Slime vs Slinkies

Summary

Smash Boom Best: "Slime vs Slinkies"

Podcast: Smash Boom Best (Brains On Universe)
Air Date: May 14, 2026
Debaters: Latif Nasser (Team Slime), Hans Puteau (Team Slinky)
Host: Molly Bloom
Judge: Miles from Minneapolis
Episode Theme: A kid-friendly, facts-and-fun-packed debate between two icons of tactile play: oozy, squishy Slime vs. the legendary, springy Slinky.

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Episode Overview

In this lively episode, the Smash Boom Best crew pits two classic, hands-on toys—Slime and Slinkies—against each other in a head-to-head debate. Harnessing humor, science, history, and pure playful energy, Latif Nasser and Hans Puteau spar over which provides more value, entertainment, and educational impact. Judge Miles (a music and tennis fan) listens to both sides before crowning a winner.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Declaration of Greatness

(Slime: 04:21–08:11 | Slinky: 11:27–16:15)

Team Slime (Latif Nasser)

• Slime’s Popularity & Stigma: Kids intuitively love slime, while adults often have a “slime prejudice” rooted in old horror movies (like The Blob, 05:05), and discomfort with bodily fluids—yet, “these bodily slimes keep us alive and healthy” (Latif, 05:45).
• Science of Slime: Highlights slime as a “non-Newtonian fluid” (acts as both a liquid and a solid, 06:39–06:57), which fascinates kids and teaches science through play.
• Slime’s Practical Benefits:
  • Used for stress relief.
  • Can clean keyboards/electronics (“some people make slime that’s great for cleaning the gunk out,” 07:51).
  • Easily made at home from household materials.
• Memorable Quote:
  • “Slime is fun, fascinating, and full of cool science. It’s the perfect plaything for kids and adults.” (Latif, 08:00)

Team Slinky (Hans Puteau)

• Invention & Legacy: Invented by Richard T. James in 1943 after watching a spring tumble (“What if I could get it to step down…a whole flight of stairs?” 13:24).
• Iconic Fun & Tricks:
  • Sold 400 Slinkies in 90 minutes upon debut (13:25).
  • Slinkies can “walk” down stairs, escalators, even treadmills (2016 viral video: Slinky on treadmill for 8min 43sec, 13:33).
  • Slinky artistry and tricks (14:06) e.g., “Slinky Josh.”
• Educational Powers: Used in science classes to demonstrate gravity, waves, and energy; brought to space with NASA (14:39).
• Other Uses: Makes cool sound effects, keeps squirrels off trees, serves as a fidget toy.
• Memorable Quote:
  • “The thief wanted the Slinky because it can do pretty much anything. Case closed.” (Hans, 15:46)

2. Rebuttal Rounds

(Slime Rebuttal: 08:44–09:43 | Slinky Rebuttal: 16:51–17:24)

• Hans (Slinky) on Slime:
  • Knocks slime for being messy and gross: “the thing about slime is…everything gets in it”, and calls out bodily slimes as “functions that should stay inside you.”
• Latif (Slime) on Slinky:
  • Points out frustrations with Slinkies: “How do you untangle it? What if your stairs are too wide or tall? What do you do after you get cut by a Slinky?” (16:51)
  • Playfully calls out “stairism” when accused of bias for not having stairs at home.

3. Micro Round: Fact Off

(22:04–28:10)

Each competitor presents rapid-fire cool facts:

Slinky Facts

• Used as radio antennas by soldiers in the Vietnam War (22:20).
• Features a famous, long-running commercial jingle: “Slinky, Slinky, good for girls and boys” (24:07).
• Slinky inducted into National Toy Hall of Fame, featured on postage stamps, part of the 20th century's 100 most memorable toys (25:30).

Slime Facts

• Hagfish use slime as a powerful defense (super soft, can repel sharks, 22:42).
• There’s a slime for every mood: cloud, glossy, magnetic, edible, and icy slime (24:59).
• Snail slime: Highly valued for skincare products, wound healing, and even inspired innovative surgical glue (26:30).

Memorable Banter:
“Who doesn't like squishes?” – Hans (23:47)
“Every time.” – Latif
“He's a musician. He knows what he's talking about.” – Latif, after judge Miles critiques the Slinky jingle (24:52)

4. Sneak Attack: Invent a Holiday

(29:13–32:34)

• Team Slime:
  • Slime’sgiving – A day for sharing jello, pudding, and celebrating “we’re all just slime on the inside.”
  • Song: “Happy Slimesgiving to you” (30:20)
• Team Slinky:
  • Slinktober (Northern Hemisphere) and Slinkbruary (Southern) – A month-long celebration where people perform “longitudinal” and “transverse” waves with handshake rituals.
  • “You get both kinds of waves, which…Slinkies do both. Slimes, no kinds of waves.” (31:44)

5. Final Six

(32:49–33:53)

