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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!
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 26th Annual Paint Drying World Championships.
This year representing the United States of America is Guy Raz.
Thank you, thank you.
Competitors, prepare yourselves.
Okay, ready.
Freshly painted walls at the ready.
On your marks, get set, stare!
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Sky We're almost there.
Oh, I see the sign.
University for Clever Birds.
Next exit.
I still can't believe my little Reggie is all grown up and going off to college.
Pass me a tissue, Reg.
And UCB, no less.
Such a prestigious university.
I'm sure you're going to do great there, Reggie.
Slamming on the brakes.
Oh, no.
Mindy!
And here we are.
UCB.
The University for Clever Birds.
Looks like we got here just in time.
Mindy, we're right in the middle of a four-way intersection.
You can't stop here.
Yeah, I can.
I just did.
And Reggie's dorm room is just around the corner over there, so we can just stop and...
Walk the rest of the way.
See?
We're all set.
Opening the door.
Come on, everyone.
Mindy, wait up.
Wow.
Mindy, look at this place.
You know, Guy Raz, look at all these different birds with all their humans.
They must be so proud.
Hey, y'all.
Welcome to the University for Clever Birds, known by everyone here as UCB.
Can I interest you in a sticker or a sweatshirt or a hat?
Are they free?
In that case, I'll take all three.
Thank you.
Wait a minute.
No, not the hat I'm wearing.
Look, I've got one right here for you.
Sorry, I'm just so excited.
I suppose I can understand that.
What with dropping off your little bundle of feathers here.
Oh, I'm just teasing.
I know you're a big bird.
Oh, yes.
This here is my pigeon Reggie.
Reggie, say hi.
They grow up so fast, don't they?
They really do.
Well, don't worry.
Today isn't just about your little Reggie here.
We have plenty of events going on for all y'all humans, too.
Oh, really?
You bet.
It's all right here in our flyer.
Flyers?
I love flyers!
Mindy!
Mindy, stop!
Oh, for Lance's sake!
Mindy!
Sorry!
Okay, now, as you can see, we've got plenty of activities.
The acapella songbirds are performing at 2.
There's an aerial display by our resident peregrine falcon at 4.
And, of course...
Y'all are welcome to sample any one of our in-bird classes.
Ooh, free classes?
That's right.
They're all listed on that flyer right there.
See?
Oh, Guy Ross, look at this.
What is it, Mindy?
This class right here.
Trash Can Opening 101 with Professor Birdman?
Uh.
Mindy, what is this?
I've heard about this course, Guy Raz.
It's based on a new study from the Australian Museum Research Institute.
The Australian Museum Research Institute?
Uh-huh.
It's all about how one of Australia's most popular birds, the sulfur-crested cockatoo, how it's learned how to open and get inside trash cans using only its beak.
You picked it.
That's one of our most popular courses.
Can we check it out, Guy Raz?
Please, just sit in on the class.
I mean, I don't see what's so impressive about opening a trash can, but I'm excited to see what the teaching facilities are like here.
Yes!
Oh, y'all are going to love it.
The lecture hall is just over that-a-way.
Head past the bird housing and the bird baths and then Hang a left before you get to the birdseed stadium.
Thank you.
Enjoy yourselves.
Hey, y'all.
Welcome to UCB.
Oh, you're going to go set up your dorm room, Reg?
Well, do you need some help decorating?
Okay, okay.
What is it, Mindy?
Well, apparently Mr. Independent over here doesn't need any help from his humans anymore.
Hmm.
Well, Reggie is a full-grown pigeon now.
It's time for him to do things for himself.
He's finally leaving the nest.
Actually, Guy Raz, Reggie's new dorm room is a giant nest, so... Of course it is.
Okay, Reg.
Guy Raz, he says he'll catch up with us later once he's settled in.
Well, see you later, Reggie.
See you soon.
Well, I guess we're on our own now, Mindy.
Should we try and find that class?
Yeah, let me see if I can find the lecture hall on the map here.
I think he said it was this way.
Oh, good news.
The map says it's this way, too.
Come on.
So, Mindy, what exactly is this class about again?
Oh, trash cans.
Oh, right, and how some birds in Australia were able to open them, right?
Uh-huh.
Specifically, sulfur-crested cockatoos.
They look like big white parrots with yellow mohawks.
And apparently, they love getting in the trash.
Well, why is there a class about that?
I mean, have you ever tried being a bird and opening a trash can?
No, actually, I haven't.
I've tried doing anything as a bird.
Come to think of it, Mindy.
Well, let me tell you, from personal experience, it's really hard to do.
You can't really use your wings, so all you've got to work with is your little bird feet and your little bird beak.
Uh-huh.
And secondly, it's how these birds were able to learn this new skill.
That's the most interesting part.
Well, what do you mean?
Come to class and you'll find out.
Speaking of which...
Let's see on this brochure.
Past the bird baths and left at the seed bell.
Yeah, I think this is it.
