WeWow on the Weekend

Hey grown-ups, I'm Meredith Halperin-Ranzer, the Chief Executive Tinkerer and Co-Founder of Tinkercast. You may have heard my name at the end of the credits. As they say, I power the wow, but I don't do it alone. I've had the absolute pleasure of steering this ship with the most talented crew of Tinkers you can imagine. This team of writers, producers, musicians, educators, parents, former children, not only embody the spirit of play, curiosity, and innovation, but they've made it their life's work to create content that inspires play, curiosity, and innovation. Right now, we need your help to keep the wind in our sails and keep us wowing. This is our final week of our fun drive, and we're so grateful for those of you that have already contributed. Truly, it means the world to us to know how much you value what we do. But we're not even close to meeting our goal. Whatever you're able to give helps, and for those of you with means to help significantly, we really need you now. When we started up Tinkercast nine years ago, many of us were parents, just like you. And as parents, we wanted our kids to look up, have conversations, feel agency in their world. As media makers, we wanted to tell stories that could connect laughter to learning and kids to the real amazing wows in their world. Since then, we've built the company we've always wanted to work at with the dream team we wanted to play, tinker, and grow with. And grow we did. In fact, our audience, that's you, is still growing every month. We're so honored you welcome our shows into your homes, your cars, your ears, your imaginations, and your worlds every week. We hear from you that we bring your family joy and laughter and a shared experience that brings you closer together. And we want to keep doing that for your family and for those families that are just discovering our shows now. Again, this is our last week of asking our audience directly for financial support. We still have a long way to go to meet our goal. please visit tinkercast.com support and give what you can you could also choose from a handful of different thank you gifts for your different levels of giving we're talking personal shout outs from your favorite characters special audio and video messages just for your wowsers a chance to go behind the scenes of a show recording and more once again that's tinkercast.com support as chief executive tinkerer along with my co-founders guy and mindy and our unbelievably talented team of tinkerers, we thank you. Now, on with the show. We wow on the weekend. We wow on the weekend. We wow on the weekend. Cause 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 Whatever! Wee Wow on the Weekend Wee Wow on the Weekend Wee Wow on the Weekend Cause this is what we do on the weekend Hello and welcome to Wee Wow on the Weekend I'm your host, Dennis And also that's my co-host, Reggie This is the show where we chit-chat and answer questions from our fans and listen to Tinkercast podcasts. Hey, Reggie, want to play a game? Okay, good. Let's play Would You Rather. What? You don't know what Would You Rather is. Well, Would You Rather is when I give you two kind of horrible things to choose from and you have to decide which one you would rather. No, Reggie, you don't actually have to do the thing. It's hypothetical, like imaginary. Okay, so here's one. Would you rather eat a cockroach or eat a worm? Both. Reggie? Oh, wait, I forgot you eat bugs sometimes. No, they don't come with dipping sauces. Okay, would you rather be a cockroach or be a worm? Well, yeah, I know you'd rather just be yourself, Reggie, but that's not the game. Okay, fine, you think of one for me. What? Would I rather stop snooping forever or get rid of my prize-winning azaleas? Reggie! Well, I could never get rid of my prize-winning azaleas. They're prize-winning. What am I supposed to do? Get rid of my azalea regalia, too? But on the other hand, if I stop snooping, I won't have any gossip. And my prize-winning azaleas need gossip to grow. That's the secret of their prize-winning. No, Reggie, I can't choose. This is an impossible game. No, no more hypotheticals. I want to go back to reality. Oh, good idea, Reggie. Let's get into our first segment called Reading Reviewsies. I'm reading Reviewsies for me and for you, Z's. We've got us some doozies, so let's read Reviewsies. Z's. This is the part where people write us comments on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or whatever, and I print a bunch out and read them aloud. Okay, this first review-zie comes to us from username CC and Ezra. And they ask, why are catfish called catfish if they don't have cat ears? That's a good question, but now I want to see a catfish. Reggie, get your phone out. Okay, now let me see. Oh, you're right, Ezra and Cece. Catfish don't have cat ears. And they don't