WeWow on the Weekend

Hey, Wowzer fans, Mindy and Guy Raz here, and before we start the show, we've got a little surprise for you. Reggie, cue the fanfare. Starting this week, we've got brand new episodes of Wow in the World. Yep, that's right. Starting right here on our Wow in the World podcast feed and also our YouTube channel, WowTube. You can watch now at Tinkercast.com slash YouTube. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get back to the show. Laughing And then we Oh wait, no, I said laughing twice Uh, whatever Wee Wow on the weekend Yeah, 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 that's Reggie, the giant pigeon My co-host This is the show where we hang out and chit-chat and sometimes have special guests on the show And today, we have a special guest on the show Everyone, please welcome Hey, Fowler, am I on yet? Not yet, Tommy, I need to introduce you Oh, okay, do you need to know how to spell my name? No! Well, how much longer is this going to take? I have to do the song first Oh, that sounds fun Do that, play me a ditty You got it. Okay. Guest segment, the segment with the guest. A guest comes on the show and just like the title suggests, we bring them out and then we hit... Now that's a good song. I like that one. Oh, thank you, Tommy. Devoted listeners, help me welcome Thomas Fingerling to Wee Wow on the Weekend. Welcome! Wee what on the who now? Wee Wow on the Weekend. You know, the podcast I invited you to be on. Podcast? Are people still making those? Yes, Tommy, they are. Oh. And you're on Wee Well on the Weekend, my podcast. Oh, and Reggie's. Hey there, Pigeon. Well, let's get to podcasting, or wee-weeing on the weekend, or whatever you're doing here. Perfect. Let's start off with a Q&A segment. The Q&A segment. Neat. What's the Q&A segment? The Q&A segment is where we get out our answering machine and listen to questions from our devoted listeners. And then what? And then we answer them. Lolly, is this an advice show? Like, Dear Abby? Um, no. Rats. All right, let's just get the old answering machine pulled up here. Okay, here we go. Hi, you've reached Dennis from Wee Wow on the weekend. That's me. Do you have a question? Well, I do too. Lots of them. And who's going to answer all my questions? You? Probably not, but I guess I can answer yours. Leave me a message. Hi, my name is Ada. I'm 11 years old and live in Seattle, Washington. Hi, Ada. Hello there. I wanted to ask if you knew how many knuckles humans have on each hand. Ooh, let me guess, let me guess, let me guess. Is it three? No. Is it 86? No. How about 36 and a half? No. Fowler, let me answer this. Okay, Tommy, go ahead. The answer, Ada, is 14 knuckles per hand. Oh, wow. That's three on every finger and two on each thumb. And when you pop them, it sounds like this. Ha! Cha-cha! Ha-cha-ha-cha! Ew. Thanks, Thomas Fingerling. And thank you, Ada. Next question. Hello, Dennis. Um, why do your fingers get so wrinkly in the bathtub? 100 out of 10 stars. Yay! 100 stars! Ooh, that's a lot. Okay, Tommy, we got another hand question. What a coincidence. I know. So why do fingers get so wrinkly in the bathtub? Okay, now this might get a little complicated. All right, let's hear it. Now, our skin is covered in something called sebum. Se-what? Bum. Tee-hee. Sebum is the natural oil that covers your skin and keeps it a little extra waterproof. Neat. But the palms of our hands and the soles of our feet don't get much sebum. Those areas, our fingers and toes and such, can quickly get waterlogged. Waterlogged? Like they soak up a little water and then they get pruney? Yep. Okay, but why? Oh, I don't know. Some think it's so we can have better grip when we're dealing with wet and slippery conditions. Cool. Rock on, dude. Okay, let's do one more question. Okey-doke. Hi, Dennis. My question for you is what's the grossest thing that you've seen Thomas Fingerling do while snooping on him? What? You been snooping on me, feller? No, not that much. You sure? You ain't been sneaking around watching me pick at my toenails? No, I didn't see that. Well, did you see me eating a pot pie yesterday and then spill it all over my shirt? See? Here's the stain. Right here. You didn't change your shirt today? Well, I really hope you didn't catch me plucking my ear hairs of various lengths and textures. Ew, no! Well, good. Having everybody know that stuff would be very embarrassing for me. Well, that's enough voicemails for today. Listeners, if you've got a question for me... Or me, Thomas Fingerling... Call and leave me a message. The number is 1-888-7-WOW-WOW. I just might answer your question on Wee Wow on the weekend. Okay, now what? Next up is a little segment I like to call Inside Tinkercast Studios. Inside Tinkercast Studios. Fancy. This is the part where we revisit an episode of one of my favorite Tinkercast shows. And today, I thought it would be fun to listen to the very first episode of Wow in the World that you appeared in, Thomas Fingerling. Oh boy, my big debut. So today, we're listening to Wow in the World Season 2, Episode 27, called Oh, Knock Crackers. I can't wait. 