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 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!
Weathering for an adventure in the near-decent proportion.
Oh, hey, Mindy.
Why are you putting on a ski suit in the middle of the summer?
Oh, this thing?
Yeah.
Well, I was just going to hop into the time machine that your dad's building and see if I could pay a quick visit to the late Pleistocene epic.
Okay.
Well, first of all, my dad and I are still putting the final touches on the time machine, so it's not really ready for takeoff.
And second thing, can you Refresh me on what exactly the Pleistocene Epoch was?
Oh, sure, Mindy.
It was a period of time here on Earth when things were very, very, very cold.
Are you talking about the Ice Age?
Yes, the Pleistocene is known informally as the Ice Age.
But it was actually a period of time that lasted about two and a half million years.
And during that time, big parts of the Earth... got colder.
Wait, were humans alive during this time?
Well, our species, Homo sapiens, were born here on Earth about 220,000 years ago.
So yes, we humans were around towards the very end of the Pleistocene Epoch.
Okay, so Garaz, the Pleistocene Epoch sounds really, really cold.
Not exactly my idea of paradise.
Are you sure you want to go back there?
I mean... Well, Mindy...
I'm curious to see what North America looked like back then.
Man, curiosity leads us to some strange places.
Okay, Guy Raz, if you insist on going, you might want to take this with you.
Uh, what's this, Mindy?
Oh, it's just a giant woolly mammoth trap.
Got it on clearance like three years ago, but haven't had a reason to own it until now.
Uh, okay.
You're going to want to take this with you.
Thanks, but I don't think I'll be needing that, Mindy.
Hey, by the way, are you interested in coming along?
Yeah. have anything else going on, but only if it's for a quick visit.
I don't have 200 million years to spare.
OK, great.
Come on into the machine.
My dad did tell me to stay out of this thing, but I'm pretty sure he said that on opposite dates.
Whoa, look at all these buttons.
Yeah, do you know which one we should push?
Well, my heart says all of them, but my brain says, how about this one?
The one that says Boston, Massachusetts, late Pleistocene.
Here goes nothing.
Well, I'm not sure you hit the right one, Mindy, but it feels like this time machine is working!
Mindy?
Mindy?
You okay?
Yeah, just feeling a little, uh, just a little, uh... I'm sorry about that.
This time travel thing tends to make some people a little carsick.
Yeah, you can say that again.
This time travel thing tends to make people a little carsick.
Oh, yeah, I didn't mean that literally.
Oh, yeah, sorry.
Anyway Mindy, if your dad's time machine works when we step out of this thing, we should be roughly in the same spot where Boston Massachusetts is in the present day.
Whoa.
Guy Raz, what if this thing really did work?
Oh, man, I am so nervous.
There's only one way to find out.
We got to get out of here.
You ready?
I'm ready.
Let's open this thing up.
Wow.
I think we're here, Mindy.
Whoa, it's freezing here, Guy Graz.
You said we were going to Boston.
I don't see a single Dunkin' Donuts anywhere around here.
What is going on?
Well remember Mindy, I said we were going to roughly the same place where you can find Boston, Massachusetts in the modern world.
But we traveled back in time 20,000 years ago, so naturally, no Boston, no Red Sox, no Dunkin' Donuts.
Yeah, and all I see is ice.
Isn't it incredible?
No!
I know, a magical winter wonderland.
Yeah, I'm ready to go back to the modern day.
Well, before we do that Mindy, I just want you to take a look around, because this is what parts of North America looked like 20000 years ago.
Wow, I don't even recognize it.
Big parts of our continent were covered in ice, a giant ice sheet.
And that's why we sometimes call this period in history an Ice Age.
Wow, that is...
So super fascinating, truly.
And I'm glad we made this trip.
But I am ready to go back now because I am freezing.
And I left my jacket back in the lab.
How are you not even cold?
Okay, I guess we've seen enough here.
Let's get back in.
This is so much better.
It was so cold out there.
I still can't believe we got to visit the Ice Age.
All right, saddle up, buckle up your seatbelt.
I'm going to press this button right here and... Here we go! too soon!
It's only 1969!
Keep going!
I think I'm gonna be... Sorry about that, Mindy.
It's fine.
I just need to shake it off and then I'll be okay.
Much better.
So, Guy Raz, of all times in history, why did you want to go back to the coldest?
Well Mindy, during the Pleistocene, as I mentioned, parts of North America were covered in ice.
And the places today where you'll find cities like Toronto and Detroit, even Chicago.
These places were covered in ice.
Well, it looks like they eventually thawed out.
So when did it start to get warmer?
Well, about 18000 years ago, the northern hemisphere, or the parts of the planet above the equator, started to slowly warm up.
