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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!
Hello?
Guy Raz?
Are you crying?
Guy Raz, are you okay?
Speak to me.
Speak to me.
It's so painful.
What in the... It's so, so painful.
Painful.
Guy Raz, whatever it is, I'm here to help you get through it, little buddy.
You want to talk about it?
It's just so painful.
Painful.
Well, whatever it is.
So, so painful.
Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll pass.
And you know what?
That's what you've got friends like me for, to help you through the tough times.
No, it'll pass, Mindy.
I just need to plow through.
Well, maybe there's something I can do to help.
No, we can't both be crying.
You gotta stay strong, Mindy.
You know, I don't know what's going on over there, Guy Raz, but I'm coming over.
Sounds like you need a hug.
Guy Raz, where are you?
I'm here, and I got fists full of hugs.
Where do I start?
Why are you so sad, anyway?
Oh.
Oh, I'm not sad.
I'm just finishing up chopping this pile of onions here.
Oh, wait a minute.
And now, finally, the last one is done.
You're telling me that this whole time you were crying because you were chopping onions?
Oh, yeah, right, right.
Well, you see, I'm making tofu hot dogs for lunch and I thought I'd chop up some onions for toppings.
But when I started chopping the onions, well I You started to cry.
Well, I always cry when I chop onions.
And I always toot when I cut the cheese.
What?
What?
Look.
Next time, just borrow Reggie's flight goggles.
That'll keep the onion fumes away from your eyes.
Hey, I didn't think of that.
That's a great idea Mindy, because I do know that if you wear goggles, like swim goggles or even a scuba mask while you chop onions, it can actually help keep the tears to a minimum.
And that's probably because, by wearing goggles over your eyes when you chop onions, it blocks some of the natural chemicals from the onion.
That irritates your eyes.
I believe you're referring to the natural chemical known as the lacrimatory factor or, for short, LF.
Yeah, yeah, LF.
That's exactly what I was thinking.
LF is the chemical that makes your eyes water when you chop onions, and that was the chemical irritating my eyes that caused all those tears and that's why you thought I was crying.
Yeah, but when I cut up a potato or carrots or an apple, none of those things make me cry, so...
I do onions.
Well, from what I understand, Mindy, it's the way an onion protects itself from its enemies.
Enemies?
Come on.
What kind of predator would want to hurt an itty-bitty teeny worm?
We need a little baby onion.
Well, for starters, us.
Us?
What are you talking about, Guy Raz?
Why would we want to hurt an onion?
What I mean is that the onion plant does everything it can to keep away any and all pests, to prevent them from eating it up.
So the onion plant has its own defense system?
Yes.
Whoa.
Yes.
Here, let's go to the vegetable garden to check it out.
OK.
But only if I can stick a straw in one of those tomatoes you've got growing back there.
I like to suck out the juice.
No problemo, Mindy.
Come on, let's go.
Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk.
Ah, the fresh air.
Don't you just love nature, Mindy?
I mean, look at all of this beautiful produce growing right here.
We've got some kale and some Swiss chard and some mustard greens and some...
My donut tree!
No, I planted that Cheerio around here somewhere.
It was just a few months ago.
It should have grown by now.
Here is my donut tree.
You know that Cheerios don't actually grow into donut trees, don't you?
Well, yeah.
I mean, objectively, I know that.
But I also know that it rains diamonds on Neptune.
Honestly, Guy Raz.
If it rains diamonds on Neptune, then there has to at least be a small sliver of a chance that a tiny Cheerio seed can grow up to be a big donut.
Anyway, this is actually what I wanted to show you.
Here, look.
These long, thick blades of grass?
Not just grass, Mindy.
These are onion plants.
Well, where's the onion?
Well, the onion is right at the bottom here.
See?
It's the bulb of this plant.
It's the part of the onion that we eat.
Oh, yeah.
Now I see it.
Doesn't look too scary to me.
Well, it's not supposed to look scary, but it is supposed to make it hard for us to eat.
Yeah, but I'm not crying.
Well, let's take this thing into the kitchen and slice it up and see what happens.
Okay, but this time, I'm not going to feel sorry for you if you start crying like a baby.
