A Diaper Home For G-Force

Summary

Podcast Summary: Wow in the World – “A Diaper Home For G-Force”

Date: February 16, 2026
Hosts: Mindy Thomas & Guy Raz
Notable Characters: Grandma G Force, Dennis, Thomas Fingerling

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Episode Overview

This episode takes listeners on a hilarious and educational adventure exploring whether it’s possible to build a house out of dirty diapers! Sparked by Grandma G Force’s unique housing predicament, Mindy and Guy Raz introduce a surprising real-world scientific study where engineers experimented with using used diapers as a partial replacement for sand in concrete. The story unfolds with classic “Wow in the World” humor, hijinks, and kid-friendly science, making a wild concept both accessible and significant for curious minds.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Grandma G Force's Housing Crisis (03:43–06:12)

• Grandma G Force is kicked out of her house by her landlord, a cat named Colonel Toots Thunderpaw, who’s turning the house into a “baby farm” (aka, daycare).
• Hilarity ensues as Grandma attempts to move in with Mindy (and then Guy Raz), dragging all her belongings in a little red wagon.

Quote:

"I'm moving in with you, Mindy."
– Grandma G Force (04:49)

2. Scientific Inspiration – Diaper Concrete (07:25–10:00)

• Mindy brings in a real scientific study about building houses with diapers:
  • Researchers from Japan's University of Kitakyushu explored using used (but cleaned!) diapers as a substitute for sand in concrete.
• Diapers are made from wood pulp, cotton, and synthetic fibers, which can provide similar bulk as sand in construction.

Quote:

"It's not ridiculous, Guy Raz, it's sc—No, really, hear me out. I just read a new scientific study about diaper houses in the journal Science Reports. This is serious science business!"
– Mindy Thomas (07:47)

Quote:

"The key ingredient is sand."
– Guy Raz (09:49)

3. The Global Sand Shortage (09:45–10:17)

• The hosts discuss how sand is the second most-used natural resource after water.
• Sand is running out globally due to construction, and smarter alternatives are urgently needed.

Quote:

"Sand is the second most used natural resource in the whole world behind water."
– Mindy Thomas (10:00)

4. Building the Diaper House (10:25–16:00)

• The crew tries to replicate the engineers’ diaper-concrete experiment:
  • They gather water, cement, gravel, sand (from the cat's litter box), and a LOT of dirty diapers (from the neighborhood baby farm).
  • Hijinks ensue as Dennis and Thomas Fingerling collect and clean diapers, Grandma G Force volunteers her teeth for shredding, and odd kitchen utensils become ‘diaper manglers.’

Quote:

"You put everything in the dishwasher?"
– Guy Raz (13:35)
"Everything! I'll put you in the dishwasher, too, Garage."
– Grandma G Force (13:39)

5. Scientific Testing and Ratios (16:06–18:00)

• Discussion of the scientific method: the engineers had to try several different ingredient ratios to get the right strength for their ‘diaper concrete.’
• Explanation of what a ‘ratio’ is, using classic humor.

Quote:

"A ratio just means the different amounts of each ingredient used compared to the others."
– Guy Raz (16:45)

• Note that the real process requires letting bricks dry and harden for 28 days—something the impatient team overlooks.

6. Safety and Strength Tests (18:41–20:28)

• Researchers tested for germs and bacteria: Diaper concrete was no more hazardous than regular concrete.
• It turned out to be just as strong as regular concrete and, if used in the right proportions, could replace up to half the sand used.

Quote:

"Diaper concrete didn't contain any more microbes or bacteria than regular concrete."
– Mindy Thomas (18:57)

Quote:

"They discovered that not only was the diaper concrete just as strong as regular concrete, but that in some cases, depending on what the concrete was used for, it could replace nearly half of the sand used in the mixture."
– Mindy Thomas (20:12)

7. Accessibility and Environmental Impact (20:28–20:54)

• Using diaper concrete could make homes more affordable and decrease landfill waste from disposable diapers.
• The concept provides an innovative solution to environmental and housing challenges.

Quote:

"Which means that homes built with diaper concrete would be more accessible to more people in more parts of the world."
– Mindy Thomas (20:38)

8. The Diaper House Fails (21:22–22:45)

• The group’s own diaper house collapses—due to not letting the bricks harden.
• Comic chaos as everyone flees the tilting house.