have kitty cat paws or kitty cat noses. And they don't have a cat tail. It's just a regular fish tail. Oh, but they do have whiskers like a cat. And maybe they meow like cats. Reggie, no. I'm not going to go stick my head in a river and find out. Next question. This next one comes from username Max. And the message says, how do you fart? Huh, how do I fart? Well, I guess I fart like this. No, Reggie, I'm just kidding. That was a whoopee cushion. What? Nuh-uh, it does not stink. It wasn't a real fart. Reggie, no. Everyone, do not listen to Reggie. I don't fart. No, I don't, Reggie. I boof, which is much more polite. Next review-zie. This last review-zie comes from username Reggie's Number One Fan. The title says, Lose the mustache, Dennis. What? And the message says, Please shave your mustache, Dennis. It's freaking me out because your voice does not match your mustache. Shave my mustache? But I love my mustache. Reggie, why does your number one fan want me to get rid of Stash Gordon? That's what I call my mustache, Stash Gordon. Okay, well, if that's what the fans want, I have an electric razor down here somewhere. Oh, here it is. Okay, here I go. Shaving off the mustache. I'm going to do it. I can't do it. I love my mustache. And I'm proud to be a mustache boy. I am beautiful. No matter what they say. Words can't breathe. Oh, no, no, no, no. I forgot to turn the razor off before I started pretending it was a microphone. Reggie, does my mustache still look okay? Well, hand me that mirror. Thank you. Oh, no. I shaved it right down the middle. It looks like, it looks like, actually it looks kind of good. I like it. Yeah, it's like I have two mustaches now. I'm going to name them Milky and Mustard. Because I can see that this one has a little milk in it and this one has a little mustard in it. Thanks for all your reviewsies, listeners. Keep them coming. If you leave a comment on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, I just might read it on WeWow on the weekend Five stars or more, please Because, Reggie, we're number one, we're number one, we're number one, right? Yeah, I suppose we don't have to be number one, I just like chanting Okay, next up is 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 listening to Wow in the World Season 2 Episode 14 called Antisocial Animals Aww why are the animals antisocial Do they just need a little me time You know recharge Yeah, let's find out. Okay, here we go. And play. Wee Wow will be right back. Grownups, this message is for you. Hey, grownups. Spring is right around the corner. And as schedules fill up with activities and travel, let IXL help you stay on top of your child's learning. IXL is an award-winning online learning platform that fits seamlessly into homeschooling. It offers interactive practice in math, language arts, science, and social studies for grades pre-K through 12th. IXL offers personalized learning for every child and gives parents clear insight into their progress. At Tinkercast, making learning fun is our bread and butter. So we love that IXL has games, awards, and celebrations to keep students motivated and engaged. Make an impact on your child's learning. Get IXL now. And Wow in the World listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at IXL.com slash wow. Visit ixl.com slash wow to get the most effective learning program out there at the best price. That's it. Now back to the show. Okay, let's see here. grappling hook. Check. My dry-tech waterproof hiking boots. Check. And my 1, 2, 3, 4, 12 rock climbing hooks. Check. Alright. I think I'm all set for... Hold on just a minute. Let me just get this backpack on here. Okay, okay. I'm coming. Oh, hi, Mindy. Good morning, Guy Ross. Hey, nice rock climbing hooks. Oh, thanks. They were on sale. And that is one massive backpack. It sure is, Mindy. 90 liters. Which is like a bajillion gallons. Uh, 24 gallons. Same difference. So what's all this stuff for, anyway? Light bulb! You're not about to go run off and live in the woods, are you? No, Mindy, I'm... Because I know my cooking can send some funky smells over here sometimes. No, Mindy, it's not that. And to be fair, my inventing can get pretty loud. At four o'clock in the morning. Yeah, and I know the light and water fountain show in my front yard keeps you up all night. I just don't understand why you want all those people coming to your front lawn every night. Oh, wow, that's so cool. Get out of my yard, Jerry! Well, you don't have to worry, Mindy. I'm not running away to the wilderness. Phew, that was a close one. I'm actually going to visit my Aunt Helga. You know, the one that lives up in the Rocky Mountains, and the only way to get there is to, well, hike. Aunt Helga. Oh, wasn't she the one who DJed your last science-themed house party? You can call me DJ Enzyme, because I'm about to break it