• Slinky:
  “Slime’s fine. Slinky makes you winky.”
  (lighthearted debate about the rhyme)
• Slime:
  “Infinite shapes. Unlimited fun. Squish potential.”
  (Concise, positive summary.)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Slime’s Appeal:
  “Slime is fun, fascinating, and full of cool science. It's the perfect plaything for kids and adults.” – Latif (08:00)
• On Slinky’s Range:
  “The thief wanted the Slinky because it can do pretty much anything. Case closed.” – Hans (15:46)
• Judge Miles on Slime’s Science:
  “It was really fascinating to learn about the movie that kind of first introduced slime and how it's a non-Newtonian liquid.” (08:24)
• On Slinky’s Ubiquity:
  “Sold 400 of them in just 90 minutes.” – Hans (13:25)
• On Slime’s Defenders:
  “Next time someone is bothering you, be like a hagfish and cover them in a slime bomb.” – Latif (23:17)
• Funniest Banter:
  “I'm stairless.” “Wow. Stairism. Outright stairism here, Hans.” – Latif, Hans (17:45–18:00)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction & Setup: 00:54–03:55
• Declaration of Greatness (Slime): 04:21–08:11
• Rebuttal (Slinky): 08:44–09:43
• Declaration of Greatness (Slinky): 11:27–16:15
• Rebuttal (Slime): 16:51–17:24
• Micro Round: Fact Off: 22:04–28:10
• Sneak Attack: Invent a Holiday: 29:13–32:34
• Final Six Words: 32:49–33:53
• Winner Announcement: 34:30

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Judge’s Reflections & Decision

• Miles loved both sides’ science connections and humor but favored slime in the finals:
  • “The final six was pretty good… sneak attack and the micro round were pretty close. I think they both could have gone either way, but it was one each, so kind of evened out.” (34:43)
  • Crowned Slime as the winner for its creativity and squish-inspired fun (34:30).

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Conclusion & Tone

This episode, delivered in the show’s trademark lively, kid-accessible banter, covers everything from scientific facts and cultural history to DIY fun and musical moments. The debaters bring infectious energy, and the judge weighs in with honest, thoughtful reactions. Slime edges out Slinky for its scientific intrigue and boundless, gooey possibilities.

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Catchphrase Sign-offs:

“Squish you later.” – Latif
“Winky, winky, slinky!” – Hans

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TL;DR:

Slime defeats Slinky in a battle full of science, pop culture, and playful argument, proving that oozy creativity can overcome even the bounciest of classics.

Transcript

[Molly Bloom]

Lemonade.

[Georgia]

Brains on Universe.

[Molly Bloom]

Thinking critically is more important than ever. That's why we make smashboom Best. We want every kid to know how to spot a good argument and how to call out a logical fallacy. But none of it is possible without your support. Seriously, we could disappear if our listeners don't step up. But that part is easy. Just join SmartyPass. You'll get access to ad free versions of our shows, special online hangs with our crew, discounts on merch and more. Plus, you'll feel great knowing you're helping us pay our debaters, sound designers, writers, and more. Join [e-mail] thank you.

[Announcer]

Now it's showtime from the brains behind Brains On.

[Hans Puteau]

It's Smash Boom.

[Miles]

Best, the show for people with big opinions.

[Molly Bloom]

Hi, I'm Molly Bloom and this is smashboom Best, the show where we take two things, smash them together, and ask you to decide which one is best. Today, two titans of physics and fun. It's squishy, gooey, drippy, lovely slime versus the springy, wavy, stretchy, wondrous slinky. Here to squish the competition for team Slime is Radiolab host Latif Nasser. It's prime time for slime and stretching toward victory. For Team Slinky is podcast Hans Puteau.

[Hans Puteau]

It is not a stretch to love a slinky.

[Molly Bloom]

Oh, and the person with the tough job of picking today's top toy is Miles from Minneapolis. Miles is into tennis, riding his bike, and listening to music. And he also plays trombone in the jazz band. Hi, Miles.

[Miles]

Hey, Molly.

[Molly Bloom]

So, Miles, what songs are in heavy rotation that you're listening to right now?

[Miles]

I really like the band Geese and Oasis.

[Molly Bloom]

Nice.

[Miles]

I also like Cage of the Elephant.

[Molly Bloom]

Very nice. And okay, so. And you also play trombone.

[Miles]

Yes.

[Molly Bloom]

So it seems like you like rock and roll. Do you think you could ever use your trombone playing skills in a rock and roll band someday? Oh, horn section.

[Miles]

I hadn't even thought about that, but, yeah, I think it's pretty likely.

[Molly Bloom]

That's awesome. And so you're in jazz band. What's your favorite song you're doing right now in jazz band?

[Miles]

Oh, well, we're playing Spain by Chick Corea.

[Latif Nasser]

Oh.

[Miles]

And I like it a lot. Yeah.

[Molly Bloom]

Really cool. So trombone is awesome. Thanks. How long have you been playing it?

[Miles]

I started in seventh grade, which was two years ago.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay. And so trombone is like. You slide. It's. That's how you choose different notes is really. By sliding it. Is it hard to find the right note? How do you know how to do that?

[Miles]

Yeah, there's kind of like. I actually get this question a lot. There's kind of like, different points that you can kind of go off of to see different stones. Okay.

[Molly Bloom]

Is it kind of like muscle memory? At a certain point, though, like, your arm kind of, like, knows, like, how far to go?

[Miles]

It is. Yeah.

[Molly Bloom]

Are there any notes that, like, you couldn't reach when you first started that, like, now you can.

[Miles]

Seventh position. That's, like the farthest away position. And that was tough, but I got it now.

