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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 another day of Wee Wow Earth Week.
I'm your host, Dennis.
And this is Reggie, my co-host.
This is the week where we talk about the Earth and all the things we can do to help it.
I personally do lots of things to help the Earth, such as recently I've been working really hard to save water.
Yeah, I've been saving water.
Look at these.
Ah! buckets of water I saved, Reggie!
Aren't they great?
I filled up this bucket from the kitchen sink, this one from the garden hose oh, and I filled up this one from the bathtub, which is why it has a little toy boat floating in it.
Hooray!
I rescued the water!
Reggie, what do you mean I didn't rescue the water?
Of course I did!
The water was trapped in the pipes in the walls, and I put it in these buckets and saved it!
Oh, saving water doesn't mean rescuing water.
Saving water means using less water.
Meaning I'm supposed to be running the faucets less.
And I've been running the faucets more.
Oh.
Whoops.
Well, maybe let's just move on.
Yeah, I've got a great episode of Wow in the World that I want everyone to listen to.
Okay, hold on.
Hold on.
Here we go.
This one's from Season 6, Episode 3, called Painting the Town Cool.
Yeah, it's the one about the paint that reflects light, so it helps buildings save energy.
Or wait, is it rescue energy?
No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Save energy, save energy.
Right, in this episode, Mindy and Guy Raz and Reggie...
Yes, yes, everyone's very impressed that you're in this episode.
Mindy and Guy, Roz and Reggie go to a fancy art gallery to see this amazing new light-reflecting paint for themselves.
I know, it's so exciting.
Let's play the episode.
Okay, here we go.
And play.
WeeWow will 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.
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.
Okay, got it.
Just gotta get my head through this hole here and... That's better.
Hey, Reg!
You almost ready?
Well, you better shake a tail feather.
Guy Raz is gonna be here any...
Mindy?
Hey there, Ozzy.
Ready to go?
Whoa.
What in the wow are you wearing?
Oh, thank you for noticing.
It's just my fanciest coat.
Your fanciest coat?
Uh-huh.
Mindy, is that coat made entirely out of boo-boo baby beanie boppers?
Sure is.
And I made it myself.
Sewed them all together using my Ryder sewing machine.
Wait, is that how you made this bow tie I'm wearing, too?
Oh, yeah.
Voice activated?
Yeah, watch this.
Bow tie, spin.
Uh...
I think we're just about all ready to go.
Hey, Reggie, you done cleaning yourself up in that birdbath?
Well, you better hurry up, Mindy.
We don't want to be late to the Fine Art and Refined Technology Museum's annual gala.
You mean the F-A-R-T gala?
Uh, yeah.
Reggie, come on!
Ugh! at you, Reggie.
Yeah, so fancy, so refined.
Look at this.
We've got a top hat, white tie, tails.
Wait, no, that's just your regular tail.
Well, are we all ready to go?
I think so.
Great.
I've got the banana scooter parked just down the street.
All right, let's kick it.
Everybody out.
Closing the door.
Locking the door.
Ding, ding, ding.
Ding, ding, ding.
Pulling up the drawbridge.
I'm so excited for this art exhibition, Mindy.
It's been so long since I've been to a fancy event like this.
I know.
And you know that a museum party is gonna be wild.
Am I right, Reg?
Oh, yeah.
Uh-huh.
You know what they say.
Ain't no party like an F-A-R-T party.
Say, what was the name of that exhibition they were opening up again?
It's called... being cool.
The highlight is a new type of paint a team of scientists from Purdue University have invented to help fight climate change.
Well, that's good news, because I'm really starting to cook in this boo-boo beanie bopper coat of mine.
And here we are.
Check it out, Mindy.
My brand new banana scooter.
Ooh, nice ride, Guy Raz.
It's really appealing.
You get it?
Thanks, Mindy.
It's actually a rescue.
A rescue banana scooter?
Yeah, someone had just thrown it in the trash.
Can you believe that?
Yeah.
I mean, no, no, no.
I can't believe that.
Can we just hop on and go?
Just a minute, Mindy.
I need to do some safety checks first.
I thought you said we were in a hurry.
You can't rush safety, Mindy.
Here, you and Reggie can put on these helmets.
Wait, are these just hollowed out...
Watermelons?
Oh, yeah, I'm trying to go zero waste this year.
Okay, um... Side mirrors, check.
Ignition, check.
No brown spots, check.
All right, I think we're good to go.
Hop on, you two.
And here...
Woo!
Uh, Guy Raz?
Yes?
What are you doing?
Oh, just put on my turn signal.
Just to, you know, make sure everyone knows I'm ready to pull out.
Oh, Guy Raz, I'm starving.
Come on, let's make this banana split.
All right.
And here we... Whoa.
Mindy?
Mindy?
What, what, what?
Are we here?
What year is it?
Mindy, you slobbered all over my tuxedo.
Sorry, it was just a smooth and calming ride.
Good evening, sir.
Welcome to the Fine Art and Refined Technology Museum.