down! Oh, you crazy kids, you love wordplay Just like my grandson now, the last time I saw him Man, that party was galactic Especially Aunt Helga's famous E equals MC squared 11 squares Delish You know, we should totally introduce her to Grandma G for us They'd get along so well I mean, they've got so much in common, they could be related Guy Raz? Yes? Could we be related? No Man Anyway, ever since Aunt Helga moved to the Rockies Well, just read this letter I got from her Hmm, let me see here She says, there aren't many people that come to visit me in my cabin these days The only company I have are the mountain goats Oh, man, Guy Raz, that sounds really lonely. That's why I thought I'd pay her a visit. Oh, that's a great idea, Guy Raz. We should definitely go and see her. Uh... After all, studies show that being social and hanging out with friends is really good for your health. Wait, good for your health? Yep. Let me get on my hiking boots and I'll tell you all about it on our way there. I know they're in my backpack here somewhere. Now, if only I could find my backpack. Hmm. You lost your backpack? Well, no. I mean, I know it's in my closet. Okay. Now, if only I could find my closet. You can't find your closet? Yeah, so the problem with living in a gingerbread mansion is that every time you eat it and then rebuild, you forget where you've put all your rooms. Right. Okay, so I'm just going to head back home and see if I can find that closet. Don't go anywhere. Uh, Mindy? I mean, it's got to be in there somewhere, right? Mindy! Come to think of it, did I even rebake a closet? Mindy! What? What's that on your back? Oh, that's just my backpack. Oh, that's my backpack. Oh, there it is. Thanks for helping me find it. No worries. Now let me just see what we've got in here. Um... You know, Mindy, it's usually polite to ask people if you can come before joining them on a hike What are you talking about? You weren't just gonna go by yourself, were you? Well... I mean, all that peace and quiet, ugh Yeah, who would want that? Exactly! Oh, here they are! Eh... Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! There we go Mindy, what on earth are those? What do you mean, what are those? Well, those hiking boots are covered in fur and have two massive cow horns poking out of the sides. Oh, yeah. That's because they're my Viking boots. Thanks, Jed. Mandy? Don't worry, Guy Raz. They're still waterproof, and they provide a surprising amount of ankle support. Okay, let me just lock up here. Security laser grid. Armed and ready Alright, good to go Ah, the great outdoors Peace, quiet, serenity I know, imagine if I wasn't here You'd have to put up with all that peace and quiet and serenity all by yourself Yeah So anywho, about this research I mentioned About how being social makes you healthy? Yeah, so these researchers at the University of Michigan found that people who had a lot of friends and hung out with their family more often lived longer than those who didn't. Really? Yep. And the researchers surveyed almost 5,000 people for this. And a survey is kind of like a scientific list of questions used to collect information from people. Exactly. So they got almost 5,000 people from Alameda County near San Francisco to fill out a list of questions that would show how social they were. So questions like, are you married? How often do you stay in contact with your family? What kinds of friend circles do you hang out with? So what happened? Well, those 5,000 people told the researchers to mine their own beeswax. What, really? Nah, they answered all the questions. Mandy. And then the researchers took their answers and assigned each person with a number. So a low number meant that you weren't very social, and a high number meant that you had friends coming out your ears. Huh, wow. And then the researchers followed the health of these 5,000 people over the next nine years, and Guy Raz, you'll never guess what they found. What? The researchers found that those people they gave a high number to? You mean the people that had lots of friends and spent more time with their families? Right, so those people were twice as likely to live longer than those who weren't very social and were given a lower number. Wow, that's incredible, Mindy. I guess being a social butterfly really does have an effect on how healthy you are. That's probably why Reggie's lived so long. He's the most popular pigeon I know. He's also the only pigeon I know. You know come to think of it he does have an awful lot of people over to his birdhouse for seeds and spa water on Saturdays I know and we never been invited Hmm Oh it starting to get kind of cold out here isn it Well, yeah. I mean, the closer we get to the Rocky Mountains, the colder it's going to get. Okay, let me just get out my hat here. Ah, here we go. Mindy, I told you to bring a hiking