Quote:

"It means that this diaper house is collapsing. Everybody, run for your lives!"
– Thomas Fingerling (22:34)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Sand is the second most used natural resource in the whole world behind water." (10:00)
• "You put everything in the dishwasher?" – Guy Raz (13:35)
  "I'll put you in the dishwasher, too, Garage." – Grandma G Force (13:39)
• "A ratio just means the different amounts of each ingredient used compared to the others." – Guy Raz (16:45)
• "Diaper concrete didn't contain any more microbes or bacteria than regular concrete." – Mindy Thomas (18:57)
• "Everyone, run for your lives!" – Thomas Fingerling (22:34)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------| | 03:43 | Grandma G Force evicted, begins housing adventure | | 07:25 | Mindy explains real diaper-concrete science | | 09:45 | Sand shortage discussion | | 10:25 | Gathering ingredients for the diaper house | | 13:10 | Diaper cleaning and shredding shenanigans | | 16:06 | Ratios and scientific method explained | | 18:41 | Safety and strength of diaper concrete | | 20:28 | Accessibility and environmental angle | | 21:22 | Diaper house collapses in comical climax |

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Listener “Wow in the World” Calls (24:49+)

Several kids call in and share their own science “wow” facts:

• Capybaras are the world’s biggest rodent.
• T. Rex teeth are as big as bananas.
• Ladybugs can bite.
• There are more trees on Earth than stars in the solar system.
• A carnivorous caterpillar tricks ants.
• Popcorn pops because of water inside each kernel.
• Ancient crocodiles were up to 40 feet long.

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Summary Tone and Style

The episode is packed with signature “Wow in the World” wordplay, sound effects, and whimsical exchanges—keeping science both rigorous and outrageously fun. Listeners learn that sometimes “weird” ideas (like a house made from diapers) can provide real solutions to environmental challenges, reminding everyone to keep asking questions—and to maybe let bricks dry before building a house!

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Conclusion

“A Diaper Home For G-Force” seamlessly weaves together laugh-out-loud humor and real engineering science, all wrapped in a big “WOW!” for families. It delivers practical learning about materials science, resource conservation, and environmental stewardship while providing plenty of giggles and a memorable story.

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For more episodes, science activities, and to join the World Organization of Wowzers, visit tinkercast.com.

Transcript

[Mindy Thomas]

Grown ups, this message is for you.

[Guy Raz]

Hey, it's Guy, Raz and Mindy here from WOW in the World. And before we get started, we'd like to take a moment to send a sincere thank you to all of the families who have already contributed to help us power the wow.

[Mindy Thomas]

We've been hard at work preparing your thank you shout outs and videograms, setting up some exciting behind the scenes recording sessions, and sending out all of the other thank you gifts for your support.

[Guy Raz]

And for any grownups wondering why we're asking our listeners for support. Well, the answer is simple.

[Mindy Thomas]

The truth is, in order to keep creating high quality human made programs like wow. In the world, we need your help.

[Guy Raz]

The media industry has changed a lot since we first launched this show back in 2017. Traditional funding from partnerships, sponsors and distributors are no longer enough to sustain this type of programming alone.

[Mindy Thomas]

Programming that is created by a team of real humans, real experts. No AI bots.

[Guy Raz]

There's researching, writing, fact checking, voice acting, editing, musical scoring, sound effects, sound designing.

[Mindy Thomas]

You get the picture. There's a lot that goes into making a Tinkercast show. And each episode takes time and a team of talented people to make it.

[Guy Raz]

A dedicated team who values kids and childhood and work tirelessly to create high quality content for families to enjoy, laugh and learn with together.

[Mindy Thomas]

So grown ups, we're asking you to help us keep going by making a financial contribution.

[Guy Raz]

You can visit team Tinkercast.com support and choose from a handful of different thank you gifts for different levels of giving.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh yeah, we're talking personal shout outs from your favorite characters, special audio and video messages for your wowzers and the chance to go behind the scenes of an episode recording and more.

[Guy Raz]

Once again, that's Tinkercast.com support.

[Mindy Thomas]

So from the bottom of our hearts.

[Guy Raz]

To the top of our brains, thank you. Proceeded. 3, 2, 1.

