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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!
We'll be right back. doing up on the roof?
Oh, I'm just trying to clean my gingerbread mansion.
From the outside?
Yep, starting at the top and working my way to the bottom.
Watch out!
I told you to watch out!
Mindy, is this lemon frosting?
Yeah, cleaning out my drains.
Well, why don't I give you a hand on the inside, Mindy?
Organizing messy spaces is one of my favorite things to... Wait, Guy Raz!
Don't open that door! to open that door.
Mindy, I know you said that your house... Gingerbread mansion?
Oh, sorry.
I know that you said your gingerbread mansion was a bit messy, but this is worse than that time you tried to 3D print a giant pancake.
Pancake?
There's pancake batter everywhere.
You know, we never did get that pancake.
So, Mindy, why is your place such a mess now?
Well, it's not my fault, Guy Raz.
Uh-huh.
Sure it isn't your fault.
I mean it.
This isn't my garbage.
Well, then whose is it?
It's Reggie's friend from out of town, Maggie.
Maggie the magpie?
That's the one.
What's she doing in town?
I thought it was nesting season.
Well, she came for Reggie's piano recital and I said she could park her keister-heerster while she's in town.
Right.
But between you and me, Guy Raz, she's a little, um... Messy?
Uh, yeah.
Hey, Maggie, Mags, Magster.
What?
For me?
Oh, that's so nice.
It's a tin can.
Thanks.
Oh, there's more?
That's a lot of paperclips.
Oh, man.
You know, Mindy, guests overstaying their welcome isn't just a bird and a person problem.
It's not?
No.
The guest I'm talking about is an intergalactic visitor that's been hanging around our solar system for billions of years.
Oh, man.
So where exactly is this interstellar interloper?
Right there.
Oh, in that cloud?
No, not in the cloud.
Beyond that, in space.
Yeah, it's just kind of hard to see space without one cloud in the way.
Mindy, our galactic guest, makes its home in a little part of our solar system called the asteroid belt.
Fun fact Grandma G-Force actually won the asteroid belt when she took on the masked Martian in a wrestling match in 1953.
Uh, that's not.
Anyway, the asteroid belt I'm talking about is made up of the bits of space rock that float around our sun and sit between Mars and Jupiter.
Oh, that asteroid belt.
Why didn't you just...
I know all about that asteroid belt.
I know that it's about two and a half times as far away from the sun as we here on Earth.
And I know that it's made up of billions, maybe even trillions, of space rocks, ranging from the size of a teeny, tiny pebble to boulders the size of New York City.
You know what, Mindy?
Just had a crazy idea.
That we should put pop rocks in a pop tart and then put that inside the top of a regular tart?
Wow.
And have ourselves a pop rock pop tart tart top?
What?
No, no, Mindy.
I was just thinking we should go visit the asteroid belt.
Guy Raz, that's a brilliant idea.
Let me just pack my bags.
How's the time machine holding up?
Oh, Guy Raz, you're not even going to recognize this thing.
I just gave it a fresh coat of paint and I renamed it the Wow Machine.
Come on, it's in the garage.
All right.
Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk.
I don't hear you walking, Guy Raz.
Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk.
Okay, here we are.
Open the garage door.
Hmm.
Help!
Uh, Mindy, you might have to open the door the old-fashioned way.
And what's the point of owning a gingerbread mansion if you can't even kick in your own garage door?
Mindy.
Fine.
Whoa.
You like it?
Do I?
Your favorite color, right?
Yeah.
I can't believe it.
You painted the whole wow machine bright red just for me.
That's so thoughtful of you.
Oh, well, um.
What?
I also painted it red because red is the fastest color.
Well, technically speaking Mindy, red light does travel faster on the visible light spectrum than most other.
Mindy, where'd you go?
Oh, I'm up here, Guy Raz.
I put the doors on the roof.
Come on, get inside.
We got asteroids to dodge.
All right, let me just... Come on.
Get up here and... Here, I'll pull you.
Ah!
Ah!
Here we go.
Wow machine.
Sweet wow machine.
Well, let's not waste any time, Mindy.
Just put in the coordinates for the asteroid belt.
Can do, Captain Guy Raz.
Arrgh.
Set a course for ye old outer solar system, first mate Mindy.
Um, what are you doing?
Oh, sorry.
