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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!
Take me out to the ball game.
Take me out to the crowd, buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks.
I don't care if i never get back and it's rude.
Root, root for the home team if they don't win.
It's a shame, for it's one two, three strikes.
You're out at the old ball game.
What are you doing?
Uh hi, Mindy.
Uh, you all ready for the bat convention, Guy Raz?
Well, it was a little hard to wake up in the middle of the night for it, but now that I'm up, I'm up.
And look, I even dressed for the occasion.
I know how much you love costumes and uniforms.
Uh-huh.
Brr!
You know, it's actually a good thing you invited me along to this convention.
I've been meaning to get a new bat for a while now.
I didn't even know you had an old bat.
Yeah, I've had mine for so long, the tape is peeling off.
You put tape on your bat?
Yeah, you know, so I can get a good grip on it.
A good grip on it?
Guy Raz, it's supposed to be...
Oh, it's wild, all right.
Have you ever seen me swing that thing around?
What?
Swing it around?
Oh, that poor bat!
You know.
I have to say it is a little odd to be holding a bat convention in the middle of the night, though.
Well, when else are they supposed to hold a bat convention, Guy Raz?
Uh, during the day?
What?
During the day?
They're nocturnal!
Who's nocturnal?
What do you mean the bats are nocturnal, Mindy?
They're inanimate objects.
Okay, I think I see what's happened here.
Wait a minute, it's not a baseball bat convention.
No, it is not.
Now I understand it's a bat bat convention.
Yes, bat bats as in the only flying mammals.
I guess I'll look pretty silly going to a bat convention with my full baseball uniform on, huh?
Uh, yeah.
But, lucky for you, I just happen to have the perfect costume for you to change into.
Of course you do.
Okay, now just wait right here and I'll be back before you can even say Hey, what's that weird smell in here?
Uh, what is that weird smell in here?
Uh-uh-uh, you have to wait for me to leave first.
Close your eyes, Guy Raz.
All right.
My eyes are closed.
And the eyes on top of your eyes.
Mindy, Mindy, those are my glasses.
OK.
And now, open them!
Ah!
Ta-da!
Mindy, what in the wow is this thing?
It's your costume!
My costume?
I knew you'd love it.
It's bright orange, Mindy, and covered in fur.
I know.
I made it myself.
Uh-huh.
It's supposed to be sort of a cosplay sort of thing.
Cosplay?
Yeah, you know, costume play.
You go to a convention dressed as your favorite superhero or video game character or bat.
Right.
And who exactly am I supposed to be cosplaying as?
Isn't it obvious?
Yes.
No.
You're Myotis nimbiensis.
And who or what is Myotis nimbiensis?
Oh, it's a species of bat.
A species of bat?
And not just any bat.
Myotis nimbiensis is the big star of this year's bat convention.
He's even signing autographs.
Autographs, huh?
What makes him so popular?
Well, just like you said, Guy Raz.
His bright orange fur.
Just like your costume.
Huh.
Scientists only discovered him back in 2018, when they were doing research on endangered bats in Guinea.
Guinea?
That's a country in West Africa, right, Mindy?
Right.
And did you know that there are about 14 thousand species of bats in the world and every year scientists are adding around 20 new ones?
But I'm guessing not all of them have bright orange fur.
No way.
In fact, most of the time, bats look almost identical to each other.
And the only way that scientists are even able to tell if a species is undiscovered or not is by testing a sample of their DNA.
And a DNA sample can be found in things like blood or saliva.
Yeah, so DNA is kind of like a genetic ID badge and it can be used to tell two animals apart, especially when they look almost identical.
Interesting.
So most of the new bat species that are discovered every year look pretty similar to other bat species that we already knew about.
Exactly.
So finding a new species of bat out in the wild that looks completely different from every other bat out there is pretty rare.
So how did they find this brightly colored bat, Mindy?
Oh, I'll tell you all about it on the way to the convention, but first you gotta get your costume on.
Alright.
Okay, now Reggie and I are gonna help you out here.
Just squeeze your legs through here.
And just shove your into the wings here.
Sorry, I made them a little short.
Uh, Reggie, a little help, please?
Okay, now, Guy Raz, I'm gonna pop your head on here, so just stay still, okay?
No, no, I can't see a thing.
Oh, whoopsie.
Let me just open up the mouth here so you can look out.
Ah!
All right, so are you going to get your costume on now?
Oh, well, I decided not to wear a costume this year.
What?
Yeah, it's just a little distracting.
And to be honest, the fans and costumes are just a little over the top.
Guess we're all set to go then.
We don't want to be late.
The convention ends at sunrise.
Come on, let's hurry up.
It's just a little hard to move in this thing.
Through the door.
Now, where did I park my ice cream truck?
Oh, there it is.
Mindy, are you sure I'm going to fit in with this costume on?
Yes, of course I'm not sure, Guy Raz.
Now, here.
Okay, just a little more.
You okay there, buddy?
All right, fire this puppy up.
Taras, Reggie, next stop, Bat Convention.
