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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! walking stack of potted plants?
Mindy, it's me.
Faraz, did you turn into plants?
Nice.
It's good luck.
No, I... Hang on.
Let me put these down.
I was just so excited for the theme of today's show that I couldn't resist bringing some of my favorite plants from home.
I mean, not that I have favorites.
You're all my favorites.
My wonderful flora.
Aw, they're beautiful, Guy Raz.
They're like your babies.
Well, I wouldn't go that far, although I did raise them from seeds and I take care of them every day and read them stories at night.
What?
Oh, hang on a sec.
That's my plant parent app telling me it's my peace lily snack time.
Are you hungry, little guy?
You want some water and flower formula?
Aw, who's just a little baby peace lily?
Here comes the watering can.
Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum.
Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum.
Mindy, Guy Raz, quit talking to houseplants.
It's time for the show.
Shave the cream!
We're on in three, two, one!
And now, for everyone's favorite game show, it's Two What's and a What!
The scientific game show that separates the wows from the what's.
And the category or theme for today is plants.
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 plants.
But, and this is a big but.
Only one of those statements will be a true wow.
The other two, just a couple of made up what?
Now, 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, pine cones are actually flowers?
Or is it B, berries only grow on bushes?
Or is it C, when you breathe out carbon dioxide, trees turn it into oxygen?
When you think you have the correct answer, yell, behold! branches.
Psst, Reg, thinking music.
And time is up.
Let's now reveal the winning wow.
And to do just that, it's Jack from New Hampshire.
Jack from New Hampshire, tell us, what's Winning wow.
My wow in the world is that you breathe out carbon dioxide and then trees turn it back into oxygen so you can keep breathing.
Winner, winner, CO2 for dinner.
Thank you, Jack.
Contestants if you guessed the answer C, that when you breathe out carbon dioxide, trees turn it into oxygen.
Well, congratulations.
You found the winning wow.
We humans breathe in gases like oxygen and breathe out another gas called carbon dioxide, or CO2.
But for trees, it's the opposite.
Trees use a process called photosynthesis to pull in CO2.
And using energy from the sun, the trees turn that CO2 into food.
Then they release oxygen back into the air for us to breathe.
Now, if you did not get that answer correct, you must stop, drop and touch the ceiling with your feet.
Okay, round two.
Which of the following statements is a true scientific wow?
Is it A, the oldest known flower was a prehistoric species of daisy?
Or...
Is it B, plants in the bean family make their own fertilizer?
Or is it C, when ivy grows on trees, the roots from both plants combine?
When you think you have the correct answer, yell, my best friend is a bag of mulch!
Hey, Reg, some thinking music, please.
And time is up.
And joining us by phone, it's Griffin from California.
Griffin, please reveal the winning wow.
My wow in the world is that plants in a bean family make your own fertilizer.
Winner, winner, beans for dinner!
That's right, Griffin.
Wowzers, if you guessed the... that plants in the bean family make their own fertilizer, well, congratulations, you found the winning wow.
Plants in the bean family, or legumes, include green beans, soybeans, peas, and lentils.
Legumes make their own usable nitrogen with the help of bacteria, which enriches the soil and helps the legumes grow.
And legumes produce so much nitrogen that the soil stays enriched even after they're pulled out of the ground.
Other plants can absorb that nutrition, which helps those plants grow too.
Now, if you did not get that answer correct, you must stop, drop, and impersonate a Venus flytrap.
Okay, round three.
Which of the following statements is a true scientific wow?
Is it A, potato roots are the only non-edible part of the plant?
Or is it B?
The tallest tree in the world is a sycamore tree named Murphy.
Or is it C?
When a tomato plant is cut, it makes a sound that is too high pitched for humans to hear.
And before we reveal the winning wow, let's take a moment to thank our sponsors.
Today's show is brought to you by... Hang on a sec, Mindy.
Could I do the sponsorship part today?
Oh, sure.
Go for it, Guy Raz.
Okay, here goes.
Today's show is brought to you by compost.
Have you ever thought, I have too many carrot peels and too few daffodils?
Of course, we all have.
Turn your old plants into new plants with compost.
Be amazed as kitchen scraps and yard trimmings decompose and become a delicious snack for your garden.
Compost, it's nature's recycling.
Well said, Guy Razzi.
Now let's take a quick break and hear some other important messages for grown-ups.
To What's in the Wow, we'll 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 wowser 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.
That's it.
Nope. to the show.
Welcome back to Two What's and a Wow.
Two What's and a Wow.
The scientific game show that separates the wows from the what's.
Now, before the break, we left you with a dangling question for round three.
And that question was, which of the following statements is a true scientific wow?
Is it A potato roots are the only non-edible part of the potato plant.
Or is it b the tallest tree in the world is a sycamore named murphy.
Or is it c?
When a tomato plant is cut, it makes a sound that is too high pitched for humans to hear.
And, joining us by phone to reveal the answer, it's lenny from iowa.
Lenny, what's the wow is that when a tomato plant is cut, it makes a high-pitched sound that is too high-pitched for humans to hear.
Winner, winner, tomatoes for dinner!
Thank you, Lenny!
Contestants if you guessed the answer C, that when a tomato plant is cut, it makes a sound that is too high pitched for humans to hear.
Well, congratulations, you found the winning wow.
Scientists in Tel Aviv placed microphones on tomato plants and discovered that they make a high pitched sound when they were excited or afraid.
The tomato plants also made noises when they were happy and healthy, but not as loudly or frequently.
Humans can't hear these noises, but animals like mice and bats can.
Now, if you did not get that answer correct, you must stop, drop, and smell the invisible flowers.
Oh, Guy Raz, that sound can mean only one thing.
It's time for our annual dental exam?
Nope.
It's time for today's Bonker Balls bonus round.
And the question for this round is, what's in the box?
Uh-oh, not one of your mystery boxes.
Want to guess what it is?
Uh... Here, I'll shake it.
It sounds squishy.
Is this some kind of slime?
Close.
It's today's prize.
Okay, what's today's prize?
Well, Guy Raz, today's winning Wowzers will all receive their very own.
What's an ice cream?
Hairstyle kit.
Oh, it's great, Guy Raz.
It's for when your ice cream is feeling a little bald and you want to give it some nice hair.
I don't think anyone wants hair in their ice cream.
Not human hair.
Gross.
I'm talking about ice cream hair, like whipped cream and sprinkles.
Ooh, toppings.
Yep.
Hey, Reg, cue the prize cannon.
Woof, woof. all the cherries on top.
Okay, 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 Plant Pal.
For this challenge, we want you to find a plant to take care of.
It could be a tree in the park or a potted plant in your house.
Find out what kind of plant it is and what it needs to be healthy.
Some plants like more water than others.
Some like sunshine and others like shade.
And make sure to get permission from a grown-up before you touch a plant that doesn't belong to you.
And don't forget to take a photo or a 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 and a Wow is executive produced by Meredith Halpern-Ranzer, Mindy Thomas and me.
Our writers are Ruth Morrison and Anna Zagorski.
Sound production and design is by Marion Lozano, with help from Jed Anderson and Tyler Thole.
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 thepopups.com.
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 and 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 twowhatsandawow.com.
And our email address is hello at tinkercast.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 and playing along.
Meet us back here on Monday for Wow in the World. was made by Tinkercast and sent to you by Wondery.
