Two Whats?! And A Wow! - Listening Together (7/18/25)

Summary

Wow in the World Podcast Summary

Episode Title: Two Whats?! And A Wow! - Listening Together
Release Date: July 18, 2025
Hosts: Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz
Podcast: Wow in the World by Tinkercast | Wondery

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Introduction to "Two Whats?! And A Wow!"

In this engaging episode of Wow in the World, hosts Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz present a special segment titled "Two Whats?! And A Wow!" designed to educate and entertain listeners about the science of listening together. This interactive game show challenges contestants with scientific statements, distinguishing genuine "wows" from mere "whats." The theme for this episode centers on "Listening Together," exploring how sharing audio experiences like podcasts and stories can impact memory, imagination, and emotional connections.

Round One: Stories and Memory Enhancement

Question:
Which of the following statements is a true scientific wow?
A) Stories are always designed to make you sleepy at bedtime.
B) Listening to stories actually helps you to remember more facts.
C) Stories always have to come from books or they're not really stories.

Correct Answer: B) Listening to stories actually helps you to remember more facts.

Contestant Highlight:
Micah from Texas confidently selected option B, asserting,

"Listening to stories can actually help you remember more facts."
(Timestamp: 05:06)

Insight:
Mindy and Guy explain that stories are approximately 22 times more memorable than isolated facts, citing child psychologist Jerome Bruner. This demonstrates the power of narrative in enhancing memory and understanding.

Round Two: Podcasts vs. Television and Imagination

Question:
Which of the following statements is a true scientific wow?
A) Listening to podcasts usually activates the imagination more than TV.
B) Podcasts are better for you when you listen to them at breakfast.
C) Listening to podcasts can make you taller.

Correct Answer: A) Listening to podcasts usually activates the imagination more than TV.

Contestant Highlight:
Everett from Maryland chose option A, stating,

"Listening to podcasts and stories activates your imagination more than watching TV and screens."
(Timestamp: 07:44)

Insight:
The hosts delve into how audio storytelling requires listeners to create mental images, engaging the brain's default mode network linked to imagination, empathy, and memory. This contrasts with television, where visuals are provided, reducing the need for imaginative engagement.

Round Three: Shared Listening and Emotional Closeness

Question:
Which of the following statements is a true scientific wow?
A) Stories are only supposed to be listened to by one person at a time.
B) Listening to an audio story with someone else can make you closer to them.
C) Podcasts with video are called vidodcasts.

Correct Answer: B) Listening to an audio story with someone else can make you closer to them.

Contestant Highlight:
Lucy from Virginia correctly identified option B, saying,

"Listening to an audio story with someone else scientifically makes you feel closer to them."
(Timestamp: 12:02)

Insight:
Mindy and Guy discuss research showing that shared media experiences, such as listening to podcasts together, can enhance emotional closeness. This bonding occurs through shared routines and the emergence of new topics for conversation, fostering deeper connections among individuals.

Host Reflections and Educational Takeaways

Throughout the game, Mindy and Guy emphasize the scientific benefits of storytelling and podcast listening. They highlight how narratives not only aid memory retention but also stimulate imagination and strengthen interpersonal relationships. By transforming scientific findings into interactive questions, the hosts make complex concepts accessible and entertaining for both kids and their grown-up listeners.

Notable Quotes

• Micah from Texas:
  "Listening to stories can actually help you remember more facts."
  (05:06)

• Everett from Maryland:
  "Listening to podcasts and stories activates your imagination more than watching TV and screens."
  (07:44)

• Lucy from Virginia:
  "Listening to an audio story with someone else scientifically makes you feel closer to them."
  (12:02)

Conclusion

This episode of Wow in the World successfully combines fun gameplay with insightful scientific discussions about the power of listening. By engaging listeners through "Two Whats?! And A Wow!," Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz not only entertain but also educate their audience on the valuable cognitive and social benefits of shared audio experiences.

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Stay Connected:
For more fascinating episodes and interactive content, subscribe to Wow in the World on your favorite podcast platform and join the community of curious listeners!

Transcript

[Guy Raz]

Grown Ups Wondery subscribers can listen to wow. In the World early and ad free right now. Join Wondery in the Wondery app or Wondery Kids plus on Apple Podcasts.