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 slash wow Visit ixl slash wow to get the most effective learning program out there at the best price Hello. It's me, Carly Q, from Who Went Wow Mystery Edition, and I have big news to share. I've learned a lot on my time traveling adventures over the years, like what to pack when you're traveling to Victorian England, or the must-try foods when you're visiting the Viking Age. Spoiler alert, the food is pretty good, but they don't have pie yet, which is a bummer. I can't wait to share my time travel tips and tricks with you all. You can listen to my new bite-sized episodes in the Who When Wow podcast feed now. Looks like lunch break is over. That's it. Now back to the show. in the world. Breathe deeply in and out. Now, float away upon that breath, up, up, up, gently twirling amongst the moonbeams. Oh, look, the moon waves to you knowingly like an old neighbor. Wave back now. Hello, moon. Hello. I'm up! I'm awake! Hop out of bed, run to the bathroom, brush my teeth. Time to get dressed. Call my buddy Guy Raz to make sure he's awake. Dial, dial, dial, dial, dial. Hello? Good morning, Gairos. Mindy, it's the middle of the night. You call it the middle of the night. I call it three o'clock in the morning. And you know what day it is. I don't know. Is it your birthday? Nope. Is it my birthday? Nope. Oh, no. Isn't Reggie's taekwondo and tap dancing recital, is that today? What? No, that's not even until next month. Oh, by the way, I signed you up to be the stage mom. But I'm not even... Guy Raz, today is Thumb Wars Day at the Knuckle Hut. Guy Raz, you there? Did I lose you? What? Mindy, I'm going back to bed. What? No! There's no time! We need to get there early if we want good seats. Grandma G-Force is competing. Wait, Grandma G-Force is a professional thumb wrestler? Among other things, yes. Well, I guess I gotta see this. What time are we leaving, Mindy? Oh, well, I'm ready now. Of course you are. All right, well, I still need to brush my teeth, do my calisthenics routine, the five Tibetans, my juice cleanse, my morning meditation. I've gotta get dressed. Wait, don't get dressed. What? I've got something perfect picked out for you to wear. Mindy, I'm not... Be right over. I'm coming, I'm coming Ta-da! What are you wearing? I made us thumb war costumes out of foam You're dressed as a giant foam hand? Well, a giant foam right hand You're going to be the giant foam left hand Here! Oh, no, no, no way I am not Now, let me just pull it over your head here. Mindy! Hold your breath. Would you stop wiggling so much? Stay still, I'm gonna... Here we go. There. Aw, don't you look cute? Where's my full-length mirror? Mindy, I have no peripheral vision in this thing. Oh, be careful when you turn around and walk. You might knock. everything over. Oh, hey, you know, Mindy, now that I see myself in the mirror, I don't look half bad. Guy Raz, you look like a high five. Did you just body slam me? What was that for? I gave you a full body handsuit to handsuit high five. Why do I feel like this is going to be the longest day of my life? Oh, well, probably because it's going to be the longest day of your life. Oh, right, starting at 3 a.m. Well, ready to go? Nope. Reggie! Reggie, did you swoop in here wearing a sleeping mask? Oh, no. He's been doing that a lot lately. Doing what? Sleep sailing through the air. Is that safe? Yes, of course it's not safe, Guy Raz. Now just gently tickle him awake, okay? Okay. Uh, wake up, Reggie. Early bird gets the word. Good morning, Reg. We need you to give us a quick ride to the knuckle hut. Yes, you can make a pit stop at the seed shack once you drop us off. What on earth are we wearing? Oh, these are just giant foam handsuits that I made for us. I made them for Grandma G-Force's thumb war today. A high five? Oh, no. Sure, Guy Raz loves a good high five. Wow, Gyros, you must be as light as a feather. Ugh, he just knocked me over with his talent. Oh, Reggie says high five. Let's just go, Mindy. After you. Hey, Gyros, give me a boost, and then I'll turn around and pull you up. It's hard to move in this giant foam handsuit. Okay. Thanks, buddy. Okay, your turn. Okay, all set? No. Did you say go? No! Okey-do. Here we go! Thanks, Reg. You want to stick around? Oh, early bird special at the seed shack. Okay, just head back over here when you're finished. Wait, the Knuckle Hut is a diner? Yeah, it's been here since the 1950s. And what's that creepy hand statue coming out of the ground? Oh, so that's a giant sculpture modeled after the left hand of the original