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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!
It's WeWow Week.
Hello and welcome to WeWow, a week-long hands-on science slam-a-thon.
I'm Mindy.
And I'm Guy Raz.
And it's Earth Week.
All week long we're celebrating this big blue planet that we call home and inviting you to join in on the fun.
All week long we're listening to one of our favorite podcasts, Flip and Mosey's Guide to How to Be an Earthling.
And while we listen, we're going to be doing something good for our home planet.
And today, we invite you to join us in a project that will help your garden and the planet.
It's also a project that's kind of gross and involves rotten old food.
We call it Compost in a Cup because that's what it's called.
Composting is when you take decaying or rotting organic matter like banana peels or vegetable scraps and convert them into healthy fertilizer for plants.
And we're going to show you how to do it right now.
You mean how to do it?
Yeah, that's what I said.
How to do it.
Okay, well for step one.
You're going to want to collect any food scraps you might have lying around.
Yep, brought along some apple cores, some eggshells.
Coffee grounds here, banana peels, potato peels, avocado skins, and this rotten banana.
Ugh.
You just happen to have all that lying around?
Oh, yeah.
I was just saving it all for a rainy day.
Okay.
Well, on to step two.
We're going to take whatever food scraps we have and turn them into gold.
Plant gold.
And in addition to the food scraps, you'll need a clean jar or cup, some potting soil and a little bit of water.
Okay, step three.
You're going to mix the soil and food scraps together in the jar and then add a little water.
Step four.
In 30 seconds or less, you're going to have a batch of the most spectacular vitamin-rich compost soil that you can share with some lucky plants to help them grow.
Actually, Mindy, it takes a lot longer than 30 seconds.
What, like 30 minutes?
More like a few weeks.
What?
Where am I going to find a few weeks' worth of patience at this hour?
Well, you can have some of mine.
Oh, thanks, Guy Raz.
Well, looks like we're going to have a lot of time and mushy old food scraps on our hands.
How do you want to waste it?
Waste it?
We're going to enjoy this time by listening to another episode of Flippin' Mosey's Guide to How to Be an Earthling.
Ooh!
And this one is a special travelogue edition all about plants.
Well, that was well-timed.
Huh?
Riding through the solar system.
Our spaceship hit a rock planet and waited for a tow truck.
It would only take 3000 years.
So we thought we'd look around and learn about this planet from the creatures that we found.
And when they speak they always sing.
So we learn from all the animals how to be.
I never knew you could do with an asteroid, but it didn't matter anyway, because Zeppelar had already taken Mig's solar projection unit to use on her scales.
She has very dry skin.
But Mig was so distracted, she never even found out.
Can you believe that?
Mm-hmm.
Flip, are you even listening to me?
This is the full recap of the real gooblars of Tralfamador 5.
I'm trying to get you up to speed before the new episode comes out tonight.
And I am trying to prepare for our travel pod show.
No, you're not.
You're just sitting there with your eyes closed.
This is how I prepare.
I prefer to spend a few minutes alone with my thoughts.
It helps me to breathe deeply and have some moments of stillness and quiet before I do something important.
That requires focus and concentration.
You mean like watching a new episode of Real Gooblars?
Good idea.
I'll try it too.
Never mind.
I think that will be the end of quiet time for today.
Is that what we were doing?
One of us was.
I was just trying to get ready for the show.
I like to walk around and talk before the show.
This is unsurprising.
Yeah, it gets me all pumped up.
All right, let's do this.
Beaming to all 42 corners of the multiverse, it's a special travelogue edition of...
Hello, space voyagers.
Welcome to another travel pod edition of Flip and Mosey's guide to how to be an earthling.
I am Mosey.
And I am known as Flip.
The planet Earth is full of incredible critters, and that includes our two-legged field reporter friends.
Correct, Mosey.
Some of the smaller human earthlings have been transmitting field reports to us at 1-833-FILTER for Flipmo.
And we'll hear from some of them a little later on.