May I park your, um, banana motorbike?
Banana scooter.
Oh, my apologies, sir.
May I park the banana scooter? ballet service.
Hokey dokey, here you go.
But if I see one mushy spot on it when I get back... Not to worry, sir.
I shall hang the banana scooter a safe distance from the avocado dune buckets.
Come on, this way, Guy Raz.
The party's inside.
Oh, look at this.
Everyone who's anyone in the art world is here.
Yeah, there's Bob Ross's hologram and... Hello, everyone.
I'm just a happy little holographic cloud.
And there's that gorilla that does those abstract paintings on Zootube.
And look, it's Pablo Picasso's nephew's sister's roommate.
Yo, what's up?
And the most important individual of them all... Who's that? the caterer.
Orders, madam.
Oh, why, thank you.
I've got my eyes set on you.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Are you talking to me or the smoked shrimp?
Give me, give me, give me, give me, give me.
That's it.
That's it.
Oh, my goodness.
Good bread this year.
Mindy, you know it's called finger food, not fistfuls of food.
It's not called pocket food either, and yet I was still able to fit three whole shrimp cocktails in my pocket.
See?
You want some?
Uh, no thanks, Mindy.
So, you said that this year's exhibition was on some new paint invented by a team of scientists?
That's right, Mindy.
I don't get it.
Why would scientists want to invent a new kind of paint?
What's wrong with the old kind?
Well, there are a whole bunch of reasons, but most of the time scientists invent paint to either reflect or absorb light.
Sort of like the highlight of last year's gala, Vantablack.
Ooh, Vantablack.
Is that the name of the new supervillain in the latest Revengers movie?
No, Mindy, it's not a supervillain.
It's a type of material coating.
Oh, and a material coating is kind of like paint.
Right?
That's right.
And it's used to cover the surface of an object.
And this coating... Vantablack.
Yeah, Vantablack is used to help objects absorb light.
In fact, this coating is able to absorb 99.96 of all the light that touches it.
Whoa, that coating sounds like a light-eating supervillain.
Yeah, actually, I'm pretty sure that exhibition over there in the corner is covered in Vantablack.
Whoa, yeah, what is that exhibition over there?
Is that a satellite?
Well, it looks like it.
And that would make sense because in 2015, the European Space Agency sent up a microsatellite covered in Vantablack.
Microsatellite.
That's like one of those satellites that's smaller than a mini-fridge, right?
Exactly.
And on the microsatellite the European Space Agency sent up.
The scientists coated the area around the telescope's lens in Vantablack to stop light from bouncing off the metal surface and distorting the images the telescope was taking.
Oh, I get it.
So the Vantablack coating was used on the microsatellite to help absorb all of the excess light that might mess up the pictures that it was taking of outer space.
Exactly.
Must get pretty warm, though.
What do you mean, Mindy?
Well, most of the time, things like rockets and space shuttles and satellites are painted white because it reflects light and heat off the machine and back out into space.
Huh.
But if this super dark black coating absorbs almost all of the light that touches it well, it would get pretty hot, pretty quick.
I guess you're right Mindy, and I guess that's why the scientist who sent up the satellite only coated the area around the telescope's lens in Vantablack and not the whole thing.
Oh, so they could make sure that it wouldn't overheat.
Exactly.
Well, speaking of overheating, this boo-boo beanie-bopper coat of mine is really starting to seal in my juices, if you know what I mean.
Ugh.
Here, help me take it off.
Ugh.
Okay.
Just hold this lead here.
Okay.
And let me just... And... Okay.
And camera three.
Pull.
Okay?
What?
One.
Two.
Oh, no.
Three.
There we go.
What in the...
What's on your T-shirt, Mindy?
Oh, thanks for noticing.
My T-shirt says, help, I'm having an art attack.
You get it?
Because we're in an art meet.
Now, where can I hang my boo-boo beanie bopper coat?
Oh, look, a coat rack.
Mindy, I think that's an art installation.
Oh, sure it is, Guy Raz.
And that blank white canvas over there must be modern art. going to hang this up right here.
You don't go anywhere, Coat.
Excuse me.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all so much for attending the F.A.R.T.
Gala.
We here at F.A.R.T. applaud you.
Hey, Ross, you know what I just realized about the acronym F.A.R.T.?
?
Today we celebrate the breathtaking world of color science.
Only a few years ago, the world was introduced to the darkest of black colors, Vantablack.
And this year, the Fine Arts and Refined Technologies Museum, in collaboration with Purdue University, proudly present the brightest of white colors.
Now, before we unveil, put on the protective eyewear you were given upon arrival.
What?
Protective eyewear?
I wasn't given any eyewear.
Protective eyewear?
How white can it be?
Everyone ready?
And voila!
Quick, Guy Raz.
Here, tie my blackout sunglasses.
Mindy, these sunglasses are so dirty.
I can't see a thing.
Well, you're also not burning out your eyeballs.
You can thank me later.
Able to reflect 955 of all sunlight that touches it.
