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Hey, Wowzer fans, Mindy here.
And before we start the show, I got to 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!
Ah, okay.
Let me just...
Start up my science meditation app here.
There we go.
Okay, let's get mindful.
Welcome to Meditation Matters, the only meditation app that really matters.
Now, let's focus on our breath and on matter.
Matter.
Matter is all around us.
Solids, liquids, gases.
Solids, liquids, gas.
It's all matter.
That's right.
It all matters.
Huh?
Oh, nothing.
You are a solid.
A human being with a definite size and shape.
I am a solid.
And flowing through your body are liquids.
Liquids have a definite size, but no definite shape.
Flow.
Flow with your liquids.
I am flowing with liquids.
Yes, you are.
You are also full of gas.
Full of gas.
Wait, what?
There is gas inside of you.
Your gas has no definite size or shape.
Let's release it.
Release your gas, Gyros.
Wait a minute.
How do you know my name?
It doesn't matter.
All that matters is matter.
Just relax and free your bodily gases.
Free them like a smelly breeze.
Free as a ghost made of poop.
I am not going to.
Okay, back it up, boys.
Mindy.
Now breathe deeply.
I'm going to turn this thing off.
No, a little to the left.
No, the other left.
Mindy, what is all that noise?
I can't even meditate peacefully on my own microdeck.
Isn't it amazing?
Mindy, what are you doing?
Why are you filling up your pool with baby powder?
This is not baby powder, Guy Raz.
What you're looking at here is 220,000 pounds of grade A cornstarch.
Okay, Mindy, cornstarch is in the pool.
Anything else you want us to destroy before we go?
Nope, that'll do it.
Mindy, when you told me last week that you were planning to get your pool ready for the season, this is not at all what I had envisioned.
I know, I know.
You were expecting me to fill my pool with chocolate.
Or syrup.
Or chocolate syrup.
Actually, we had a neighborhood bet going and my money was on refried beans.
My money was on chocolate syrup.
But if you thought I was going to fill my pool with beans, then you clearly don't know me at all.
Well, to be fair, you're always full of surprises.
Hey Roz, this year I have decided to fill my pool with a shiny creamy, milky white mixture of cornstarch mixed with water.
In other words, fine oobleck.
Excuse me.
Could you please speak up?
It's difficult to eavesdrop when you speak so quietly.
You're filling your pool?
Pool with a non-Newtonian fluid?
Well, I couldn't think of any Newtonian fluid, so... Mindy, Mindy, water.
Water is a Newtonian fluid, and it works great in pools.
Oh, yeah, water.
Huh.
Seriously, I can't hear.
What are you two talking about?
What's a non-Newtonian fluid?
A non-Newtonian fluid is a fluid that doesn't behave in the way you would expect it to.
Yeah, and this non-Newtonian fluid known as oobleck is a big scientific trickster, because one minute it'll look like a liquid and the next minute it's acting like a solid.
Right.
So, in terms of matter, non-Newtonian fluids have properties or characteristics of both liquids and solids.
Yeah, and what I love about non-Newtonian fluids is that they don't play by the rules.
At least they don't play by the rules of matter.
Liquid, solid, gas.
Oh, Mindy!
Sorry, sorry.
The non-Newtonian fluid cannot be labeled as just one type of matter.
They like to keep things complicated.
Oh, like Avril Lavigne?
Dennis!
Mindy.
Mindy, I'm telling you right now that if you fill your pool with a non-Newtonian fluid like oobleck Well, you're going to be very, very sorry.
Oh, hey, Garros, can you give me a hand here?
Oh, sure.
What do you need?
If you could just hold this garden hose over my pool here while I run over to your house to turn on the faucet.
Rent, rent, rent, rent, rent.
My house?
Is it on?
Yes, yes, it's on.
Now, as I was saying earlier, water...
The Newtonian fluid that's about to come out of this garden hose is a much, much better fluid for a swimming pool.
Yep, and just keep holding that hose right over the pool.
And the reason it's a better fluid is because its viscosity, or how thick or thin it is, stays the same no matter what happens.
But where's the surprise in that?
There is no surprise, Mindy.
That's the point.
Water is constant and consistent.
You can shake it, you can squeeze it, turn it upside down or even jump in it, and the water will always behave the same way like a liquid, a nice, thin liquid.