I just thought we were doing... I'm just kidding, Guy Raz.
I'm pulling your peg leg.
Arrgh.
Ha.
Okay.
Well...
Let's get to it.
No time to waste.
Okay.
Outer solar system.
Asteroid belt.
Just checking, Mindy.
You're not going to put us right in the middle of it, are you?
Because I don't want to be ducking and diving big chunks of space rock in this thing.
No.
Guy Raz, of course I'm going to drop us in the middle of it.
Mindy, I really don't think that's a great... Whoa!
Whoa!
Coming asteroid.
Ah, Mindy, I told you not to put us right in the middle of the asteroid belt.
Yeah?
Well, you also told me not to use your toothbrush on my eyebrows.
Tell me you didn't do that.
Impact in 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 3, 2, 1.
Wait.
What just happened?
Where's the asteroid?
That was it, Guy Raz.
But, Mindy, that was just a pebble.
Hold on.
Let me just open up the blinds here.
Let me help you.
Pull the other string.
Wrong string.
I can't see a single other asteroid anywhere.
Are you sure we're in the right place?
Well, it says right here on the dashboard, asteroid belt.
But...
But there aren't any crazy asteroids to dip and dive under?
Yeah, like in the movies.
Well, things out here are a lot different in reality, Guy Raz.
What do you mean?
So the asteroid belt is a really, really big place.
And even though there are trillions of these little space rocks floating around the sun, the area in which they float is so big that all of the rocks are pretty spaced out.
Huh, so like if I had a million ants and I just spread them out across something like the state of Texas.
There might be a million of them, but... They'd all be spread out really far apart from each other.
Exactoritos.
Lucky for us, we have an almost fully functional wow machine that can zip us from here to there in no time at all.
So we can visit... different areas of the asteroid belt?
You know it.
Well, if I just take a peek through the telescope periscope here.
Let's see.
Oh, I think I see one just off in the distance.
Setting course.
Three, two, one.
Ooh, that was quick.
Whoa, Guy Raz, take a look at this.
Whoa, Mindy, I think I know this asteroid.
You do?
Yeah, it's called 216 Cleopatra.
And the reason I know it is because it's kind of famous because of its unusual shape.
Yeah, it kind of looks a little like a dog biscuit.
Weird.
Well Mindy, a lot of these asteroids don't actually have enough gravity to crush themselves into nice round balls.
Like Earth.
Exactly.
So instead, they clump together in these weird shapes.
Cool.
And Mindy, this dog bone shaped rock right here is also the perfect example of an M-type asteroid.
What?
An M-type asteroid.
You see, asteroids are broken up into three categories or three groups.
This one is one of the rarer types of asteroids.
M-type asteroids, huh?
So what does the M stand for?
Metallic.
Metallic, as in made out of metal.
Exactly.
It's a mix of nickel and iron, to be precise.
Cool.
So what other types of asteroids are there?
Well, why don't we go try and find some?
Ah, I like the way your noodle zoodles, Guy Raz.
You ready?
I'm ready.
In three, two, one.
Huh.
The radar says that there should be a, whoa, 600-mile-wide asteroid right next to us.
But I don't see anything.
Do you?
No.
Are you sure the radar isn't Acting up again?
No, that's impossible.
I broke it with a hammer last week.
You what?
Well, you know, it all started when I was... Wait a minute, Mindy.
There, there.
What?
Where?
Right there, Mindy.
I don't see anything.
It's very faint, but if you look very closely you might be able to make out the outline of this C-type asteroid.
C-type asteroid?
Guy Raz, I still don't... I think I see it.
Man, that thing is big.
You wouldn't even know it was there.
That's because it's carbon, Mindy.
The C stands for carbon in C-type asteroids.
Huh.
Carbon asteroids?
Yep.
They're almost pitch black and they make up almost 75 or three out of every four asteroids in the belt.
Whoa.
And it's 600 miles wide?
This thing must be one of the biggest asteroids around.
Not one of, Mindy. is the largest asteroid in the belt.
What we're looking at is Ceres, the 590-mile-wide dwarf planet.
Luckily, it's not completely pitch black.
We would have run straight into it.
You're right, Mindy.
But Ceres, although being a C-type asteroid, isn't completely made of carbon.
Huh.
So what else is it made of?
Well, it's got a nice crusty layer of ice that covers its surface.