The Larry Bird Lecture Hall.
Come on, Guy Raz.
Let's get inside before all the perches are taken.
Oh, man.
Are we too late?
I think I see a couple of seats over there, Mindy.
Oh, covered in bird poop.
But you know what?
It's never stopped me before.
Come on.
Excuse me.
And seated.
By seated, I mean perched.
This is uncomfortable.
Shh.
Whoo!
Is that supposed to be the, uh, professor?
I don't know.
I mean, it is a class about how sulfur-crested cockatoos open trash cans, and that is a sulfur-crested cockatoo.
Indeed.
This is horrible.
I have no idea what's going on.
I don't speak Japanese cockatoo, do you?
Unfortunately i don't, guy ross, i'm only fluent in pigeon and falcon.
Well then, what are we gonna do?
Ah hello, sorry for being late.
Everybody, i can see you've already met my teaching assistant, lulu.
Lulu the cockatoo.
Yes, very good, very good now.
Greetings one and all and welcome to How to Open a Trash Can 101.
I am Professor Birdman.
I can see a lot of eager feathered faces out there, so let's dive in.
Hey, I don't have a feathered face!
This is a gradual learning process.
It doesn't just happen overnight, but by the end of this course, if you put in the hard yards and commit yourself, I guarantee that each and every one of you will be able to do this.
Lulu, do you mind giving the class a demonstration?
She's so small compared to that thing.
Is she really going to be able to get the lid off of that giant trash can?
Yes, yes, very good, very good.
Now, I know what you all must be thinking.
Blimey, that's an awfully talented bird you've got there, Mr. Birdman.
That's exactly what I was thinking.
Quiet, Mindy.
And yes, that is true.
Lulu is a very talented bird.
However, this specific behavior was learnt.
And it's something that I believe each and every one of you can learn today.
To be honest, Mindy, I still don't see what the big deal is.
The big deal, Guy Raz, is that up until now, scientists believed that the only animals capable of learning skills from one another were humans.
A few other species like meerkats and apes,
You mean skills like opening a trash can?
Exactly.
You see, a lot of learning in the animal kingdom is genetic, meaning that it's something that animals just know how to do deep down in their guts.
Like, they're just born knowing it.
Kind of like a buffalo knowing where to migrate to and at what time of the year to do it.
Uh-huh.
And it's that one animal will teach another animal how to do something.
Huh.
Okay.
Well, I think I'm starting to get why this class is so special.
Now, you might be asking yourself, why would you, a bird, want to open up a garbage bin lid?
Pick me.
Pick me.
I know why.
What possible reason could you have for wanting to open a trash can?
Hello?
Over here.
Yes, you.
There.
Over there.
The one with the internet pads. my answer in my other pants, sir.
However, I do know the answer to your question.
And what is it?
To enjoy an all-you-can-eat garbage buffet.
Well, we in academia call it foraging, but yes, you are essentially correct.
Now, foraging is the activity in which animals, So Mindy these birds, have been learning how to open these trash cans to forage for food.
Yeah.
Those researchers from Australia called it a... Australia called it a unique foraging behavior.
What he said.
Huh.
And how did these scientists know that this unique foraging behavior was in fact a learned skill and not something that these birds just knew deep down in their bones?
Well, they were able to figure it out with a little help from citizen scientists.
Citizen scientists?
Yes.
You see, a citizen scientist is a person who... I know what citizen science is, Mindy.
Uh...
I'm actually part of a citizen scientist project at the moment with my local Lepidopterarium.
Uh, Lepidopterarium is a zoo for butterflies.
I know what a Lepidopterarium is, Guy Raz.
Well anyway, every time I see a butterfly in my backyard, I make a note about what kind of butterfly it is in my notebook.
And then at the end of the week I send my observations to the scientists at the Lepidopterarium so they can get a better idea of what kind of butterflies live in the area.
Ooh, that's pretty wow.
Yeah, I mean, just because I'm not a scientist doesn't mean I can't help with scientific research.
Yeah, you're right.
And that's exactly what these researchers from Australia did.
They called for help from citizen scientists?
Uh-huh.
Wow.
These researchers, with the help of everyday citizen scientists just like you and me...
They observed this behavior in more than 40 different neighborhoods around the Australian city of Sydney.
Now I have a few visual aids here.
Oh, and look, Professor Birdman has a map of it up on the big screen.
On this map of Sydney, these dots here mark where cockatoos were observed opening trash cans.
As you can see, these dots are not spread out all over the city.
No, instead they are strung together, one neighborhood to another.
He's right, Mindy.
Look at that map.
All of those observations seem to be attached to one another.
Meaning?
Meaning that this unique foraging behavior of opening trash cans is being spread by word of mouth.
Well, technically it's being spread by word of beak.
But yeah, as you can see on the map, it looks as though this behavior is traveling from one neighborhood to the next.
And as we can see, this behaviour is travelling from one neighbourhood to the next.
