Two Whats?! And A Wow! - PlutoMania! (9/26/25)

Summary

Podcast Summary: Wow in the World

Episode: Two Whats?! And A Wow! - PlutoMania!
Release Date: September 26, 2025
Hosts: Mindy Thomas & Guy Raz

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Episode Overview

In this lively, kid-friendly episode of "Two Whats?! And A Wow!", the hosts dive into the wonders of Pluto, the (in)famous dwarf planet. Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz guide listeners through an interactive game show packed with surprising scientific facts about Pluto and its cosmic companions. With audience participation and classic humor, this episode sparks curiosity about our solar system and offers "wow-worthy" moments to delight both kids and grown-ups.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Episode Setup & Rules

• The episode is a special Pluto edition of the recurring game show “Two Whats?! And A Wow!”, where only one of three statements about Pluto in each round is true (“the wow”), while the others are made-up (“the whats”).
• Correct answers earn points; incorrect guesses trigger silly physical challenges.
• Audience members (children calling in) announce the correct wows.

2. Round One: Pluto and Dwarf Planets

Statements:

• A) Alpha Centauri is actually closer to Earth than Pluto.
• B) Neptune is the largest dwarf planet.
• C) Pluto is not the only dwarf planet.

Winning Wow:

• C) Pluto is not the only dwarf planet.

Explanation & Detail:

• There are currently five recognized dwarf planets: Pluto, Ceres, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris.
• These celestial bodies are round, orbit the Sun, but are not massive enough to have "cleared their neighborhood" of other objects.
• Most are located in or near asteroid belts.

Notable Quote:

• “According to the International Astronomical Union, a dwarf planet is a round celestial body that circles the sun but is not as big as a planet. A planet is always more massive than anything orbiting near them. But dwarf planets are not that big.”
  — Mindy Thomas [05:23]

Physical Challenge for Incorrect Answer:

• Sing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Dwarf Planet” loudly. [05:54]

3. Round Two: Time and Seasons on Pluto

Statements:

• A) One day on Pluto would last two days here on Earth.
• B) Pluto has seasons just like Earth.
• C) Pluto has 11 moons.

Winning Wow:

• B) Pluto has seasons just like Earth.

Explanation & Detail:

• Pluto’s seasons do exist, but are vastly more extreme than Earth's.
• In a Plutonian winter, the sun doesn't rise for most of the planet—persistent darkness.
• In the summer, the sun doesn't set for huge swathes of Pluto.
• A full year on Pluto takes about 248 Earth years, so each season can last over a century.

Notable Quotes:

• “Pluto does have seasons just like Earth, but they are way more extreme. In the wintertime on Pluto, the sun never rises on almost the entire planet. It stays dark for the whole season.”
  — Mindy Thomas [07:16]
• “Since it takes Pluto 25048 Earth years to go around the sun, these seasons last more than a century.”
  — Guy Raz [07:30]

Physical Challenge for Incorrect Answer:

• “Stop, drop and prepare for a long winter.” [07:45]

4. Round Three: Pluto’s Orbit and Composition

Statements:

• A) Sometimes Pluto and Neptune's orbits overlap.
• B) Pluto's orbit is so wide it intersects with Jupiter's orbit.
• C) Pluto is made entirely of plutonium.

Winning Wow:

• A) Sometimes Pluto and Neptune’s orbits overlap.

Explanation & Detail:

• Pluto’s orbit is tilted and elongated (eccentric), which means that when viewed from above, it appears to cross Neptune’s path.
• However, thanks to the tilt and resonance between their orbits, Pluto and Neptune never actually collide; Pluto is sometimes “above” or “below" Neptune.
• Every time Pluto goes around the Sun two times, Neptune completes three orbits—this resonance keeps them from getting too close.