[Molly Bloom]

Now nine. Yeah, you're, like, very. You're, like, much taller than me now, so you're. You're great. So will Miles say the Slinky is supreme, or will he slime? Time to find out. But first, here are the rules. Every debate consists of four. The Declaration of Greatness, the micro round, the sneak attack, and the final six. After each round, our judge, Miles will award points to the team that impresses him the most. But he'll keep his decisions top secret until the end of the debate. Listeners, we want you to judge, too. Mark down your points as you listen. At the end of the show, head to our website, smashboom.org and vote for whichever team you think won. Okay. Latif, Hans, Miles, are you ready?

[Miles]

Yes.

[Latif Nasser]

Oh, yeah. Yes.

[Molly Bloom]

Awesome. Then it's time for the Declaration of Greatness. In this round, our debaters will present a well crafted, immersive argument in favor of their side. Then they'll each have 30 seconds to rebut their opponent's statements. We flipped a coin. And Latif, you're up first. Tell us why in your house, it's always slime time.

[Latif Nasser]

Does this sound familiar?

[Georgia]

Phew. I've had enough screen time.

[Latif Nasser]

Hmm.

[Georgia]

I think I'll do something constructive for my brain.

[Latif Nasser]

Now.

[Announcer]

That's a great idea, honey.

[Georgia]

Maybe something science y. Oh, I know. I'll make slime.

[Announcer]

Oh, it's so gross and messy. I mean, you should play more video games.

[Molly Bloom]

Mom.

[Announcer]

Try this one. It's really violent.

[Latif Nasser]

Sadly, scenes like this happen all too often. That's why I'm doing something a little different. Normally, my task would be to convince kids of the wonders of slime, but I don't really need to. Kids already know, of course.

[Georgia]

Slime's great.

[Latif Nasser]

So instead, I'm talking to parents. I'm gonna get you to embrace the goo and drop that filthy prejudice. Yes, slime prejudice is real. Slime was villainized as far back as 1958, when a horror movie called the Blob.

Look out. Because soon, very soon, the most horrifying

monster menace ever conceived will be oozing into this theater. What's behind this anti ooze attitude? It might have to do with the fear adults have for their own bodies.

[Hans Puteau]

Hey.

[Latif Nasser]

Especially the slippery bits that make it function.

[Molly Bloom]

Ew.

[Latif Nasser]

Adults often freak out hearing words like saliva, snot, mucus. But these bodily slimes keep us alive and healthy. Without saliva, we wouldn't be able to swallow food. The mucus in our sinuses traps harmful germs. In fact, mucus is so important, our bodies make more than one and a half quarts of it every day, most of which we swallow without even realizing it.

[Miles]

Oh, I'm gonna be sick.

[Latif Nasser]

I'll grow up. Or actually do the opposite of that. Slime is also fun and easy to make outside of the body using household materials. One recipe just calls for some detergent, glue, and water. Mix it up and you'll get a wonder of chemistry and physics. You see, slime is something called a non Newtonian fluid.

[Molly Bloom]

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

[Latif Nasser]

That means sometimes it acts like a liquid and sometimes like a solid, depending on how much pressure you put on it.

If you smack it or squish it

with a lot of force, it feels like a solid. But if you hold still and let it flow between your fingers, it oozes like a liquid.

[Georgia]

Dad. Slime feels like a solid, but takes the shape of the container like a liquid.

[Todd Douglas]

That's really great, champ.

[Hans Puteau]

I'm glad you're learning so much. Careful with the rug.

[Latif Nasser]

Slime seems simple, but. But it's got hidden depths. Slinkies are kind of the opposite. Something that seems like it'll be cool, but then actually isn't.

[Announcer]

No, no, they're cool. Look at this slinky walk down the stairs.

[Georgia]

Wow. That's great, Mom.

[Announcer]

Oh, butter sticks. Now it's tangled.

[Latif Nasser]

Oof. Once those get tangled, and they always do, it's practically impossible to fix. That reminds me of one final thing. Slime is helpful. Some people make slime that's great for cleaning the gunk out of keyboards and electronics. Others use slime as a stress reliever. Here, ma', am, why don't you try this? Wow.

[Announcer]

My anger and frustration from that slinky is just melting away. I feel so calm.

[Latif Nasser]

There you have it.

Another adult won over. Slime is fun, fascinating, and full of cool science. It's the perfect plaything for kids and adults.

[Molly Bloom]

Wow. An excellent declaration of greatness there. And, Latif, those were your kids, right?

[Latif Nasser]

Those were my kids.

[Molly Bloom]

Ugh. Excellent work, guys. So good. Okay, Miles, what stood out to you about Latif's declaration of greatness?

[Miles]

It was really fascinating to learn about the movie that kind of first introduced slime and how it's a non Newtonian liquid going back between solid and liquid.

[Molly Bloom]

Very cool. Okay, Hans, you have 30 seconds to spring into action and your time starts now.

[Hans Puteau]

First and foremost, shout out to Newtonian fluids. Let's not leave them in the dust. Come on. Speaking of being in the dust, the thing about slime is it gets. Everything gets in it. And you know, slime's great. Sure, slime is great, slime is great, but it's not as great as the spirally flexible. It's just. It's gross and messy and it just lays there. And it's helpful bodily functions, but those stay inside you.