And that giant sheet of ice started to melt.
But, Mindy... I had a feeling you were going to say that.
But Mindy, in the last 1000 years of the Pleistocene, parts of the northern hemisphere all of a sudden started to get colder again.
Wait, what?
Yeah, colder.
But why?
You just said it was getting warmer.
Well, there are different theories about why this happened.
It was a period of time that lasted about 1,200 years.
And geologists or scientists who study the Earth call it the Younger Dryas Period.
Younger Dryas?
Yeah, it was the last great ice age here on planet Earth, and no one's entirely sure why it happened.
Well, what's the theory?
Well Mindy, the theory is that somehow lots and lots and lots of cold water from lakes here in North America started to flow into the Atlantic Ocean, and that disrupted the ocean currents.
And by currents, you mean the movement of the oceans?
Yeah, you can think of currents as these giant rivers of water that flow deep below the surface of the ocean.
And here in North America those currents of water help bring warm water from the equator, the midpoint on Earth where the climate is generally warmer.
And it brings that warmer water to colder parts of the Earth, like in the Northern Hemisphere areas closer to the North Pole.
Yeah, but how would cold water from lakes be enough to disrupt ocean currents?
I mean.
Well, the theory is that because so much cold water started to flow into the Atlantic, it blocked the warmer water from coming up.
And the climate or the weather conditions on Earth, well, they're affected by ocean currents.
Okay, I gotcha.
So what you're saying is that all of that cold water that was flowing into the Atlantic Ocean made it so that no warm water could make its way up to parts of North America.
Precisely, Mindy.
And without that warm water, the climate here in North America plunged or dropped back down.
But why did it happen?
Well, scientists don't entirely know.
I knew you were going to say that.
But there is another theory as to why Earth suddenly got cold.
And this theory is not as widely accepted by scientists, but it is still interesting.
Yeah, so what's that theory?
Well Mindy, that theory is that sometime around the start of the last ice age, a comet struck planet Earth.
Whoa, a comet?
Yeah, a giant comet that kicked up so much dust and dirt that it blocked sunlight from large parts of the northern hemisphere.
And without sunlight... things would begin to get colder.
Yes, that's the theory.
So did it happen?
Well, again, we don't know.
Many geologists have serious doubts about it.
But recently Mindy, a team of engineers from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, made the case once again that our last ice age may have been related to a comet that landed on Earth.
Well, how did they figure this out?
Well, this team of scientists, led by engineer Martin Swetman from the University of Edinburgh, analyzed or studied an ancient archaeological site in Turkey that led them to this theory.
Hold the phone, Guy Raz.
So a minute ago we were in North America and now we're in Turkey?
Yes.
Turkey.
That's the country that connects the continent of Europe to the continent of Asia.
Yes.
And Turkey is where some of the most ancient human civilizations, or communities formed.
These were the earliest examples of humans banding together to form towns and neighborhoods and places where they lived.
Yeah, but why would some random place in Turkey hold the clue that we need to better understand this possible comet strike?
Well, Mindy, the place in question is a very important archaeological site called Gobekli Tepey.
Uh, Gobekli to where?
Gobekli Tepe, Mindy.
It was discovered by archaeologists who began to excavate or dig it up in 1994.
And what they found was an ancient temple or place where ancient humans worshipped different gods that they believed in.
And what did the archaeologists find there?
Well, they found the ruins of ancient buildings and beautiful ancient carvings in stone.
Carvings of What?
Well, in one famous stone called the Vulture Stone, archaeologists found carvings of animals.
And here's the amazing part about it, Mindy.
I am dangerously on the edge of my seat.
These engineers from the University of Edinburgh believe that the animals in the carving actually represent a series of constellations.
Constellations?
So you mean like a group of stars that form a pattern?
Yes.
Like Orion the Hunter and Leo the Lion.
Yes, and I bet, if you go outside tonight Mindy, and it's a clear night, you might even be able to see the three stars that make up Orion's belt.
You know what they say about Orion's belt, right?
Uh... It's a huge waste.
Of space!
Uh, that's not... I know, that joke only deserves three stars, am I right?
Anyway Mindy, as I was saying, along with carvings that may represent constellations, the scientists believe these carvings show a comet striking the Earth.
The same comet that might have caused the Ice Age?
That's the theory that this ancient civilization somehow knew about this comet strike and carved the story into stone.
Because this was during a time a long, long, long time ago before humans wrote things down on paper.
And the way they remembered history was by carving it into stone.
Wow.
And so how did we humans survive in such cold temperatures?
Well, Mindy, remember, this ice age mainly affected the northern parts of the planet.