Uh-huh.
Can you let me know when the pool is overflowing?
Ah!
Indy, you filled this entire pool with oobleck.
Hey!
No, you filled the entire pool with oobleck, Guy Raz.
Before you added the water with that hose you're holding, it was just a pool with a bunch of cornstarch at the bottom.
Mindy!
So you were saying?
Hi, Mindy!
Hi, Guy!
Oh, what are you swimming in?
Milk?
Like Cleopatra!
Actually, Dennis, it's a mixture of cornstarch and water called oobleck.
Oh, like that Dr. Seuss book, Bartholomew and the Oobleck.
Yeah, me and Reggie just covered that one in our book club.
And I was just telling Mindy that filling her swimming pool with a non-Newtonian fluid like Oobleck is a terrible idea.
Terrible or unpredictable?
I'll be the judge of that.
Let me just slowly get into the pool here.
Oh, that's cold.
Oh, oh, oh.
Oh, but very creamy.
Are you sure this isn't milk?
See?
Creamy.
It's perfect for swimming in.
Hey, Dennis, why don't you scoop some of that creamy oobleck into your hands and squish it together?
No problem.
Let me just... Ew!
What is this?
Paste?
Mindy, am I swimming in paste?
Again?
You still think it's perfect for swimming in, Mindy?
Looks like I'm going to have to eat my way out of here.
Dennis, why don't you roll that pasty oobleck between the palms of your hands?
OK.
Oh, look, it's turning into a ball.
I made a rubbery ball. go.
I'll turn this whole pool into a ball pit.
Now gently hold that ball in the palm of your hand.
All right.
I mean, it seems a little boring even for you, Guyro.
Ah!
My ball!
It's melting!
Meatball, no!
I named him Meatball.
Meatball, no!
Aw, Dennis!
We were gonna be best friends and go rollerblading on the Boardwalk.
Oh, speaking of rollerblades, what do you think would happen if Dennis were to, I don't know?
Rollerblade across the pool.
Rollerblade?
I'm not even sure he'd be able to swim in this pool.
That's just because I can't swim.
But you know, I want to try this rollerblading idea.
It might work.
Yeah, huh?
Here's the thing, Guy Raz.
Since this oobleck is a non-Newtonian fluid, its viscosity or thickness changes depending on how much force is put on it.
Wait, you didn't tell me you already knew this.
You never asked.
So you filled your pool with oobleck knowing full well what would happen when people got in?
Oh yeah, I was inspired to fill my pool with oobleck after I read this really interesting study on the stuff from a team of engineers at MIT.
MIT?
What's that?
From that old children's rhyme?
You know, M-I-C-O-P-P, M-I-T, M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I.
Well, what's MIT then?
Oh, that's the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Oh.
That MIT.
Anyhoo, the engineers created this computer model that could predict the exact moment when oobleck would change from a liquid to a solid and then back to a liquid after force was applied to it.
OK, here I go.
Like the force that would come from someone rollerblading through a swimming pool full of oobleck?
The harder I try to rollerblade through this stuff, the harder it is to rollerblade.
It's like some sort of life lesson.
So what's happening right now, Guy Raz, is that Dennis is putting so much bodily force on the oobleck that it's actually transforming from a liquid to a solid right before our very eyes.
Oh, I'm like a wizard.
Let me have this.
So as Dennis puts pressure or force on the oobleck, its viscosity goes from being thin like a flowing liquid to thick like a non-moving solid.
Uh-oh.
I'm stuck.
I'm stuck in the goo.
Help.
I can't move, and I'm going to need to pee soon.
Mindy, Mindy, we have to save him.
We have to get him out of your pool.
What's Reggie saying, Mindy?
He says he's a trained lifeguard.
But he's on his lunch break right now, so.
What?
Just kidding.
Reggie, save me.
Whoa, look how swiftly Reggie was able to swoop in at the first sign of stickiness.
Reggie, don't land on me.
Grab hold of Reggie's feet, Dennis, so he can pull you out of the obleck.
Oh, I see.
Okay.
Okay, I'm holding on.
Come on, Dennis.
You can do it.
Easy does it, Reg.
Careful of your force.
Not too fast.
I can't.
Hold on.
