Hey, Wowzer fans, Mindy here, and before we start the show, I've got a question for you.
Are you ready to make it wow?
Okay, here's the deal.
My buddy Carly Q and I are hitting the road to make it wow with you in the D .C.
area. That's right, we'll be making it wow in Bethesda, Maryland on Saturday, March 29th.
Make It Wow is a live bonker balls competition game show where real kids are the star of the show.
Two teams of wowsers will turn their wildest and weirdest ideas into jaw dropping inventions live on stage.
Tickets are on sale now.
Grownups visit tinkercast .com slash events to get your ticket today.
That's tinkercast .com slash events.
We can't wait to make it wow with you this spring.
But until then, let's get on with the show.
We wow on the weekend.
We wow on the weekend.
We wow on the weekend.
Because this is what we do on the weekend.
Talking, laughing, me and Reggie.
Singing, laughing And then we Oh wait, no, I said laughing twice Ah, whatever We Wow on the weekend We Wow on the weekend We Wow on the weekend Cause this is what we do on the weekend Hello and welcome to We Wow on the Weekend I'm your host, Dennis And that's my co -host, Reggie the Giant Pigeon This is the show where we hang out, and chit -chat, and listen to episodes of Tinkercast Podcasts And hey, Reggie, check out what I got What do you mean, what is it?
It's slime! Yeah, it's so gooey and cool And I can squish it, and stretch it What'd you say, Reggie?
What's that? Oh, I got some slime in my hair Oh, thanks for looking out I'll just grab it with my hands Oops, got a little more slime in my hair No problem I'll just, uh, grab Oops, now there's even more No, no, no It's fine, it's fine Maybe I can just pull it out Ow!
Oh no! It won't come out!
Reggie, what do I do?
Okay, there's only one thing to do here.
No, not shave it off!
Reggie! No, the only thing to do is a brand new hair styling segment!
Yes, Reggie, it's called Dennis' Salon!
Ahem! Have a seat in the chair We're gonna style your hair At Dennis' Salon Ming -ming -ming Hello and welcome to Dennis' Salon.
The first client I'll be styling is me, Dennis.
Wait, hang on. I need a hairstylist persona.
Dennis, darling, what can I do for you?
Oh, Dennis, it's terrible.
My hair is covered in slime.
Oh, don't worry, darling.
I'll fix you right up.
Oh, thank you, Dennis.
Thank you. Okay first things first My shampoo pigeon Reggie will give your hair a quick wash Reggie dear Please wash Dennis' hair in the salon sink thingy Ah right we don't have one of those salon sink thingies Um here Mist Dennis' hair with this water bottle Reggie I said mist Dennis' hair Mist it That's better Now what were you thinking today Dennis?
I have a variety of slime styles to choose from We could do spikes or unicorn horn Oh yes thank you Reggie that's right We could also make your hair stand straight up like you've just gotten off a roller coaster Oh that one, that one, roller coaster one Great choice darling Reggie comb please Now we'll just comb all your hair up to the sky I...
That tickles. And there you go.
Don't you look fabulous?
Wow! I love it! At least I think I love it.
I don't have a mirror.
Does it look good, Reggie?
Be honest. Okay, not that honest.
Well, I think I did a great job.
And that's Dennis' salon.
Okay, moving right along.
Next is a segment I like to call Inside Tinkercast Studios.
Inside Tinkercast Studios.
This is the part where we listen to an episode of one of my favorite Tinkercast podcasts.
And today we're listening to Season 2, Episode 36 of Wow in the World called An Intergalactic Interloper.
Oh, I don't know what an interloper is.
Maybe it's like a gazelle?
Right, right, I'm thinking of an antelope Burr Oh, an interloper is someone who's somewhere they're not supposed to be Like when I show up to Guy Raz's house uninvited And then I stay late even when he tells me it's time for him to go to bed And then I say let's just stay up and have a sleepover And stay up all night and tell spooky stories until the sun rises Okay, yeah, that sounds like I'm a canteloper or whatever it is Okay, here we go Wait.