Today's travel pod is special because we will be saluting a very different kind of earthling plants, the unsung heroes of planet Earth.
Now, it's sad that these life forms can't sing, but not everyone can carry a tune.
Some life forms are just tone deaf, and that's OK.
For example, my friend Flip here thinks she can sing really good, but it's kind of off tune.
Mosey, when I say unsung, I just mean that they are underappreciated.
Plants do so much for this planet, and most living things take it for granted.
Of course they do, Flip.
I bet plants have beautiful voices, but many earthlings just think of them as food.
This is true.
Plants do provide a source of nourishment for many earth creatures, but they also help the entire planet breathe.
Again with the breathing?
Yes.
For example, when the earthlings who live on land breathe in the air like so.
Muzzy?
Oh, right.
Their bodies are taking the oxygen out of the air and using it to run and eat and all of the other crazy things earthlings do.
Almost all earthlings need oxygen to survive.
Can I breathe out now?
You may.
And when they exhale like that, most of them push out the leftover air, which is filled with a chemical called carbon dioxide.
So what do plants do?
I'm glad you asked when plants breathe in, like so again.
Okay, when plants inhale, they absorb the carbon dioxide, and when they breathe out, they expel the oxygen that other earthlings need to breathe in.
Isn't that amazing?
They breathe what everyone else needs to breathe in.
Plants are essential to the survival of this planet.
Without them, no one would be able to breathe or eat.
I feel you on that, Flip.
I think I need to sit down.
Mosey, you're already sitting down.
OK, maybe I need to lie down then.
One of the most amazing things about plant life on Earth is that these Earthlings don't eat food for energy.
Like my friend Mosey here, plants absorb sunlight for energy and they drink water.
So please join me in welcoming a very special guest to our travel pod today.
All the way from deep under the ground on planet Earth.
Please welcome planet Earth's most famous earthworm, Eartha Stewart.
Hello.
Thank you so much.
It is a pleasure to be here on this lovely ship of yours.
The inside is so interesting.
Very well structured.
Thank you.
We always try to structure well.
Now, Ms.
Stewart, you... Please call me Eartha.
Okay.
Eartha, you are an earthworm, correct?
That's correct, Flip.
I am.
So how does being an earthworm help you understand plant life on the planet Earth?
Oh, that's an excellent question.
As an earthworm, I burrow underground.
It's one of my absolute favorite things to do.
I eat dirt.
It's delicious.
It's a joy for me.
And when I do my work down there, it helps nourish the soil.
Nourishment is good, right?
Oh, it is Mosey, but my tunneling also allows air and water to get down to the roots of the plant, which stretch out underneath it.
This is where plants absorb water, so it's a good thing.
That is amazing, Eartha Stewart.
You are a truly crucial contributor to this planet's ever-evolving ecosystem.
And you're good for the environment.
That's what I just said.
That's right, Flip, because it's important.
Now Eartha Stewart, we're going to play a little game on the travel pod today and I think you're the perfect person to.
Actually, Eartha is not a person.
She is an earthworm and does not have a skeleton.
Therefore, she is an invertebrate earthling.
Okay.
Eartha is the perfect inval... ...worm for the job.
I'm happy to help in any way I can.
Great.
We have four different items from Earth here on our ship.
We need you to tell us if any of them are plants.
I think I could do that.
It's helpful to remember that a plant is something that grows.
So if it grows, it could be a plant.
Excellent.
Now, we found all four of these things on the ground in various places on planet Earth.
Yeah.
This one here is definitely a plant because I've eaten it before.
It's long and thin and hard and brown with a crunchy exterior.
Actually, what you have there, Mosey, is a stick.
And it's not a plant.
What?
But it's so delicious.
Oh, but it's an easy mistake to make because it used to be part of a plant.
A stick is a tree limb or a branch that breaks off a tree and falls to the ground.
Tree branches grow, but sticks do not.
And what about this object here?