Yay.
Oh, no, Mr. Pickles.
That tea isn't organically certified.
There we go.
We're here.
Careful there, Guy Razzi.
You're going to tear your bat suit.
Where are we, Mindy?
We're at BatCon.
The bat convention?
It looks like you've brought us to the middle of nowhere.
We're not in the middle of nowhere, Guy Raz.
We're in the middle of Texas.
Texas?
Mindy, what are we doing in Texas?
This is where the convention is being held this year, Guy Raz.
Bracken Cave.
We're just outside of San Antonio.
Oh, yeah.
I've heard of Bracken Cave before.
Isn't this the home to one of the largest bat colonies in the world?
Mm-hmm.
Almost 20 million of them call this place home in the summer.
But tonight, it's bat convention time.
Come on, let's all go inside.
Okay.
Now, let me get out my map here.
Let's see.
Right.
Okay, so the entrance to the bat cave should be just up this way.
Come on, Geras, Reggie, follow me.
Right behind you, Mindy. we're actually going to meet Biotis nimbiontis!
Yeah, so tell me again, Mindy, how exactly did these researchers find this bat?
Oh, okay, so story time.
Once upon a time, a group of scientists from the University of Maruah in Cameroon were out and about frolicking in the forests of Guinea looking for endangered bat species.
When what to their wondering eyes did appear but a bright orange Flappy Flappy coming from the rear?
Was it a common bat species with an interesting hairdo, or something more exotic, more mysterious, more ooh?
Right, because sometimes animals in the wild can have mutations which can make them stand out from the other animals.
But that doesn't necessarily make them different species.
Ah.
But when these scientists got back to camp, they spent the night searching online databases by the light of a lamp.
Searching for a bat that matched what they found online, only to discover something much more profound.
A new species!
I was getting to that part!
Sorry, sorry.
A brand new species, that's what they thought, but not knowing for certain, left them distraught.
They had to be sure, so they went out again, in search of this flappy and furry orange friend.
When they found it, they took lots of pictures.
This orange bat was the most peculiar of creatures.
And P.S., they also took DNA samples.
And what did they find?
Oh, I'll get to that part in a second.
Kairos, Reggie, it looks like we're here.
How do you know?
Well, there's that big banner hanging over the entrance that says Annual Bat Convention.
You're here.
Oh, right.
Oh, look.
And there's a sign that says ticket holder's entrance.
That's us.
Hello, ma'am.
Mr. Pigeon.
Oh, and a very special to you, sir.
Sorry, I don't actually speak that.
Oh, well, your costume is very well done.
Fantastic attention to detail on the orange fur.
I love it.
Thanks.
Actually, my friend Mindy here made it. little bunker balls for Myotis Nimbayensis.
That's great news for you, then.
Myotis Nimbayensis is doing a photo op as we speak.
Oh, my.
Wow.
Did you hear that, Guy Raz?
We can get our photo taken with Myotis Nimbayensis.
I heard, Mindy.
Do you have your tickets for the convention?
Oh, we sure do.
Let me just check my pockets here.
Here you go.
Ooh.
They're sticky.
Yeah, that tends to happen a lot.
Okay, you three are good to go.
Have fun.
We're almost there.
Come on, Guy-Rod.
Reggie, come on.
Wow.
So Mindy, what did these scientists do once they'd taken all those photos and that DNA sample from Myotis nimbiensis?
Oh, well, first, they took all of the photos they had of this funky-looking bat on a world tour.
A world tour?
Uh-huh.
A world tour of museums.
So first, they went to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.
Uh-huh.
And then they took the pictures to the Smithsonian's National History Museum in Washington, D.C.
Yes.
And then the final stop was the British Museum in London.
And why were they visiting all these museums?
Well, as it turns out, these three museums have some of the largest bat collections in the whole world.
They keep swarms of bats in the museums?
No, it's not like that, Guy Raz.
They have Information about every bat species that has ever been discovered.
Oh, and so they were taking these photos to all these different museums to see if they matched up with anything that they had on file.
Exact Doritos.
And what did they find?
Well, they found nothing.
Nothing?
Yeah, nothing.
Zilch.
Nada.
They didn't find a single match?
Well, they did find a lot of related and similar bats, but no bats that were an exact match.
So what happened next?
Hold that thought, Guy Raz.
I think we've made it to the stalagmite convention hall.
Whoa.
What in the wow?
This place is huge, Bindi.
I know.
And check out all of these adorable Adorable little bat booths they have set up.
Flying fox fruit smoothies.
A vampire blood bank.
And look over there, Mindy, on the other side of the wall, above that door.
It says photographs and autograph signings.
I think that's where we need to go.
Oh, good eye, Guy Raz.
Want to lead the way?
Follow me.
Pardon me.
Excuse me.
One giant pigeon.
Sorry.
Just coming through here.
Sorry.
Excuse me.
What a crowd.
So what did they do once they'd taken those bat photos around to all those museums, Mindy?