WeeWOW will be right back.
Grown -ups, this message is for you.
That's it. Now back to the show.
World in the world.
Hello? Hello? Is anyone home?
Edgar Ross, up here.
Mindy, what are you doing up on the roof?
Oh, I'm just trying to clean my gingerbread mansion.
From the outside? Yep.
Starting at the top and working my way to the bottom.
Watch out! Mindy! I told you to watch out.
Mindy, is this lemon frosting?
Yeah, cleaning out my drains.
Well, why don't I give you a hand on the inside, Mindy?
Organizing messy spaces is one of my favorite things to...
Wait, Guy Raz, don't open that door.
I told you not to open that door!
Mindy, I know you said that your house...
Gingerbread mansion?
Oh, sorry. I know that you said your gingerbread mansion was a bit messy, but this is worse than that time you tried to 3D print a giant pancake.
Pancake! Is this thing that's working?
Oh, boy. There's pancake batter everywhere.
You know, we never did get that pancake.
Hmm. So, Mindy, why is your place such a mess now?
Well, it's not my fault, Guy Raz.
Uh -huh. Sure, it isn't your fault.
I mean it. This isn't my garbage.
Well, then, whose is it?
It's from Reggie's friend from out of town, Maggie.
Maggie the Magpie? That's the one.
What's she doing in town?
I thought it was nesting season.
Well, she came for Reggie's piano recital, and I said she could park her Keister Heerster while she's in town.
Right? But between you and me, Guy Raz, she's a little, um...
Messy? Uh, yeah. Hey, Maggie, Mags, Magster.
What? For me? Oh, that's so nice.
It's a tin can. Thanks.
Oh, there's more? Ooh, that's a lot of paperclips.
Oh, man. You know, Mindy, guests overstaying their welcome isn't just a bird -in -a -person problem.
It's not? No, the guest I'm talking about is an intergalactic visitor that's been hanging around our solar system for billions of years.
Oh man, so where exactly is this interstellar interloper?
Right there. Oh, in that cloud?
No, not in the cloud.
Beyond that, in space.
Yeah, it's just kind of hard to see space with that one cloud in the way.
Mindy, our galactic guest makes its home in a little part of our solar system called the Asteroid Belt.
Fun fact! Grandma G -Force actually won the Asteroid Belt when she took on the Masked Martian in a wrestling match in 1953.
Uh, that's not... Anyway, the Asteroid Belt I'm talking about is made up of the bits of space rock that float around our Sun and sit between Mars and Jupiter.
Oh, that asteroid belt, why didn't you just say so?
I know all about that asteroid belt I know that it's about two and a half times as far away from the sun as we here on earth And I know that it's made up of billions, maybe even trillions of space rocks Ranging from the size of a teeny tiny pebble to boulders the size of New York City You know what, Mindy?
I just had a crazy idea.
That we should put Pop Rocks in a Pop -Tart and then put that inside the top of a regular tart?
Wow. And have ourselves a Pop Rock Pop -Tart tart top?
What? No, Mindy, I was just thinking we should go visit the asteroid belt.
Oh, Guy Raz, that's a brilliant idea.
Let me just pack my bikes.
How's the time machine holding up?
Oh, Gairaz, you're not even going to recognize this thing.
I just gave it a fresh coat of paint and I renamed it the WoW Machine.
Come on, it's in the garage.
All right. Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk.
I don't hear you walking, Gairaz.
Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk.
Okay, here we are. Open the garage door.
Hmm. Hmm. Hmm. Uh, Mindy, you might have to open the door the old -fashioned way.
And what's the point of owning a gingerbread mansion if you can't even kick in your own garage door?
Mindy. Fine. Whoa. You like it?
Do I? Your favorite color, right?
Yeah. I can't believe it.