[Listener Callers]

The buddy found a mixture of magnificent.

[Mindy Thomas]

Proportion I don't know what you've been told we're in a golden age so.

[Guy Raz]

Many discoveries that are jumping off the.

[Mindy Thomas]

Page While in the world w the world W In the world W In the world W In the world W In the. Houston.

[Grandma G Force]

Hey, Quit throwing my stuff out the window.

[Mindy Thomas]

Colonel Too Thunder Pa. What in the.

[Grandma G Force]

You're kicking me out of my own.

[Listener Callers]

Hi Alexia.

[Grandma G Force]

Well, I knew I should have never let you be my landlord and my roommate. And you're also bad at being a cat.

[Guy Raz]

What is going on?

[Grandma G Force]

Well, you can't throw me out. Cause I'm leaving and I'm taking all my belongings with me and the Tub too. Come on, wagon, we go live with Mandy.

[Guy Raz]

Hey, Grandma G Force, is everything okay? Yeah, well, it's just that I heard you yelling at your cat down there.

[Grandma G Force]

And Colonel Toots Thunderpaw is my landlord.

[Guy Raz]

Oh, right, your landlord. That means that he owns the house.

[Mindy Thomas]

Yeah.

[Guy Raz]

And you pay him rent money to live there as his tenant.

[Grandma G Force]

No.

[Guy Raz]

What? You don't pay rent? Don't you need to pay rent to live there?

[Grandma G Force]

I don't know. You tell me. Here's the contract.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, let's see here. Wait, Grandma G Force, I can't read this. It's all a cat scratch.

[Grandma G Force]

Tell that to my lawyer. He's also a cat.

[Guy Raz]

Okay.

[Mindy Thomas]

Hey, guy Ross. Hey, Grandma GeForce.

[Guy Raz]

Hey, Mindy.

[Grandma G Force]

Hey, pigeon.

[Mindy Thomas]

What's going on over here? Grandma G Force, why do you have all your stuff in this little red wagon?

[Guy Raz]

That's what I'm trying to figure out.

[Grandma G Force]

I'm moving in with you, Mandy.

[Mindy Thomas]

Wait, really?

[Grandma G Force]

Yeah.

[Mindy Thomas]

Grandma G Force, this is a dream come true.

[Grandma G Force]

That's weird.

[Mindy Thomas]

We can have slumber parties every night and bake cookies together, grandma and granddaughter style. And you can tell me all the funny stories about me from when I was a baby. And you can even have the top bunk if you want it. Unless of course, you want the bottom bunk. Then you can have that one too.

[Thomas Fingerling]

What?

[Grandma G Force]

I changed my mind. I'm gonna go live with you. Garage.

[Guy Raz]

Aw, what? Me? Oh no, no, no, no, no no.

[Mindy Thomas]

What's wrong with living in your own house? Why can't you just live there?

[Dennis]

Hey, guy. Hey Mindy. Hey Reggie. Hey, Granny G. Hey, Dennis.

[Grandma G Force]

Hello, boy.

[Dennis]

What's going on at your house, Grandma G Force?

[Grandma G Force]

I don't know. I don't live there no more. I guess I just live in this wagon now.

[Dennis]

Oh, that makes sense.

[Guy Raz]

It does?

[Mindy Thomas]

Yeah.

[Dennis]

I just walked past your house and Curltlet's Thunderpaw is turning it into a baby farm.

[Guy Raz]

A what?

[Dennis]

A baby farm. An indoor outdoor farm for babies to spend.

[Guy Raz]

You mean a daycare center, Dennis?

[Dennis]

Yeah, that's what I said, a baby farm. Look, you can see the babies piling in from here.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, wow, that's a lot of babies.

[Grandma G Force]

Why turning my house into a baby's farm? Why that good for nothing landlord cat threw me out and now I don't.

[Mindy Thomas]

Got no home, no place to call home.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Well, you really did it this time, G Force.

[Guy Raz]

Oh, hey, Thomas Fingerling.

[Dennis]

Hi, Tommy.

[Mindy Thomas]

Thomas Fingerling.

[Grandma G Force]

Not now, Fingerling.

[Thomas Fingerling]

If I were that cat, I'd have kicked you out a long time ago.

