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 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!
Thanks for the lift.
And look at this.
The mall now has pigeon parking.
Wow.
I feel like I haven't been to the mall in such a long time.
Are you guys ready to go in?
Oh, actually, hold on a sec.
Just get this here.
Okay.
Cheese!
No, wait.
I can do better.
Hi!
No, too Mindy, what are you doing?
Hold on a sec, Guy Raz.
Let's see here.
Thursday.
Thursday.
Oh, yeah.
Hey, Guy Raz, does this selfie make my smile look happy?
And send.
What in the... Mindy, why are you texting me?
I'm standing right next to you.
Ah.
Sorry, Guy Raz.
I'm trying to practice my best smile before we go into the mall photography studio and I need you to look at it.
Mindy, there's no such thing as a best smile or a worst smile.
A smile is just something that we humans do to show that we're happy.
Okay, so this one or this one?
Mindy, are you even listening to a word I'm saying?
Yes, of course I'm not listening to a word you're saying, Guy Raz.
So which one makes me look the happiest?
Is it this one where I'm saying cheese or this one where I'm saying Thursday?
Mindy!
It's a scientific question, Guy Raz.
Huh?
Listen, I just read this new research that suggests that even fake smiles can make us feel happier.
Huh.
The science of smiling?
Tell me more.
Oh, I'll tell you more.
But look, Guy Raz, we're here.
The mall.
Whoa.
Build-A-Pair Workshop, Food Locker, Uncle Annie's, Amber Crumpy and Snit.
Wow, it sure is crowded in here.
Teenagers, they're everywhere.
Hi, teenagers.
Cool style.
Hey, Mindy, where's everyone else?
Are they meeting us in the photography studio?
Oh, good question.
Mindy, Mindy.
Oh, hi, Dennis.
Look at this shirt I just got at American Ego.
Oh, wow.
It's covered in ducks.
Do you think they look like me?
Well, I think they look like me was her little yellow rubber ducky, but that's mostly because I had jaundice for the first three years of my life.
Dennis, where's Grandma G-Force and Thomas Fingerling?
Oh, they wanted to pop into Hot Toothpick to get some new clothes for the photo we're taking today.
Hot Toothpick?
Isn't that a store for teenagers?
Did somebody call my name?
No, no, I said teen-agers.
Exactly.
Grandma G-Force! swimsuit.
In the mall.
Yep, and I just test drove it in that fountain over there.
You what?
You were swimming in the fountain?
Well, I weren't swimming as much as I was diving for all the sunken treasure.
Sunken treasure?
Those were people's wishes.
Yeah, well, they're my wishes now.
Ooh, jackpot!
Oh, yeah.
Ah, G-Force, is that what you're planning to wear for the picture we're taking today?
Yep.
Hooray!
We have a water theme!
G-Force is in her swimsuit.
I'm in my ducky shirt.
Reggie!
Quick!
Go get a snorkel or a fish to hang out of your beak.
Oh, boy.
I thought we all agreed to wear the kind of clothes that we would wear to a nice restaurant.
We are!
Wait a minute.
Is that Thomas Fingerling?
What's he riding on?
Where in the world did he find a rascal's scooter?
Tommy!
Hey, Tommy!
Over here!
Can you see us?
Stop!
Bangerling, where have you been?
You said you were going to help me collect...
Coins from the fountain.
Well, you said we were going to meet at the Forever 81.
Well, I forgot about that.
Okay, everyone.
May I have your attention, please?
Yes.
What did she say?
Now.
As you know, in a few minutes, we have an appointment at Smile Shots Photography Studio.
That's right.
Mindy thought it would be nice to have a professional group photo taken to mark this moment in our friendship.
Aww, that's cute.
But I did warn her that this would probably be a disaster, and so far, I am proving to be right.
Hey, that's not fair.
But I didn't say it wasn't worth it anyway.
Aww.
Isn't that nice?
Mindy, is that the photography studio over there?
Smile shots?
Where?
Tommy, can't you see it?
Smile shots.
It's right there between the Game Start and the Lulu Lemonade.
Oh, yeah.
I still can't see it.
Oh, yeah.
Smile shots.
That's where we're going.
Come on, everyone.
Follow me inside.
Come on.
Okay.
Okay.
Hello there.
Welcome to Smile Shots.
Do you have an appointment?
Yes, we do.
The name is under Mindy.
Okay, let's see here.
Mindy.
Mindy.
Ah, and it looks like you selected the pet package.
Did you bring a small four-legged furry friend with you today?
Yeah, her name's G-Force.
Get on up there, G-Force.
Woof!
Well, if you mean four of my legged friends, then yes.