[Latif Nasser]

Oh, I'm so glad you.

It's so easy to clean slime. All you need is a little white vinegar, a little water. Not only does it clean the slime all of a sudden, it also can clean your clothes. Anything else that maybe the slime accidentally got messy, you can clean all that. And better yet, now everything smells like pickles.

[Molly Bloom]

You got me a pickles.

[Hans Puteau]

You know I love smelling like pickles.

[Molly Bloom]

Who doesn't? All right, we're gonna hear what Team Slinky has to say in just a moment, so stay tuned. Today's episode is sponsored by Quince. I'm a person that doesn't really like shopping because I'm worried that the things that I'm going to buy are not going to be worth it. But that' the opposite of what happens when I buy clothes from Quint's. My family is a Quint's family. We have been buying clothes from there for a while now, and all the clothes we've gotten from quints have stood the test of time. So well, everything is incredibly well made. My favorite item of clothing is this sort of burnt orange cardigan, so cozy, made of cotton. It is my favorite sweater and it's from Quince. My daughter's favorite jacket is also from Quince. My husband's favorite socks from Quince. So not. Not only is everything great quality, everything at quince is priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. And they work directly with ethical factories and cut out the middlemen. So you're paying for quality and craftsmanship, not brand markup. Refresh your everyday with luxury you'll actually use. Head to quince.com smashboombest for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns that's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com smashboombest for Free Shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com smash. Boom. Best.

[Hans Puteau]

Best Smash.

[Molly Bloom]

Smash. Boom. We're back. Slime made its case. And now it's time for Hans to get thinky about the Slinky.

[Hans Puteau]

I love Slinkys so much that I'm writing a novel about them. It's a mystery when you hear the first part. It was a dark and stormy night. There was a robbery at the Toy hall of Fame. When the police arrived, everything seemed normal. The Frisbees, they were fine. The Teddies, they were untouched. The slime? Yeah. I mean, no one takes the slime, right?

[Molly Bloom]

Ew.

[Latif Nasser]

Ugh.

[Hans Puteau]

Only one toy was missing. Jinkies. It's the Slinkies. They're gone. Cried the detective. She was a master of her craft, able to figure out exactly what happened by examining the clues clearly.

The thief took the roof off of the museum using magic, then lowered a group of highly trained velociraptors into the security room, where they disarmed the cameras. Then he released nanobots that snatched the Slinkies, and they all got away in an old pizza delivery van.

It's so

[Molly Bloom]

obvious.

[Hans Puteau]

But something puzzled her.

[Molly Bloom]

Why?

[Hans Puteau]

Why do all that only to steal a Slinky?

[Molly Bloom]

Why?

[Hans Puteau]

Okay, that's as far as I got. Because, honestly, there are just a million and one reasons to want a Slinky. And how do I pick just one? First, they're so fun. The toy was invented in 1943 by a mechanical engineer named Richard T. James. And Richard noticed how a spring seemed to step downward as it fell off a bookshelf. And he thought, hmm, that was neat. What if I could get it to step down, like, a whole flight of stairs? Like some kind of walking spring?

[Molly Bloom]

Super duper neat.

[Hans Puteau]

He tinkered and tinkered until he got it just right. And the Slinky was born. In 1945, he showed it off at a toy store and sold 400 of them in just 90 minutes. And ever since, kids have been wiggling, jiggling, tossing them, jostling them, and, of course, sending him stepping downstairs. Today, there are mini Slinkys, plastic rainbow Slinkys, and Slinky dogs, like the one from Toy Story. By the way, if you put a Slinky on an escalator going up, could it walk forever? Well, theoretically, yes. It can also walk sideways. In 2016, two people filmed their Slinky walking on a treadmill for a whole 8 minutes and 43 seconds. Which brings me to my next point. Slinky's got tricks. There's a growing community of Slinky artists who dance with Slinkys. And they twirl them around and they bounce them off of stuff. One guy nicknamed Slinky Josh has gone viral, showing off his Slinky skills at festivals. I cast Slinky.

[Latif Nasser]

Oh, my God.

[Hans Puteau]

But Slinkys aren't just fun and games. They're educational. Science teachers use them to explain things like gravity, transverse waves, and the difference between potential and kinetic energy. NASA even brought the Slinky to space to show how it works in microgravity. But really, the uses of Slinkies are endless. They can make cool sound effects for your superhero movie. They're perfect for fidgeting. You can wrap them around a tree to stop squirrels from climbing up and eating the fruits. So, back to my novel. Why would a master thief want to steal a Slinky? Is it to play with? To learn tricks? To teach cool physics? To fidget with? To stop squirrels?

[Latif Nasser]

Ugh.

[Hans Puteau]

Too many options.

The reason is so

[Molly Bloom]

obvious.

[Hans Puteau]

Wait. The detective from my novel. Did you figure out the motive?

Of course, Hans. The answer is all of it. The thief wanted the Slinky because it can do pretty much anything. Case closed.

But you didn't catch the thief, so.

[Molly Bloom]

Well, then you better finish your novel.

[Hans Puteau]

Oh, right. So there you have it. The perfect motive for stealing the perfect toy. Slinkies can do it all.

[Molly Bloom]

Oh, my gosh, Hans. Showing us why it's no mystery why Slinkys are so cool. Okay, Miles, what stood out to you about his argument?