And up until that point, most humans were still living closer to the equator.
But even the humans who did live in these cold climates, well, they adapted.
They grew more hair to cover their bodies.
They used animal skins to keep themselves warm.
And they lived in caves to protect them from wind and ice.
Yeah, but how did they find food?
Well, it's interesting you ask Mindy, because the end of the last ice age actually helped us humans to become humans.
Farmers?
Yeah, because for most of our history, we Homo sapiens were hunter-gatherers.
You mean we'd go out and hunt for food during the day.
Yeah, and there were no supermarkets or farmer's markets or places we could go to just buy our groceries.
And in fact we humans didn't really start to grow our own food until about 10500 years ago, so right after the end of the last ice age.
Yeah, but what is the end of the Ice Age and humans becoming farmers have to do with one another?
Well Mindy, as the temperature on Earth became warmer, ancient humans started to figure out that, instead of looking for fields of wild wheat or barley, that they could just take the seeds from these plants and plant them and grow food on their own without having to look for it.
Yeah, by watering their seeds and making sure that they had plenty of sunlight?
Yes, and this is often called the Neolithic Revolution.
Fancy.
This was a period when humans discovered how to use seeds.
So, instead of randomly coming across an apple tree or another fruit tree, they could just take the seeds out, plant them and grow their own stock.
Right where they lived.
And this could happen because the Ice Age was over and the Earth's temperature was becoming warm enough to start growing crops.
And this could happen because the Ice Age was over and the Earth's temperature finally became warm enough to start growing crops.
Yes.
Well, in that case, Guy Raz, I'm just going to plant this tiny Cheerio in the ground.
Um... And by this time next year, I will have grown my very first... Uh... Donut tree!
Wow.
Specifically a chocolate glazed donut tree that...
Blooms with lots of sprinkles in the springtime.
Uh, Mindy?
Yeah?
Donuts are not a plant.
They don't, uh, they don't have seeds.
No nut underestimate the power of Mother Nature, Guy Raz.
Uh, nice.
Even though you're correct, I'm still planting in any way.
Okay.
Because you never know.
The Earth is full of surprises.
Wow in the World will be right back.
Grunups, this message is for you.
Hey, grownups, 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 Lydia and I'm five years old and I'm from Phoenix, Arizona.
My Wow in the World is that I can hear things that mom and dad can't hear. frequency.
Hello, I'm Adi.
I live in Santa Clara.
And do you listen to Wow in the World podcast?
Yes.
Do you like it?
Yes.
What's your favorite story so far?
Planet X. And did we try and find Planet X ourselves?
Yes.
Yes, right.
Thank you, Mindy.
Thank you, Zyron.
Hi, my name is Ella.
I am eight years old.
I live in Hawaii.
My big wow in the world is that when I was out snorkeling, I saw a parrotfish.
A fun fact about them is that they poop out sand.
My name is Trey.
I'm eight years old.
I'm from Tulsa, Oklahoma.
My wow in the world is that I got to go to Peru hike in the Amazon rainforest and got to climb up to Machu Picchu.
And I love your show.
My name is Charlene, and I'm six years old.
I'm from Alabama, and I really like your show.
And my wow in the world is karate, because karate is my favorite, because my teacher's really nice and he teaches me how to count in Japanese to 10.
It's me.
Start, see, go, look, hit, hot, you, do.
Bye.
Hi, guys.
I'm Mindy.
And where are you from?
Arizona.
Because I have a story to do about flowers.
They're beautiful.
Also, they smell good.
You should look at them and smell them, but not pick them that much.
Because that would hurt the flowers.
Bees and butterflies need it.
Plus, we need flowers.
Nature is so important, even flowers.
Bye, guys.
End of messages.
Hey, guys.
Thank you so much for checking out this Thursday edition of Wow in the World.
Grown-ups.
To keep the conversation going, we've posted some fun questions on our website, wowintheworldcom.
And we love hearing from you.
Grown-ups, you can find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at wowintheworld.
And our email address is hello. wowintheworld.com.
Today's show was written by me and Guy Raz and produced by Jed Anderson.
Say hello, Jed.
Our theme song is written and performed by The Pop Ups.
You can find more of their awesome music at thepopups.com.
Finally, we've loved hearing what's been wowing you.
Thanks so much for sending in your voicemails.
We listen to each and every one of them.
For a chance to be featured on an upcoming episode.
Have your grown-ups help you share something that's recently wowed you by dialing 1-888-7WOW-WOW.
Thanks again for subscribing and telling your friends about our show.
We will be back on Monday with a new full-length episode.
In the meantime, go forth and find your own wow in the world.
And before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short survey at wondery.com slash survey.