[Mindy Thomas]

Thomas Fingerling.

[Thomas Fingerling]

You never Paid your rent. You never flushed your toilet, you never mowed your grass. You had a hundred raccoons living in there and eating all the hot dogs.

[Mindy Thomas]

Wait, what?

[Guy Raz]

Is that true?

[Dennis]

Oh yeah, I seen it.

[Thomas Fingerling]

And now your house is a baby.

[Guy Raz]

Factory, A baby farm, a daycare center.

[Grandma G Force]

Them babies don't even need a house. They're living in their luxury diapers. That what you want, Colonel Toots? Thunderpaw?

[Mindy Thomas]

Me?

[Grandma G Force]

Living in a diaper? Wait, what? That's it?

[Mindy Thomas]

Huh?

[Thomas Fingerling]

Spit it out.

[Mindy Thomas]

What? You just said Grandma GeForce. It gave me an idea for your housing crisis situation.

[Guy Raz]

Go on, Mindy.

[Mindy Thomas]

What if we all teamed up to build Grandma GeForce? A house made out of diapers?

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, that's ridiculous.

[Mindy Thomas]

It's not ridiculous, Guy Raz, it's sc. No really, hear me out. I just read a new scientific study about diaper houses in the journal Science Reports. This is serious science business. Everyone.

[Dennis]

Mende, this is not the time for science. We have got to find a home for Grandma J Farce.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Cause she ain't living in my house.

[Grandma G Force]

I was an ass in Fingerling.

[Thomas Fingerling]

I wasn't inviting J Force.

[Guy Raz]

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Mindy, was this. That's a study that was conducted by that team of engineers from Japan's University of Kitake Yushu.

[Mindy Thomas]

That's the one, Guy Raz.

[Guy Raz]

The one that led to the building of a sustainable house made out of diapers.

[Mindy Thomas]

You know it. And if professional engineers can build a house out of diapers, then we can too. Who's with me?

[Dennis]

Oh, me me me me me me.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Well, help me. A house made out of doo doo.

[Dennis]

No, Tommy, they wouldn't use dirty doo doo diapers. They were probably fresh, clean, new new diapers.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh no, they were used dirty doo doo diapers, alright. What? Ew. But they were cleaned before being used to build the house.

[Dennis]

Oh, that's good.

[Guy Raz]

Yeah, I remember reading something about this. These engineers in the study had a hypothesis or an educated guess that dirty diapers, which are usually made out of some combination of wood pulp, cotton absorption materials and synthetic or human made fib, could be used in place of sand in the creation of concrete.

[Mindy Thomas]

And concrete is that hard gray material that's used to build things like sidewalks and buildings like homes.

[Guy Raz]

But one of the key ingredients in creating concrete is actually pretty expensive and in worldwide shortage right now.

[Dennis]

A rare key ingredient. What is it, Guy Raz?

[Guy Raz]

Well, the key ingredient is sand.

[Mindy Thomas]

Huh?

[Dennis]

The world is running out of sand.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Oh no. My beach vacation.

[Mindy Thomas]

Actually, Dennis, sand is the second most used natural resource in the whole world behind water.

[Guy Raz]

And it's used in pretty much every construction project in the world.

[Mindy Thomas]

And not just in concrete, but in the formation of glass, too. Wow.

[Guy Raz]

And believe it or not, if humans don't start to conserve it, There won't be enough sand to go around.

[Thomas Fingerling]

So what does all this have to do with G force's diaper house?

[Mindy Thomas]

So glad you asked, Thomas Fingerling. So, these researchers wondered if the materials found in dirty diapers could replace some of the sand typically used to make concrete. Huh.

[Dennis]

And the diaper concrete could be used to build a whole diaper house.

[Guy Raz]

Exactly, Dennis.

[Dennis]

A diaper house.

[Grandma G Force]

Well, what are y' all waiting for? Somebody build me a diaper house.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Okey, dook.

[Guy Raz]

Anything for science.

[Mindy Thomas]

Hooray. Okay, okay. So for the diaper house in this study, the engineers needed water.

[Dennis]

Ooh. I'll go get the hose.

[Mindy Thomas]

Cement.

[Guy Raz]

I've got a bag of cement in my garage.