And Reggie is more feathered than furry, so... Oh, my.
That is a very large, uh, pigeon?
Yeah, he drank a lot of milk in the 80s, and now he's big and strong.
Oh, right.
80s milk.
Makes total sense.
Well, please have a seat in the waiting area while I prepare the photo studio.
All right.
Sure, thanks.
Oh, okay.
No.
I'm going to go help the photographer set up.
Uh, I don't think... Too late.
Dennis.
Wait for me, Mr. Photographer.
What are we shooting on?
A 5D?
An A7?
A B12?
Uh, well... I'm going to take a nap.
Oh.
Check it out, Mindy.
This place has a copy of one of my favorite science journals, Nature Human Behavior.
What?
No way.
That's the journal with the new study on smiling that I mentioned earlier.
Hmm.
Study on smiling.
Let me see here.
Oh, is this the one led by Nicholas Coles, the research scientist from Stanford University in California?
Yeah, that's the one.
See, for years, scientists have argued over whether the act of smiling can make a person feel happy.
Well, isn't that obvious, Mindy?
I mean, when we're happy, we kind of can't help but smile.
That's true.
But these scientists have been arguing over whether the opposite is true.
You know...
When we're happy, we smile, but does it work the other way around?
Aha.
So the question becomes, can smiling make us feel happy?
Exactoritos.
It says here this idea of smiling making us feel happier is called the facial feedback hypothesis.
Oh, yeah.
The facial feedback hypothesis is the educated guess that basically says that part of the way we experience emotions is determined by what we're feeling in our bodies.
Right, right.
So, for example, if our heart is racing, it could amplify or make stronger the feeling of fear.
Yeah, and in this case, if we're physically smiling with our mouths and cheeks and eyes...
It could actually make us start to feel happier.
Uh-huh.
A connection between the mind and the body.
You know it.
What do you mean you don't have the backdrop with all the lasers on it?
It's a classic.
Uh, sir, that backdrop is for elementary students from 1989.
Fine.
Then how about heart-shaped bubbles?
Sir.
What?
Uh, maybe we should go rescue the photographer from Dennis?
Oh, good idea, Guy Raz.
Uh, hey, Dennis?
Oh, Mindy, I'm so glad you're here.
We can't possibly have our photo taken in this place.
What's going on in here, Dennis?
This photographer...
Doesn't like my vision.
I'm sorry.
You're the customer, and the customer is always right.
Yes, I am.
I'm almost finished setting up.
Are you all ready for the photo shoot?
Oh, yeah.
Dennis, will you go wake up Thomas Fingerling and Grandma G-Force?
And bring Reggie in here, too, please.
Aye, aye, captains.
As per his vision, Mr. Dennis has requested that the group photo be taken with our bathtub prop.
What?
Well, he says you're doing a water theme and the bathtub we use for cute photos of babies and toddlers will go best with his rubber ducky shirt.
That's fine.
We'll go with it.
Okay.
The customer is always mistaken.
What was that?
I said I'll go get the bathtub out of the storage room.
Be back in a minute.
Thank you!
Guy Ross, that better be a big bathtub to fit all of us.
Yeah.
Anyway, Mindy, um...
Back to this smile study?
Oh, yeah.
The idea that forced or fake smiling can actually make us feel happier?
Yes, yes.
It says here that Dr Coles and his team gathered other scientists from around the world to help him in what became a major group project on the subject of smiling.
And among these scientists, some believed from the beginning that the act of smiling could make a person feel happier.
But some said, no way!
Happiness only comes from the inside.
Well, it says here that the researchers then brought in 3878 participants or volunteers from different countries.
To smile.
For science!
They sure did.
Who knew smiling could be so scientific?
Well, I guess everything can be scientific if you dig deep enough.
Why are you... so cranky?
Because you woke me up from that golden slumber.
I do not want to be here anymore.
Uh-oh.
Well, we need to take this picture to prove our friendship.
It's the law.
It is not the law.
It is so.
Bye.
Get out of my way.
What in the?
Uh, hi.
Hi.
Excuse me.
Is everyone ready to get their picture taken?
No.
This is not good, Mindy.
Oh.
Why do you all look so unhappy?
We're supposed to get our picture taken together.
You know, to commemorate our friendships and maybe send out as a card on holidays.
Grumble, grumble.
I don't want to smile, Mindy.
Mindy, I don't think we're going to get any of them to smile for this picture.
Wait a minute.
Did you just hear that?
No.
Yes, I mean no.
Mindy, the last time you hatched an idea, I wound up in a panda costume covered in horse poop.
Yeah, that was a good one.
But for this idea, we are going to use science to get everyone to smile for the picture.
Uh-huh.