You painted the whole Wow Machine bright red just for me.
That's so thoughtful of you.
Oh, well... What? I also painted it red because red is the fastest color.
Well, technically speaking, Mindy, red light does travel faster on the visible light spectrum than most other...
Wait, Mindy, where'd you go?
Oh, I'm up here, Guy Raz.
I put the doors on the roof.
Come on, get inside.
We got asteroids to dodge.
All right, let me just...
Come on. Get up here and...
Here, I'll pull you.
Here we go. Wow machine, sweet wow machine.
Well, let's not waste any time, Mindy.
Just put in the coordinates for the asteroid belt.
Can do, Captain Guy Raz.
Arr, set of course for the old outer solar system, first mate Mindy.
Um, what are you doing?
Oh, sorry, I just thought we were doing...
I'm just kidding, Guy Raz.
I'm pulling your peg leg, arrr.
Okay. Well, let's get to it.
No time to waste. Okay.
Outer solar system.
Asteroid belt. Uh, just checking, Mindy, you're not going to put us right in the middle of it, are you?
Because I don't want to be ducking and diving big chunks of space rock in this thing.
No. Guy Raz, of course I'm going to drop us in the middle of it.
Uh, Mindy, I really don't think that's a great...
Warning, incoming asteroid.
Ah, Mindy, I told you not to put us right in the middle of the asteroid belt.
Yeah? Well, you also told me not to use your toothbrush on my eyebrows.
Tell me you didn't do that.
Impact in 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 1.
Three, two, one. Wait.
What just happened?
Where's the asteroid?
That was it, Gyroz.
But, Mindy, that was just a pebble.
Hold on. Let me just open up the blinds here.
Let me help you. Just pull the other string.
No, wrong string. I can't see a single other asteroid anywhere.
Are you sure we're in the right place?
Well, it says right here on the dashboard, asteroid belt.
But... But there aren't any crazy asteroids to dip and dive under?
Yeah, like in the movies.
Well, things out here are a lot different in reality, Guy Raz.
What do you mean? So the asteroid belt is a really, really big place.
And even though there are trillions of these little space rocks floating around the sun, The area in which they float is so big That all of the rocks are pretty spaced out Huh, so like if I had a million ants And I just spread them out across something like the state of Texas There might be a million of them, but They'd all be spread out really far apart from each other Exactoritos, lucky for us We have an almost fully functional wow machine that can zip us from here to there in no time at all.
So we can visit different areas of the asteroid belt?
You know it. Well, if I just take a peek through the telescope periscope here.
Let's see. Oh, I think I see one just off in the distance.
Setting course, three, two, one.
Ooh, that was quick.
Whoa, Gairos, take a look at this Whoa, Mindy, I think I know this asteroid You do?
Yeah, it's called 216 Cleopatra And the reason I know it is because it's kind of famous Because of its unusual shape Yeah, it kind of looks a little like a...
Dog biscuit Uh, weird Well, Mindy, a lot of these asteroids don't actually have enough gravity to crush themselves into nice, round balls.
Like Earth. Exactly.
So instead, they clump together in these weird shapes.
Cool. And, Mindy, this dog -bone shaped rock right here is also the perfect example of an M -type asteroid.
What? An M -type asteroid.
You see, asteroids are broken up into three categories or three groups.
This one is one of the rarer types of asteroids M -type asteroids, huh?
So what does the M stand for?
Metallic Metallic, as in made out of metal Exactly, it's a mix of nickel and iron to be precise Cool, so what other types of asteroids are there?
Well, why don't we go try and find some?
Ah, I like the way your noodle zoodles, Gyros You ready?
I'm ready In three, two, one Huh, the radar says that there should be a Whoa, 600 mile wide asteroid right next to us But I don't see anything, do you?
No, are you sure the radar isn't acting up again?
No, that's impossible, I broke it with a hammer last week You what?
Well, you know, it all started when I was Wait, wait a minute, Mindy, there, there What?
