Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

Episode: HTDE: Earthquakes, Dentists, and How To Talk To Your Dog
Date: October 15, 2025
Host: Peter Sagal & Wait Wait Producers Ian & Mike
Guest: Dr. Danielle Giangrasso, Christina Hunger, Dr. Theresa Neal, Paola, and listeners

Overview of the Episode

This week’s “How to Do Everything” special, featured within Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!, dives into a delightfully offbeat trio of topics: how rats are revolutionizing earthquake rescues, the perils (and potential solutions) of trying to communicate while in the dentist’s chair, and innovative ways to talk to your dog (and perhaps your dentist) with buttons à la canine speech boards. The episode is classic Wait Wait—witty, lighthearted, packed with real-world problem-solving, listener participation, and some surprisingly scientific insights.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Rescue Rats: Earthquake Search and Rescue

Segment Start: 00:56

• Introduction to Rescue Rats

  • Dr. Danielle Giangrasso describes how NGO APOPO is training "rescue rats" to locate survivors in earthquake rubble.
  • Rats are equipped with vests featuring a micro-switch, GPS, camera, two-way communication, and a beeping system.
  • When close to a human, the rat pulls the switch, sending a signal to the rescue team.

  Notable Quote:

  “So we’ve trained them to pull a micro switch on their vest whenever they are in proximity of a human... it triggers a beep back to our base camp.”
  — Dr. Danielle Giangrasso (01:43)

• The Human Side of Rescue Rats

  • The team considers the impact on survivors, acknowledging the initial terror of seeing a rat in such circumstances.
  • Features like orange vests and pre-recorded messages (“Hey, I’m a rescue rat. I’m here surveying. Please let me know if you need help.”) are designed to minimize panic.

  Memorable Moment:

  “A talking rat is here to save me. Well, cool.”
  — Mike (03:52)

• Importance of Rats in Debris Assessment

  • Beyond finding people, rats provide invaluable mapping of debris, aiding future searches.

2. Dentists and Dental Communication Woes

Segment Start: 04:29

• Listener Question—Speaking While at the Dentist

  • Listener Dennis relates an awkward experience: his dentist debates politics mid-root canal.
  • The hosts consult Christina Hunger, speech therapist and creator of the dog-talk button system.

  Notable Quote:

  “What do you do when you’re in the dental chair and your dentist is carrying on a conversation with you, but has his hands in your mouth... that’s tough.”
  — Dennis (04:29)

• Augmentative Communication: Dog Buttons Meet the Dentist’s Office

  • Christina Hunger describes her method for communicating with her dog, Stella, using a paw-operated button board initially developed for nonverbal children.
  • The hosts speculate on repurposing this communication system for dental patients, creating pre-programmed responses like “Of course I’ve been flossing.”

  Notable Quote:

  “Our buttons and just this whole concept... could absolutely solve that universal problem...”
  — Christina Hunger (10:26)

3. Live Dental Office Experiment

Segment Start: 11:37

• Testing the Button Board at the Dentist

  • Dr. Theresa Neal of Windy City Family Dental welcomes Mike and the communication device for an in-chair trial.
  • Exchange includes preset responses:
    • “Really, really good.”
    • “Every day.”
    • “Of course I’ve been flossing.”
    • “I love that for you.”
    • Even a whimsical Elizabeth Gilbert quote!

  Notable Quote:

  "As Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love said, having a broken heart is a good sign because it means you tried for something."
  — Button Board, quoting (14:19)

• Dentist’s Perspective on Communication

  • Dr. Neal admits dentists use a 'bite block' to end undesirable conversations, sometimes unnecessarily.
  • She’s ambivalent about the button device, preferring traditional signals like thumbs up/down.

  Memorable Insights:

  • Secret code word among staff: “triangle patient” means “high maintenance."
  • Staff uses fake phone calls to gracefully end chatty patient sessions (“You have a call in room 10,” in a non-existent room).