[Miles]

I like the using it in science classes and stuff because I have used Slinkies in science classes last year. Let's talk about sound waves. I also love the Slinky artists. I didn't know about that. That's really cool. And the guy who sold 490 minutes. That's just crazy.

[Hans Puteau]

It's impressive.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay, Latif, it is time for you to slime those statements from Team slinky. You have 30 seconds for your rebuttal. And your time starts now.

[Latif Nasser]

That was super fun. I love the mystery concept. And in fact, I love it so much, I'm going to add a few more mysteries here. How do you untangle it after it gets so tangled? What do you do when your stairs

are too wide or too tall?

I don't even have stairs in my house. Also, another thing.

What do you do after you get

cut by a Slinky? You know, sometimes you get those Little cuts. It's a little bit annoying. All of those are mysteries I would love further chapters on and time latte first.

[Hans Puteau]

You don't have stairs in your house.

[Latif Nasser]

How?

[Hans Puteau]

That's wild. So I can't really trust you to be objective in this at all. So if you're debating this from your point of view, you're already biased. And I don't know that we can really fully trust the person, the perspective that you're bringing here. I'm so sorry.

[Latif Nasser]

Because I'm stairless.

[Hans Puteau]

Because you're stairless and Slinkies are Slinkies and stairs are kind of a thing. They're kind of. They're kind of together. And so, I mean, you just might not understand.

[Latif Nasser]

Wow. Stairism. Outright sterism here, Hans.

[Molly Bloom]

We don't stand for sterism. Sash, boom, vest.

[Latif Nasser]

Oh, well.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay, Miles, it is time to award some points. Please give one point to the declaration of greatness that you liked best and one point to the rebuttal that won you over. You get to decide what makes a winning argument. Did one have cooler facts? Did another make you laugh? More totally subjective. Totally up to you. Award your points, but don't tell us who they're going to. Have you made your decision?

[Miles]

Yes. Ooh.

[Molly Bloom]

Very good. Okay, Hans and Latif, how are you two feeling so far?

[Hans Puteau]

I feel great. I feel really, like flexible and just loose.

[Latif Nasser]

Yeah, I especially feel that those ways flexible and loose because I have a little bit of slime here I've been playing with as a stress reliever while we've been talking, you know.

[Miles]

Mm.

[Molly Bloom]

Mm. Very smart. All right, well, it's time for a quick break. Stretch out your legs or squish into your comfy chair.

[Miles]

And we'll be right back with more smashboom Best.

[Announcer]

You're listening to State of Debate. Home to rage and rhetoric and awe inspiring argumentation.

[Georgia]

Splish splash.

[Taylor Lincoln]

It's me, Taylor Lincoln, alongside my sparkling clean bud, Todd Douglas. Say, is that a pair of vacuum

[Molly Bloom]

cleaners you're holding above your head, Todd?

[Todd Douglas]

Hi, Taylor. It sure is. I use tubes so that I can clean the ceiling at lightning speed. Phew. Now the only thing left is my double handed, super spinning full room mopping.

[Taylor Lincoln]

I love to clean too, but instead of rooms, I like to clean up bad arguments. Especially when there are logical fallacies in the mix.

[Todd Douglas]

Oh, a logical fallacy. That's when someone makes a bad argument that's easy to defeat.

[Taylor Lincoln]

It is. And the other day I overheard a real messy one. Let's take a listen.

[Sergeant Sloppy]

Hi, welcome To Sergeant Sloppy's Sloptacular Slopstaurant. Our food is sloppy and rude. Can I please take your order?

[Customer]

Yes, I'll have the chili cheese slop dog, extra slop sauce with a side of slop fries, but hold the onions, please.

[Sergeant Sloppy]

Anything else?

[Customer]

Do you think I could get some extra napkins with this? I mean, it feels like it might get kind of sloppy.

[Sergeant Sloppy]

Ooh, no can do.

[Customer]

No extra napkins.

[Molly Bloom]

But why not?

[Sergeant Sloppy]

If I give you more paper napkins, then everyone will want extra napkins, and then they might have to cut down whole forests to make more, and there wouldn't be any more trees in the world. So I'm sorry, I have to say no to extra napkins.

[Hans Puteau]

Whoa.

[Todd Douglas]

Clean up in the debate aisle.

[Taylor Lincoln]

Indeed a mundo, Todd, old pal. That was a real sloppy argument.

[Todd Douglas]

That cashier was using the slippery slope fallacy. That's where someone claims that a small action will lead to a huge outcome.

[Taylor Lincoln]

It's messy because it exaggerates what might happen without any evidence.

[Todd Douglas]

Well, I don't know what's going to happen, but I'm suddenly craving slop dogs.

[Taylor Lincoln]

Me too. Let's not get them to go, though. I wouldn't want to get any on this newly cleaned ceiling.

[Todd Douglas]

Thanks. We'll see you next time on State of Debate.

[Hans Puteau]

Smash Boom Best.

[Molly Bloom]

You're listening to Smash Moon Best. I'm your host, Molly Bloom.

[Miles]

And I'm your judge, Miles.

[Molly Bloom]

And we love getting debate suggestions from our listeners, like this one.