Where? Right there, Mindy I don't see anything.
It's very faint, but if you look very closely, you might be able to make out the outline of this C -type asteroid.
C -type asteroid? Garaz, I still don't...
I think I see it. Man, that thing is pitch black.
You wouldn't even know it was there.
That's because it's carbon, Mindy.
The C stands for carbon in C -type asteroids.
Huh, carbon asteroids?
Yep, they're almost pitch black and they make up almost 75 % or three out of every four asteroids in the belt.
Whoa, and it's 600 miles wide?
This thing must be one of the biggest asteroids around.
Not one of them, Mindy.
This is the largest asteroid in the belt.
What we're looking at is Ceres, the 590 -mile -wide dwarf planet.
Luckily, it's not completely pitch black.
We would have run straight into it.
You're right, Mindy, but Ceres, although being a C -type asteroid, isn't completely made of carbon.
Huh, so what else is it made of?
Well, it's got a nice crusty layer of ice that covers its surface.
Okay, but Guy Raz, according to our Space Rock Travel Bingo card, it looks like we've still got one category of asteroid to check off.
Right. Wait, wha? Shakin' it uuuuup, okay.
Uh, it's Lucky Eleven.
Uh... Legs 11. Anybody?
Anybody? Friendie...
Ugh, fine. Hold on tight, Guy Raz.
3, 2, 1, go. Whoa, that is one bright space rock.
Just put on my shades here.
Much better, and cooler.
Where are my prescription sunglasses?
I don't know. Did you check the cup holder?
The cup holder? Why would they be in the...
They were in the cup holder.
Told you. Wow, Mindy, you were right.
That is one bright S -type asteroid.
And let me guess, the S stands for stylish, because that thing's got flared Well, actually, it stands for silicatious Uh, silly what kiss?
Silicatious, they're sort of similar to the metallic asteroids we saw before But instead of just being made out of nickel and iron These hunks of rock also have lots of other types of metal in them, like magnesium silicates Cool, and are there more of these in the asteroid belt?
Yep, these bright asteroids make up about 17 % of the asteroid belt So then that must make them the second most common type of asteroid?
Exactly, Mindy And as far as I can tell, all of these asteroids seem to be traveling in the same direction around the sun I think you're right, Mindy They all seem to be heading in a counterclockwise direction And in the world of astronomy, which is the study of all things space That's called a pro -grade orbit Huh, a pro -grade orbit I'm pretty sure that means moving forwards in Latin, Mindy Ooh la la, well look at you, you little cerebra marca Uh, what?
It's Latin for brain box Oh, right Almost all the planets, moons, and yes, even asteroids have pro -grade orbits Meaning that They all move in the same direction Yep, and not only that But most of these planets and moons also have prograde spins, meaning that not only do they all circle the sun in the same direction, but they all spin in the same direction too.
That's wild, Mindy.
So what you're saying is, if we keep following these asteroids in a clockwise direction around the sun, we should be completely safe.
We'll be going with the flow of traffic.
Yeah. Well, that is unless we come across an asteroid with a...
Warning. Incoming asteroid.
Retrograde orbit. Retrograde orbit?
And if retrograde means going backwards in Latin, does that mean...
Yep! There's a giant asteroid headed in the opposite direction around the sun and...
Warning. Warning. It's headed straight for us.
Ah, Mindy! We gotta do something!
We gotta do something!
Okay, Guy Ross, I'm going to need you to take those ants out of your pants because we are going to be just fine.
All I need to do is reverse the thrusters.
Impact in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five...
Now just sit back, relax, and enjoy ourselves as we watch this retrograde asteroid float on by.
Wait a minute, Mindy What?
This is the reason why I brought you out here in the first place Uh, to shut down this artificially intelligent computer That's keeping the Wow Machine's life support systems going?
What? Nothing No, Mindy, this is the intergalactic guest I was telling you about before Wait, this is the visitor from another solar system?