It has a thin green stem for a body and then a very fancy top.
It is pink and white and frilly.
But trust me, it tastes terrible.
Not nearly as crunchy as the stick.
Now, this one is a plant.
It's a flower called a petunia.
It grows in a group called a bush.
And all it needs is water, dirt, and sunshine to bloom into this beautiful form you see here.
Oh, what about this one?
I think it's definitely a plant because we had to pull it out of the ground.
It's heavy.
Well, that's because it's a rock, Mosey.
They're very heavy, and they're frequently on or under the ground because that's where they form.
But no, it's not a plant.
Rocks don't grow.
Oh, Krasnitz.
Our last object interests me greatly.
It is a smallish orb, red in color, with a small stem at the top.
This is fantastic.
Very close to being a plant flip.
This is an apple.
It's a fruit that earthlings eat, and it comes from a plant called an apple tree.
And they're very tasty to many earthlings.
Did you say tasty?
I've got this one, Mosey.
You like sticks, remember?
Fair point.
I remember this earth snack.
This is very sweet.
And interesting.
Very enjoyable.
Now look on the inside.
See those little brown specks?
Mm-hmm.
Those are called seeds.
Earthlings don't usually eat them, and when they fall to the ground, they can get buried.
And when they do, the seeds grow into apple trees.
Mosey!
Oh, sorry.
Wrong button.
So the apple is not technically a plant, but it comes from a plant.
It feeds other earthlings and then it makes more plants.
That's right.
That is one busy little fruit.
It is indeed.
It's a good thing.
Wait.
So if I bury the rock underground, will it grow into a mountain?
Not really, Mosey, no.
Well then, never mind.
Eartha Stewart for being on our travel pod today and for helping us determine what is a plant and what is not.
It was all my pleasure.
Thank you, Flip.
Uh, you want to take this rock back home with you?
Thanks, but I've got several at home, Mosey.
You keep that one.
OK.
Well, thanks anyway, Eartha Stewart.
Thank you, Eartha.
Coming up next on our travel pod, my friend Mosey will encounter one of the most amazing plants on this entire planet.
That's right.
It's my time to shine.
A one-on-one interview with the incredible Baobab Tree.
I can't wait to talk to this guy.
Yes, but Mosey, you have to remember that plants don't actually talk.
You know, I might be more excited about this than I am about the new episode of Real Gooblars.
Really?
Okay, maybe not that much.
But I am excited for the interview.
But first, A short message from today's sponsor and our special guest.
If you want to stay in style, be crafty and learn about the Earth under the Earth.
Don't miss the next episode of Underground with Eartha Stewart, planet Earth's craftiest earthworm.
Hello, I'm Eartha Stewart.
I'm an earthworm.
Welcome to Underground.
Today we'll be working in shades of brown.
I love brown.
It's good.
We'll also be crafting new tunnels and nourishing the soil, one bite at a time.
And we'll show you what to do if you're an earthworm and you unexpectedly get cut in half.
That's one way to make a new friend.
Hi, I'm Eartha Stewart.
Well, so am I. Ha ha ha ha ha!
We go deep and learn all about everything from soil and plants to tasteful wall hangings.
It's all part of the next Underground with Eartha Stewart.
Incoming!
Incoming!
We are receiving transmissions from human earthling field reporters.
Hi, my name is Emma.
I'm from Salem, Oregon.
And something cool about the giant tortoise is that they can live to be 150 years old.
Wow!
Wow!
Wow!
Wow!
Hey, Poop and Mozzie.
This is Amelia reporting from Oxford, Michigan.
Your show is so fun!
One time when I was at my abuelo's house, I saw a deer staring at his legs, using his antlers to knock down apples.
It was so cool.
Bye, Flippin' Mosey.
Hmm.
A very interesting earthling behavior.
Ooh, you can say that again.
A very interesting earthling behavior.
Wow.
Hmm.
That is a very good point.