Huh.
Okay, but Guy Raz, according to our space rock travel bingo card, it looks like we still got one category of asteroid to check off.
Right.
Wait, what?
Shaking it up.
Okay.
It's lucky 11.
Legs 11.
Anybody?
Anybody?
Mindy.
Fine.
Hold on tight, Guy Raz.
Three, two, is one bright space rock.
Um, let me just put on my shades here.
Ah, much better and cooler.
Where are my prescription sunglasses?
I don't know.
Did you check the cup holder?
The cup holder?
Why would they be in the... They were in the cup holder.
Told ya.
Wow, Mindy, you were right.
That is one bright S-type asteroid.
And let me guess the S stands for stylish, because that thing's got Well.
Actually it stands for silicaceous.
A silly what kiss?
Silicaceous.
They're sort of similar to the metallic asteroids we saw before, but instead of just being made out of nickel and iron, these hunks of rock also have lots of other types of metal in them, like magnesium silicates.
Cool.
And are there more of these in the asteroid belt?
Yep.
These bright asteroids make up about 17% of the asteroid belt.
Huh.
So then that must make them the second most common type of asteroid?
Exactly, Mindy.
And, as far as I can tell, all of these asteroids seem to be traveling in the same direction around the sun.
I think you're right, Mindy.
They all seem to be heading in a counterclockwise direction.
And in the world of astronomy, which is the study of all things space, that's called a Prograde orbit.
Huh.
A prograde orbit.
I'm pretty sure that means moving forwards in Latin, Mindy.
Ooh la la.
Well, look at you, you little cerebramarca.
Uh, what?
It's Latin for brain box.
Oh, right.
Almost all the planets, moons, and yes, even asteroids have prograde orbits, meaning that... They all move in the same direction.
Yep.
And not only that, but most of these planets and moons also have prograde spins, meaning that not only do they all circle the sun in the same direction, but they all spin in the same direction too.
That's wild, Mindy.
So what you're saying is, if we keep following these asteroids in a clockwise direction around the sun, we should be completely safe.
We'll be going with the flow of traffic.
Yeah, well...
That is, unless we come across an asteroid with a... Warning.
Incoming asteroid.
Retrograde orbit.
Retrograde orbit?
And if retrograde means going backwards in Latin, does that mean... Yep.
There's a giant asteroid headed in the opposite direction around the sun and... Warning.
Warning.
It's headed straight for us.
Ah!
Indy, we gotta do something.
We gotta do something.
Okay, Guy Raz.
I'm gonna need you to take those ants out of your pants because we are going to be just fine.
All I need to do is reverse the thrusters.
Impact in 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5.
Now just sit back, relax, and enjoy ourselves as we watch this retrograde asteroid float on by.
Wait a minute, Mindy.
What?
This is the reason why I brought you out here in the first place.
Uh, to shut down this artificially intelligent computer that's keeping the Wow Machine's life support systems going.
What?
Nothing.
No, Mindy.
This is the intergalactic guest I was telling you about before.
Wait, this is the visitor from another solar system?
Yeah, 2015BZ509, or BZ509.
BZ for short.
BZ.
Huh.
Well, besides the fact that it's traveling the wrong way down a one-way street, it really doesn't seem all that alien.
Well Mindy, the fact that it's traveling in the wrong direction is actually the reason why scientists think that this piece of space rock might not be from this part of the universe.
Not from this part of the universe?
Well, what do you mean?
Well, scientists have known about the existence of BZ since 2014, and they've been tracking it as it makes its way around the sun.
Making its way around the sun in a retrograde orbit.
Exactly.
And originally the scientists thought that BZ might have been knocked by something in the past to send it spinning back in the wrong direction.
Like a batter hitting a baseball?
Exactly.
But it wasn't until Dr Fatina Mooney from the Observatory in the Côte d'Azur in France and Dr Helena Marais from the Universidade Estadual in Brazil joined forces, put on their detective hats and decided to get to the bottom of BZ's origin story once and for all.
And so what did they find?
Well, Mindy, These scientists developed a new method of observing the asteroid's current trajectory.
Trajectory meaning the direction in which the asteroid is going?
Exactly.
So they were able to study the path that this asteroid was on.
And by using that information, they were able to predict where the asteroid had been in the past.