Okay, okay, Mindy.
So, we have this onion, and if I take a Big bite out of it like an apple.
Wait, time out, Guy Raz.
Before you do that, a quick public service announcement.
The experiment you are about to hear was conducted by trained professionals.
Do not try this at home except under the direct supervision of a grown-up.
Eating large quantities of onion may result in tears, extreme onion breath, oniony fingers, more tears, runny nose, temporary loss of friends.
Teeth brushing is highly recommended, as is the use of rubber gloves.
Now, back to the program.
Okay.
So, can I take a bite?
Knock yourself out, big guy.
Roz.
That's spicy.
Oh, no.
Here comes the tears.
Oh, man.
Those onion fumes are stinging my eyeballs out.
Throw that thing into that sink of water.
Okay.
Much better.
Man.
You just bit into that onion and it basically bit back.
The fume was really strong.
Yeah.
In fact, Mindy scientists Josie Silveroli and Marcin Golczak at Case Western University in Ohio have been trying to understand exactly why onions release these invisible gases that you know make our eyes sting when we cut or bite into them.
And what did they find out?
Well, they found out that when the sulfenic acid precursor floating in the cytoplasm in the onion cell mixes with the alinease, it creates the chemical we fondly known as lacrymacin.
Yeah, I have no idea what you just said.
Actually, neither do I, really.
Maybe it would help if we went inside, you know, with our own eyes.
Wait, so like actually go inside an onion?
Not just an onion, Mindy. an onion cell.
You mean those teeny tiny little pockets that kind of look like windows?
Exactly.
If you look at a piece of onion under a microscope, you'll see onion cells.
And that's where you've got to go to see why onions make us cry.
Okay, but...
Where are you going to be?
Well, I'm going to be looking through my microscope at you inside the cell.
And I'll do the play-by-play, you know?
I'll try to see if I can explain what's happening.
Okay, but are you sure you don't want to join me?
I mean, I can shrink you with my shrink wand.
I think I'll take a pass this time, Mindy.
I'm still recovering from that time.
You shrunk me when you wanted to go visit that flea market run by real fleas.
Catch ya, rugs!
Rugs for sale!
Oh, yeah, that place was awesome.
I got such a good deal from that one flea bag who sold me a VCR and his entire collection of Disney videotapes.
And I have to admit, the band was pretty good.
OMG, do you remember that one flea on the base?
Man, everyone was buzzing about that one.
Well anyway, I left that flea market with a terrible case of fleas and it took me like four flea baths to stop the itching.
So I think I'm going to pass on being shrunk down again.
Okay, suit yourself.
But I'm going in.
Okay, now if I could just find my shrink wand.
Where is it?
Oh, I got it.
I got it.
All right.
Now let me turn this baby on and... Mindy?
Mindy?
Down here, kale chomper.
Oh, hey, you're so tiny.
I never get to see what you look like all shrunken down.
Oh, you're so cute.
All right, enough with the baby talk.
I need to climb into that onion slice and get inside one of those cells.
All right, but don't forget your scuba gear.
Already got it on, professor.
Okay, okay, well...
Go ahead and climb inside this slice right here, Mindy.
And I'll carefully place you and the onion slice on this glass slide so I can see you under my microscope.
Okay, I'm in.
Now, Mindy, tell me what it feels like where you are.
Whoa, it feels like I'm floating in an aquarium.
Okay, great.
That liquid around you is called cytoplasm.
Oh.
So some of the things you see floating around are called the sulfenic acid precursors.
And then some of those bubbles you see are filled with something else called aleonates.
Yep.
Got it.
Perfect.
So now those bubbles, they aren't touching, right?
No.
It seems like they're just floating around in this cytoplasm.
Okay, great.
Now, Mindy, I'm going to cut into the cell that you are floating in.
But please brace yourself because all of that cytoplasm is going to Okay, you ready?
What?
Of course I'm not ready.
Okay, here goes.
And... Mindy?
I'm good.
I'm good.
Hey, where did those bubbles go?
This is it, Mindy.
This is where the magic happens.
Look to your left.
Do you see it?
You got it.
The sulfenic acid precursor and the aleonase protein bubbles are mixing together and forming that oniony gas, the gas that makes our eyes tear up in water.