Yeah, 2015 BZ509, or BZ for short BZ, huh Well, besides the fact that it's traveling the wrong way down a one -way street It really doesn't seem all that alien Well, Mindy, the fact that it's traveling in the wrong direction Is actually the reason why scientists think that this piece of space rock Might not be from this part of the universe Not from this part of the universe?
Well, what do you mean?
Well, scientists have known about the existence of BZ since 2014, and they've been tracking it as it makes its way around the sun.
Making its way around the sun in a retrograde orbit.
Exactly. And originally, the scientists thought that BZ might have been knocked by something in the past to send it spinning back in the wrong direction.
Like a batter hitting a baseball?
Exactly, but it wasn't until Dr. Fatima Mooney from the observatory in the Côte de Jour in France Ooh la la And Dr. Helena Murray from the Universidade Estadual in Brazil Joined forces, put on their detective hats, and decided to get to the bottom of BZ's origin story once and for all And so what did they find?
Well, Mindy, these scientists developed a new method of observing the asteroid's current trajectory.
Trajectory, meaning the direction in which the asteroid is going?
Exactly. So they were able to study the path that this asteroid was on.
And by using that information, they were able to predict where the asteroid had been in the past.
You mean like hitting rewind on an old DVD player?
Pretty much. They put all of this information into a computer and they hit rewind to see what part of the solar system this asteroid came from and why it was traveling in the wrong direction.
And? And they found that even when they rewound the simulation all the way back to the beginning of our solar system.
Like 4 .5 billion years ago.
They found that even back then, BZ was still orbiting around the sun in the wrong direction Well, what about everything else?
Everything else, like the planets, the moons, the asteroids we know and love Were circling around the sun in the other direction around the same time And it was a giant cloud of dust and gas that would later form our solar system as we know it today Which means...
Which means that this asteroid couldn't have been created from the same dust and gases that the rest of our solar system was formed from, so...
So it's not from this solar system.
Winner, winner, asteroid slinger!
Wow. So this interstellar visitor has just been hanging out in our solar system for billions of years?
It sure seems that way, Mindy And it doesn't look like It's gonna be changing its ways anytime soon Wow, well, really puts that whole Bird -that -won't -fly -the -coop situation That I've got going on into perspective Well...
Speaking of which, we should probably head back to Earth I left pancakes on the counter at home And I had them smothered in syrup And they're about to get to that critical point Of absorption where they're just gonna turn Into a big, mushy, gross mess What?
Buckle up! Oh, okay Here we go!
Ah, mansion, sweet, gingerbread mansion.
What in the... What is it, Mindy?
Whoa. It's completely cleaned up.
This place is spotless.
Maggie, did you do this?
Aw, you felt bad about the mess?
Aw, that's so nice!
And you made us a fresh batch of pancakes?
Pretzel pancakes! My favorite!
Oh, Mac, you can stay as long as you want, Missy!
Uh, what? Hey, Geraz, want to join Maggie and me for a little mid -afternoon pancake party?
Ha -ha, I'd love to!
Wow, that was so cool!
I didn't know that there were different types of asteroids.
Did you? And what were the types again?
Metal, carbon, and asparagus?
Right, right, right, right.
Silicaceous. That's good.
I don't like asparagus.
Well, we better wrap this up.
The slime in my hair is hardening, and it's starting to make my head itch.
Thanks to all you listeners out there for tuning in to Wee Wow!
on the weekend. If you have a question for me Call and leave me a message At 1 -888 -7 -WOW -WOW That's 1 -888 -7 -WOW -WOW I just might answer your question On WeeWow on the weekend Okay, should we do the goodbye song?
Alright, let's do it Ahem That's the end of the show I need to go and wash the slime out of my hair And then go back to the store for more slime Because I can't seem to learn my lesson But I'll do another show tomorrow But for now, that's the end of the show Bye!
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