Uh, Mosey, I think this was an a dental phone dial from one of those furry four-legged earthlings.
Yeah, I knew that.
Hi, it's me, Sophie, from North Vancouver, Canada.
Did you know that flamingos are pink because of the food they eat, such as shrimp and algae?
Sophie, out.
This is making my mouth water just thinking about it.
We will be sure to add that particular earthling to our list.
Earthlings are so cool.
If you have encountered any amazing earthlings in your travels, we want to know.
You can use your cellular communication device to call 1-833-4-FLIPMO.
That's 1-833, the number 4, F-L-I-P-M-O.
And share your field report with us.
Be right back, grown-ups.
This message is for you.
Hey 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 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.
That's it.
Back to Earth.
Welcome back to Flip and Mosey's guide to how to be an Earthling.
The TravelPod edition.
And today we have been examining some very important Earthlings that are easy to overlook.
Earthworms?
No, plants.
They are the silent heroes of planet Earth.
Right you are, Flip.
Plants are important because they will sometimes have leaves and eat sunshine.
And sometimes earthlings eat them.
And stuff.
I really thought you had that one.
Yeah, I started out good, but I kind of lost it when I got to the leaf part.
What my counterpart is trying to say is that, as a group, plants are critical to the survival of planet Earth.
They make breathable air for other Earthlings.
Some provide food and shelter for other Earthlings, too.
But they are all special and unique in their own way.
Yeah!
All that.
And to prove it, I'm going to be beamed down to the continent of Africa for an exclusive one-on-one interview with the incredible baobab tree.
OK, but Mosey, I don't think the baobab tree will say anything to you.
Oh, so you want to do the interview now, Flip?
You think I'm so difficult to talk to?
Is that it?
No, no.
I just mean.
Come on.
Let's do this.
Beam me down.
OK.
Wait.
Maybe I should stretch or something before you zap me all the way to... All right.
I will now initiate the broadcast connection.
Africa, or whatever it's... Hey!
I'm here!
Okay, well, that was unexpected.
Thanks for that flip.
You are welcome, Mosey.
Please remember that our transporter only works for short periods of time, so... Gotcha.
Well...
I am here, as Flip mentioned, on the very hot and dusty continent of Africa.
I think I'm on the park called the Savannah and there aren't many trees around except that really big one over there.
Hi.
You must be Baobab.
I'll take that as a yes.
So, Baobab.
Can I call you Bao?
Okay, then.
Well, let me set the scene here.
You're like 80 feet tall, about 80 feet around, and you look like you've been planted upside down.
Your branches kind of stick out at the top the way roots do.
In fact, you were sometimes called the upside-down tree.
It's kind of a wild look you got going on there.
Oh.
Oh, I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to hurt your feelings.
Well, I mean...
Well, they also call you the tree of life because you do so many amazing things.
I mean, that's a much cooler nickname, right?
Right.
Well, who cares what they say?
That's a good point, Val.
I mean, they also call you the bottle tree because you can store more than 30,000 gallons of water.
You can handle really dry conditions and you're fire resistant.
Turamites don't even look at you.
And if your bark gets stripped off, it grows ripe.
You are amazing.
You got it going on.
And see, you don't even want to brag about it, do you?
Man, if I was fireproof and termite proof, I'd be telling everybody, but not you.
You got all kinds of birds and insects up in those branches and you got deep, strong roots that keep the soil from washing away when it rains.
You're very quiet, pal.
You're very old and wise tree.
There's probably a million things you could tell me.
Isn't there anything you want to say?
Was that?
Did you?
About?
Did you just shush me?
Or was that the wind?
Okay.
I get it.
I see what you're saying.
I need to talk less and listen more like you.
You don't have to nag.
I get it.
You're right.
And you're a very wise tree, Bao.
I wish we had more time together, but I really enjoyed our talk.
Yep.
Okay.
Well, I think you've made your point.
And thank you, BaoBao Tree, for being on our show.
And thanks to all the plant life here.