[Mindy Thomas]

Hey Wowzer fams Mindy here. And before we start the show, are you looking for another podcast that will wow the animal fans in your world? Wait, you are a fan of animals? Well then I've got just the podcast for you. Introducing Flip and Mosi Hosted by two space space alien travel guides, Flip and Mosey, this intergalactic musical podcast brings animal conservation into your family's conversations. So get this after their spaceship got stranded here on Earth, Flip and Mosi found that they had to wait like 3,000 light years just for a tow ship to come. So they decided to spend that time exploring our big blue beautiful planet and all of the amazing creatures who call the Earth home. And with every animal they meet flying, Flip and Mosi get one step closer to learning how to be an Earthling. Listen to Flip and Mosey Wherever you get your podcasts, just search Flippin Mosey in your favorite podcast player and don't forget to subscribe. That's it. And now let's get back to the show.

[Unknown]

Hey grown ups. Looking for the family movie of the summer? Smurfs in theaters July 18th is an adventure that will blue you away. When Papa Smurf is taken by evil wizards, Smurfette, voiced by Rihanna, leads the Smurfs on a mission into the real world to rescue him. With the help of some new friends, the Smurfs must work together and harness new magical powers to save not only Papa Smurf but also the universe. Smurfs features a star studded cast including Rihanna, John Goodman, Nick Offerman, Amy Sedaris, Sandra O, Octavia Spencer and many more familiar voices. Smurfs is filled with original new music from Tyla, DJ Khaled, Cardi B and Rihanna with her chart topping hit from the movie Friend of Mine. With a unique new animation style, all star cast and rocking soundtrack, Smurfs is the must see family movie of the summer. Don't miss Smurfs. Only in theaters starting July 18th. Hey grown ups. If you've got Pokemon fans in your life and maybe you even grew up as one yourself, check out the Pokemon Trading Card Game. It's a great way to experience the world of Pokemon for enthusiasts of all ages. Every card has an awesome illustration on it with either a Pokemon trainer item or stadium and with several different art styles and artists, you'll want to catch em all. See how your cards stack up against others in easy to learn Pokemon battles or just collect and trade them. There's no right or wrong way to enjoy the Pokemon Trading Card game. And now you can collect the newest cards from the Black Bolt and White Flare expansion pack. For info on the latest expansions, game rules, and more, visit tcg.pokemon.com.

And now for everyone's second favorite game show. After angrily mashing all the buttons on the remote control and yelling, is this thing even on? It's two one and the wow. With your hosts, Mindy and Guy Rats. Two what? Two what's two what? Two what's two what's two what's and a wow.

[Mindy Thomas]

Hello and welcome to two what's in a wow.

[Unknown]

Two what's in a wow.

[Guy Raz]

The scientific game show that separates the wows from the whats. And the category or theme for today is Listening Together. Mindy, why don't you refresh our contestants on how the game works?

[Mindy Thomas]

You know it. Wowzers. In each of our three rounds today, Guy Raz and I will present you with three scientific statements about listening to podcasts and stories and stuff like that, which is actually what you're doing right now. But. And this is a big but, only one of those statements will be a true wow. The other two, just a couple of made up whats.

[Guy Raz]

Now, in each round, if you guess correctly, congratulations, you win a point.

[Mindy Thomas]

But if you guess incorrectly, you must stop, drop, and do a ridonkulous physical challenge.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, everyone ready to get this show going?

[Unknown]

Great.

[Mindy Thomas]

Then let's get to it.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, round one. Which of the following statements is a true scientific wow? Is it A? Stories are always designed to make you sleepy at bedtime.

[Mindy Thomas]

Or is it B, Listening to stories actually helps you to remember more facts.

[Guy Raz]

Or is it C? Stories always have to come from books or they're not really stories.

[Mindy Thomas]

When you think you have the correct answer, yell once upon a time. Hey, Reggie, we need a little thinking music.

[Guy Raz]

And time is up. Let's now reveal the winning wow.

[Mindy Thomas]

And to do just that, it's Micah from Texas. Micah, tell us, what's the winning wow? Hi, my name is Micah and I live in Texas. And my wow is that listening to stories can actually help you remember more facts. Winner, winner, Bookworms for dinner.