Mindy, we've just witnessed the formation of the lacrimatory factor, or LF.
Oh, my stinging eyes.
My stinging eyes.
Mindy, this is magical.
Magical, I say.
Okay, hold on, partner.
Let me unshrink you.
Just give me a quick sec to grab the shrink wand.
It's somewhere here.
Okay, I got it.
Are you ready, Mindy?
I was ready ten minutes ago.
Okay.
Mindy, wasn't that amazing?
I mean, we witnessed a true chemical reaction in nature.
I know.
And to think of all the trouble we humans go through just to eat onions.
I mean, can you imagine the first humans who tried them at all?
I mean, that was a pretty brave thing to do.
Yeah, or the first human to try a bloomin' onion?
I don't even think they had spicy dipping sauce back then.
Hey, do you know that in Japan, scientists actually engineered a new type of onion that doesn't make you cry when you chop it up?
A tearless onion?
Yeah.
Whoa, that's even better than no-tear shampoo.
And I bet it tastes better, too.
You would think so, right?
Not that I would know.
I mean, a tearless onion?
That takes all of the pain out of the process.
Except one problem.
Problem?
Well, the Japanese scientists didn't just take out the tears.
They also took out the flavor, because it's that the same chemical that causes tears is the same chemical that gives onions its special oniony deliciousness.
So I guess that means... Yep.
Our days of crying into our blooming onion batter are far from over.
Speaking of which, let's slice the rest of these onions up.
I can't take it anymore.
I'm through with you onions.
Wow in the World will be right back.
Grownups, 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 wowser learn about their world through play plus you can hear exclusive audio content from me and guy ross to help your wowser discover even more wows grown-ups give the gift of wow and wonder this holiday season with our latest wow in the world toys designed with your That's it.
Back to the show.
Hi, Mindy and Guy Raz.
My name is Julian and I'm eight years old from Toledo, Ohio.
My wow in the world is that there's a star like a hundred times bigger than the sun, and the sun is already really big to us.
Hi, my name is Sophie.
I'm from Massachusetts.
My wow in the world is that I got to hold a python.
Bye.
Hi, I'm Rowan from Oceanside, California.
My wow in the world is that is chemical reactions.
I learned about them at school, and at home, they made slime and color more.
Bye!
Hi, Mindy and Gary Ross.
My name is Imogen, and I live in Naperville, Illinois.
My wow in the world is that when you put blobfish in the deep part of the ocean, they look like a fish.
But when you take them out of the water, they look like, they look really yucky and pink.
Bye, Mindy and Gary Ross.
I like your shows.
My name is Claire, and I'm 7 years old.
I'm half Chinese and half Filipino, and I live in Hong Kong.
My wow in the world is about the place I live in.
Hong Kong is home to more than 7 million people.
We have the most skyscrapers than any other city in the world, double that of New York.
We also have the longest escalator in the world.
That's 2,600 feet long.
Thanks, Minnie and Guy Raz.
I love your show.
I'm Arba, and I'm calling from Portland.
And yesterday I went apple picking, and I found an apple as big as my head.
And I'm six years old.
Bye.
Hi, Mindy and Guy Raz.
My name is Odori, and I'm from Philadelphia.
I am eight years old.
My wow in the world is that the biggest known eagle nest, which is in Florida, is nine feet wide and 20 feet deep.
It's really enormous.
Thank you.
I love your show.
Bye.
Hey, everyone.
Thank you so much for joining us this week for Wow in the World.
And special thanks to Anya Grunman at NPR for helping to make it happen.
And if you want to keep the conversation going, check out some of the questions we've posted on this episode at our website.
You'll also be able to find all of the sources and journal articles we used for today's show.
Our show is produced by Jed Anderson with help from Thomas Van Kalken, Chelsea Erson and Jessica Boddy.
Meredith Halpern-Ranzer is the big boss.
Our theme song was composed and performed by The Pop-Ups.
Find more of their awesome all-ages music at thepopups.com.
Hey, parents and teachers.
If you want to send us an email, our address is hello at wowintheworldcom.
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Until next time, keep on wowing.
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