Hey, grownups.
I'm Meredith Halpern Ranzer, the chief executive tinkerer and co-founder of Tinkercast.
You may have heard my name at the end of the credits.
As they say, I power the wow, but I don't do it alone.
I've had the absolute pleasure of steering this ship with the most talented crew of tinkerers you can imagine.
This team of writers producers musicians educators parents, former children, not only embody the spirit of play, curiosity and innovation, but they've made it their life's work to create content that inspires play, curiosity and innovation.
Right now, we need your help to keep the wind in our sails and keep us wowing.
This is our final week of our Fund Drive and we're so grateful for those of you that have already contributed.
Truly it means the world to us to know how much you value what we do, but we're not even close to meeting our goal.
Whatever you're able to give helps, and for those of you with means to help significantly.
We really need you now.
When we started up Tinkercast nine years ago, many of us were parents, just like you.
And as parents, we wanted our kids to look up, have conversations, feel agency in their world.
As media makers, we wanted to tell stories that could connect laughter to learning and kids to the real, amazing wows in their world.
Since then we've built a company we've always wanted to work at, with the dream team we wanted to play, tinker and grow with.
And grow we did.
In fact, our audience, that's you, is still growing every month.
We're so honored.
You welcome our shows into your homes, your cars, your ears, your imaginations and your worlds every week.
We hear from you that we bring your family joy and laughter and a shared experience that brings you closer together.
And we want to keep doing that for your family and for those families that are just discovering our shows now.
Again, this is our last week of asking our audience directly for financial support.
We still have a long way to go to meet our goal.
Please visit Tinkercast.com slash support and give what you can.
You could also choose from a handful of different thank you gifts for your different levels of giving.
We're talking personal shout outs from your favorite characters, special audio and video messages just for your wowsers, a chance to go behind the scenes of a show recording, and more.
Once again, that's Tinkercast.com slash support.
As chief executive tinkerer, along with my co-founders, Guy and Mindy, and our unbelievably talented team of tinkerers, we thank you.
Now, on with the show.
And now for everyone's second favorite game show, after selecting all the little images of a car to prove you're not a robot to a robot.
It's Two What's and a Wow.
With your hosts, Mindy and Guy Rye.
Hello and welcome 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, and the category or theme for today is vegetables.
Mindy, why don't you refresh our contestants on how the game works?
You know it.
Wowzers in each of our three rounds.
Today, Guy Raz and I will present you with three scientific statements about vegetables.
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 ridiculous physical challenge.
Woo-hoo!
Okay, everyone ready to start the game?
Great, then let's do it.
Round one.
Which of the following statements is a true scientific wow?
Is it A, an onion has more DNA than a human?
Or is it B, asparagus grows on trees?
Or is it C, turnips and artichokes are in the same plant family?
When you think you have the correct answer, yell, I'm spilling the beans.
Hey, Reggie, give us some thinking music.
And time is up.
Let's now reveal the winning wow.
And to do just that, it's Vesper from Michigan.
Vesper from Michigan, tell us, what's the winning wow?
Hi, my name is Vesper, and my wow in the world is that an onion has more DNA than a human is.
Winner, winner, onion rings for dinner.
Thank you, Vesper.
Contestants.
If you guessed the answer A, that an onion has more DNA than a human well, congratulations.
You found the winning wow.
Organisms or living things have DNA, which is sort of like a blueprint for our bodies.
But not all organisms have the same amount of DNA.
And it turns out that, even though onions are simpler organisms than humans, they have more DNA than we do.
And we're not exactly sure why.
One theory is that onions have a lot of DNA that isn't being used.
We sometimes call this junk DNA.
On the other hand, this seemingly useless DNA might actually have a purpose that we just haven't figured out yet.
Now, if you did not get that answer correct, you must stop drop and eat a raw onion without crying.
Okay, round two.
Which of the following statements is a true scientific wow?
Is it A, there's a type of carrot that produces natural glitter?
Or is it B, Potatoes can be used as batteries.
Or is it C?
You can get rid of pimples by rubbing cauliflower on your skin.
When you think you have the correct answer, yell, I'm unbeatable!
Uh, thinking music, please.
And time is up.
To reveal the winning answer, it's Alder from New York.
Alder, please reveal the winning wow.
Hi, my name is Alder.
My round rule is that potatoes can be used as batteries.
Winner, winner, containers for dinner!
That's right, Alder.
Wowzers, if you guessed B, that potatoes can be used as batteries, well, congratulations.
You found the winning wow.
As some of you may already know, batteries are containers that store energy that can be converted into electricity.
Potatoes contain electrolytes, which happen to be an important part of a battery.
And in 2010...
Researchers found that potatoes that have been boiled for eight minutes could make a battery up to 10 times more powerful than one using a raw potato.
In fact, one slice of boiled potato can create enough energy for roughly 20 hours of light.
Now, if you did not get that answer correct, you must stop, drop, and roll around like a hot potato.
