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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 7pm 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!
Okay, Reg, here we go.
Pinch of Pop rocks.
A sprinkle of sprinkles.
You know what?
Let's just throw in the whole thing.
A couple of sticks of dynamite.
Yes, of course I'm not sure this is a good idea, Reggie.
You know what?
Make it three.
And now for the secret ingredient, a couple of gallons of the old burp water.
Now we wait.
That's not a good sound.
Okay, I think we're... I think we're good.
Coming!
Okay, Reg, take out the Pop Rocks and try adding in Tart Pops instead.
I thought we agreed.
No exploding ants after 7 p.m.
Okay, Roz.
That wasn't exploding ants you heard.
That was my latest taste sensation.
Your latest taste sensation?
Yep.
I'm trying to invent the world's craziest, most explode-iest, most poppin' candy.
Uh right, i've tried everything, guy raws, pop rocks, popcorn popsicles.
Yeah, we even tried adding in some popcorn shrimp and i think we finally got the recipe down.
Well, almost i still can't come up with a name for it.
Well, maybe you just need a little inspiration.
Yeah, but it's already dark outside.
Where am I going to find inspiration at this hour?
Well, how about your backyard?
My backyard?
What are you talking about, Guy Raz?
Well, I was just reading the other day that one of the biggest explosions in the galaxy could be taking place right now.
In my backyard?
Well, not exactly, Mindy.
It's actually happening about 642 light years away from your backyard.
Okay, can you tell me what in the wow you're talking about?
Well, I could tell you, but I'd rather show you.
Hey, that's my line!
Come on, follow me!
Okay, but hang on a second.
Gotta grab my How I Built a Bear suit.
It's freezing outside.
Your How I Built what?
My How I Built a Bear suit.
You know, that place in the mall where you can stuff a floppy bear?
Oh.
Uh, yeah.
So I bought the biggest one they had, and I stuff it with myself.
Oh, I see.
You know, Mindy, they also sell coats at the mall.
Yeah, I know, but it's hard to find any coats that make me look like a giant teddy bear in a sailor suit.
What do you think?
Uh... Huh?
Uh-huh.
Thanks, Reg.
Okay, let's just go.
Okay.
Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk.
It's freezing out here.
Why are we doing this again?
We're going stargazing.
Stargazing?
I thought you said we're going explosion gazing.
Well, we are, Mindy.
So, uh... Well, do you see those three stars? all lined up right there in the night sky.
What?
Oh, yeah!
That's Orion's belt, Guy Raz!
It's all part of this larger constellation known as Orion.
That's right.
Now just look a little bit northwest of Orion's belt, up towards what would be Orion's left shoulder, and you're going to see another bright star with a bit of a reddish tinge on it, and that star is called Betelgeuse.
What?
Guys! more times and we can be in some serious trouble.
But Mindy, that's the name of the star.
The star is called Beetlejuice.
Guys, pause one more time and we're all going to Beetlejuice.
Okay, I guess we're fine.
Anyway, as I was saying, that star... You talking about Beetlejuice?
Yeah, Beetlejuice is showing signs that it might be a about to explode in a celestial event known as a supernova.
A supernova?
Yeah, and if it does start popping, we'd be able to see it right here from your backyard.
Oh, so this is the big galactic explosion you were talking about before.
The star Beetlejuice is going supernova?
Yeah.
Well, I think we can do a little better than standing out here in my backyard with our necks craned up to the sky.
What do you mean, Mindy?
I mean, I have a mostly functional wow machine in the garage with a fresh coat of butter.
So I say we take this thing for a quick hop, skip, and a 648 light year jump over to Beetlejuice.
See this thing up close and personal.
What do you say, little buddy?
Do I have much of a choice?
Yes, of course you don't.
Come on.
Let's go to the garage.
Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk.
And wait for it.
I'm waiting.
Wait for it.
Wait for it.
Indy!
Ta-da!