hat, not a Viking hat. I like to dress in themes. Huh, I see. Crocheted the horns myself. Yeah, nice touch. What was that? Well... But what? If we're where I think we are... Where are we? I would make an educated guess that that was a gray wolf A gray wolf? Those terrifying top-of-the-food-chain predators that skulk around by themselves attacking farm animals and howling at the moon? Well, actually, Mindy, I just learned that the whole idea of a lone wolf is kind of a myth because wolves are actually one of the most social species we know of. And they often hunt and travel in packs. Here, listen. Do you hear it? Yeah, that's a lot of wolves. And it's not just wolves, Mindy. There are actually a whole bunch of animals that, like us humans, thrive on being social. Really? Really. From dolphins to gorillas to wolves All of these animals survive because of the connections they make with other members of their species And these types of animals are called social animals Social animals, huh And Mindy, there's so much we can learn from these social animals Like what? Well, take one of the most social animals we know Which is? The ant! The ant? They don't even make sounds! Well, I know, but certain insects like ants and bees and even some wasps, well, they belong to a group of social animals called eusocial species. Uh, who social species? Eusocial species. And in eusocial species, each member of the group is given a specific job to perform. And each of those jobs helps contribute to the group as a whole. Everyone pitches in. Exactly. So like in an ant's nest, for example, there's the queen, then there are the worker ants, and then there are the soldier ants. That's right. Everyone has a job. And so what are we learning from these ants? Well, Mindy, scientists from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, have been studying ants to try and figure out the best way to evacuate a building. And by evacuate, you mean getting everyone out of a building when there's an emergency. That's right. Well, um, Guy Raz? Yeah? I don't mean to point out the obvious, but, um, how do I put this? Ants don't live in buildings They live in anthills I know that, Mindy But what the scientists at Monash University were studying Was how these ants evacuated their anthills when they were in danger What did they want to find out? Well, the scientists wanted to see if there were any lessons That we humans might be able to take away from these ants and then use those lessons in how to evacuate buildings. Huh. So is the idea that ants are better at evacuating than us humans? Well, that's the idea. Yes. So what makes them so much better? Well, when ants evacuate an ant hill, they're able to keep a rule in their minds that we humans tend to forget when we're panicking. Oh, no. What's the rule? Because I can tell you right now, Guy Raz, I probably break that rule every time I freak out. Well, the rule is that sometimes slower is faster. Sometimes slower is faster. Ah, yeah. I dolphin-ally break that rule. So you mean like the tortoise and the hare? Yeah, kind of like that. And the researchers found that when ants are evacuating, they stay calm. They move slowly and they politely let other ants pass around them and in front of them as they exit Wow, I had no idea that ants were so civilized So you mean they don't push and shove and butt each other in line trying to get there first? No, they don't rush to try and save their own lives But instead, they move slower for the good of the group Huh, interesting And, Mindy, the scientists observed that the slower the average speed of each ant meant that the group of ants as a whole was evacuated faster. So in this case, slower really is faster. Yeah. How exactly are the scientists using this information to help evacuate our own human buildings quicker? Well, for starters, by experimenting with a technique to actually block a part of an exit in a building. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold the phone, Guy Raz. You're telling me that in order to evacuate a building quicker... Yes. These scientists are saying that you've got to block the exits of the building with something? Well, I know it sounds crazy, Mindy, but after studying these ants for two years, That's the conclusion that these scientists came to By putting something in front of the exit To block part of the exit It forces people to slow down And in turn, it gets the group as a whole Out a lot quicker Wow, I never would have thought of that I mean, you have to admit, Mindy It's kind of brilliant Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant and whoa, whoa, whoa. Kairoz, did you just make a pun? Maybe I did, Mindy. I'm so proud of you. Before you know it, you're going to be a genuine pun slinger like me. Okay, hold on, Mindy. Let me just check my map and compass to actually see where we