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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 and honeybees and snails and rocks and sugar peas and dogs and cats and fish and mangoes and dandelions and grapes.
Reggie, why'd you turn off the drum machine?
I'm almost finished.
Five, six, seven, Welcome to WeeWow Earth Week.
I'm your groovy host, Dennis.
And this is my co-host, Reggie.
The giant and very eco-conscious pigeon.
And this is the week where we talk about the earth and trees and flowers and grapes and squids and cactuses and Yes Reggie, I know Mindy and Guy usually host Earth Week.
Well, they asked me to do it this time.
Okay, okay.
I begged them and said please please please please, and cried a little bit and eventually they said okay.
But don't you worry.
I'm going to do a great job.
Yes, I will.
I love the Earth.
It has just the right amount of gravity.
And I like that it doesn't spin too fast so I don't get dizzy.
Oh, yeah, and I love the plants, like my prize-winning azaleas.
And my honorable mentioned African violets.
And my participation trophy-nominated banana peppers.
And this week, I decided to plant some of your bird seeds in my garden, Reggie.
Yeah, so I can grow more birds.
What?
What do you mean that's not how it works?
Bird seed grows more birds.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure.
What?
Flowers?
Like those birds of paradise flowers?
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
Bird seed doesn't come from birds.
It's bird food? and it's made of stuff like millet and thistle seeds and sunflower seeds?
Oh, well, maybe it'll grow into sunflowers instead.
And then those sunflowers will make more seeds, and then we can plant those seeds and grow more sunflowers.
Yeah!
Okay, I think now it's time for an episode of Wow in the World.
Let's see, which one should we pick?
Oh, let's do this one.
It's from season eight, We will be right back.
Grown-ups, this message is for you.
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.
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.
Now back to the show.
Hello?
Hello?
Anyone home?
Hey, Roz?
Is that you?
Yeah, I've got some freshly picked micro-tomatoes.
Do you want to try them?
Ooh, yeah, I do.
Let yourself in.
I kind of got my hands full back here.
Uh, okay. the... Hey, Rozzy!
Back here!
Mindy, what in the world is going on in here?
What do you mean?
What do I mean?
There's paint and markers and sheets of cardboard all over the place.
Oh, yeah.
It's for the climate march.
Hugs!
Mindy, no.
You're all covered in paint.
Sorry.
Got a little paint on your... New tween jacket.
Hey!
On the bright side, I won't lose you in the crowd this time.
I think neon green might be your color.
I don't think so.
So now that you're here, you want to help Reggie and me make some signs?
For the climate march?
Yeah.
Reggie and I are flexing our creative muscles in the other room.
Come on.
Well, I'm always down for anything climate related.
Reggie, you're covered in paint too.
Hey, look.
Anywho, Guy Raz, grab a paintbrush and get started.
Okay, anything for climate science.
So, what is this climate march we're going to anyway, Mindy?
Oh, it's huge.
Everyone's going to be there.
Thomas Fingerling, Dennis, even Grandma G-Force is going to make an appearance.
Wow.
I know.
So, is this like the climate march we went to last month, Mindy?
Uh, well, not exactly, Guy Raz.
See, this one is focused on a very specific climate issue.
Huh.
Well, what is it?
Climate justice?
Habitat destruction?
Climate migration?
All great guesses, Guy Raz, but no, no, and no.
Well then, what is it?
Parasite.
Parasites?
You mean the very creatures I've been trying to keep off my micro-tomatoes?
Oh, but Guy Raz, the parasites love your micro-tomatoes.
That's the problem.
Anywho, check out all the signs that Reggie and I made.
Interesting.
This one says, Save our parasites.
Climate change is bugging me out.
Parasites have...
Pararights?
Yeah, that last one's a little bit of a stretch.
Mindy, what is all this?
Well, it all started from this study that I was reading the other day from the journal The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
That said that parasites are in trouble.
Guy Raz.
In trouble?
Mindy, wouldn't a warmer planet mean more parasites than ever before?
