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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 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 uh whatever, we wow on the weekend.
We wow on the weekend.
We wow on the weekend because this is what we do.
Welcome to Wee.
Wow on the Weekend.
I'm your host, Dennis.
And that's my co-host, Reggie.
What?
No, I don't need to say you're a giant pigeon.
The listeners already know that.
Fine.
If you're tuning in for the first time, because you've apparently been living under a rock.
My co-host Reggie, is a giant pigeon.
Right, and I'm a regular-sized human person, not giant.
Oh, right, ants might think I'm giant.
Good point.
Now what?
Who is it?
Package for Dennis.
The mail's here!
The mail's here!
Reggie, it'll just take a second.
Hello, regular-sized human mail carrier person.
Not my name.
Right, sorry.
Can I get a signature for this?
Oh, sure, sure, sure, sure, sure, sure.
There you go.
Much obliged.
And here's your package.
Thank you.
Oh, hey, wait.
Post officer lady.
Want to be on my show?
It's called Wee Wow on the Weekend.
Uh, no.
Sorry.
I got to finish my mail route.
All right.
That's okay.
I know you're very busy and very important and very cool.
But I could come back tomorrow.
Hooray!
That would be amazing.
Okay.
Have fun delivering the mail and knocking on all the doors and ringing all the doorbells and shaking everyone's packages to try to guess what's inside them.
Reggie!
You'll never guess who's coming on the show tomorrow.
What?
How'd you guess?
Oh, you heard the whole thing?
Even the part where she said no?
And the part where I got all rambly and embarrassed?
Whatever, it doesn't matter.
I got the most important person in the whole neighborhood as a guest on my show.
Oh, sorry.
The most important person in the whole neighborhood as a guest on our show.
The mail carrier is so the most important person in the whole neighborhood.
Because she carries the mail, Reggie.
And she knows who's writing letters to each other and who's getting which magazines and who lives in which house.
She's very powerful.
My what?
Oh, right, my package.
Oh, Reggie, you're a genius.
We can play what's in this box.
Ahem.
I found a box that was delivered to my house by the mail carrier.
And now I'm going to find out what's in the box.
OK, here we go.
Ready?
What's in this box?
Hooray!
It's the special ice cube tray I ordered.
Oh, it makes better ice than ice cubes, Reggie.
It makes ice spheres.
Because, Reggie, round ice is fancier than square ice.
Everyone knows that.
Fine, I'll show you.
You just put the cover on like this.
Then you just use your water bottle to pour some water in this little hole here.
And voila!
Spherical ice.
Oh, right, I forgot to freeze it.
It's still water.
It's not funny, Reggie.
Okay, it's a little funny.
All right, what's next?
Oh, good idea.
Let's do a little segment I like to call...
Inside Tinkercast Studios!
Ahem.
Inside Tinkercast Studios!
This is the part where we revisit an episode of one of my favorite Tinkercast shows.
And today we're listening to Wow in the World, Season 1, Episode 12 called The Fish with the Killer Kiss.
Reggie, no!
This one sounds scary and kind of gross.
Killer Kiss?
Oh, it's about a kind of fish that eats its food by kissing it?
Well, that sounds kind of cool.
Okay, I take it back.
I want to listen.
Okay, here we go.
And play.
WeeWow will be right back.
Grownups, this message is for you.
Hey, grownups.
It's Mindy and Guy Raz here from Wow in the World.
Mindy and I have some problems.
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.
That's it.
Now back to the show.
Hey, Guy Raz, what's grosser than gross?
Uh, eating a picnic lunch in a trash dump?
No, having a picnic lunch in a trash dump isn't gross, Guy Raz.
It's convenient.
You don't even have to throw your trash away because you're already in a dump.
It took me three days to get the smell off my clothes.
Oh, no.
That smell wasn't from the trash dump, Guy Raz.
That smell was from the time that I was borrowing your kitchen and your blender to make a shrimp smoothie.
Anywho, forgot to put the lid on the blender.
Next thing I know, it's exploding all over your kitchen and I had to clean it up or you'd freak out.
So I grabbed the first thing that I could find, your tweed blazer hanging in your coat closet.
It worked like a charm, but I forgot to tell you about it until now.
Sorry!
It's not even what I'm talking about.
What's grosser than gross?
Guy Raz is a killer.
Kiss from a fish with big thick, suctioned cuppy fish lips.
Lips that look like an upside-down mushroom top.
Fish lips that are covered in slime from cells that push out a never-ending stream of snot-like mucus.
Mindy, that's just disgusting.
Yep.
Where do you come up with these things?
Science.
Science?
Yeah, I'm not even making this up, Guy Raz.
You know, science is full of wonder and beauty and discovery.
But it's also about some really gross stuff.