Come on, Guy Raz.
Follow me.
Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk.
Now be careful.
There's still some butter on the ground, so it might be a little... Slippery.
You okay, buddy?
All right, now just scooch and slide your buns on over to the door of the wow machine there.
Okay.
There you go.
Now give me your hand and I'll pull you up.
Hey, Reg!
Want to come?
Perfect.
What do you say, Mindy?
He says yes.
He hasn't been explosion gazing since his stunt bird days back in the 90s.
He's going to love it.
Uh-huh.
Great.
Let me just open the hatch here.
Ah, wow machine.
Sweet wow machine.
Uh, Mindy, why is the ceiling leaking?
Man, that's probably the hot tub I installed on the second floor of this thing.
Hey, Reg, do you mind putting a bucket under that thing?
All right, let me see here.
Where are we going again?
Just set a course for the constellation of Orion.
Got it.
Orion.
Locked and loaded baked potato.
Oh, and make sure you set the date for 700 years in the past, okay?
Okay.
Uh, because why?
Well, because the light from Betelgeuse takes 700 years to get to Earth.
So if we want to see Betelgeuse up close, but in the same way that we see it back here on Earth Ah, so then we would have to also go back 700 years.
Got it.
Okay, Orion, 700 years ago.
Everyone ready?
Oh, let me just strap in here with these...
Wait a minute.
Are these my shoelaces?
Uh, no.
Mindy!
And here we go!
And away we stop!
Stop.
Stop.
Stop the thing.
Stop it, wow machine.
Okay, Guy Raz.
Reg?
I think we're here.
Let me just roll back the blinds so we can get a better look.
Ah, bunker ball!
These things are always getting jammed.
Hang on a second.
Um, hey, Reg, can you pass me that squeegee?
Thanks, buddy.
Hmm, strawberry.
Huh?
What?
The blinds were jammed.
Strawberry jammed?
Okay, let me just... Too bright!
Okay, hang on, hang on, hang on.
I think I've got some sunglasses around here somewhere.
Quickly, Mindy, I can't see a thing.
Um, eye patch, no.
Sleeping mask, no.
Hey, hey, is that my spider silk mask?
I've been looking for that for months.
Oh, here they are, my blackout sunglasses.
Blackout sunglasses?
Yeah, I use them to help me sleep while I'm driving my motor pickle.
Uh, huh?
Oh, wait, here, you can use this sunshade thing.
Thanks.
Let me just see here.
Mindy, are these welder's goggles?
Yeah.
Pretty cool, huh?
Well, I guess they'll do.
Whoa.
Oh, man, Guy Raz.
I think we're staring at the wrong star.
What?
Well, this might surprise you, since this kind of thing never happens.
But it seems like the old GPS here might have taken us to the wrong place.
The wrong place?
You did put in the constellation of Orion as our destination, right?
Yeah, but Orion is made up of at least ten stars, eight of which are visible to the naked eye from back on Earth.
And we went to the wrong star?
You see how this star is bluish-white?
Yeah.
That's because this is a type of star known as a blue giant.
Well, it is blue and pretty giant.
Yeah, but according to this star guide, Betelgeuse is not a blue giant star.
It's a different kind of star known as a red supergiant.
Huh, well, that explains why it had that reddish tint to it when we looked at it from your backyard.
Exactoritos.
Then what are we looking at here?
Well, according to this star guide, this is another star in the constellation known as Betelgeuse.
Bellatrix.
Bellatrix?
Yeah.
But the good news is, according to my calculations here, we're really not too far from Beetlejuice.
We just need to turn to the left here.
And now we're just going to head in this direction for another few hundred light years.
Wait, Mindy.
Hold on to your butts, everyone.
What?
Because here we go.
Wow.
I guess now we know why they call them red super giants.
This thing is enormous.
Wow, isn't it?
Beetlejuice is actually 1,400 times bigger than our sun.
That is bonker balls.