are right now. Ooh, kicking it old school. Paper map, huh? Yeah, we should be getting pretty close to Aunt Helga's house right about now. Really? It only feels like we've been walking for like 10 minutes and we didn't even start in Colorado. I know, right? Time flies when you're talking social science. And being a social animal having fun equals spending time with your best friend. That's right. If only Reggie could be here. What? But you know, Guy Raz, not all animals are social like us. What do you mean? Well, some animals actually prefer spending time alone as opposed to hanging out with other members of their own species. You know, like how you get after one of our big adventures where you just need a little me time, but without me Well, I do enjoy solitude with my stack of London Review of Books Exactly And slowly watching kombucha brew Yeah, and And sprouting mung beans in the middle of the night Guy Ross! No, sorry Mindy, I was just thinking about all the things I was going to do after we get back from this adventure Anywho, as I was saying, some animals prefer to live alone These animals are called solitary animals Solitary animals, huh? Yep, so for example, tigers are solitary animals And so are octopuses and even pandas Huh, so I can understand the benefits of being in a group Where everyone can help each other out But what possible benefit could an animal get from going it all alone? Well, there are a few reasons why scientists think that these animals actually prefer to go solo. Really? What are they? Well, the most common reason is that they want to avoid competition with each other. Huh, so you mean they're not competing over the same food in the same area, for example. Exact Doritos. But even these solitary animals do spend some time in groups or pairs. What for? Well, usually because they want to mate or they want some help taking care of the babies. Huh, well that makes a lot of sense. You know, you gotta teach that little tiger cub how to hunt before he can fend for himself. Yep. And, as it turns out, being antisocial might even mean living longer for some of these animals. Like, um, like the marmot. The marmot? Yeah, so as it turns out, this cat-sized furry little rodent lives way longer when it decides to go its own way and fly solo. Only it doesn fly Oh yeah I know marmots They kind of look like big guinea pigs and live in the mountains Yeah and so this biologist A scientist who studies life on Earth So this biologist Daniel Blumstein from the University of California he spent the last 13 years tracking these furry little marmots. And what was he doing? He was just taking notes on how they interacted with each other and how long they lived for. So what did he find? Well, the first thing you have to know is that marmots are neither social nor a solitary animal. What? You can't put everything in a box, Guy Raz. The marmot is what's known as a socially flexible animal, meaning that they usually live alone, but if their population grows too large or their habitats get too small, well, they'll team up to help each other out. Oh, that's so nice. So this research team followed 11 different colonies, or groups of marmots, right here in the Rocky Mountains for 13 years. Well, 13 years is a long time, so what were they looking for? Well, they were spying on the marmots to see how they acted with each other. You know, like how they groomed each other, how they foraged for food together, and how they played. And what did they find? Well, Daniel and his team of researchers found that marmots that went their own way lived for two years longer than the marmots who lived in colonies or groups. Which, for a marmot, is a pretty big chunk of time. Exactly. So marmots usually live for about 15 years or so, so living two extra years would be like you or me getting an extra 10 or 12 years added on to our lives. Oh, man. I mean, imagine how many hundreds and thousands of London reviews I could get through in that time. I'm not going to imagine that, Guy Raz. So why do these marmots live longer, Mindy? Well, it's hard to know for sure, but Daniel and his team of researchers believe that it could be for a whole bunch of reasons. Such as? Such as when marmots live in larger groups, it's easier for them to pass things like diseases on to one another. Oh, yeah, like when someone at school has the flu, and then a week later everyone has the flu. Exactly like that. But another reason might be the fact that they are terrible snorers. Terrible snorers? Okay, well, not exactly, but these researchers did point out that noisy sleeping patterns could wake up other members of the colony during hibernation. Hibernation being that big, long sleep that some animals do through the winter. You got it. But once you wake up from hibernation, it's really hard to nod off again. And I imagine there's not a whole