Uh, okay.
Tell me more about this fish.
So two marine biologists named Victor Huerta and David Bellwood from Australia's James Cook University.
We recently spent a lot of time trying to figure out how in the world this fish called the tubelip wrasse is able to survive living in coral reefs.
The tubelip wrasse?
What a name.
What a fish.
So the tubelet brass is this colorful fish, and it's just a little over six and a half inches long, and it lives in coral reefs in the Indian Ocean.
But you can also find them in some major aquariums around the world, which is where I first noticed its crazy fish lips.
Wow, so we might be able to actually see this fish up close and personal.
Yeah, for sure.
So we all know how they would survive living in aquariums.
But how they survive living in coral reefs is another story.
Huh, how so?
So you know the deal with coral, right?
You better believe it.
Coral looks really beautiful to us humans, but to some small fish and other little tiny sea-wandering organisms like zooplankton, coral can be deadly.
Yeah, because some coral is super sharp to the touch and some types of coral are covered in a slimy coating that is beautiful.
Poisonous to small sea creatures.
Yeah and, as you know, when it comes to eating for survival, fish in the wild can't order pizza delivery when they're hungry.
Nor would they want to, necessarily.
And they don't have humans to drop in fish flakes every other day either.
So, what do they eat?
Okay, so Guy Raz, saddle up your seahorse and buckle your seatbelt.
Well, you know I'm always wearing one just to be safe.
What?
Oh man, you are.
Really?
What?
Okay, what I mean to say is get ready for this, because the tubelet brass is so tough that it eats the poisonous coral for breakfast.
Wow, and what does it eat for lunch and dinner?
Guy Raz.
There are something like 6000 species of fish living in these razor-sharp, venomous coral reefs, and only 128 of them are tough enough and brave enough to eat them.
So it's super rare.
And the tubelip wrasse, I guess, is one of those species.
Yep.
So how do they do it?
I mean, because coral is hard.
Well, that's one of the big questions that these marine biologists set out to discover.
And did they find their answer?
They sure did.
And do you want to know what they found?
Absolutely.
Okay, so first the tubelip wrasse puckers up and puts its slimy, mucousy lips on the coral like it's going in for a Yes.
Are you making this up?
What?
No, this is for real.
Just listen, okay?
Okay.
So if you were to see its lips coming at you, they would look like a slimy upside-down mushroom top.
You are right.
This is grosser than gross.
And it gets even grosser.
Uh, So then it uses these little tiny detectors in its slimy mushroom lips to help it inspect the best part of the coral for eating.
Interesting.
And then, when it's ready, it puckers up, making its lips almost the shape of a long tube.
And it forms a section around the spot that it wants to eat.
And then... goes in for the kiss.
These marine biologists were even able to hear the sound.
That is amazing.
And it's not over, Guy Raz.
Finally, it sucks the coral's mucus and flesh right off.
And it even leaves a mark.
You can totally see the spot where the coral's been kissed the slimy mushroom fish lips.
So how are they able to do this without getting stung by the venomous, poisonous coral?
Well, these marine biologists don't know for sure, but based on what they've observed, they think that maybe the tube lip wrasse's slimy magic, mucus-producing lips might actually form sort of a barrier or protective shield guarding it from the stinging cells.
Wow, and this makes it possible for the fish to eat the flesh or the meaty parts off of the coral?
Yeah, once the lips seal against the coral, they start acting like a vacuum cleaner, sucking up the good parts but separating the poisonous parts from being eaten.
Wow.
Crazy, right?
Yeah well, I'm just glad that I'll never have to come face-to-face with a smooching tube-lip wrasse.
Guy Raz?
Don't tell me you're going to pull one out of your pocket.
No.
I'm gonna pull one out of your bathtub.
What?
Pucker up, Buttercup.
It's coming for ya.
Oh, Mindy, please.
Just kidding.
I couldn't get my hands on a two-blip wrasse.
Uh... It's just a long-nosed pygmy shark.
Wait, come back!
I think he likes you!
Eww!
Reggie.
That was disgusting.
All that kissing and mucus and mushroom lips.
Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew.
Reggie, when the post officer comes over tomorrow, do not talk about fish lips or anything else like that.
No, don't talk about that either.
Okay, let's wrap this up.
I need to go take a bath and pick out my outfit for tomorrow and go to bed so I can get a full 18 hours of sleep.
Ahem.
Thanks everyone for listening to this episode of 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 Wee Wow on the Weekend.
All right, let's do the goodbye song now.
That's the end of the show.
I need to go and get ready for a world class interview.
But I'll do another show tomorrow.
But for now, that's the end of the show.
Bye.
Grownups, if you like Wow in the World, you can listen early and ad free right now on Wondery Plus.
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