Are you thinking of doing the same experiment that the researchers did with these thousands of participants from all over the world?
I sure am, Guy Raz.
So in that study, the scientists broke the participants up into three groups.
Well, we've only got three people, uh, plus a pigeon.
Yeah.
That should work.
And looking at the study here, it looks like the first group was told to put a pen between their teeth, sideways across their mouth, while not allowing their lips to touch it.
Yeah, because doing this sort of forces your smile muscles into a smile whether you like it or not.
Hey, Grandma G-Force.
What?
Can you do us a favor and go sit in front of the camera there with this pen between your teeth, just kind of sideways.
Well, okay.
And whatever you do, don't let your lips touch the pen.
Can I eat the pen?
What?
No!
Okay, you drive a hard bargain, I see.
How about I only eat half the pen?
Grandma G-Force, no, you can't eat any of the pen.
Well, come.
Okay, here we go.
One bathtub.
Everybody in.
Okay, Grandma G-Force, keep that pen in your teeth and go get in the tub, okay?
Mindy, it says here in the study that the next group of participants was asked to mimic the facial expressions of actors smiling in photos.
Yes, uh, okay, uh, oh, hey, Dennis!
What is it, Mindy?
Do you want lunch?
Are you hungry?
Because I'm hungry, and I want lunch.
We'll get some lunch after we take the group photo, okay, Dennis?
But I'm so hungry that I've gone and gotten cranky, and now I want Poopoo Panda Express.
Not until after, Dennis.
Because right now we'd like you to go sit in that bathtub over there and try to make the same facial expression as Guy Raz is making in this picture here on my computer.
Fine, let me see.
Here we go.
Mindy, he's smiling in this picture and I'm hungry, Cranky.
But if you mimic his smile, then... Then I will look like Guy Raz?
You might.
Oh, boy!
How's this, Mindy?
Mindy, am I doing it?
Do I look like Guy Raz?
Mindy, you're not looking.
You got it!
Mindy.
It also says here that for the third group, the researchers asked the participants to move the corners of their lips towards their ears and lift their cheeks, using only the muscles in their face.
Huh.
Uh, okay.
Hey!
Thomas Fingerling!
What?
Come here!
Oh, okay.
Okay, Mr. Fingerling, can you move the corners of your lips up to your ears?
Uh... And then lift your cheeks using only the muscles in your face?
Face muscles?
Wow, I look like a bodybuilder to you.
Yes?
Food-a-lally.
You can do it, Mr. Fingerling.
I know you can.
Come on, Mr. Fingerling, let's see you try.
Well, okay, let's see here.
Corners of my mouth...
Up my ears.
Yeah, you got it.
Now lift your cheeks using only the muscles in your face.
Okay.
Lifting cheeks.
Like this.
Yes.
Exactly.
You're doing it, Thomas Fingerling.
Now go sit in the bathtub in front of the camera with the others.
Well, okay.
Hey, Tommy.
Do I look like I rock?
Kinda.
Fingerling, what's wrong with your face?
I'm not sure.
Here, let me slap it back into shape.
Oh, thanks.
No!
No, Grandma G-Force, leave his face alone!
Reggie, can you go over there and make sure that they don't get their faces out of position?
Hey, Pigeon.
Reggie, do I look like Guy Raz?
Oh, Reggie.
Look, Mindy, they're all smiling.
Your face still looks weird.
The same as yours.
Yeah, in their own weird and scientific way.
I guess they are, Guy Raz.
But do you think their forced smiles are actually making them feel as happy as they look?
Well, it's possible.
See, there were some more steps involved in the actual study.
For example, among the three groups of smilers the researchers had half the participants look at pictures of cute puppies and flowers and rainbows, things like that.
So, happy things.
Yeah, and they had the other half of the smilers just look at a blank screen.
And it says here that after they did all this, they asked the participants to rate how happy they were feeling.
They sure did.
And what they found was pretty bonker balls.
Oh, yeah?
Oh, yeah.
But before I tell you what they discovered, let's go over and see how our little experiment is working.
Yeah, I'm wondering if these fake smiles are actually making our friends feel happier.
Hey, Grandma G-Force!
How you feeling?
Grrrr!
Yeah, she doesn't seem any happier than when she started, Mindy.
If anything, she seems even more surly than usual.
Okay, okay, well, we still have two more to go.
Uh, Dennis!
Yes?
How are you feeling?
Well, only two moments ago, I was the mayor of Hungryville.
But now, I'm the mayor of Twinsville!
Right, Guy Raz?
Ha! is making Dennis feel more happy than angry.
Oh, God!
Maybe I can be your stunt double!
Oh, Dennis.