[Guy Raz]

Thank you, Micah. Contestants, if you guessed the answer B, that listening to stories actually helps you remember more facts. Well, congratulations. You found the winning wow.

[Mindy Thomas]

There are lots of tricks you can use to remember facts, like turning them into songs or maybe rhymes.

[Guy Raz]

But a famous child psychologist named Jerome Bruner said that stories are about 22 times more memorable than four facts alone. So listening to stories is a great way to actually remember and understand data.

[Mindy Thomas]

Now, if you did not get that answer correct, you must stop, drop, and tell yourself a bedtime story.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, on to round two. Which of the following statements is a true scientific wow? Is it A, listening to podcasts usually activates the imagination more than tv.

[Mindy Thomas]

Or is it B, Podcasts are better for you when you listen to them at breakfast.

[Guy Raz]

Or is it C, listening to podcasts can make you taller.

[Mindy Thomas]

Hmm, lots to think about here. When you think you have the correct answer, sing the wow in the world theme song really loud.

[Guy Raz]

And time is up. And joining us by phone, it's Everett from Maryland with our winning wow.

[Unknown]

Hi, my name is Everett and I live in Maryland. And my wow is that listening to podcasts and stories is more of your imagination than watching TV and screens.

[Mindy Thomas]

Winner, winner, pretend food for dinner.

[Guy Raz]

Thank you, Everett. Wowzers. If you guessed a that listening to podcasts actually activates the imagination more than tv, well, congratulations. You found the winning wow.

[Mindy Thomas]

When you listen to audio without visuals like a podcast, your brain has to create the pictures in your head.

[Guy Raz]

And this activates a part of your brain called the default mode network, which is linked to imagination, empathy, and memory.

[Mindy Thomas]

So podcast listeners, like yourselves, visualize scenes more vividly because you make your own video in your mind, right?

[Guy Raz]

The brain simulates the story as if it's happening to you.

[Mindy Thomas]

Now, if you did not get that answer correct, you must stop, drop, and make up an imaginary friend. But their name has to be Mindy for Guy. And now it's time to take a moment to thank our sponsors. Today's show is brought to you by Ear lobes. Yep, those dangly bits of skin at the bottom of your ears. Scientists aren't really sure why we have them or what their exact function is, but they're fun and easy to decor. And we know that most animals do not have them at all. Only humans, chimpanzees, and gorillas have earlobes, which is why it's really hard to buy earrings for a crocodile. Let me tell you, earlobes. Making ears fun for thousands of years.

[Guy Raz]

Thank you, earlobes. Now let's take a quick break and hear some other important messages for Grown ups.

[Unknown]

Two what's in a while. We'll be right back. Grownups, this message is for you.

Hey, grownups, School isn't always a one size fits all experience. And because of that, K12 powered schools want to provide parents and students with the Flexibility of online learning combined with the value of a public school education. K12 powered schools are tuition free online accredited public schools for kindergarten through 12th grade designed to help your child learn at their own pace, in their own place, with an engaging curriculum that supports individual learning styles. K12 teachers are state certified and trained specifically in online education and with 25 years of experience and over 3 million families served, you can trust that K12 will provide your kids with a quality education. There's even a strong online school community where you'll find academic support and extracurricular activities to help students connect, stay motivated and succeed with online learning. Go to k12.comworlds today to find a tuition free K12 powered school near you and enroll. Now that's k12.comworld.

That's it. Now back to the show.

[Guy Raz]

Welcome back to two what's and a.

[Mindy Thomas]

Wow, the scientific game show that separates the wows from the whats.

[Guy Raz]

And now we're on to our final round of questions. Round three. Which of the following statements is a true scientific wow? Is it A? Stories are only supposed to be listened to by one person at a time.

[Mindy Thomas]

Or is it B? Listening to an audio story with someone else can make you closer to them.

[Guy Raz]

Or is it C? Podcasts with video are called vidodcasts.

[Mindy Thomas]

Take a second to think this over and when you think you have the correct answer, yell, I'm a vidodcaster.

[Guy Raz]

And time is up. And joining us by phone with the answer, it's Lucy from Virginia. Lucy, please tell us the winning wow.

[Unknown]

Hi, I'm Lucy from Virginia, and my wow is that listening to an audio story with someone else scientifically makes you feel closer to them.

[Mindy Thomas]

Winner, winner, family dinner.

