesting that the bears were communicating with each other using their faces.
You know it.
And, like I said, up until now, scientists had thought that this was something that only social animals could do.
Whoa, talk about an underdog story.
Oh, I think it's about to start again.
It's all come down to this, folks.
The final face-off.
Please welcome the returning challenger from the heartlands of Africa, the great ape with the foldable face, Chad the Chim.
We love you, Chad!
Go, Chad!
And his opponent from the depths of the Malaysian woodlands, Weighing 140 pounds and measuring 5 feet 2 inches.
The honey bear with the moldable muzzle, the great grimacing wonder of the world, Susan the Sun Bear.
Oh, yeah!
Susan the Sun Bear!
Pull that face, girls!
Okay, you know the rules.
No plastic teeth.
No fake noses.
Three, two, One, pull.
And the battle begins.
Chad is going with the ears pulled, tongue out.
Susan, baring all her teeth.
Chad, trying to regain the upper hand with the reverse cross-eye underbite.
Susan, unfazed, continuing to bare her teeth, opening her mouth wider.
Chad's bottom lip begins to quiver.
He's about to break.
Gentlemen, what an upset here at the Sour Patch Arena!
Chad the Chimp defeated in the final, and we have a new champion!
Susan the Sundance!
Susan the Sundance!
Oh man, what a finale! your chimp didn't win, Guy Raz.
It's okay, Mindy.
He'll be back next year.
And besides, I think that this is a really important victory for solitary animals everywhere.
That is true.
So what are these researchers hoping to do with this information next?
Well, now that we know that face copying or pulling or mimicking isn't a trick that only social animals can do, the researchers are looking to see if other solitary animals like
Leopards, for example, can also communicate with their faces.
So what you're saying is that the World Face Pulling Championships is just going to keep on getting more and more diverse?
Maybe, with more and more species added every year.
So it looks like Chad might have some stiff competition yet.
Could be, Guy Raz.
Only time and more research will tell.
Pardon me.
May I refill your caviar goblet?
And perhaps I could interest you in our VIP pearl polishing service.
Wait a minute.
These pearls aren't pearls.
They're breath mints.
And a button?
I dare say you aren't VIP at all.
I'm afraid I must ask you to leave.
Can I at least keep the caviar?
No.
What?
Completely uncivilized.
Let me tell you something, buddy.
We're VIPs.
VIPs.
We're VIPs, baby.
Gee, I want to do that.
No, not be in a face-pulling competition.
Be a VIP, a very important person.
Yeah, and you can be a very important pigeon.
Okay, let's go wear diamond-encrusted jean jackets and play golf on the moon.
Well, I don't know.
We got to go do whatever it is VIPs do.
Let's go.
Oh, right, right, right, right, right.
We got to wrap up the show first.
Thanks to all you listeners out there for tuning in to Wee Wow on the Weekend.
If you have a question for me, call and leave me a message at 1-888-7-WOW-WOW.
That's 1-888-7-WOW-WOW.
I just might answer your question on Wee Wow on the Weekend.
Okay, let's go.
So, Reggie, what kind of fancy VIP things do you want to do first?
Eat truffle truffles?
What are those?
Oh!
Chocolate truffles made with truffle mushrooms?
So fancy.
And before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short survey at wonderycom slash survey for joining us for this edition of WeeWOW.
Our show is written by Ruth Morrison and Jed Anderson.
The role of Baby Dennis is played by Jed Anderson.
Well, then who plays the role of Big Dennis?
Never you mind.
Original sound design and production is done by Henry Moskal, with contributions from Jed Anderson and Tyler Tholl.
Original music for WeeWOW is composed and performed by Tyler Tholl.
Special thanks to Jessica Bodie, Rebecca Caban, Dr Natasha Crandall, Kenny Curtis, Kristen Yang, Meredith Halpern-Ranzer, Thuy Mac, Jodi Nussbaum, Ali Paksima, Guy Raz, Linda Rothenberg, Steph Sosa, Mindy Thomas, Anna Zagorski and all of the other Tinkerers at Tinkercast HQ.
Be sure to visit Tinkercastcom, where you can become an official member of the World Organization of Wowzers, learn about upcoming events, shop our wow shop, find our best-selling books and learn about all the other amazing podcasts from Tinkercast.
Thanks again for thinking, tinkering, experimenting, and exploring with me this week.
Be sure to check out episodes of Wow in the World on Mondays, two What's in a Wow on Fridays and We Wow on the Weekend with Dennis on the weekends.
And remember, who wows?
I wow!
No, baby Dennis, we wow!
Wow in the World was made by Tinkercast and sent to you by Wondery.