4. Dog Buttons: More Than Basic Needs

Segment Start: 05:58

• Deeper Dog Conversations

  • Christina shares stories of Stella using the button board for more than needs—recently, Stella commented “mad want outside” while Christina was tending to her baby.
  • Stella recognizes emotions and uses conversational phrases like “play happy.”

  Notable Quote:

  “That’s been the most surprising part of this. When I set out to teach her... my goal was to just give her a way to say some few basic needs. But I saw her starting to use words in ways that were really similar to kids...”
  — Christina Hunger (08:46)

• Guest and Family Reactions

  • Visitors to Christina’s house are often stunned when Stella uses the board naturally (e.g., declaring “all done water” to guests’ astonishment).

5. Wait Wait… Staff as Your Out-of-Office Contacts: The Paola Birthday Saga

Segment Start: 18:15

• Background

  • Paola used Ian & Mike as her out-of-office emergency contacts during her week-long birthday break, leaving all messages and logistics to them as a joke.

• Listener Messages

  • Ken and Eduardo (her brother) contact the show, unsure how to discover and celebrate Paola’s plans.

• Birthday Coordination and Surprise

  • The hosts work behind the scenes, send an edible arrangement to her (dark chocolate, lactose-free), and stage a birthday treasure hunt within the podcast episode itself.

  Heartfelt Birthday Message (24:34):

  “Feliciares e quiero mucho. Hope you’ve had a fantastic birthday... and love you very much and wish you the best.”
  — Eduardo

• Reunion with Paola

  • Paola joins the call, delighted but bemused by the elaborate birthday coordination.
  • She confesses to needing a break and trusting the hosts to “do absolutely nothing helpful” while filling in.

  Memorable Quote:

  “Of course I wanted to leave this with someone I could trust to do absolutely nothing helpful. And you two were, you know, the obvious choice.”
  — Paola (26:56)

  • The hosts also hide a “birthday treasure” in the episode to honor Paola’s childhood memories.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• "A talking rat is here to save me. Well, cool."
  — Mike (03:52)

• "You may think you're hallucinating what's happening."
  — Dr. Danielle Giangrasso (03:13)

• "Of course I've been flossing."
  — Pre-programmed response on the button board (11:02, 13:54)

• “We have a device called a bite block… so they can’t really close, they can’t really stop and keep talking.”
  — Dr. Theresa Neal (12:32)

• “Triangle patient”
  — Code for high maintenance, Dr. Neal (16:33)

• "Really, really good." / “I love that for you.”
  — Button responses at the dentist (13:44–14:13)

• “Having a broken heart is a good sign because it means you tried for something.”
  — Quoted from Elizabeth Gilbert via the button board and again later in the show (14:19, 28:54)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:56] — Earthquake rescue rats (Dr. Giangrasso)
• [04:29] — The dental conversation dilemma (Dennis’s question)
• [05:58] — How to talk to your dog (Christina Hunger, Stella)
• [11:37] — Testing the button board at the dentist (Dr. Neal)
• [18:15] — Paola’s birthday out-of-office saga
• [27:21] — Birthday treasure and wrap-up

Tone and Style

The episode is playful, self-deprecating, and pragmatic, celebrating creative solutions to everyday annoyances while poking fun at the absurdity of life’s little obstacles. Both the hosts and guests embrace curiosity and gentle humor—especially regarding talking dogs, rats in disaster rescue, and the gentle negotiation of small-talk with someone’s hands in your mouth.

In Summary

• Rescue rats may one day save you in a disaster (and, yes, may even talk—sort of).
• If your dentist tries to chat mid-root canal, perhaps button boards are the next big thing...or maybe just stick with thumbs up/down.
• Dogs like Stella can do more than ask for food—they want to share feelings and experiences just like us.
• Wait Wait’s hosts really will handle your out-of-office—a little. With the right sense of humor, your birthday can be crowd-sourced and commemorated with a hidden treasure in a podcast.
• Communication problems are universal, but creativity and humor help us all get through.