Told ya.
And this used to be the only way that one could learn this sort of behaviour, by word of beak.
But now, thanks to this new course at UCB, we'll be able to pass on these crucial life skills to all you little birdies.
Yay!
Are we supposed to clap?
Yes, thank you.
Thank you so much, and I look forward to seeing all your feathery faces again.
At the start of semester, thank you.
Thank you so much.
Hey, Cat Ross, come on.
Let's get out of here.
This lecture hall's getting a little stuffy.
And I'm starting to smell the bird poop.
And we should probably go check in on Reggie.
Oh, okay.
Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk.
Opening the door.
Ah.
Good to get back out in the fresh air.
You know, Mindy, that class was actually a lot more enlightening than I thought it would be.
And that new research can really help us to understand how animals learn from each other.
And also how animals are able to adapt to urban environments, like big cities.
Ah, you mean like how animals and humans can live together in big cities?
Exactly.
You know, Guy Raz, there's a lot we can learn from Bird College.
Uh... What do you say we get ourselves some feathery toucan suits and enroll in some classes?
What do you say we don't?
And you, Reggie, you're dressed head to toe in UCB spirit wear.
You've got the hat, the jacket, the... cape?
Shh.
Uh-oh.
What is it, Mindy?
You're not going to believe this, Guy Raz.
Believe what?
Shh.
Reggie has made a new friend.
Shh.
That's great news.
I knew he'd fit in here.
With a cockatoo.
Oh.
And the cockatoo has invited us all to lunch, Guy Raz.
Oh, what a nice offer.
You want to guess where we'll be getting this lunch, Guy Raz?
Oh, right.
Let me just pull up the directions to the nearest dumpster.
Oh, no, not there.
You know, I had a really big breakfast earlier.
I'm doing this intermittent fasting thing and I've got all these bird seeds in my pocket here for snacking.
And, you know, I think maybe I'll pass on this one just a little bit.
But you guys have a great time.
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.
Hi, thanks for calling Wow in the World.
After the beep, get ready to record.
Hi, my name is Ren.
Hi, my name is Clover.
And we're from Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Our wow is that the Andean condor can have a wingspan up to 10 feet and can weigh up to 33 pounds.
That's the average weight of a...
A three-year-old child.
Say hi to Reggie.
Dennis.
Hi there.
Grandma G-Force and Thomas Fingerling.
What did you say?
Bye.
Bye.
Hi, my name is Patty, and I live in Austin, Texas.
And my wow is that there's a type of fire coral that when you touch it, it gives you a rash.
And say hi.
Grandma G-Force will come and sing a song for me.
Bye.
Hi, Minnie and Guy Ross.
My name is Tucker, and I live in Suffern, New York.
My long story to share with you is that sharks lived 200 million years before dinosaurs did.
Isn't that cool?
Say hi to Reggie and Dennis.
For me and my wow is a Venus flytrap can snap shut faster than the human eye can blink.
Hi, wow in the world.
My name is Ari, and I live in New Orleans, Louisiana, and I am 10 years old.
My wow in the world is that cuckoos lay their eggs in the nests of other birds.
Here are your kisses to this sleigh cat and Steve for me.
My name is Jackson and I'm from Lutherville, Maryland.
My wow in the world is that humpback whales use bubbles to hunt.
Wow.
Bye.
My name is Henry.
I live in Topanga Canyon.
And my wow in the world is that screaming armadillos, a screaming armadillo screams at its enemies until they go away.
Isn't that wow?
Say hi to Grandma G-Force, Reggie, Static Man, and Baby B. End of messages.
Wow in the World is written by Mindy Thomas and Tom Van Kalken with help from me.
Original sound design and music editing is done by our senior producer Jed Anderson and Tyler Thull.
You can also hear Jed Anderson in the voices of Dennis Thomas Fingerling, Reggie and many of the other silly characters you hear on our show.
Jessica Bode keeps our facts straight as our fact checker and Meredith Halpern-Ranzer powers the wow at Tinkercast.
Our theme song was composed and performed by three-time Grammy nominees, the Pop-Ups.
Find them at thepopups.com.
Special thanks to the rest of our team of tinkerers, including Anna Zagorski, Rebecca Caban, Kit Ballinger and Henry Moskal.
To keep the wows rolling, visit us at tinkercast.com.
There you can learn more about becoming an official member of the World Organization of Wowzers.
Learn more about upcoming events.
Shop our shop and pick up a copy of our new number one New York Times bestselling book, The How and Wow of the Human Body.
Grownups, you can follow Wow in the World on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at Wow in the World.
And our email address is hello.wow. at Tinkercast.com.
And if you're a kid with a big wow to share with us, call us at 1-888-7-WOW-WOW for a chance to be featured at the end of our show or an upcoming episode of Two What's and a Wow.
Thanks again for listening and until next time, be fun wowing!
Wow in the world was made by Tinkercast.
And sent to you by Wondery.
