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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.
Oh, hey, Guy Raz.
What are you doing here?
What am I doing in the studio?
I'm here for our weekly game show.
You know, the one we do every week.
Yeah, and we do it every week.
Isn't it time we change things up a little bit?
Well, what did you have in mind?
So glad you asked.
You know, it just so happens that my sleigh cats have graduated from stunt cat school.
Come here, Wait, you actually put your cats through stunt school?
I didn't even know you could do that.
I thought you were joking.
Kairos, I've never told a joke in my life.
Yes, you... Gotcha!
That was a joke.
I'm hilarious.
Wait, what were you talking about again?
Your cats?
Oh, right, right, right.
So I've got a whole arena set up.
Debbie is going to be shot out of a cannon.
And Miss Dixon is going to ride her motorcycle through a hoop of fire.
Ah!
For the finale, Steve will jump out of a giant pyrotechnic explosion.
Hey, Mindy.
Hey, Guy.
Look at this mysterious red button I found.
I should definitely press it, right?
I'm going to press it.
What?
No, Dennis, no.
Press.
Whoopsie.
My arena.
So, uh...
The game show?
Yeah, let's do the game show.
Good idea.
You there, power the plants!
And you, fish the food!
And Reggie, work the benches!
We're on in three, two, one!
And now, for everyone's favorite game show, it's... Two What's and a What!
A scientific game show that separates the wows from the what?
And the category or theme for today is cats.
Mindy, why don't you refresh our contestants on how the game works?
You know it.
Wowsers in each of our three rounds.
Today, Guy Raz and I will present you with three scientific statements about cats.
But, and this is a big one, Only one of those statements will be a true wow.
The other two, just a couple of made-up what?
In each round, if you guess correctly, congratulations, you win a point.
But if you guess incorrectly, you must stop, drop, and do a ridonkulous physical challenge.
Okay, everyone ready to start the game?
Great, then let's do it.
Okay, round one.
Which of the following statements is a true scientific wow?
Is it A, cats have the same number of toes as humans?
Or is it B, cats cannot feel their whiskers?
Or is it C, cats sleep 15 hours per day and they dream?
When you think you have the correct answer.
Yell, I scratched up Reggie, let's get some thinking music.
And time is up.
Let's now reveal the winning wow.
And to do just that, it's Atticus from Wisconsin.
Atticus from Wisconsin wins.
What's the winning wow?
Hi, Mindy and Guy Raz.
My wow in the world is that my cat, Phil, and other cats can sleep about 15 hours per day.
Scientists say that cats also dream, too.
Winner, winner, dreams for dinner!
Thank you, Atticus.
Contestants.
If you guessed the answer, see that cats sleep 15 hours per day and they dream well.
Congratulations, you found the winning wow.
On average, cats sleep about 15 hours a day.
But some cats can sleep up to 20.
In fact, cats spend about 70% of their life asleep.
Cats tend to take short naps or cat naps throughout the day.
They're relatively alert during their naps and they'll wake up if there's something interesting going on.
But cats also have periods of drowsiness. deep sleep, and scientists believe that's when they dream.
Now, if you did not get the answer correct, you must stop, drop, and chase your tail.
Ooh, yeah, go get that tail.
Okay, round two.
Which of the following statements is a true scientific wow?
Is it A, lions are the only cats who live in groups?
Or is it B, the smallest species of cat is the sand cat?
Or is it C, ocelots are the only species of cat who can't swim?
When you think you have the correct answer, yell, smell my tuna breath!
Psst, hey, Rich, let's get some thinking music.
And time is up.
And joining us by phone to reveal the winning wow, it's Nico from Illinois.
Nico, what's the wow?
My wow in the world is that lions are the only cats that live in groups or also called prides.
Isn't that bonker balls?
Winner, winner, dandelions for dinner.
That's right, Nico.
Wowzers, if you guessed A that lions are the only cats who live in groups well congratulations, you found the winning wow.
Most wild cats are solitary, meaning that they live and hunt by themselves.
But lions live in groups called prides, which can consist of three to 30 lions.
Living in a pride makes life easier and safer for lions.
And every lion has a role to play.
Lionesses hunt together in a group and work together to raise cubs.
Male lions patrol and protect the pride's territory and guard the cubs while the lionesses are out hunting.
Now, if you did not get that answer correct, you must stop, drop, and meow your ABCs.
Okay, round three.
Or is it B?