[Georgia]

Hi. Smashboom Best. My name is Georgia, and I'm from Silver Spring, Maryland. And my debate idea is toothbrushes versus hair brushes.

[Miles]

Can't brush decide an idea that good.

[Molly Bloom]

We'll hear who Georgia thinks should win at the end of the show.

[Miles]

And now it's back to our debate, slime versus Slinkys.

[Molly Bloom]

That's right. And it's time for round two, the

[Announcer]

micro round.

[Molly Bloom]

It's time for a fact off. Hans and Latif will each get three chances to make a microargument backed by a cool fact or idea. Latif went first last round. So, Hans, you start us off. Let's hear your first fact about Slinkys.

[Hans Puteau]

First, I want to tell you about Slinkys as soldiers. That's right. Did you know that Slinkies were used during the Vietnam War? Soldiers would be able to throw them up over the branches of trees and they would extend the range of radios. So practical tool. That's pretty cool science right there.

[Latif Nasser]

That's pretty good. Okay, well, interesting. The best defense is the Slime defense? Just ask the hagfish. This eel looking creature releases a special slime to protect itself and boy, does it work. The slime is super soft. 100,000 times softer than jello. But there's a lot of it. It'll fill the mouths and gills of any unfortunate attackers. Even sharks have had to retreat from this glorious goo. So next time someone is bothering you, be like a hagfish and cover them in a slime bomb.

[Hans Puteau]

Well, you know what's gonna fill your ears? Not.

[Latif Nasser]

Not.

[Hans Puteau]

Not your eyes.

[Latif Nasser]

Slime.

[Hans Puteau]

Slime. Well, yes, but also the slinky jingle. Do you know the slinky jingle, Latif? How about you, Miles? Do you know the slinky jingle?

[Miles]

I don't.

[Molly Bloom]

You mean like the sound it makes or the. Or like a commercial song?

[Hans Puteau]

Okay, first of all, the sound it makes is so much more appealing than the sound the other one makes because it's la. Lasers versus Squishes. Come on.

[Latif Nasser]

Yeah.

[Hans Puteau]

Who doesn't like squishes?

[Molly Bloom]

Me.

[Latif Nasser]

Me.

[Hans Puteau]

Lasers.

[Latif Nasser]

Every time.

[Hans Puteau]

But no, I mean. I mean the jingle that they use to sell it. It's one of the longest running, most beloved classic jingles of all time. Slinky. Slinky. I don't remember the words. Slinky slinks.

[Latif Nasser]

Good for girls and boys is good for girls and boys.

[Hans Puteau]

That's a slinky song. You know it. Okay, I kind of know it.

[Latif Nasser]

It's funny because you've slightly undermined your argument here. And the actual line that I do actually remember was everyone knows a slinky. But it's. Everyone doesn't know the jingle is the problem.

[Miles]

Not very catchy.

[Hans Puteau]

It's gonna be in your head. You're gonna be going, va na da, va da da da da all day long. Now that I've done that, I don't

[Miles]

even remember the melody right now, Miles.

[Latif Nasser]

Oh, no, that's right.

[Miles]

I'm sorry.

[Latif Nasser]

He plays a trombone. He's a musician. He knows what he's talking about. Oh, boy.

[Hans Puteau]

I got some work to do.

[Latif Nasser]

Well, there is a slime to fit any mood. Feeling whimsical. Try making cloud slime, which is fluffy and drizzly. Feeling fancy. Try glossy slime. Feeling a little metal. Make magnetic slime. Sweet tooth. Make gummy bear slime or marshmallow slime. Or any other edible kind of slime. You can even make icy slime that's crunchy and cool for those hot summer days. It's the perfect DIY toy no matter how you're feeling. And there's no Commercial jingle gimmick to go with it.

[Hans Puteau]

You know, it's not a gimmick. All of the awards, just award after award after award for Slinkies since 1945, when they sold that first 490 minute, it's just been winning those awards. And it hasn't changed. It hasn't changed since 1945, and it still wins awards. In 1999, the United States Postal Service, they issued a postage stamp. A postage stamp. Only the best for the Slinky. It's also in the Toy hall of Fame. Slime I can't even imagine is close. It might be like stomping up the windows for the draft or something in the slime. That's as close as it's going to get, I think, to the Toy hall of Fame. And it was named to the Toy Industry Association Century of Toys list for the 20th century's 100 most memorable. Memorable. Even if you don't remember the. The. The lyrics and creative toys. And it would probably be knighted. I mean, we'd probably give it an OBE if, you know, toys could have obese.

[Latif Nasser]

Tiny rebuttal.

Slime is also in the National Toy hall of Fame, but did you know that there are snail farms where they grow snails just to get their slime? That slime is highly valuable. It gets used in face creams and moisturizers because it's really good at stuff like healing sunburns, repairing small wounds, helping skin regenerate. There's early evidence that snail slime might even help prevent acne and skin cancer. Snail slime also inspired a new kind of glue to help hold someone together after surgery because it's stretchy and sticky and strong enough to hold onto something like a beating heart. Wow. You know what?

[Hans Puteau]

I will say that is incredibly cool. I will get on board with how cool that is. I will also get on board how. I don't want to play with snail slime. I just. I don't want to rub my hands in it. I don't want to put it near my face. I don't. I'm not going to have fun with snail slime.