owner, Thomas Fingerling. In fact, it's an exact replica, insides and all. Some say that when he cracked his knuckles, you could hear it from 40 miles away. Yeesh! You want to go inside? The diner? Yeah, I'm starving. I wonder if they've got some fermented mung beans. We'll get to the diner later. First, I think we need to find out what's going on inside that hand. You want to go inside that giant hand? Uh-huh. Dressed like giant hands? Yes. But don't you want to at least say hi to your Grandma G-Force first? No. But she's your grandma. Gairaz, Grandma G-Force isn't even going to get here until 14 hours from now. The thumb war starts at like 8 p.m. Mindy, you dragged me here at 3 a.m.? Follow me, Guy Raz. Waddle, waddle, waddle, waddle, waddle, waddle, waddle, waddle, waddle. Is it just you, Guy Raz, or am I sweating? You know, you'd think foam would be a little more breathable than this. Okay, brace yourself, Guy Raz, because I'm going to open the door on this giant, creepy hand. Hello? Anyone in this hand? Mindy, why is it so dark inside here? Wait, are those real bones? 27 bones to be exact. What? Who said that? My name, young lady, is Thomas Fingerling. Welcome to my hand. You're still alive? Eh more or less I see you two are dressed in the traditional hand suit Ooh is this some sort of high open polyurethane Thank you for noticing I made them myself See, my name is Mindy, and this here is my little buddy Guy Raz. And we came out this way to see my grandma G-Force compete in the Knuckle Hut's annual thumb war. But then we couldn't help but notice this giant hand replica sculpture thingy, and we thought we'd stop in to check it out. Well, that's right, curious of you. I don't get too many visitors around these days. Not since the invention of the Internet Super Highway. Ugh, the interwebs, am I right? Wait, what? Long ago, knuckle-cracking enthusiasts from around the globe would come to witness my signature popping nuk-chuck performance. Your what? He said his signature popping nuk-chuck. I heard what he said, Guy Raz. So, Thomas Fingerling, what happened exactly? Well, like I said, once the internet came along with their WWWs and their Netscape Navigators, people moved on to other forms of so-called entertainment. You're saying that people used to come here to watch you crack your knuckles for entertainment? Don't sass me, young lady. And yes, but all these yahoos and dot-com bubbles came along and took my audience. No, it's all MewTube videos of cats and hamburger buns or what have you. Oh, yeah. Did you see the one where the cat was wearing a little blueberry pancake beret and roller skating past the Eiffel Tower in Paris? You got to see this. Here, I'll pull it up on my phone. You are not going to believe this. It's so cute. So let me get this straight. What you're saying, Mr. Fingerling, is that knuckle cracking isn't drawing the same crowds that it was back in the 1950s? Yeah, so no one is super impressed by knuckle cracking anymore? I'm afraid not, young lady. Hey, who you calling a lady? Well, Mr. Fingerling, we're here now. Maybe you can show us around your giant hand replica and we can talk knuckles for a while. Yeah, that's a great idea. And maybe for the grand finale, you can perform your signature popping nut chuck for us. Well, I suppose I still got a little pop left in the old nuts. That would be amazing. Woo-hoo! Yay! This is going to be awesome! All right, all right. Let's see. Here, we got two tickets to the tour, plus the IMAX video, a refillable sippy cup, and the nut chuck performance. That'll be $75.92. Oh, hey, 92. That's my age. I'm sorry, did you say? 92 years young, by gum. No, I mean the price of tickets, 75. I got this, Guy Raz. Hey, where'd you get my wallet? Eh, just a little sleight of hand trick I've been working on. 20, 40, 60, 75 dollars. Here you go, Thomas Fingerling. Two tickets, please. Thank you for your business. And, well, gosh, I'm just so happy. No one's stopped by here in over 30 years. Between you and me, people tend to find this place a little bit creepy. So, uh, where do we begin? Oh, I suppose wherever you want. Feel free to have a look around. I'll just be napping up in the thumb over there. Napping? What about the tour? God, sooks! What do you think this is, a haberdashery? It's self-guided. Now you two kids have fun. Self-guided? 