Look out.
Hugs?
Uh, maybe later.
Nope, uh-uh, no way.
Oh, I get it.
I'm covered in oobleck.
I mean, look at me.
I'm dripping with it.
Uh, Dennis, why don't you go rinse yourself off a little?
Good idea.
No, Reggie, you can't spray me with the hose.
Mindy, Mindy, what happened in there?
Well, first you filled my entire swimming pool with oobleck.
And then Dennis jumped in and tried to rollerblade through it.
No, no.
I mean, what happened with the oobleck?
How exactly does a non-Newtonian fluid like cornstarch mixed with water go from being a liquid to becoming a solid?
Well, I could tell you.
Yes?
But I'd rather show you.
No way.
I am not getting into that problem. pool of goop.
Okay, fine.
Here, just put on these magnifying goggles and I'll bring the goop to you, okay?
There we go.
Now, before you take a look at that oobleck under the goggles, I want you to compare this tiny grain of sand with this single particle or grain of Whoa.
The cornstarch is so much smaller than the grain of sand.
In fact, according to these magnifying goggles, it's 100 times smaller than the grain of sand.
Yeah, and because the particles of cornstarch are so teeny tiny, they're way more affected by things like temperature and electric charges between them.
And those electric charges can either attract particles, pulling them together, or repel particles, pushing them apart.
Exactoritos!
And because the cornstarch grains are so small, the electric charges build up between them and start repelling or pushing the particles away from each other.
So if you're moving slowly, the grains will push apart and slide past each other like a fluid.
Yeah.
So like when Dennis slowly climbed into the pool, the oobleck felt like a creamy liquid.
OK.
But when Dennis started freaking out and trying to rollerblade through the pool with all of his force and might, His quick and forceful movements made it so the grains couldn't repel or push apart, even if they tried.
Right.
Not only could they not repel, but they touched.
And that touching caused friction, forcing the grains to bunch together like a solid.
But when Reggie slowly and carefully lifted Dennis out of the pool, the oobleck went back to acting like a liquid.
Pretty wow, huh?
Attack!
How did you get so big?
Oh well, it's a combination of strength training and bulking, which is when, Hey Roz, you're still wearing the magnifying goggles.
Phew.
Wait, Dennis, why are you wearing my bathing suit?
What, you mean this navy blue three-piece suit made out of spandex?
Yes, that's my formal bathing suit.
Well, my swimsuit was covered in goop, so I went next door and found this in your closet.
My closet?
Dennis, I had that bathing suit custom made.
Well, I assume you did, Guy Raz.
I mean, what company is going to mass produce this thing?
What?
Wait, does that... bathing suit have elbow patches?
It has UV protective elbow patches to protect my sensitive elbows from the sun's ultraviolet rays.
Ah, interesting.
Okay well, before we have Dennis, give you back your bathing suit.
Guy Raz, I wanted to try one more quick experiment with my pool full of oobleck.
You know, I think we've had enough experimenting for today.
Dennis, But you're still wearing your rollerblades.
Well, they match the suit.
I wanted to see if maybe we could make history by having you Dennis, be the first neighborhood snoop in the world to successfully rollerblade across the length of an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
You want Dennis to get back into that goopy pool wearing my bathing suit?
Of course I don't want Dennis to get back in the pool, Guy Razzi.
Okay.
I want him to get on the pool.
What?
Mindy.
Mindy, did you forget what happened the last time Dennis attempted to rollerblade in the pool?
He had to be rescued by a pigeon.
What do you mean I owe you one?
Dennis, why don't you roll on over to the diving board here?
Oh, at what speed?
Just, I don't know, normal speed?
Okay, kind of boring, but okay.
Are you sure this is a good idea, Mindy?
Yes, of course I'm not sure this is a good idea, Guy Razzi.
You ready, Dennis?
Yeah, just let me climb up on the diving board here.
Whoa, whoa, easy does it.
Attorneys for WOW in the World would like to remind all listeners that inline skating on a diving board is never ever ever ever ever ever, ever a good idea.
This message was paid for and approved by the Don't Be a Dentist Foundation.
Okay, up on the diving board.
Now what?
Okay, on the count of three, you are going to jump feet first onto that pool of oobleck.
But first, Guy Raz...