Okay, round three.
Which of the following statements is a true scientific wow?
Is it A, you can make music with vegetables?
Or is it B, most vegetable peels are not edible?
Or is it C, all vegetables are fruits, but not all fruits are vegetables?
When you think you have the correct answer, yell, remain calm everyone, I've got this.
Hey Reggie, can we get some thinking music please?
And time is up.
And joining us by phone, it's Abram from Pennsylvania.
Abram, please reveal the winning wow.
Dear Mindy and Guy Ross, my name is Abram.
My wow in the world is you can make music with vegetables very eco-safe.
Musical veggies for dinner.
That's right, Abram.
Wowzers, if you guessed A, that you can make music with vegetables, well, congratulations.
You found the winning wow.
It's not just beans that are musical.
People have found ways to make music with all kinds of vegetables.
It can be as simple as using celery as drumsticks, or a little more advanced like hollowing out a carrot to make a flute.
There are even electric devices that can turn veggies into synthesizers.
The water in vegetables conducts electricity, so when you connect them to the device and a computer, you can tap the vegetable and create an electric sound.
Now, if you did not get that answer correct, you must stop, drop, and play a sugar pea symphony.
And now it's time to take a moment to thank our sponsors.
Today's show is brought to you in part by this important public service announcement.
Baby carrots.
Small, cute, delicious with ranch dressing.
But they are not what they seem.
What Big Carrot doesn't want you to know is that baby carrots aren't babies.
That's right.
Baby carrots aren't actually young carrots.
They're adult carrots that have been cut down, peeled, and shaped by machines.
So...
The next time you're hungry for a vitamin A-rich snack, try chomping on a regular carrot like a wise crackin' cartoon rabbit.
Choose carrot sticks, not carrot tricks.
All right, thank you for that PSA.
Why don't we take a quick break and hear some other important messages for grown-ups.
To what's in allow, we'll be right back.
Grown-ups, this message is for you.
That's it.
Now back to the show.
Welcome back to Two What's and a Wow.
The scientific game show that separates the wows from the what's.
What was that?
Oh, Guy Raz, that sound can mean only one thing.
Our old-timey ride is here?
Nope, it's time for today's Bonker Balls bonus round.
If you listened to our Wow in the World episode Algaray to the Rescue, you'll know the answer to this one.
And the Bonker Balls bonus question is In 2023, a sargassum bloom stretched 5500 miles all the way from Africa to the Gulf of Mexico.
How much did it weigh?
Is it A, 10 million tons, about the same as 27 Empire State Buildings?
Or is it B, 1 million tons, about the same as 40 Statues of Liberty?
Or is it C, 1 ton, about 6 reindeer?
If you answered A, you are correct.
This massive bloom weighed more than 10 million tons.
Now that is a lot of seaweed.
Well, congratulations to all of our winning Wowzers.
Mindy, what's today's prize?
Guy Raz, today's winning Wowzers will all be receiving a lifetime supply of seaweed.
Wow, that's a pretty great prize.
Wait, really?
Well, yeah.
I mean, peas are a great source of vitamins and nutrients and protein.
Reggie, why don't you cue the prize cannon?
What in the... Fire away!
Oh, yeah!
Peas for everybody!
Just don't put them...
Well, that's about all the time we have for today.
But if you want to keep the fun going, then become a member of the World Organization of Wowzers and unlock hundreds of activities.
And for any teachers in our listening audience.
Consider joining Tinker Class, our free brand-new learning platform that helps get kids wild about science.
Just visit Tinkercast.com slash membership.
That's Tinkercast.com slash membership.
And be sure to come back on Monday for a brand-new episode of Wow in the World, this weekend for some WeWow in the Weekend with Dennis, and again on Friday for a new episode of Two.
What's in a Wow?
Until then, keep on wowing!
Two What's and a Wow is executive produced by Meredith Halpern-Ranzer, Mindy Thomas and me, Guy Raz.
Our writers are Ruth Morrison and Anna Zagorski, with collaboration from our head writer, Kenny Curtis.
Sound production and design is by Marion Lozano with help from Jed Anderson and Tyler Thull.
Special thanks to Rebecca Caban, Dr Natasha Crandall, Lizzie Fralick, Kristen Yang Twee Mack, Erica Medina, Henry Moskal, Jodi Nussbaum, Ali Paksima, Linda Rothenberg, Steph Sosa, Joanna Weber, Anna Zagorski 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.
And to keep the wow rolling after you finish this episode, you can visit us at Tinkercast.com.
There you can become a member of the World Organization of Wowzers to get year-round mailings and weekly activities.
Shop our wow shop, get tickets for upcoming events, find our best-selling books and learn all about the other amazing podcasts from Tinkercast grown-ups.
You can follow us on facebook, instagram and twitter at wow in the world and our email address is hello at tinkercastcom.
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 next friday or every monday for wow in the world.
Wow in the World was made by Tinkercast and sent to you by Wondery.