[Mindy Thomas]

Gravel. A little bit of sand.

[Grandma G Force]

Well.

[Mindy Thomas]

Ooh.

[Grandma G Force]

I stole Colonel toot's thunderpaw's litter box on my way out. Oh, okay.

[Mindy Thomas]

I guess that'll do.

[Grandma G Force]

Yes, it will.

[Dennis]

Okay, I got the hose.

[Guy Raz]

And here's a bag of cement.

[Mindy Thomas]

Great. Now the only ingredient we still need is the dirty diaper.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Don't worry, Mandy. I got you right here.

[Mindy Thomas]

Thomas Fingerling. Where did you get a whole pile of dirty diapers?

[Thomas Fingerling]

From a pile of babies.

[Mindy Thomas]

Huh?

[Dennis]

A pile of babies?

[Thomas Fingerling]

Yeah, from the baby farm.

[Guy Raz]

Oh, right.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Dennis]

Oh, boy. Looks like we got everything we need now. What?

[Guy Raz]

Well, after collecting the materials, Including a whole lot of dirt. Diapers.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Check.

[Guy Raz]

The engineers got to work in order.

[Mindy Thomas]

To use these dirty diapers in the concrete they first needed to be cleaned. Now, who would like to clean the dirty diapers?

[Dennis]

Not I said. The dentist.

[Mindy Thomas]

Dentist.

[Grandma G Force]

Just throw them in the dishwasher like everything else.

[Guy Raz]

Wait, you put everything in the dishwasher?

[Grandma G Force]

Everything? I'll put you in the dishwasher, too. Garage.

[Guy Raz]

No, thank you.

[Mindy Thomas]

Okay, Dennis, I am putting you in charge of cleaning the dirty diapers.

[Dennis]

Uh, no. Why can't Tommy do it?

[Mindy Thomas]

Because Thomas Fingerling already collected the diapers.

[Dennis]

Okay, fine. Come on, Reggie. Reggie, you are not busy.

[Mindy Thomas]

Uh, here, Dennis, take this little scraper I found in grandma G force's wagon to clean out the big stuff.

[Dennis]

Oh, thank you.

[Guy Raz]

That's my spatula.

[Dennis]

Well, now it's my poo remover.

[Mindy Thomas]

Now, once each diaper was cleaned, the engineers then had to rip him to shreds.

[Grandma G Force]

I want that job.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, okay, great.

[Grandma G Force]

I just got my teeth sharpened.

[Thomas Fingerling]

GeForce what?

[Mindy Thomas]

No, not with your teeth, Grandma G Force. Here, use this shredding tool.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, that's my fork.

[Grandma G Force]

Well, now it's my diaper mangler.

[Guy Raz]

Please stop stealing my kitchen utensils.

[Grandma G Force]

Oh, yeah, this diaper mangler works really well. Real good.

[Mindy Thomas]

Now, once the diapers were cleaned and shredded, it was time to mix the cement. Grandma GeForce, do you have a large mixing bowl in your wagon of personal belongings there? No.

[Guy Raz]

Well, do you have anything that we could use to mix the cement?

[Grandma G Force]

Well, let's see here. How about this tub?

[Mindy Thomas]

What?

[Guy Raz]

You took the bathtub out of the house?

[Grandma G Force]

And the bath water, too.

[Dennis]

Oh, wow.

[Mindy Thomas]

Okay, well, I guess we are going to mix our diaper concrete in this bathtub.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, well, what do we do first, Mindy?

[Mindy Thomas]

Well, first, we need the water already in the tub.

[Dennis]

Aw, But I wanted to spray the hose.

[Mindy Thomas]

Sorry, Dennis, but I think we have enough water in the tub.

[Dennis]

Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, Dennis.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Sorry.

[Mindy Thomas]

Okay, the next thing we need is the cement.

[Guy Raz]

Got it right here, Mindy.

[Mindy Thomas]

Thank you, Guy Raz. And next, the gravel and the sand.

[Dennis]

Wait, missy, I thought the whole point of this was that we weren't using sand.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Yeah, you said sand was an endangered species or some such thing.

[Mindy Thomas]

Okay, I did not say that. What I said was that these engineers wondered if the materials found in dirty diapers could replace some of the sand.