And it's also up to 14,000 times as bright.
Bet you're glad you're wearing those welder's goggles now, huh?
Well, yes, but... Is this a big butt?
Huh?
Never mind.
Well, Mindy, this actually isn't as bright as it could be.
Beetlejuice has a tendency to brighten and then dim over and over and over again.
Like when I take control of your dining room chandelier over Thanksgiving dinner.
Well yeah, even though that's a little bit annoying, but Beetlejuice goes through a similar process, this dimming and brightening cycle, every 14 months.
Huh.
In fact, why don't we take a look?
Where's the rewind button on this thing?
Rewind button.
Uh, I think I stuck it in the glove compartment last week.
Let me just check your...
Okay, great.
Well, let's just put this thing in rewind and keep an eye on what happens to our red supergiant, okay?
All right.
Three, two, one.
Be kind, rewind.
Whoa!
Look at it go, Kairos!
It's brightening And then fading, And then brightening And then fading.
Okay, that's enough.
But this not-so-little twinkling star could soon be coming to an end.
What do you mean, coming to an end?
Well, astronomers from all over the world have noticed that in recent months, that dimming and brightening cycle that we just saw Yeah,
...has stopped.
Stopped?
Yes, and from Earth, scientists have observed that Betelgeuse has gotten a lot dimmer than usual.
And on top of that, it hasn't been brightening brightening up again as it usually does.
And so what does that mean for this star named Beetlejuice?
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice.
Well, it means that this super giant could be going supernova any minute.
And when it does go supernova, there's going to be such a big explosion that it won't only be visible from Earth during the day.
It's going to shine as bright as the moon in the night sky.
Bonker balls.
Brrrr.
And it looks like you and me and Reggie have a front row seat to the biggest light show in the galaxy.
All right, Guy Raz, you get the popcorn.
Reggie, you help me get the lawn chairs.
Come on, everyone.
We got to hustle.
I'm on it, Mindy.
Hey, where do you keep the popcorn again?
It's all over the floor.
Oh, of course.
We're back.
Two lawn chairs and a telephone pole for Reggie.
Hey, Ross?
Hey, Ross!
How's that popcorn coming along?
Uh, almost done.
I hope you don't mind it's covered in hair and dirt.
Are you kidding?
That's my favorite flavor!
Mmm!
Not bad.
And this one has a cough drop stuck to it.
You want some?
Uh, I think I'm good.
Anyway, all we have to do now is just sit back, Relax and wait for the show to begin.
Guy Raz?
Yeah?
When exactly is this supernova supposed to happen?
Oh, oh, any minute now, Mindy.
Astronomers believe that Betelgeuse could go supernova any time from now to 100,000 years from now.
What?
Well, in the grand cosmological scheme of things, it's actually not that long at all.
Okay well, I am not about to wait around here for 100000 years when I've got a perfectly good, mostly functional wow machine with a fast-forward button that I just installed.
That's a good point, Mindy.
But are you sure we're going to be safe in the wow machine when this thing finally explodes?
I mean, we're kind of close.
Yes, of course I'm not sure it's safe, Guy Raz.
This thing is made out of corrugated cardboard.
You ready?
Uh.
And fast forward!
Whoa, whoa, look at that. just keeps getting dimmer and dimmer.
Whoa, what's happening to it?
It seems like it's using up the last of its fuel and turning its core from helium into iron.
And when all that helium is gone... Warning, warning.
Catastrophic failure of the paper mache shield generator.
Mindy's terrible idea alarm activated.
Ah, these alarms are so annoying.
Mindy's terrible idea.
OK.
All right.
Everything's fine.
See?
I told you that duct tape was going to hold, Guy Raz.
Duct tape?
Maybe I spoke too soon.
Mindy, I think it's time we probably headed home.
Yeah, that's not a bad idea.
Setting a course back to Earth?
And here we go.
And home.
Whew, that was nice.