We're going to need you to test the water, so to speak.
What?
Just you know, swish your hand around in the oobleck a little to see if it's acting like a liquid or a solid.
Well, since there's no force being put on the oobleck, I'm going to predict that it's in its liquid state, or that at least it'll behave like a liquid.
And I'm going to predict that as soon as Dennis jumps into that pool of liquid oobleck, Force from his body will overcome the electric charges that were pushing the particles of cornstarch apart and instead force them to bunch together, turning that liquid oobleck into a solid
Cindy, are you positive it's going to turn into a solid?
There's only one way to find out.
On the count of three.
One, two, three, go!
It's like the oobleck is turning into a solid right beneath his feet.
Only to turn back into a liquid as soon as he passes.
And it's all because of the force of his roller blades changing the viscosity or thickness of the oobleck.
This is unbelievable, Mindy.
Woo!
That was awesome!
Uh, I don't think these will fit you, Reggie.
All right, fine.
So you mentioned that the team of engineers at MIT made a computer model to predict when oobleck would turn from a liquid to a solid.
But
What are they planning to do with that information?
Oh, well, they're hoping that their research can help the world with all sorts of things.
Like potholes.
You know those big giant gaping holes that form in roads and then we run over them with our cars and motor pickles.
Huh.
So these engineers are thinking that filling potholes with oobleck might help to fix them?
Yeah.
I mean, wouldn't be the craziest idea anyone's ever had.
Reggie's wearing my rollerblades and skating across the pool of Poobleck, which I call the Poobleck.
Wow, such grace, such form, Reggie.
Beautiful, Reg, just beautiful.
Like a majestic eagle floating on a sea of non-Newtonian fluid.
Wow in the World will be right back.
This message is for you.
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.
Grown-ups.
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.
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Hi, thanks for calling Wow in the World.
After the beep, get ready to record.
Hi, my name is Ros.
My name is Madden, and I'm from Seattle, Washington.
My Wow in the World is that when you see white on a computer screen, it's actually made of a pixel that is red, blue and green.
Isn't that crazy?
Say hi to Reggie, the sleigh cat, and the static man.
Bye.
Hi, I'm the media guy, Roz.
I'm Tomas, and I live in Sacramento, California.
And my wow in the world is that black holes aren't actually holes.
They're round objects with a lot of mass that can bend light.
Oh, sure.
I am Zoe from Vancouver, BC, Milky Way Galaxy.
My wow in the world is that a dog can smell a teaspoon of sugar dissolving in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
And Chili, my dog, says hi.
Bye!
Hi, my name is June Lust from Minneapolis, Minnesota.
My wow in the world is that female pigs and dogs know the scent of truffles, and truffles grow underground, so it's hard for us to find them.
But female pigs and dogs can help us with that job.
Hi, Reggie.
Hi, Grandma G-Force.
Hi, Thomas Fingerling.
Sup?
Hi, Mindy and Guy Raz.
My name is Renix, and I live in Denver, Colorado.
My wow in the world is that roly-polies turn bright blue when they are sick.
Hi, Mindy and Guy Raz.
My name is Sophie.
My name is Henry.
And we live in Seattle, Washington.
Our wow in the world The world's tallest bamboo grows as high as a 10-story building.
Hi, Mindy and Guy-Rise.
I'm Charlie, and I live in Rewaking, Connecticut.
And my wow is that Colossal Squid can grow as big as a school bus.
Say hi to Grandma Geoforcing Reggie for me.
Oh, isn't that nice?
Bye.
Hi, Wowzers.
My name is Willow.
And my name is Calla.
We're from Pennsylvania and our wow in the world is that when groundhogs are hibernating, their heart slows down to five beats a minute.
And say hi to Dennis.
Hi.
Chandler.
Hi, Chandler.
And this is for you, Grandma G-Force.
Who let the frogs out?
Who?
Who?
Who?
Who?
Who?
Bye.
End of messages.
Grownups, if you like Wow in the World, you can listen early and ad-free right now on Wondery Plus.
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Hey, everyone.
Thank you so much for hanging out with us this week.
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.
And our email address is And.
If you're a kid with a big wow to share with us, call us at.
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.
Jink!
Wow in the World was made by Tinkercast and sent to you by Wondery.