[Guy Raz]

In the concrete, because even a small percentage could make a big difference. Ow.

[Grandma G Force]

Okay, a little bit of Colonel Toots thunder paused Litter box sand.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, that's enough.

[Grandma G Force]

There you go.

[Mindy Thomas]

And the final ingredient. Shredded diapers.

[Dennis]

Ooh, I get to dump the shredded.

[Mindy Thomas]

Diapers, and then they mix it up. Thomas Fingerling, mind handing me that paddle from Grandma GeForce's wagon over there?

[Thomas Fingerling]

Me do.

[Mindy Thomas]

Thank you.

[Guy Raz]

Hey, that's my kayak paddle.

[Grandma G Force]

I borrowed it.

[Dennis]

Hey, Mindy.

[Mindy Thomas]

Yes, Dennis?

[Dennis]

How did you know how much of each ingredient to use?

[Guy Raz]

Actually, that's a great question, Dennis. How did you know, Mindy?

[Grandma G Force]

Well.

[Mindy Thomas]

I didn't.

[Guy Raz]

You didn't?

[Grandma G Force]

Nope.

[Mindy Thomas]

And neither did these engineers when they set out to make their dirty diaper concrete.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Gasp.

[Guy Raz]

Actually, Mindy's right. According to the study, the engineers had to test six different ratio mixtures before they found the right combination of ingredients.

[Grandma G Force]

I do not know what ratio means.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Oh, I do. I listen to the baseball game on the ratio.

[Guy Raz]

No, no, no, no. That's a radio. A ratio just means the different amounts of each ingredient used compared to the others.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Oh, right, yeah.

[Mindy Thomas]

So if they use too much water compared to the amount of diapers it might be too liquidy or thin and make the concrete too weak.

[Guy Raz]

And if they use too much sand and gravel, compared to the amount of cement, it might be too thick and grainy. And make the concrete crack once it dries.

[Mindy Thomas]

Exactly. So they tested out six different combinations before they found the right mixture. Hmm.

[Dennis]

How's our mixture? Does it look like the right ratios, Mindy?

[Grandma G Force]

Well, let me taste it.

[Guy Raz]

What? No. Do not ever put concrete into your mouth.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Yeah, pour into someone else's mouth.

[Grandma G Force]

Well, how else are we gonna know if it's good?

[Mindy Thomas]

Well, to know for sure, we'll have to do what the engineers did and tested as a building material.

[Dennis]

Oh, wow.

[Grandma G Force]

Wow.

[Guy Raz]

But before we do that, we have to form it into bricks and then wait 28 days for them to dry and harden.

[Mindy Thomas]

What?

[Grandma G Force]

I ain't got no 28 days. I need my doo doo diaper Hu.

[Mindy Thomas]

Okay, okay, well, we'll just keep moving and see what happens when we impatiently build a house out of wet diaper bricks.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Way ahead of you, Mandy.

[Dennis]

Look, I gave it a veranda.

[Grandma G Force]

Oh, boy.

[Guy Raz]

Wait, wait. That concrete hasn't even hardened yet. It has absolutely no structural integrity. Anything you build is going to collapse.

[Grandma G Force]

I want a moat.

[Dennis]

Oh, great idea.

[Mindy Thomas]

Okay, so back. Back to the testing. Since these engineers were using used diapers as a building material, they had to make sure that they were safe.

[Guy Raz]

Safe?

[Mindy Thomas]

Yeah, you know, they had to test for poop in the walls.

[Guy Raz]

Uh huh.

[Mindy Thomas]

But what they found was that diaper concrete didn't contain any more microbes or bacteria than regular concrete.

[Guy Raz]

Really?

[Grandma G Force]

And it don't smell too bad neither.

[Dennis]

Actually, it does smell a little bad.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Oh, well, that could have been me.

[Dennis]

Tommy.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Excuse me.

[Guy Raz]

The other important test of this diaper concrete was whether it would be strong enough to handle the weight of an entire house.

[Dennis]

What was that?

[Guy Raz]

Guy?

[Dennis]

Raz, these diaper bricks need to hold an entire house.

[Guy Raz]

Yeah, Dennis, a brick needs to be able to support the weight of all the other bricks and materials you stack on top of it.