[Molly Bloom]

Oh, my goodness. Okay, a sensory smackdown there, Miles. What stood out to you about this maker round?

[Miles]

This was good. The fish who use it as a weapon. It's very cool. And also using Slinkies in the war, the Vietnam War to extend radios is very cool. And the surgeries using slime and surgery is just awesome.

[Molly Bloom]

Yes. Very, very cool. Okay, Myles, it is time to award a point for this micro round. Again, criteria, totally subjective. Totally up to you, Foreign. Have you made your decision?

[Miles]

Yes.

[Molly Bloom]

Perfect. Keep it a secret and we'll be right back. Want smashboom. Best without the ad breaks. Join Smarty Pass and get an ad free feed of this and all the other brains on universe shows. Plus, you'll get to do virtual hangs with me and the crew and get discounts on merch. Sign up at brainson. Org. Thanks. Boom.

[Hans Puteau]

Boom, boom, boom, boom. Smash. Boom.

[Molly Bloom]

This super stretchy smackdown is so fun. Right, so let's keep it going with the sneak attack. This is our improvised round where debaters have to respond to a challenge on the spot. Today's challenge is international holiday. Imagine that there's an international holiday devoted to your side. What's it called? What are the traditions, lore, decorations associated with this special day? Any special food or greetings? Is there a song? Please tell me there's a song. Okay, Latif, Hans, does this make sense?

[Latif Nasser]

Yeah, it does.

[Molly Bloom]

All right, Latif, you are up first this time. Please tell us about your holiday celebrating slime.

[Latif Nasser]

Well, Happy Slime's giving everybody.

[Hans Puteau]

And

[Latif Nasser]

so instead of turkey, we don't need to kill a bird. You can just make some jello and just everybody can eat their favorite puddings and jellos and anything slimy that they feel.

Yeah.

That they want to. It's a time when you come together with your loved ones and you just. Yeah, you just pass around some slimy foods that'll just make everyone happy and.

[Hans Puteau]

Yeah.

[Latif Nasser]

You know, it's just a time to remember how we're all just slime on the inside and. Yeah, it's just a nice time to be with your people.

[Molly Bloom]

That is really beautiful. Is there, like, a song that people sing on slimesgiving naturally?

[Latif Nasser]

Of course. Yeah. It's Happy Slimesgiving to you. I mean, they need work.

They need work.

I mean, it's better than the Slinky song, but still, they need work, you know?

[Molly Bloom]

Absolutely. Oh, I love that. Okay. Happy Slimes giving everybody. Okay, Hans, please tell us about your international holiday to celebrate the Slinky.

[Hans Puteau]

Yeah, well, I mean, Slinkies have a truly international holiday because it's. It's actually named two different things, because it depends on which hemisphere you live in. Yeah, if you're in the northern hemisphere, you celebrate Slinktober, but if you're in the southern hemisphere, you would celebrate it, of course, as we all know, as Slink Brewery.

[Latif Nasser]

It was really rolls off the tongue.

[Hans Puteau]

And it's a day to be flexible. It's actually a whole month. It's like, that's how much you need in order to celebrate all of the wonders of Slinky. You stay flexible. There's a special handshake that you do, which is. Yeah. It simulates the longitudinal wave that a Slinky does and simulates when it. You simulate that for when it's going down the stairs. And then you do a transverse wave. If somebody's far away, you do transverse wave, which is perpendicular.

[Latif Nasser]

Right.

[Customer]

It's just. It's so cool.

[Hans Puteau]

You get both kinds of waves, which. You know what Slinkies do Both kinds of waves. Slimes. No, kinds of waves. So I'm just saying it's pretty. It's pretty dynamic.

[Molly Bloom]

Yeah. Waves are pretty important to holidays. Is there a song for a Slinktober or Slinker? I think we've heard it. I think.

[Hans Puteau]

I think everybody's heard it.

[Molly Bloom]

Are you sure

[Latif Nasser]

it's funny. I don't remember. It's not super memorable.

[Hans Puteau]

Slinky. Slinky. Something like that.

[Molly Bloom]

Slinktober. Yes.

[Hans Puteau]

You wanna put on your hat? There's a hat you put on? Yeah.

[Molly Bloom]

Oh, my God.

[Hans Puteau]

Perfect.

[Molly Bloom]

All right. Wow. That was a lot to think about. Those sound like awesome holidays, don't they, Myles? Yes, absolutely. Okay. But only one of them can receive a point for this sneak attack round. It can go to the most fun sounding holiday, or the one that felt well thought out. Maybe the one that had tasty treats or a special hat. Have you awarded your point?

[Miles]

Yeah. Oh.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay, it's time for our final round.

[Announcer]

The final six.

[Molly Bloom]

In this round, each team will have just six words to sum up the glory of their side. Hans, you're up first. Six words for Slinkys.

[Hans Puteau]

Okay. Slime's fine.

[Latif Nasser]

Slinky.

[Hans Puteau]

Oh, boy. Not a lot rhymes with Slinky.

[Molly Bloom]

Is that it? Is that the final six?

[Latif Nasser]

Rinky dinky, maybe?

[Molly Bloom]

No.

[Hans Puteau]

Never. Never.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay.

[Latif Nasser]

Trying to help.