Uh-oh.
Whew, looks like we made it back Just in time.
The only part of the wow machine still in one piece is the steering wheel, and that's just because you're holding it.
Oh, man.
It's going to take me hours to tape this whole thing back together.
But at least you did get some inspiration for your exploding candy, right?
Well, I think I finally have a name for it.
Oh, yeah?
What's that?
I'll call it the supernova.
Like an exploding star in your mouth.
That sounds a little painful.
Hey, Reg!
I just cracked open a new idea!
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 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. to record.
Hi, Mindy and Guy Ross.
My name is Colson, and I live in Los Angeles.
My why in the world is that elephant seals can hold their breath for two hours.
Isn't that crazy?
Hey, Mindy, can you make a wand that makes all of your characters go into video games?
Bye!
Hi, Mindy and Guy Ross.
My name is Mara.
I live in Burlington, Ontario.
And my wow in the world is that there is such thing called Tudor Christmas pie.
That includes a chicken, a partridge, a turkey, a pigeon and a pie crust.
I hope Reggie's not in there.
Bye.
Love your show.
Hi, Mindy and Guy Raz.
My name is Sophia.
I live in Atlanta, Georgia.
My wow in the world is that in Brazil, in the Amazon River, Take Dolphins.
Bye.
Love your shows.
Hi, my name is Landon and I live in Seattle.
My wild world is that female lions do 90% of the hunting.
Say hi to Reggie for me and Grandma G-Force.
Hi, my name is Victor and I'm from Palo Alto, California.
And my wow in the world is that if atoms were the size of tennis balls, then blood cells would be the size of San Diego.
Bye.
Say hi to Reggie for me.
Hi, my name is Simon, and I live in Chicago, Illinois.
My wow in the world is that giraffe tongues can be blue, purple, or black.
Hi, my name is Nora, and I live in Rockaway Beach.
My wow in the world is that a narwhal's horn is actually a tooth.
Hi Mindy and Guy Ross.
My name is Laurel.
And my name is Juniper.
And we are from Singapore.
My wow in the world is that the heaviest pumpkin ever grown weighs as much as a large walrus.
I have two wow in the worlds.
The first one is that some people in Venezuela use tarantula fangs as toothpicks.
The second one is that it's actually possible for someone to be as annoying as Dennis.
Oh, I know exactly what you mean.
I'm very impressive.
Say hi to Reggie, Meredith, and Jed for us.
Oh my gosh, you mentioned me?
Thanks, hi.
Bye, we love your show.
Hey everyone, thank you so much for hanging out with us this week on Wow in the World.
And to keep the wow rolling, check out this week's scientific conversation starters at our website wowintheworldcom.
And grownups.
There you can find more info on how your kids can become members of the World Organization of Wowzers shop our Wow Shop.
Upload photos and videos to us and check dates for our upcoming live events.
That's wowintheworld.com.
Our show is produced by Jed Anderson.
Who provides the bells, whistles, and silly characters.
Say hello, Jed.
Hello.
Our show is written by me, Guy Raz, and Thomas Van Kalken, who also provides silly characters.
Tom?
Hello there.
Thanks also to Jessica Bode, Anna Zagorski, Rebecca Caban, Kit Ballinger, and Alex Curley.
Meredith Halpern-Ranzer powers the wow at Tinkercast.
Our theme song was composed and performed by The Pop-Ups.
For more on their three-time Grammy-nominated all-ages music, find them at thepopups.com.
And grown-ups.
You can follow Wow in the World on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at Wow in the World.
And our email address is hello at wowintheworld.com.
And if you're a kid with a big wow to share with us, call us at 1-888-WOW for a chance to be featured at the end of the show.
Also, if you haven't already done so, please subscribe to Wow in the World on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Yeah, leave us a few stars, a review, or just tell a friend about the show.
Thanks again for listening and until next time, keep on wowing.
Jinx!
Made by Tinkercast.
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