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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!
Mindy, are you in here in the dark?
91, 92, 93.
Mindy, why are all the lights off?
11, 15.
Gross, you made me lose count.
Lose count of what?
You can't even see anything in here.
It's pitch black.
I was counting my steps, seeing how many it takes for me to tiptoe to the refrigerator.
Well, let me turn on the lights so you can at least see where you're walking.
Here we go.
Turn the lights back off.
This is how I'm training for the Midnight Snacking Olympics.
That's a thing?
Yeah, the biggest event of the year for the snacking community.
The what?
Listen, if I'm even going to have a chance at winning that lifetime supply of snacks, I gotta buckle down.
Perfect my midnight sneak, you know.
No, I...
Don't know.
Well, if you're going to be tiptoeing through your kitchen in the dark, at least carry a flashlight with you.
Light.
Huh?
You just reminded me about the theme of today's Two What's in a Wow.
Come on.
We've got a game show to do.
All right.
Cue the microwave.
Clean out the fridge.
And release the fireflies in three, two.
And now for everyone's second favorite game show, after dressing up in a costume and begging strangers for free candy.
It's Two What's and a Run of Two What's and a Wow.
The scientific game show that separates the wows from the what's.
The category for today is light.
Mindy, why don't you refresh our contestants on how the game works?
You know it.
Wowzers, we are going to present you with three scientific statements about light.
But only one of those statements will be a true wow.
The other two?
Just a couple of made up what?
Okay, enough keeping you in the dark.
Let's get started.
Which of the following statements about light is a true scientific wow?
Is it A, scientists found a way to make cats glow?
Or is it B, you can roast a marshmallow using 100 glow sticks?
Or is it C, The very first light bulbs ever invented still work.
Think you know the answer?
Don't ignore the light bulb above your head.
Write it down, sneak into the kitchen, and hang it on the fridge.
We're going to give you a quick break to give you a chance to think.
And when we come back, we'll find out if your wow is the winning wow.
Two What's in a Wow will be right back.
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.
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.
That's Tinkercast.com slash toys.
That's it.
Now back to the show.
Okay, Wowzers, enough of the suspense.
It is now time to reveal the winning wow.
But before we do, let's do a lightning quick review.
We gave you three statements about light and challenged you to guess which one was the one.
True wow,
Was it A, scientists found a way to make cats glow?
Or was it B, you can roast a marshmallow using 100 glow sticks?
Or was it C, the very first light bulbs ever invented still work?
Joining us by phone with the answer to today's question is George from St.
Louis, Missouri.
George?
What's the wow?
Hi, my name is George Daly.
I live in St.
Louis, Mo.
And my wow is that fluorescent cats exist.
Winner, winner, cold pizza for dinner.
George, that is correct.
Wowzers, if you guessed A that scientists have found a way to make cats glow, you found the winning wow.
Congratulations.
Scientists have actually found a way to make fluorescent cats exist, meaning that they glow under certain kinds of light.
Glowing cats?
Glowing cats, Guy Raz.
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota have managed to make a fluorescent feline by inserting a special glowing molecule into the cat's genomes.
Where did they get a thing like that?
Well, Guy Raz, they nabbed it from these jellyfish that glow green naturally out in the oceans.
And when scientists take that glow-causing gene out of the jellyfish and put it into the cat, they get a light-up kitty.
Their coats, claws, whiskers, noses and tongues all glowed green under blue light.
Kind of brings a whole new meaning to the compliment, you're glowing, huh?
I'm definitely going to be seeing cats in a new light after this.
As for the rest of the answers, if you chose B or C, those are still pretty bright guesses.
If you chose B, while you cannot roast a marshmallow using glow sticks, you might be better off eating ice cream by the light of a glow stick.
Glow sticks are actually the only man-made light source that produce light without noticeable heat.
And if you guessed option C, you weren't far off.
While the very first light bulbs from the 1800s are no longer functional, there was a neon light from the 1930s found still burning after being switched on during the Great Depression.
It burned for 77 years and the electric bill came to $17,000.
Shocking.
Guy Raz, why don't you tell our winning wowsers what they want?
Well Mindy, all of our contestants today will be taking home their very own invisible cat to human translator.
With this device, you can seamlessly translate human words to meows or vice versa.
No more wondering what your cat really thinks about dogs or where they'd like to be scratched.
You can just ask a cat.
Does this mean I can ask your sleigh cats to stop using my zen sand garden as a litter box?
You know it.
And with this translator, they'll be able to understand you, too.
But I can't promise they'll listen.
Well, that's about all the time we have for today.
But before we go, we have one last scientific challenge for you.
We call it Operation Glow with the If something is opaque, it doesn't let any light through.
If something is transparent, it lets all light through.
And if something is translucent, it lets some light through.
Wowzers, we challenge you to go on a hunt around your house for opaque materials, transparent and translucent objects.
So grab a flashlight, shine it behind a few items and take note of the amount of light that shines through.
Be sure to get creative and try out lots of different materials.
A blanket, a book, a window, your own hand, a t-shirt, a thinner t-shirt, an even thinner t-shirt, an even thinner.
Okay Mindy, let's let them get to work.
Right.
And when you finish this challenge, tell us what you find.
Maybe something surprised you.
Maybe something made a cool pattern.
Grownups, you can upload photos and videos to us at Tinkercast.com slash share.
And be sure to check back on Friday for a brand new episode of Two What's and a Wow.
Until then, keep on wowing!
Two What's and a Wow was produced by Mindy Thomas and me.
Our writers team is made up of Anna Zagorski, Darnell Walker, and Heba Gouda.
Jason Rabinowitz adds The Wows as our audio producer.
Jessica Bode keeps our facts straight.
Jacob Stein rounds out our creative team.
And Meredith Halpern-Ranzer powers The Wow at Tinkercast.
Special thanks to Anya Grunman and the team at NPR.
Our theme song was written and composed by The Pop Ups.
For more on their three-time Grammy-nominated all-ages music, find them...
And if you'd like to become a member of the World Organization of Wowzers, where you can get an autographed picture of me and Mindy, an exclusive t-shirt, magnifying goggles, special activities for each episode and much more, visit Tinkercastcom to find out how.
And for more up-to-date news, you can find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at WowInTheWorld.
Our email address is hello at wowintheworld.com.
Finally, if you're a kid with a big wow to share, it could be used on an upcoming episode of Two.
What's in a Wow?
Call us at 1-888-7-WOW-WOW.
Thanks again for listening.
Now go forth and find your wow.
What's in the Wow is made by Tinkercast.
Grownups, if you like Wow in the World, you can listen early and ad-free right now on Wondery+.
Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Wondery Kids Plus on Apple Podcasts.
Prime members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music.
And before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short survey at wondery.com slash survey.