[Dennis]

Oh, well, I just stacked up a third story and added a spiral staircase. These bricks will hold all that, right?

[Mindy Thomas]

Uh, you might want to go a little easier there, Dennis. Remember how we didn't know how much of each ingredient to use in making the concrete?

[Guy Raz]

And we didn't let the bricks dry and harden either.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Ah, it's fine.

[Dennis]

Tommy says it's fine.

[Grandma G Force]

Whatever.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, Mindy, back to the story. So what did the engineers discover when they tested the strength of their diaper concrete?

[Mindy Thomas]

Well, they discovered that not only was the diaper concrete just as strong as regular concrete, but that in some cases, depending on what the concrete was used for, it could replace nearly half of the sand used in the mixture.

[Guy Raz]

Wow. And since dirty diapers are free and easy to find, diaper concrete could be a much cheaper alternative to regular concrete. Which means?

[Mindy Thomas]

Which means that homes built with diaper concrete would be more accessible to more people in more parts of the world. People who might not otherwise have enough money to buy a home of their own built with regular concrete full of sand.

[Grandma G Force]

And little old grandmas like me who don't want to pay rent to their cat landlords.

[Mindy Thomas]

That.

[Listener Callers]

That too.

[Guy Raz]

I guess.

[Dennis]

I'm getting tired. No one told me that diaper concrete was so heavy.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Yeah, seems almost about exactly as heavy as regular concrete.

[Guy Raz]

Because it is.

[Dennis]

How's it looking, Mindy?

[Grandma G Force]

Uh, it's looking a little lopsided.

[Guy Raz]

Is it starting to collapse?

[Mindy Thomas]

Maybe?

[Thomas Fingerling]

It's okay. It's just starting to lean over on account of we never let the diaper bricks dry and harden.

[Dennis]

Oh, don't worry, Granny G. Your new house is just gonna be a little sideways.

[Grandma G Force]

I'll make you a little sideways.

[Dennis]

What was that?

[Grandma G Force]

I said thank you very much, boy. Now get out of my house.

[Mindy Thomas]

Great job, everyone. Hooray.

[Dennis]

We did it.

[Grandma G Force]

We built a house of diapers.

[Mindy Thomas]

Yahoo. Woo hoo.

[Guy Raz]

Uh, Mindy?

[Mindy Thomas]

Yes, Guy Razzie?

[Guy Raz]

Uh, did you hear that?

[Grandma G Force]

Hear what?

[Thomas Fingerling]

Uh, oh.

[Mindy Thomas]

Uh.

[Guy Raz]

While the experiments seem to work for the engineers in this study, I'm not sure it worked as well for us.

[Mindy Thomas]

Well, what do you mean?

[Dennis]

A veranda?

[Grandma G Force]

I do not know what a veranda.

[Thomas Fingerling]

It means that this diaper house is collapsing. Everybody, run for your lives.

[Grandma G Force]

Ernal Cann.

[Mindy Thomas]

Wow in the world.

[Grandma G Force]

We'll be right back. Grown ups, this message is for you.

[Mindy Thomas]

Hey, grown ups, it's Mindy and Guy Raz.

[Guy Raz]

And we have an important message to share with you. For nine years, WOW in the World has been free for every family, teacher, curious kid and grown up who listens.

[Mindy Thomas]

And we've kept it going through partnerships, sponsors, distributors, and, honestly, a whole lot of scrappy ingenuity.

[Guy Raz]

But the truth is, the media industry has changed a lot since we launched this show in 2017. And it's becoming a lot harder to financially sustain a show like WOW in the world without additional help.

[Mindy Thomas]

And that's because every episode you hear is handcrafted by an entire team of real humans.

[Guy Raz]

So for the first time ever, we are asking our listeners you to support the show. If your family values what we create.

[Mindy Thomas]

If you've laughed or learned something new.

[Guy Raz]

Or if the show has inspired curiosity in your home, we're asking you to consider making a contribution.

[Mindy Thomas]

Your support goes directly to paying our team and keeps wow in the World free for everyone who listens to it.

[Guy Raz]

So grown ups, if you can just.

[Mindy Thomas]

Visit tinkercast.comsupport to see the thank you packages that we've put together for your support.

[Guy Raz]

Once again, you can visit tinkercast.com support and we'll put all this information in the podcast.