Notable Quotes:

• “Instead of moving in a flat ring... Pluto’s orbit is actually tilted a little bit. Like if you picked one side of that frisbee up. The two orbits only intersect if you’re looking at them flat, but in reality, Pluto might actually be above or below Neptune when it's in orbit.”
  — Mindy Thomas [10:19]
• “Pluto and Neptune have resonant orbits and that means they don't move in sync. Pluto goes around the sun two times, but Neptune goes around three times. So these two planets never get very close to each other.”
  — Guy Raz [10:52]

Physical Challenge for Incorrect Answer:

• “Stop, drop and change your family dog’s name to dwarf planet Pluto.” [11:08]

5. Pluto Prize Segment

• Winning contestants receive a “Pluto-flavored” snow cone—"rock flavored" like Pluto itself (mostly ice and rocks).
• Humorous moment when Mindy clarifies:

  Guy Raz: “You mean like rocky road?”
  Mindy Thomas: “No, just rocks. These are snow cones that taste like rocks.” [12:01–12:09]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little dwarf planet real loud.” — Mindy Thomas [05:54]
• “Winner, winner, Neptuna for dinner.” — Show Announcer [05:11]
• “Stop, drop and change your family dog’s name to dwarf planet Pluto. Who’s a good boy? Who’s dwarf planet Pluto? You are. Yes, you are.” — Mindy Thomas [11:08]
• Humorous banter about “Pluto-flavored” rock snow cones. [12:01–12:09]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | | --------- | ------------------------------- | | 03:00 | Game show intro | | 03:59 | Round 1: Dwarf Planets | | 06:04 | Round 2: Pluto’s Seasons | | 09:00 | Round 3: Pluto’s Orbit | | 11:25 | Pluto Prize Segment (Snow Cones)| | 12:20 | Recap & wrap-up, memberships |

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Final Thoughts & Takeaways

• Through this dynamic, energetic game show, Mindy and Guy make astronomy fun, accessible, and memorable for kids and their grown-ups.
• The episode reinforces Pluto’s unique place in the solar system—its status as a dwarf planet, its wild seasonal shifts, and its orbital dance with Neptune.
• The humor and interactive elements (like silly physical challenges), plus the involvement of kids' voices, encourage learning through play and curiosity.

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Additional Resources

• For project-based learning and science activities, visit tinkercast.com.
• Kids with their own “Planet Wow” stories can call the Wow Hotline at 1-888-7-WOW-WOW for a chance to be featured.

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Tone: Upbeat, playful, and inclusive—capturing Mindy and Guy's energetic, silly sense of wonder about science.

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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 and Guy Raz here. And before we start the show this week, we have a very special episode of wow in the World to share with you.

[Guy Raz]

That's right, Mindy. You may remember back in April, we teamed up with our friends at Geocaching hq, the Aspen Institute and Nature Conservancy to create Planet Wow, an epic geocaching eco adventure that shares the wows of our planet.

[Mindy Thomas]

And since then, we've received so many phone calls telling us about the places that wow you. You've also sent us photos of your Geocaching adventures and we're not done yet.

[Guy Raz]

This week's episode of wow in the World takes a closer look at the role we all play in taking care of our planet and how we can all work together to make this planet wow.

[Mindy Thomas]

Listen to our latest episod called Planet Wow to learn about how you too can help take care of our planet and grownups. Don't Forget to visit tinkercast.com planetwow to learn how you and your Wowzer can join us in our Geocaching Eco Adventure.

[Guy Raz]

And it's not too late to call us with your planet wows. Call 1-888-7-WOW-WOW and tell us about a place on our planet that wows you.

[Mindy Thomas]

That's it. And now let's get back to the show.

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[Guy Raz]

And now for everyone's second favorite game.

[Show Announcer]

Show after trying to grow a mustache over two what's and the wow with your hosts Mindy and Guy Rile. Two what's two what's two what's two whats two what's two what's.

[Mindy Thomas]

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

[Guy Raz]

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

[Mindy Thomas]

You know it, Guy Raz. Wowzers. In each of our three rounds today, Guy Raz and I will present you with three scientific statements about the planet dwarf planet named Pluto. But. And this is a big but. Only one of those statements will be a true wow. The other, 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?

[Mindy Thomas]

Great. Then let's get to it.

[Guy Raz]

Round one. Which of the following statements say true scientific wow? Is it A, Alpha Centauri is actually closer to Earth than Pluto?

[Mindy Thomas]

Or is it B, Neptune is the largest dwarf planet or is it C?

[Guy Raz]

Pluto is not the only dwarf planet.