lot of food around in the winter either. Nope. So they just go hungry. Yikes. Yikes is right. Who knew that spending some quality time alone could be so good for you? Well... If you're a marmot. Glad we're not marmots. Why's that? Because then we wouldn't be best friends and you'd have to do this hike all by yourself. Oh, yeah. Right. Right. Forgot about that. Are we almost there, Guy Raz? I feel like we've been walking forever. Well, let's see, Bindi. According to our map... Yeah? What does it say? And these instructions Aunt Helga gave me... What did she tell you? We should be almost there. Okay, she wrote right here, if you do decide to visit me, you can find my cabin on the tallest peak of the tallest mountain range in North America. Huh. She couldn't have just given you a zip code or something? I guess not, but this is the tallest peak in the Rockies, Mindy. Whoa. How are we going to get all the way up there? Uh, well... You didn't think this far through, did you? Uh, not really. Well, don't you worry your pretty little head about it, Gyroz. I'm just gonna ask those mountain goats over there for some help. Mountain goats? Hey, kids! Run, run, run, run, run, run. Excuse me, sir. Sorry, Billy. Wait, Billy the Kid? Really? No relation. Yeah, gotcha. You must get that all the time. Wow, two or three times a day? You gotta be kidding me. Sorry, bad joke. Mindy! Oh, yeah, right. Sorry. Um, Mr. Kid, I have a favor to ask you. You see, me and my buddy Guy Raz over here are visiting his Aunt Helga on the top of this mountain, and we were hoping for a ride up. Yeah, Aunt Helga. Wait, you know Aunt Helga? They know Aunt Helga? You're going there now? Oh, well, that's great news. Oh, thank you so much. Mindy, these goats know Aunt Helga? How? I don't know. You don't know? You were just speaking goat. What? No, I don't speak goat, Guy Raz. That would be redonkulous. What? Now hop on that one over there. They're going to give us a ride. What is it with you and riding animals that are obviously too small to be ridden? Don't think about it too much, Guy Raz. Now, let me just get my goat riding saddle out of my backpack here. Goat riding what? Saddle. You brought yours, right? You know what? It must have slipped my mind. No worries, buddy. I brought a spare. Well, you always do have my back, Mindy. Well, that's what social animals do, Guy Raz. We look out for each other. That's true. Now put that saddle on Billy's goat friend over there, and I'll saddle up on Billy. Come on, we gotta get going. All right, let me just see here. Yep, easy does it. Just like you'd ride a dolphin. Okay, there we go. Now just to hop on and... Come on, catch your balance. Careful, careful. Okay, Billy and Guy Raz, I think we're ready to go. Whoa! Hey, stop! You're really cool, huh? I'll say whoa! Wait a minute, Guy Raz. Do you hear that? Wait, wait. I think I do, Mindy. It sounds like a wild party going on. Look, I think it's coming from up there. In that cabin? Yeah. Wait a minute, Mindy. That's Aunt Helga's cabin. I recognize it from the photos she sent. Well, I guess we're here. Um, thanks for the ride, Billy, and thanks, um, oh, I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name. Seriously? Billy the Kid and Vincent Van Goat? Come on, Mindy, we gotta go. Thanks, thanks, Billy, thanks, Vincent. Well, finally, here we are What on earth is happening in there? I don't know, but I guess we're about to find out All you crazy kids, get on the back floor No, no, not you kids, the kids, the goats, the kids Oh, get down with your back, Sam Hey, Ross, look at this place It's filled with dancing mountain goats I can see that, Mindy. I guess Aunt Helga really is a social animal after all. More like a party animal. You can say that again. More like a party. I didn't mean for you to say that again. Hey, you want to dance? Uh, I'm not really the dancing type, Mindy. Oh, come on! I'll show you some social animal moves. I call this one Ants in the Pants. Oh, how about Gorilla Go-Go? Come on, we're gonna need more cowbells Wow, that was so cool All those animals like ants and dolphins and gorillas living longer because they're so social I know, we should get out of the basement and go be social and hang out with other people too How about we go outside and then pop out of the bushes at Guy Raz's house when he comes out to get the mail And then we'll all be like, surprise Guy Ross! Can we come in for coffee and scrumpets and social time so we all live longer? Yeah, he'll love that! Let's go! Alright, let's wrap up the show first. 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 Wee Wow on the weekend. Okay, should we do the goodbye song? That's the end of the show. I need to go and be social so I live longer like a gorilla or a dolphin. But I'll do another show tomorrow. But for now, that's the end of the show. Bye! Thank you.