Like you.
Hi, little guy.
Aww.
Are you lonely?
You look lonely.
I wonder if...
Thank you, Mosey, for that fascinating interview.
Why are you doing that thing with your tentacles?
I was making air quotes as in interview.
Okay, I get it.
Gold Blacks gets it too, don't you, buddy?
Wait, what is that, Mosey?
Did you bring a plant life sample back to the ship?
It's not a sample.
It's my new friend.
Go Blacks, the mighty ficus.
He understands me and he listens to me.
Oh, really?
And he's teaching me how to be a better listener.
Well, in that case, welcome aboard, Go Blacks.
That's all for today's travel pod.
But before we go, we want to leave you with a few new travel tips.
That's right, Mosey.
Today we learned that plants release oxygen from their leaves, which humans and other animals need to breathe.
We also learned that plants can supply food for other earthlings, like apples and maybe even carrots.
And some of us learned that sometimes you don't have to say a word to make a big impact.
Plants can be great listeners.
Yes, indeed.
Isn't that right, Gold Black?
You can say that again.
Mosey.
Plants don't talk.
Are you sure, Gold Blacks?
Mosey?
Oh, I can't believe Flip would forget that.
Forget what?
I know.
It's very out of character for her.
Wait.
What did I forget?
So let's go watch the Holovision.
It's one of my favorite things to watch.
Mosey?
We are going to have so much fun.
Gold Blacks?
We've got all kinds of snacks to eat.
Carrots, pencils, sticks.
My absolute favorite.
We are going to munch on sticks.
What did I forget?
It's going to be so good.
We're going to watch the Holovision all night long.
Well, thank you, Earthlings, for joining us for this guide to how to be an Earthling.
We hope we helped you discover something new about your incredible home planet.
And if there's one thing we've discovered, it's that your planet is big.
You got land, sky, and ocean.
That is way too much for any two intergalactic travel guides to cover on our own.
So that is where you come in.
We need your help.
We can't do this on our own.
I need me time.
What Mosey is trying to say is that we need your contributions to our Earth Guide.
If you happen to notice or learn something interesting or unusual about an Earthling species on your planet, please share it with us.
You can call us on the Selly Telly Ring-a-Ding Dingy at 1-833-4-FLIPMO.
That's 1-833-4-FLIPMO.
Write that down.
Your field reports may be used on an upcoming Earthlings travel pod.
That's 1-833-4FLIPMO.
Just like our names!
Flip and Mosey's guide to How to Be an Earthling is a Tinkercast original production.
And all of the original songs you heard in this episode were written and arranged by Jason Rabinowitz and the Pop-Ups.
How to Be an Earthling is written by Kenny Curtis and Thomas Van Kalken.
Written by... What does that mean?
That means they put the words in our mouths, Mosey.
Ah!
Oh, okay.
Our masterminds of original sound design are Jason Rabinowitz, Ed Rosenberg III, with help from our senior production director, Jed Anderson.
Our show is edited by Jacob Stein with additional production assistance from Henry Moskal.
Our executive producers are Guy Raz, Mindy Thomas, And Meredith Halpern-Ranzer.
A tip of the tentacles to the rest of the Earthling team, including Jessica Bode, Natasha Crandall, Anna Zagorski, Rebecca Leifer and Joaquin Friedman.
And special thanks to the actors you heard in this episode, including... Jason Rabinowitz.
And our Earthling alter egos, Courtney Shaw.
And David Ryan Smith.
I ate him and his voice comes through me.
Grown-up Earthlings.
You can follow us online at EarthlingPod.
Our email address is hello at Tinkercast.com.
And finally, thanks to you for listening.
Without you and your planet, we'd probably be in some remote galaxy, screaming into the void of a black hole.
But now we're screaming in your ears!
And might I say, those are very oddly shaped appendages.
Mosey!
Until next time!
Birdmosi's guide to how to be an earthling was made by Tinkercast and sent to you by Wondry.