This paint, made from acrylic, will be a revolution in how we keep buildings cool, now and into the future.
Wow, that's pretty incredible, Mindy.
You're telling me.
Want to get a closer look?
Uh, you're going to have to guide the way.
All right.
Let me just make my way through this gaggle of art critics here.
Excuse me.
Excuse me.
Sorry.
I'm coming through.
Coming through.
Watch your back.
Sorry.
Sorry.
I'm just going to squeeze in here.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Sorry.
Sorry.
Here we are, Guy Raz.
Lift your blackout sunglasses and take a peek.
All right.
Let's see here.
Huh.
Are you sure this is it, Mindy?
It just looks like a blank canvas to me.
But it's actually a canvas that has been painted with this brand new ultra white paint.
Let's have a look at the artist's description here.
There are more than 500 shades of white currently circulating in the art world.
Off-white, eggshell white, crisp white...
Betty White?
Get to the part where they talk about the science, Mindy.
Oh, okay, okay, okay.
Oh, here we go.
This paint was created by Shulin Ruan, a medical engineer from Purdue University.
Wow, this is an original Ruan?
Looks like it.
It says here that the paint was tested over two days by painting an entire building in this super white paint.
And what did they find out?
Well, it says here, Guy Raz, that during the hottest part of the day, the surface covered in this paint was cooler than the surrounding air by a whole 3.06 degrees Fahrenheit or 1.7 degrees Celsius.
Wow!
And that's not all, Guy Raz.
It also says that at night, the surface covered in this reflective white paint was a whole 8.
14 degrees Fahrenheit, or 10 degrees Celsius, cooler than the surrounding air.
That's incredible, Mindy.
But didn't he, or maybe it was you, say that this paint was going to help fight climate change?
Yeah, well, think about it for a second.
A building covered in this paint would reflect more light.
And light often creates heat, which means that the building would also reflect more heat.
And with all of that heat being kicked off of the building, the inside of the building would be cooler.
Exactly which, in turn, would reduce the amount of air conditioning you would need to cool the building.
Wow.
Well, I guess now I can see why all of these art aficionados are so excited about this new paint.
Yeah.
Hey, what's going on over there?
Uh, I don't know.
It looks like everyone's crowding around some sort of new art installation, Mindy.
Want to go check it out?
Do I?
Oh, it really is an incredible piece.
I completely agree.
The irony.
The parody.
Oh, yeah.
And not to mention the expression of class struggle in an age of social upheaval.
Yeah, no, I was about to say that.
I can't see anything, Guy Raz.
How about you?
Nothing, Mindy.
There's too many people.
Oh, there's a gap.
What is it, Mindy?
Excuse me, pardon me.
Just trying to get to my friend over there.
Mindy, is that... It's my boo-boo beanie bopper coat, Guy Raz.
These people think it's art.
Reggie, look, it's my coat.
Reggie?
Reggie?
Hey, Guy Raz, where'd Reggie go?
Uh...
Why, it's Reginald, you dirty bird.
Is this one of your finds?
What in the... Everyone, let me introduce you to Reginald, one of Fart's talented curators.
And while this certainly is an unscheduled surprise installation, I will say, my dear Reginald, you have a fantastic eye for spotting new talent.
Bravo!
Bravo!
You heard that, Guy Raz?
I'm a new talent!
An artiste!
A master!
Oh, boy.
Reggie, you've created a monster.
Thank you!
Thank you!
Wait a minute.
Are you the lady who took all the shrimp?
And all the mini pizzas.
Oh!
Uh, no. science experiments, book lists, and more.
Plus, you'll get a welcome box including a special edition members-only T-shirt and an autographed picture of us.
Find out more at Tinkercast.com.
There you can also find more info on our upcoming shows.
Shop our shop and find our New York Times best-selling book, The How and Wow of the Human Body.
Wow in the World is written by Mindy Thomas and Tom Van Kalken with help from me, Guy Raz.
Our senior producer, Jed Anderson, brings our show to life with sound design and music editing and is also in charge of wrangling Dennis Thomas Fingerling, Reggie and many of the other silly characters you hear.
And Grandma G-Force wrangles Grandma G-Force.
Grandma G-Force, get out of the credits!
Jessica Bode keeps our facts straight as our fact checker.
And Meredith Halpern-Ranzer powers the wow at, And special thanks to the rest of our Wow in the World team, including Anna Zagorski, Rebecca Caban, Kit Ballinger and Henry Moskal.
Grownups, you can follow Wow in the World on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at wowintheworld.
And our email address is hello at tinkercast.com.
And if you're a kid with a big wow to share with us, call us at 1-888-7-WOW-WOW for a chance to be featured at the end of the show or on an upcoming new episode of Two.
What's in a Wow?
Also, be sure to subscribe to Wow in the World wherever you get your podcasts.
And you can also ask your smart speaker to play Wow in the World.
Thanks for listening.
And until next time, keep on wowing.
Keep on wowing. the world was made by Tinkercast and sent to you by Wondery.