Okay, so remember how, when the researchers were first taking all of those pictures of Myotis nimbiansis, they also took a DNA sample from it.
Yeah.
After not being able to find any match in any of the museum's archives, they took those DNA samples to a lab to study them.
And?
And they found out that this bat's DNA was at least 5 different compared to its closest living relative.
Meaning that it must be a new species.
Without a shadow of a doubt.
Scientifically proven.
Wow!
Just when you think the universe is about to run out of new discoveries, Scientists uncover a brand new species of bat.
And an orange furry one at that!
You know what they say, orange is the new bat.
I don't think that's a saying.
Okay.
Well, now that you know the backstory, are you ready to meet this superstar bat that you're dressed up like?
I think so...
All right, should be right behind this cave door here.
Just gonna push it open.
What is this thing made out of, stone?
Oh, sorry, it says pull.
Okay, I think we're good.
Whew.
Myotis Nimbiansis.
Oh, it's us.
Here he is.
You want to get your picture with him?
Oh, I don't know.
Last one to Myotis Nimbiansis is a rotten banana.
Wait, Mindy, I can't run in this costume.
Hey, hi, Myotis Nimbiansis.
I'm a...
And my friend Guy Raz here is dressed up like you.
And I made this costume, and we are just monster friends.
Did I say that already?
I think I did.
No, wait.
No, no, no.
Don't be scared.
Don't be scared.
I just want to hug you.
I just want to hug you.
Just come back, Bat.
Come back.
Wow in the World will be right back.
Grown-ups, 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.
And I live in Las Vegas, Nevada.
And did you know that hummingbirds are the only bird that can actually fly backwards?
Bye.
Hi, Mandiana guys.
My name is Bailey, and I live in Mammoth Lake, California.
And my love of the world is that lynx is the truss on top of their ears as hearing aids.
Hi, I'm Dottie, and I live in Nova, Michigan.
My wow is that snake venom is used as medicine.
Say hi to Reggie for me.
Bye.
Hello, my name is Ethan.
I live in Powder Springs.
My wow in the world is that a centipede called Scalopendra can harm people with its sharp claws on its legs.
Hi, Mindy and Gareth.
My name is Isabella.
And mine was Josiah.
We are from Budapest, Hungary.
Our wow in the world is that a midge, a kind of gnat, beats its wings 1,000 times in one second.
Isn't that bonker balls?
Say hi to Grandma G-Force.
Say what?
Thomas Bingley.
Huh?
And Reggie for us.
Hi, my name is Lucy.
I'm from Chicago.
I'm eight years old.
And my wow in the world is that when you melt sand very hot, Turns into glass.
Say hi for Reggie.
Hi, Mindy and Guy Ross.
My name is Margo, and I'm from Boulder, Colorado.
And my wow in the world is that kittens have more bones than adult humans.
Say hi to Reggie, Grandma G-Force, Thomas Finkerling, and Dennis Forney.
Hi there.
Hi, Mindy and Guy Raz.
My name's Soren and I live in Vermont and my wow in the world is that turkey vultures throw off to scare away animals.
Hi, Mindy and Guy Raz.
My name is Penelope, and my wow in the world is that octopuses can lay up to 100,000 eggs.
Say hi to Reggie.
Grandma G-Force.
Oh, yeah.
Guy Raz and Mindy.
Bye, everybody.
Hi, my name is Mary, and I'm 10 years old.
And I'm Maggie, and I'm 11 years old.
We live in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and our world is that babies have around 100 more bones than adults.
Bye.
Doodles.
End of messages.
Hey, everyone.
Thanks so much for hanging out with us this week on Wow in the World.
And to keep the wow rolling, consider becoming a member of our World Organization of Wowzers.
Each membership includes episode, specific digital activities, science experiments, book lists and more.
Plus, you'll get a welcome box including a special edition members only T-shirt and an autographed picture of us.
Find out more at Tinkercast.com.
There you can also find more info on our upcoming shows.
Shop our shop and find our New York Times bestselling book, The How and Wow of the Human Body.
Wow in the World is written by Mindy Thomas and Tom Van Kalken with help from me.
Guy Raz.
Our senior producer, Jed Anderson, brings our show to life with sound design and music editing and is also in charge of wrangling Dennis Thomas Fingerling, Reggie and many of the other silly characters you hear.
And Grandma G-Force wrangles Grandma G-Force.
Grandma G-Force, get out of the credits!
Jessica Bode keeps our facts straight as our fact checker.
And Meredith Halpern-Ranzer powers the wow at, And special thanks to the rest of our Wow in the World team, including Anna Zagorski, Rebecca Caban, Kit Ballinger and Henry Moskal.
Grownups, you can follow Wow in the World on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at Wow in the World.
And our email address is hello 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 the show or on an upcoming new episode of Two.
What's in a Wow?
Also, be sure to subscribe to Wow in the World wherever you get your podcasts.
And you can also ask your smart speaker to play Wow in the World.
Thanks for listening.
And until next time, keep on wowing.
Keep on wowing.
And before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short survey at wondery.com slash survey.