[Mindy Thomas]

Show Notes thanks for helping to power the WOW at Tinkercast. And now let's get on with the show.

[Grandma G Force]

That's it.

[Mindy Thomas]

Back to the show. Wow in the World. Hi, thanks for calling wow in the World. After the beep, get ready to record.

[Listener Callers]

Hi Mindy and Guy Raz. I'm Graham from Wellington. My wow in the world is that capybaras are the biggest rodent in the world.

[Mindy Thomas]

Bye.

[Listener Callers]

I'm Mindy and Garrett. My name is Ify, I'm from Florida and my well in the world is that T. Rex's teeth are as big as bananas. Bye. Hi Mindy and Guy Raz. My name is Patrick, I'm 11 years old. I am from Wilmington, Delaware. My round world is that ladybugs can bite. Say hi to Grandma G. Force.

[Grandma G Force]

Oh yeah.

[Listener Callers]

Dennis, Thomas Fingerling, Static Man, Bucky and Reggie Hi. My name is Lily from Tempe, Arizona and my wow in the world is our planet has more trees compared to stars in the solar system.

[Mindy Thomas]

Bye.

[Listener Callers]

Hi Mindy and Guy. My name is Ifri, I'm from Florida and my will in the world is that T. Rex's teeth are as big as bananas.

[Grandma G Force]

Bye.

[Listener Callers]

Hi, my name is Asher and I live in Brooklyn, New York. My wow is that there is a type of carnivorous caterpillar that tricks its ants into thinking it's a queen ant and then the ant brings it back to its nest and the caterpillar eats all of the larva and becomes 100 times its size and turns into crystals. Then it emerges as a large blue and they're highly endangered by Love your show. My name is Everett, I live in Denver, Colorado. My wow in the world is that in the early Cretaceous period, crocodiles were 40ft long. Say hi to Mindy, Guy Raz, Dennis, Grandma G. Force and Thomas Fingerling for me.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh me. Hi.

[Grandma G Force]

Bye.

[Listener Callers]

Hi Mindy and Guy Raz. My name is Juni and I live in Denver, Colorado. My wow in the world is that there's tiny amounts of water in each kernel of popcorn and when the water gets heated up, it creates pressure in the kernel which makes it explode. And that's how you get popcorn. Say hi to Reggie, Dennis Howdy Grandma.

[Guy Raz]

G Force oh snipe.

[Listener Callers]

Thomas Fingerling and.

[Grandma G Force]

What'D you say?

[Mindy Thomas]

Bye.

[Listener Callers]

Alexa. Hang up.

[Grandma G Force]

That's where.

[Mindy Thomas]

End of Messages.

[Guy Raz]

Wow in the World is written by Mindy Thomas and Tom Van Kalken with help from me, Guy Raz.

[Mindy Thomas]

Original sound design and music editing is done by our supervising producer, Jed Anderson and Tyler Thole. You can also hear Jed Anderson in the voices of Dennis, Thomas, Fingerling, Reggie and many of the other silly characters you hear on our show.

[Guy Raz]

Jessica Boddy keeps our facts straight as our fact checker and Meredith Halpern Ranzer powers the WOW at Tinkercast.

[Mindy Thomas]

Our theme song was composed and performed by three time Grammy nominees the Pop Ups. Find them at thepopups.com Special thanks to.

[Guy Raz]

Steph Sosa, Henry Moskal, Anna Dannecker, Rebecca Kaban, Kit Ballinger, Sana Ali Mohammed, Anna Zagorski and all of the other tinkerers at Tinkercast HQ.

[Mindy Thomas]

To keep the wows rolling, visit [e-mail] There you can learn more about becoming 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 of our other amazing podcasts from Tinkercast Grown Ups.

[Guy Raz]

You can follow wow in the world on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter owintheworld and our email address is helloinkercast.com and if.

[Mindy Thomas]

You'Re a kid with a big WOW to share with us, call us at 1-888-7-WOW-WOW for a chance to be featured at the end of our show or an upcoming episode of 2 what's in a wow?

[Guy Raz]

Thanks again for listening and until next time, be fun.

[Mindy Thomas]

Wow.

[Grandma G Force]

Wow in the World was made by Tinkercast and sent to you by Wondery.