You mean like hitting rewind on an old DVD player?
Pretty much.
They put all of this information into a computer and they hit rewind to see what part of the solar system this asteroid came from and why it was traveling in the wrong direction.
And?
And they found that, even when they rewound the simulation all the way back to the beginning of our solar system, Like 45 billion years ago,
They found that even back then, BZ was still orbiting around the sun in the wrong direction.
Well, what about everything else?
Everything else, like the planets, the moons, the asteroids we know and love, were circling around the sun in the other direction, around the same time.
And it was a giant cloud of dust and gas that would later form our solar system as we know it today.
Which means?
Which means that this asteroid couldn't have been created from the same dust and gases that the rest of our solar system was formed from.
So... So it's not from this solar system.
Winner, winner!
Asteroid Slinger!
Wow.
So this interstellar visitor has just been hanging out in our solar system for billions of years?
It sure seems that way, Mindy.
And it doesn't look like it's going to be changing its ways anytime soon.
Wow.
Well, it really puts that whole bird that won't fly the coop situation that I've got going on into perspective.
Well... Speaking of which, we should probably head back to Earth.
I left pancakes on the counter at home and I had them smothered in syrup and they're about to get to that critical point of absorption where they're just gonna turn into a big mushy, gross mess.
What?
Buckle up!
Oh, okay.
Here we... Go!
Gingerbread Mansion.
What in the... What is it, Mindy?
Whoa.
It's completely cleaned up.
This place is spotless.
Maggie, did you do this?
Aw, you felt bad about the mess.
Aw, that's so nice.
And you made us a fresh batch of pancakes?
Pretzel pancakes?
You can stay as long as you want, Missy.
Hey, Guy Raz, want to join Maggie and me for a little mid-afternoon pancake party?
I'd love to.
Wow in the World will 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 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.
Hi, thanks for calling Wow in the World.
After the beep, get ready to record.
I'm Athena.
I live in England in Long Compton.
And my Wow in the World is that foxes can detect the Earth's magnetic field and they use it to hunt.
And I'm seven years old.
Your shade's the best.
Bye, Minion Girls.
Okay, my name's Zade from Pennsylvania.
In my wow in the world, plants can talk and hear, but we cannot hear them.
I love your show a lot.
I'm a very big fan.
Thank you.
Hi, my name is Tyree, and I am seven years old, and I live in South Carolina.
My wow in the world is cheetahs have big nostrils to suck in more air.
And the more heirs they have, the faster they go.
I like your show.
Hi, Mindy and Guy Ross.
This is Naveed from Maple Grove, Minnesota.
My wow in the world is that rats breed so quickly that in just 18 months two rats could have created over 1 million relatives.
Bye.
Say hi to Reggie for me.
Hi, Mindy and Guy Ross.
I'm Kennedy, and I'm 9 years old.
I'm from Randall, Nevada.
And my wow in the world is that the ponderosa pine tree Smells like butterscotch.
Bye, I love your show.
Hi, my name is Daniel.
I'm seven years old, and I live in Norwalk, Connecticut.
My wow in the world is that red food coloring is made of crushed bugs.
Bye.
Hi, my name is Messiah.
I live in Wisconsin, and my wow in the world is that only 5% of the ocean is explored.
Bye, I love your show.
I'm from America.
I am seven years old.
My wow in the world is before any technology, people had to blow your horns, yell or send carrying pigeons to send messages.
Love the show.
I love the fish taco song.
Bye.
End of messages.
Hey everyone.
Thank you so much for joining us this week on Wow in the World.
And if you want to keep the conversation going, check out some of the questions we posted on this episode at our website, wowintheworldcom.
And grownups.
There you can find more details on how your kids can become part of the World Organization of Wowzers.
Lots of cool perks, exclusive t-shirts, autographed pictures of us and a bunch of other cool stuff wowintheworldcom.
Our show is produced by Jed Anderson.
Say hello, Jed.
Hello.
With help from Thomas Van Kalken, Chelsea Erson, and Jessica Bode.
Meredith Halpern-Ranzer is the big boss.
Our theme song was composed and performed by The Pop-Ups.
You can find more of their awesome all-ages music at thepopups.com.
And parents and teachers.
If you want to send us an email, our address is hello at wowintheworldcom.
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Our phone number is 1-888-7WOWWOW.
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