And then I can jump in a pile of horse poop or rollerblade through a pool of oobleck or get flushed into a time-traveling toilet.
Oh, wait, those are all my stunts.
Oh, and how about you, Thomas Fingerling?
How are you feeling?
How does it look like I'm feeling?
Well, you look pretty happy to us.
My face is stuck!
Oh!
But I kind of like it.
Mindy, it seems like our experiment worked.
Two of our three friends who were tricked into smiling.
Well, they're actually feeling happier than they were just a few minutes ago.
Pretty bonker balls, huh?
Twins!
And this is exactly what this team of researchers found as well.
By forcing yourself to smile, it's possible that you could actually improve your mood.
Yeah, but I did notice that it didn't work for Grandma G-Force with that pen in her mouth.
Yeah, the researchers basically found the same thing.
And they're not exactly sure why it didn't work, but some believe it's because it doesn't force your face into what feels like a real, genuine smile.
Uh-huh.
Well, that would make sense.
But the other two fake smiling techniques showed enough evidence to strongly suggest that our emotions are connected to what we feel in our bodies on the outside.
Uh-huh, and it's that guy connection between our minds and our bodies that determines how we experience emotion.
Exactly.
And now I want to walk around all day with furrowed eyebrows to see if it makes me start to feel angry.
Well, you might want to try that experiment another day Mindy, because we've got a group picture to take.
Hurry up, you two!
It's getting crappy!
It doesn't even have no water in it.
And it looks like the smiles have worn off.
Come along, you two!
Okay, everyone.
Make some room in that bathtub.
Now, on the count of three, everyone say, wow.
One, two, three.
Got it.
I blinked.
I dribbled a little bit.
Yeah, me too.
All right.
I'll take another one.
Everyone say, cheese.
Cheese.
Cheese!
That one felt good.
Dennis' head was blocking my face.
Oh, sorry, I was looking in the wrong direction.
Okay, okay, going again.
Everyone say whatever you want.
Who cares?
Uh-oh, someone's getting grumpy.
Here, Mr. Potato Man, put this pin between your teeth and it'll make you feel better.
Really?
No.
Everyone say Thursday.
Thursday!
Let's say Friday instead.
Yeah, Friday!
Good idea.
Friday's way better than Thursday.
Friday is my day.
Wow in the World will be right back.
Grown-ups.
This message is for you grown-ups.
It's mindy and guy ross 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.
My name is O'Brien and I live in Denver, Colorado.
My wow in the world is that it takes like eight minutes to reach from the sun to earth.
So if the sun was to automatically just disappear, you wouldn't notice anything for the first eight minutes.
Isn't that bonker balls?
Thanks.
Love your show.
Hi, my name is Victor and I live in Ashland, Massachusetts.
And my wow is that red pandas are not pandas at all.
They're in a different family.
Bye.
Say hi to Reggie, please.
Bye.
Hello, my name is Natasha and I live in California and I am seven years old and my wow in the world is that duck-billed platypuses are mammals and they lay eggs.
Isn't that bonker, Bo?
Say hi to Reggie.
Thomas Fingerling.
Howdy.
And a special hi to Grandma G-Force.
Oh, isn't that nice?
Hi, my name is Lillian.
I live in Seattle, Washington.
Did you know that otters can have between 600,000 and 1 million hair fall kills per square inch?
Isn't that crazy?
And my wow in the world is that the Earth is not actually a perfect sphere.
The Earth is like an oval, more like an egg.
Say hi to Daddy, Static Man, Baby B, and Dennis Wormy. world is that cats have a third eyelid.
It's called a nictitating membrane.
That's an extra layer of protection for their eyes.
Isn't that bonkers, Bob?
Say hi to Reggie and Dennis and Grandma Dee Horse for me.
Hi there.
What?
I wasn't sleeping.
It's your Aunt Mojo.
I'm up here with the cats.
You're allergic to cats?
Bye.
End of messages.
Wow in the World is written by Mindy Thomas and, and music editing is done by our supervising 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 her facts straight as her 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 Steph Sosa, Henry Moskal, Anna Daniker, Rebecca Caban, Kit Ballinger, Sana Ali-Mohamed, Anna Zagorski and all of the other tinkerers at Tinkercast HQ.
To keep the wows rolling, visit us at Tinkercastcom, where you can become an official member of the World Organization of Wowsers.
Learn about upcoming events, shop our wow shop, find our New York Times bestselling books And learn about all of our other amazing podcasts from Tinkercast.
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 our show or an upcoming episode of Two What's and a Wow.
Thanks again for listening, and until next time, keep on wowing!
Wow in the World was made by Tinkercast and sent to you by Wondery.