There is only one species of wild cat that's native to Antarctica.
Or is it C?
Cheetah's black eye markings cut down on glare from the sun.
Now, before we reveal the winning wow, let's take a moment to thank our sponsors.
Today's show is brought to you by Licking Yourself Clean, the age-old tradition of grooming your fur with your tongue.
Today's show is also brought to you by Hairballs, the age-old tradition of swallowing too much fur and puking it back up.
And now, a live demonstration from the Stunt Cats.
Bath time, kiddies!
Uh, I think we'll skip the demonstration today.
Let's cut to a message for grown-ups.
To What's in a Wow, we'll be right back.
Grown-ups, this message is for you.
Hey, grown-ups, 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.
Welcome back to Two What's and a Wow.
The scientific game show that separates the wows from the what's.
And now we're ready to answer the dangling question we left you with for round three.
And that question was, which of the following statements is a true scientific wow?
Is it A, House cats are the only kind of cats who purr.
Or is it B. There is only one species of wild cat that's native to Antarctica.
Or is it C. Cheetah's black eye markings cut down on glare from the sun.
And joining us by phone to reveal the answer, it's Isaac.
Isaac, please reveal the winning wow.
Hi, my name is Isaac.
My wow is that cheetah's black eye markings cut down the sun's glare, so the cheetah can focus on its prey.
Winner, winner, black eyes for dinner.
Thank you, Isaac.
Contestants.
If you guess the answer C, that cheetah's black eye markings cut down on glare from the sun Well, congratulations.
You've found the winning wow.
Many cat species do most of their hunting at night, but cheetahs hunt during the day.
They also live in open grasslands that get lots of sun and not a lot of shade.
But a cheetah's black tear marks, which are called malar stripes, absorb sunlight so they can keep their focus on their prey.
It works so well that NFL football players sometimes put a dark smudge under their eyes, too.
Now, if you did not get that answer correct, you must stop, drop, and hunt down a gazelle.
That sound can mean only one thing.
Scientists finally found life on Mars?
Nope.
It's time for today's Bunker Balls bonus round.
And the question for this round is...
If you were a microorganism, what microorganism would you be?
Hmm, I guess I would be some kind of algae.
It's like the kale of the sea.
Really?
Because I think you're a fun guy.
You get it, Guy Raz?
Fun guy?
Fun guy?
Uh, well, yeah, I do.
Well, congratulations to all of our winning wowzers.
Mindy, what's today's prize?
Guy Raz, today's winning wowsers will receive their very own invisible dirt spoon.
Dirt spoon?
Yeah, it's a really big spoon that you can use to scoop up dirt.
Uh, so a shovel?
No, Guy Raz, it's a dirt spoon.
But you use it to shovel dirt.
Right.
So it's called a... Oh, never mind.
Well, that's all the time we have for today.
But before we go, we have a little scientific challenge for you.
We call it Operation Pick a Paw.
Just like humans can be left or right handed, cats can be left or right pawed.
So for this challenge, we want you to watch your cat or a friend or family member's cat, And see which pot uses to bat at a toy mouse or push your water glass off the table.
Don't forget to take a photo or video.
Grown-ups, you can upload pictures and videos to us at Tinkercast.com slash share.
And be sure to come back on Monday for a brand new episode of Wow in the World.
And again on Friday for a new episode of Two What's and a Wow.
Until then, keep on wowing.
Two What's, Two What's.
Do What's in a Wow is executive produced by Meredith Halpern-Ranzer, Mindy Thomas, and me, Guy Raz.
Our writers are Ruth Morrison and Anna Zagorski.
Sound production and design is by Marion Lozano, with help from Jed Anderson and Tyler Thull.
Special thanks to Steph Sosa, Henry Moskal, Rebecca Caban, Sana Elamohamed and all of the other tinkerers at Tinkercast HQ.
Our theme song was written and composed by The Pop-Ups.
For more on their three-time Grammy-nominated all-ages music, find them at thepopupscom.
To keep the wows rolling, visit us at tinkercastcom, where you can become an official member of the World Organization of Wowsers.
Find our two What's in a Wow Think and Tinker playbook and learn about all of our other amazing podcasts from Tinkercast.
Grownups.
You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at.
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 1-888-7WOW-WOW.
Thanks again for listening and playing along.
Meet us back here on Monday for Wow in the World.
This was made by Tinkercast and sent to you by Wondery.