[Hans Puteau]

Okay, so slime's fine. Slinky makes you winky. Ooh. Nope.

[Latif Nasser]

Don't like that.

[Hans Puteau]

It's like wink, but with a Y. Like, wink, wink, wink, wink.

[Sergeant Sloppy]

Sure.

[Hans Puteau]

Yeah.

[Molly Bloom]

Yep.

[Customer]

Is that what we're going with?

[Molly Bloom]

Is that what we're going with?

[Hans Puteau]

No, it's from 1945. It's an old saying. So they. It was different things. Times are different back then.

[Molly Bloom]

Oh, yes, of course. Okay, lots of. It's your turn. Sum it up for slime.

[Latif Nasser]

Infinite shapes. Unlimited fun. Squish potential.

[Molly Bloom]

Ooh. Very good.

[Hans Puteau]

Okay, I'm just realizing we didn't have to rhyme.

[Molly Bloom]

What did you think you had to run?

[Hans Puteau]

I Don't know.

[Molly Bloom]

Miles, it is time to award your final point. Have you made your decision?

[Miles]

I have.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay. Are you ready to crown one team? The Smashboom Battle.

[Miles]

Yeah.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay. Drumroll, please. And the winner is.

[Miles]

Slime.

[Latif Nasser]

Woo.

[Hans Puteau]

Go, Winky. Look, it's versatile. It's great.

[Molly Bloom]

It's great. Incredible. Okay, Myles, what was the moment that really pushed it over the edge for Slime?

[Miles]

The final six was pretty good.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay, final six.

[Miles]

The sneak attack in the micro round were pretty close. I think they both could have gone either way, but it was one each, so kind of evened out.

[Molly Bloom]

It was a tight one.

[Miles]

Yeah, it was close.

[Latif Nasser]

Hans, first of all, your object. I actually do love Slinkys. Even though I'm stareless, I love Slinkys. I do agree that the winkies was an inspired. You were in a corner there and you found winkies and it was great. And that might now become part of my everyday vocabulary. I don't know. But it was. You brought a lot of fun, which was. You did justice to the Slinky, which is a great all time toy.

[Hans Puteau]

Incredible. Latif, you had facts that made me go, oh, yeah. You had points that made me go, I see that. Yep, yep. And you did it all with an attitude that made me say like, oh, oh, slime. I get it. Let's do this. So, like, really well done. Well earned.

[Latif Nasser]

Thank you. I'm also gonna go research the using a Slinky as an antenna on a tree. That is. I kind of want to try that. That sounds so fun.

[Molly Bloom]

Yeah, right?

[Hans Puteau]

Don't you like, does it vibrate? Can you feel it vibrate? I got questions.

[Latif Nasser]

Fascinating.

[Molly Bloom]

More research to be done. Well, that is it for today's debate battle. Miles crowned Slime the Smashboom best. But what about you?

[Miles]

Head to smashboom.org and vote to tell us who you think won.

[Molly Bloom]

This episode was produced by Bea, Molly Bloom and Mark Sanchez. It was sound designed by Rachel Breese. Our theme song was written by Mark Sanchez. We had engineering help from Matt Castor. Our announcer is Marley Foyer, Worker Auto. And we want to give a special thanks to Austin Cross and Taylor Kaufman. Hans, is there anyone you'd like to give a shout out to today?

[Hans Puteau]

Two things. First of all, the concept of gravity for just helping Slinky do the thing that they do. Like, way to go, Gravity. And also Friedrich Froebel, who was born 21-4-1782 and, you know, decided that play was the way that we were going to learn things. I think all toys owe a lot to Friedrich Froebel opening that door for us in kindergarten.

[Molly Bloom]

Very nice. And how about you, Latif? Any special shout outs?

[Latif Nasser]

I'd like to thank Hagfish Snail and my two children, Fievel and Huck.

[Molly Bloom]

Excellent. And Miles, how about you? Any special thanks or shout outs?

[Miles]

I would like to thank my cousin Fiona. She loves this podcast and brains on.

[Molly Bloom]

That's very nice. Before we go, let's check in and see who Georgia thinks should win the debate between hairbrushes and toothbrushes.

[Georgia]

I think toothbrushes could win because you could get more product problems if you don't brush your teeth.

[Molly Bloom]

If you're between the ages of 13 and 18 and you'd like to be a judge, or if you're any age and you have an idea for a knockdown drag out debate, head to smashboom.org contact and drop us a line. And if you're a fan of the show and want to keep it going, head to smartypast.org to subscribe. We'll be back next week with a new smashboom best episode, Otters vs Alligators. Ta ta. Thanks. Bye.

[Latif Nasser]

Squish you later.

[Hans Puteau]

It's fun for girls and boys. Better than the rest.

It's smash.

[Miles]

Go west.

[Hans Puteau]

It's.

[Molly Bloom]

And now we're gonna say goodbye however we choose. You can say ta ta. See ya. Bye. Whatever. Winky, Slinky. Whatever you want to say, you can say it. So I'll go first.

[Latif Nasser]

Ta Ta will catch on as a salutation. Winky, winky, slinky. Okay, Winky, slinky.

[Hans Puteau]

Ahoy there. Winky, Slinky.

[Molly Bloom]

Todd, answer the phone from now on, okay?