[Guy Raz]

Great job, Lucy. Wowzers. If you guessed B that listening to a podcast with someone else can make you closer to them, you nailed it. You found the winning wow.

[Mindy Thomas]

Research shows that shared media experiences like listening to a podcast can actually increase what we call emotional closeness. That means it makes you feel good about doing something together.

[Guy Raz]

And there are a lot of reasons for this. Listening together can create fun routines like listening at bedtime or breakfast. And it can also give you and your family new things to talk about by prompting discussions.

[Mindy Thomas]

Now, if you did not get that answer correct, you must stop, drop, and go stand really, really close to someone you love.

[Guy Raz]

What was that?

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, Guy Raz. That sound can mean only one thing.

[Guy Raz]

Reggie's learning to play the drums.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, he already knows how to play the drums. That sound means it's time for today's winning wowzers. Prize Today, all of our winning wowzers will be receiving their eardrums.

[Guy Raz]

Eardrums?

[Mindy Thomas]

Yep. Except for these aren't the tiny organic structures you have inside your ear to help you hear. These are actual drums that you play with your ear.

[Guy Raz]

I'm not sure that's anatomically possible, Mindy.

[Mindy Thomas]

Not with that attitude it's not.

[Guy Raz]

Fair point.

[Mindy Thomas]

Prime the cannon, Reg.

[Unknown]

Fire away.

[Guy Raz]

Well, that's about all the time we have for today. But if you want to keep the fun going, then become a member of the World Organization of wowzers and unlock hundreds of activities.

[Mindy Thomas]

And if you're a teacher out there listening, make sure you join tinkerclass. It's our free project based learning program. For more just visit Tinkercast.com membership that's Tinkercast.com membership to bring Tinkerclass into your classroom.

[Guy Raz]

And be sure to come back on Monday for a brand new episode of.

[Mindy Thomas]

Wow in the World and again on Friday for a new episode of two what's in a wow? And don't forget we wow on the weekend with Dennis.

[Guy Raz]

Until then, keep on wowing.

[Unknown]

Two what two what two wow two W two wow two what two WOW and Wow.

[Mindy Thomas]

Grown Ups. If you like wow in the World you can listen early and ad free right now on Wondery.

[Guy Raz]

Join Wondery in the Wondery app or on Wondery Kids plus on Apple Podcasts. Prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music.

[Mindy Thomas]

And before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short [e-mail] survey. Thanks for playing along with our show. If you're a kid with a big wow. To share, call our wow hotline at 1-888-7-WOW. Wow. And you just might be featured on an upcoming episode of two what's in a wow? Once again, that's 1-888-7-WOW. Wow.

[Guy Raz]

And to keep the wow rolling, visit [e-mail] there you can become a member of the World Organization of wowzers to get year round mailings and weekly activities. You can shop our wow Shop, get tickets for upcoming live events, find our best selling books and learn all about our other amazing podcasts from Tinkercast Grown Ups.

[Mindy Thomas]

You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter owintheworld and our email address is helloinkercast.com 2 what's in a wow.

[Guy Raz]

Is executive produced by Meredith Halpern, Ranzer, Mindy Thomas and me, Guy Raz.

[Mindy Thomas]

These episodes are written by our Tinkercast head writer Kenny Curtis and Anna Zagorski.

[Guy Raz]

Sound production and design is by Marion Lozano and Henry Moskal with help from Jed Anderson and Tyler Thole.

[Mindy Thomas]

And special thanks to our Tinkercast team including Rebecca Caban, Dr. Natasha Crandall, Kristin Yang, Thuy Mak, Erica Medina, Jodi Nussbaum, Ali Paxima, Linda Rothenberg, Steph Sosa, and all of the other Tinkerers at Tinkercast hq.

[Guy Raz]

Our theme song was written and composed by the Pop Ups. For more on their three time Grammy nominated all ages music, find them at.

[Mindy Thomas]

Thepopups.Com thanks again for listening and for playing along with us. Meet us back here every Friday for more episodes of 2 what's in a wow? Saturday and Sunday for We wow on the Weekend with Dennis and Mondays for Wow in the World. It's all right here on the wow in the World podcast feed.

[Guy Raz]

Until then, keep on wowing.

[Unknown]

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