75 bucks? Don't worry, Guy Raz. I got this. The last time you said that, you stole my wallet, Mindy. No, really. Half the reason I even wanted to visit the inside of this weird hand sculpture anyway is because I just read this new research on knuckles and I wanted to get a close-up experience of what it's like when we crack them. You dragged me all the way out here for... So, to begin the tour, Guy Raz, I'd like for you to pull my finger. Oh, no. Pull my finger, Guy Raz. Nope. Pull it. Ugh, fine. Whoops! Mindy! Sorry, wrong finger. Here, try this one. Mindy, I'm not... Okay, I'll do it. Watch and learn. Ah, did you snap it off, Mindy? Nope. That was the sound of me cracking my knuckle. Here, want me to do it again? No, I... Okay. Mindy, I'm not sure it's supposed to sound like that. So, you might be wondering to yourself, Mindy, what makes our knuckles crack like that? Hmm? Uh, Mindy, what makes our knuckles crack like that? Walk with me, Gyroz, as we climb that super tall ladder over there to the pointer finger. And there we will find the answer. Are you sure that ladder is safe to climb? Yes, of course I'm not sure it's safe to climb, Guy Raz. You go first. Climb, climb, climb, climb, climb, climb, climb. Whoa. Look at that, Mindy. Look where the bones of the finger meet the rest of the hand. That's the knuckle. And there's a little lake inside of it. Oh, yeah. That's the lake of synovial fluid. Want to take a dip? I don't think that's a good idea, Mindy. There's a sign here that says this lake is full of gas. Yep, this lake of synovial fluid is full of tiny gas bubbles mostly made up of carbon dioxide. But what's the purpose of the fluid in the first place? Well, why don't you press that button over there and see what happens? I don't know. Guy Ross, the sign says press me and see what happens. Okay. Whoa. Whoa! The finger is moving, Mindy, and we're moving with it! Guy Raz, check it out! The synovial lake of fluid is keeping the finger bones from grinding on each other! Wow! Now let's see what this lever does! Ah! Mindy, the finger bones are pulling away from each other! Stop cranking! Stop cranking! Okay, now watch that pressure gauge to your right! It appears that when the bones pull away from each other, There's a sudden drop in pressure in the middle of the knuckle or joint. Yeah, and look, with the pressure drop, the gases are coming together and making new bubbles. Mindy, Mindy, could the popping of these bubbles be what's causing the popping sound in our knuckles? Well, that's what some scientists thought for a long time. But? But other scientists were like, no dice. Clearly the pop comes from the way the bubbles are formed. And then they went back and forth on this for like a hundred years And you know, Mindy, I once read that some of the earliest research on knuckle cracking Dating back to the 1900s showed that not all joints were crackable Oh yeah, and that once you pop, you can't stop Until you wait for at least 20 minutes first You can't pop the same knuckle more than once in a 20 minute period? See for yourself Huh See what I mean? So, Mindy, earlier you mentioned some new research on knuckle cracking. Oh, yeah. So this pair of researchers from the Echopolytechnique in France, they made a mathematical model to find out the truth of what's been causing the pop. A mathematical model? Yeah, so basically they made this math video game that simulated what happens when our knuckles crack. A mathematical video game? Ha, that's my kind of video game. And in this video game, they had a model of a knuckle with a bubble in it. And then they cracked it. Over and over and over and over again. Listening carefully to the sound it made and how loud that sound was. And then I'm guessing they compared that sound with the sound of actual people cracking their knuckles. You got it. they compared the sounds in this mathematical video game knuckle with the sounds of their own knuckles and the knuckles of a bunch of volunteers That must have sounded like a knuckle party That's the way I imagine it. And if I'm wrong, I don't want to be right. So what did they find? Well, what they found is that when they popped the bubbles on the video game, the bubbles made pretty much the same sounds as the popping knuckles make in real life. So it is the popping of the bubbles after all. Well, not so fast. See, they also found that when the bubbles only started to collapse, like less than halfway but not pop completely, they still made the same sound. So what does that mean? So what this means is that the popping could have something to do with the way the bubbles are formed after all. So I guess it's back to the knuckle hut for these researchers. Ooh, speaking of knuckle-hot, it's probably about time for Grandma G-Force's thumb war to begin. I thought that wasn't for another 14 hours or so. Guess time flies when you're popping these guys. Ah! Mindy, stop. You're gonna give yourself arthritis. Fake news! What? Who said that? Karaz Thomas Fingerling is right. Huh? Arthritis is a disease that keeps people's joints from working in the way they're supposed to. And people with arthritis in their hands can have swelling or pain or stiffness in their joints and knuckles. Yes, but? But no studies have been able to show any connections between arthritis and knuckle cracking. Which means it's finger