What do you mean?
Well, all the parasites that I know prefer a warmer climate.
It seems to me like climate change would be a good thing for them.
While some parasites might be getting a boost from climate change, you know the sort of parasites that us humans aren't familiar with.
This study says that they might be the exception to the rule.
Oh!
Mindy!
Mindy!
Mindy!
Yes, Dennis?
Are you almost ready to go?
I want to get a good seat.
A good seat?
Dennis, it's a march.
There are no seats.
Oh.
Really?
Are you sure?
Well, whatever.
I'm ready to go.
Are we leaving soon?
All right.
You ready to go, Guy Raz?
Reggie?
Almost, Mindy.
Just one last stroke.
Ta-da!
How's this?
We are the tick support?
You get it?
Like tech support.
Oh.
Mindy, hurry up!
It's hot outside and I already drank all my water.
Okay, Reggie, you got your sign?
Great.
Come on, everyone.
Let's get out of here.
All right.
Yay!
Mindy and Guy Raz are here!
Pretty girl.
I'm here. and you don't see me bragging about it.
Grandma G-Force, Thomas Fingerling, you've got matching costumes.
Yep.
I'm a parmasite.
No, you're not, Fingerling.
You're a parasite.
Oh.
What did I say?
Guy Raz, why are you dressed like a neon tennis ball?
I'm not dressed up like a tennis ball, Dennis.
We had a little painting mishap earlier.
We had a painting mishap?
Then you.
Who's ready to save some parasites?
I suppose I got nothing else to do today.
I'm ready!
Dennis, we can hear you.
You don't need to keep using that bullhorn.
Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry.
Dennis!
Sorry, Mindy.
What?
Which way, Mindy?
Right this way.
Come on, everyone.
Follow me.
Don't tell me what to do.
So, Mindy, why are we marching to save the parasites?
I always thought that parasites were bad.
Well, it is true that parasites transmit diseases and infect other species.
Yeah?
And it's also true that they live in or on other animals uninvited.
Yay!
Uh-huh.
And yeah, parasites basically suck the life out of the animals that host them.
But since parasites make up almost half of all animal species on the planet... They do?
It's very important that we save them.
Mindy, that doesn't make any sense.
Parasites sound awful.
You mean awfully important for keeping our ecosystems in check?
Huh?
Kairos.
If parasites wind up disappearing because of climate change, our ecosystems as we know them could go bonker balls.
Everything would be thrown out of whack.
I'm not sure I follow.
Okay, so think about parasites as predators.
Well, that's easy.
It's a predator's uh job in an ecosystem to make sure that there aren't too many of any one species.
Oh, right.
Predators kill and eat other animals to keep them from taking over.
Yes, I know what predators do, Dennis.
And also Guy Raz.
Parasites can sometimes affect an animal's behavior, which in turn can move food up the food chain.
Right, Mindy?
Dennis!
It's true, though.
Some parasites make animals act in strange ways, which makes it easier for predators to target and eat them.
And this affects the food chain.
Wow, really?
Yeah.
For example, in this study they found that there's a type of worm called the trematode flatworm, that when it infects a fish, it burrows into its brain, whispering into its ear, convincing it to swim closer to the surface When bang.
A bird of prey swoops in, snaps it up, and turns it into its next meal.
That sounds kind of scary, Mindy.
I'll say.
Scary cool, Guy Raz.
This study found that fish who were infected with this parasite made them 10 to 30 times more likely to become a meal for a bird.
Hooray!
Meals for birds!
Meals for birds!
Meals for birds!
Mindy, can you take that thing away from him?
Give me that megaphone!
No!
No, no, no, no, no!
I'll be good.
I'll be good.
Okay.
So what you're saying Mindy, is that without that parasite those fish wouldn't swim close to the surface, and without that, some of those birds of prey would go hungry.
Yeah.
Parasites sort of help a lot of predators.
Okay, I think I'm starting to get it.
But how do these researchers know that these parasites are disappearing?