popping time. It's what? Let's head over to the thumb war at the knuckle hook. I've been preparing a grand finale you'll never forget. Your signature popping knuck chuck. Oh boy. After you, Mr. Fingerling? Ooh, I think you're kind, sir Hey, who you calling, sir? Just keep on moving, Mindy Calling me sir, I'm a lady Whoa, this is thumbelievable This is a diner By the way, do you think we have time for me to order an einkorn and quinoa salad? No time for that, Guy Raz Look, Grandma G-Force and her competitor are already in the ring Mindy, that's a corner booth in the diner. I'm going to go put our names in for that table once they're finished with this whole thumb war thing. Grandma G-Force! Hi! Hi, Grandma G-Force! It's me, Mindy! Your granddaughter, Mindy! Hi, Grandma G-Force! Look over here! Over here, Grandma G-Force! I'm cracking up. Take your names. I don't think she can hear you, Mindy. She looks like she's really in the zone. Say, where did thumb wrestling come from anyway? Oh, glad you asked. As the legend would have it, it all started in the year 1936, when a young lad who went by the name Julian Koenig got bored one day at summer camp. And? And that's it. That's the legend. Our contestants for this round of Thumb Wars are Grandma G-Force and Thumbelina versus Sir Alexander Curley and the Thumbertaker. Wait, but why are there four contestants? Oh, that's because the Thumbs have their own wrestling names. And faces. And tiny hats. What? The rules for this match are as follows. Number one, elbows must be kept on the table at all times. And number two, fingernails must be trimmed to tiny nubs. Yikes! Sixty seconds are on the clock. It's time for the Wild Thumb War Showdown to throw down! One, two, three, four, and it's my thumb. Go, Grandma G-Force. Go, Lumberlina. You can do it. Come on, Grandma G-Force. Make me proud. Show them what our Gs are made of. All right. Go. Oh, I think she's got it. Maybe you look. Oh, gracious. One, two, three, four. I am this the moon. Oh, I'm awesome. Oh, yeah. There you go, Grandma G-Force. Can't do Grandma G-Force. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. He he he he he, now who wants to own my finger? Hmm? Run's in the family. Remedios and Bumbelina have won in a Bumbelievable upset. Whoa, what's that, Mindy? Oh, is that what I think it is? Look up there on the bar, it's... Tom is fingerling. Wow, talk about a grand finale. Just listen to him crack those knocks. Thumbs up, Mr. Fingerling. You still got it in you. Wow, that was so cool. Thomas Fingerling, you sounded a lot younger in that episode. Well, I was younger. This show's been going on for like a million years. And ever since Mr. Rozzy and Mandy wandered into my giant hand house in the middle of the night They've been dragging me into their shenanigoodles And it just wears me right out Aw, you don't like all the shenanigoodles? Well, it's fun and all, but then I need a nap Like, right now And he fell asleep Well, this looks like a good time to wrap up the show 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 I'm up, I'm up Uh, where am I? You're in my basement, Tommy What? Still? Yeah Well, I better get going I gotta meet G-Force at her exploding Mahjong Club. Cool! Can we come too? I don't see why not. Yay! Mahjong! Mahjong! Mahjong! It's exploding Mahjong. And you have to bring your own fire extinguisher. Okay, I can do that. And wear flame-proof undergarments. I can do that too. And you have to bring fizzy water for everybody. What? Nuh-uh. Yeah, huh. Thanks for joining us for this edition of Wee Wow on the Weekend. Our show is written by Ruth Morrison and Jed Anderson. The role of Baby Dennis is played by Jed Anderson. Ah, well then, who plays the role of Big Dennis? Never you mind. Hee hee. Original sound design and production is done by Henry Moskell, with contributions from Jed Anderson and Tyler Tholl. Original music for WeeWow is composed and performed by Tyler Thole. Special thanks to Jessica Bode, Rebecca Caban, Dr. Natasha Crandall, Kenny Curtis, Lizzie Freilich, Kristen Yang, Meredith Helpen-Ranzer, Twee Mack, Erica Medina, Henry Moskal, Jody Nussbaum, Ali Paxima, Guy Raz, Linda Rothenberg, Steph Sosa, Mindy Thomas, Joanna Weber, Anna Zagorski, and all of the other tinkerers at Tinkercast HQ. Be sure to visit Tinkercast.com where you can become an official member of the World Organization of Wowzers. Learn about upcoming events, shop our Wow Shop, find our best-selling books, and learn about all the other amazing podcasts from Tinkercast. Thanks again for hanging out in the basement this weekend. Be sure to check out episodes of Wow in the World every Monday. And remember, who Wow's? I Wow! No, baby Dennis! Wee wow! All right! Wee wow! Wow in the world! Wow in the world! Wow in the world! Wow in the world was made by Tinkercast and sent to you by Wondery.