Well, in that study I was telling you about, they analyzed almost 18000 parasites that were members of 85 different species.
Whoa, that's a lot.
Yeah, and they were able to track these species over the last 140 years and they found that as the Earth warmed up, the amount of parasites decreased.
That's incredible, Mindy.
Incredibly bad?
Just two degrees hotter and we'll have only half the parasites that we have right now.
And nobody wants that?
Nope.
Especially not the parasites.
Ooh, nice megaphone.
Ahem.
Hey, I got a megaphone, too.
Do you think all these people are here because of that study you read, Mindy?
Maybe.
I mean, parasites aren't usually this popular.
Right.
We don't usually tend to research them as much as we do other organisms.
Yeah, and the ones we do decide to study are usually the ones that are harmful to us or the animals we eat or keep as pets.
So the whole point of this march is to make people realize that Parasites are just as important to save from climate change as the birds and the bees.
Exactly.
And the first step in that is doing more research into these important but misunderstood creatures.
Hey, cool costumes, you two.
Huh?
What costumes?
Oh, aren't you two dressed up as parasites?
And what's it to ya?
Nothing.
Just dig the costumes, man.
Grandma G-Force, just say thank you.
Right on.
No worries.
Save the parasites.
Peace.
Huh.
Strange fella.
Hello, is this thing on?
Oh, Kairos, I think they're about to give the speeches.
Okay, good.
Thank you all for coming today.
The awareness that we're raising for our parasite friends will have rippling effects throughout the whole ecosystem.
Because...
We deserve saving, too!
That's right.
Now, is there anyone out there that would like to come up to the microphone and say a few words to help inspire and motivate?
And Oh,
Me!
Me, me, me!
Pick me!
Dennis?
Pick me!
Pick me!
Pick me!
You, then.
The gentleman with the megaphone.
Come on up.
Yes!
Excuse me.
Pardon me.
Gentleman with a megaphone coming through.
I said excuse me!
Oh, my.
Okay.
Is this thing on?
Testing!
Testing!
Yes, it's on.
All right, good.
Ahem.
Hello, everyone.
My name is Dennis, and I don't mind telling you I don't much care for parasites.
Oh, no.
Someone ought to stop him before he makes a fool out of himself.
Oh, wait.
It's too late.
Quit booing.
Parasites are too bitey, and we all...
Looks like it's Mindy to the rescue again.
Excuse me, excuse me, coming through.
Sorry.
Also, what's the deal with leeches?
Even their name sounds disgusting.
Leeches.
Leeches.
I just hoisted myself up onto the stage here.
It's like, ew, you know?
You know what I mean?
Oh, Dennis, you can go now.
Hi, everyone.
Sorry.
But I was just getting to the good part.
No, you weren't.
Aw, man.
Dennis.
What's the meaning of this?
Do you have something to say about parasites?
Oh, me?
Well, I suppose I do.
Yes.
Well, okay then.
For far too long we have seen parasites as nothing but an annoying pest, a creature that only wishes to do us harm.
But now we realize how important parasites are, not only to us, but to the entire ecosystem.
Sure they may be different from us and sure they may be all take and no give, but that doesn't mean that parasites don't deserve to be saved.
And for that, I say, When I say para, you say sight.
Para!
Sight!
Para!
Sight!
Dennis!
God!
Wow in the World is written by Mindy Thomas and Tom Van Kalken with help from me, Guy Raz.
Original sound design and music editing is done by Tyler Thold, with help from our supervising producer, Jed Anderson.
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 our facts straight as our 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, Ruth Morrison, 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 Tinkercast.com.
There you can learn more about becoming an official member of the World Organization of Wowsers.
Learn about upcoming events, shop our wow shop, find our best-selling books and learn about all of our other amazing podcasts.
And our email address is And if you're a kid with a big wow to share with us, call us at.
Thanks again for listening.
And until next time...
Be fun wowing.
Wow in the World was made by Tinkercast and sent to you by Wondery.