[Mindy Thomas]

When you think you have the correct answer, wave at the sky and say hi Pluto. Hey Reg. Cue the thinking music.

[Guy Raz]

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

[Mindy Thomas]

And to do just that, it's Henry from Alberta, Canada. Henry, tell us what's the winning wow?

[Contestant Caller]

Hi Mindy and Guy Raz. My name is Henry and my wow in the world is that Pluto is not the only dwarf planet. There's also a bunch of other ones like Haumea, Eris and Ceres.

[Show Announcer]

Winner, winner.

[Mindy Thomas]

Neptuna for dinner.

[Guy Raz]

Thank you, Henry. Contestants, if you guessed the answer C that Pluto is not the only dwarf planet. Well, congratulations. You found the winning wow.

[Mindy Thomas]

According to the International Astronomical Union, a dwarf planet is a round celestial body that circles the sun but is not as big as a planet. A planet is always more massive than anything orbiting near them. But dwarf planets are not that big.

[Guy Raz]

There are currently five dwarf planets in our solar system. Pluto, Ceres, Haumea, Makemake and Eris. And they all live in or around asteroid belts.

[Mindy Thomas]

Now, if you got that answer incorrect, you must stop, drop and sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little dwarf planet real loud.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, on to round two. Which of the following statements is a true scientific wow? Is it A, One day on Pluto would last two days here on Earth?

[Mindy Thomas]

Or is it B? Pluto has seasons just like Earth.

[Guy Raz]

Or is it c? Pluto has 11 moons.

[Mindy Thomas]

Hmm, lots to think about here. When you think you have the correct answer, find a grown up and orbit them like a moon.

[Guy Raz]

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

[Mindy Thomas]

Hi. My wow is that Pluto has seasons just like Earth. Winner, winner, extra seasoning for dinner.

[Guy Raz]

Thank you, Kurt. Wowzers. If you guessed be that Pluto has seasons just like Earth, well, congratulations. You found the winning wow.

[Mindy Thomas]

Pluto does have seasons just like Earth, but they are way more extreme. In the wintertime on Pluto, the sun never rises on almost the entire planet. It stays dark for the whole season.

[Guy Raz]

And in the summer, the sun never sets for most of the planet. To make matters worse, since it takes Pluto 25048 Earth years to go around the sun, these seasons last more than a century.

[Mindy Thomas]

Now, if you got that answer incorrect, you must stop, drop and prepare for a long winter. And now it's time to take a moment to thank our sponsors. Today's show is brought to you in part by new and improved Mindy's Meteor Shower Gel. Why have a normal meteor shower when you can spice things up with Mindy's Meteor Shower Gel? Works great in any environment, even zero gravity. You'll feel clean and spacey. So the next time you take in a meteor shower, be sure you use Mindy's Meteor Shower Gel.

[Guy Raz]

Thank you. Mindy's Meteor Shower Gel. Why don't we take a quick break and hear some other important messages for grownups?

[Sponsor Message Announcer]

2 what's in a while? We'll be right back. Grown ups, this message is for you. That's it. Now back to the show.

[Guy Raz]

Welcome back to 2 what's in a.

[Mindy Thomas]

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

[Guy Raz]

And now we're on to our flower final round of questions. Round three. Which of the following statements is a true scientific wow? Is it A, Sometimes Pluto and Neptune's orbits overlap?

[Mindy Thomas]

Or is it B, Pluto's orbit is so wide it intersects with Jupiter's orbit.

[Guy Raz]

Or is it C? Pluto is made entirely of plutonium.

[Mindy Thomas]

Take a second to think it over, and when you think you have the correct answer, make a ring around yourself like Saturn.

[Guy Raz]

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

[Contestant Caller]

My wow in the world is that sometimes Pluto and Neptune's orbit. So relax.

[Mindy Thomas]

Winner, winner, plutonium for dinner.

[Guy Raz]

Great job, Marlo. Wowzers, if you guessed A that sometimes Pluto and Neptune's orbits overlap, well, congratulations. You found the winning wow.

[Mindy Thomas]

As we all know, Pluto is a special planet. And not just because it's a dwarf planet. It also has a different kind of orbit. Instead of moving in a flat ring. Like if you laid a frisbee on a table and were drawing a circle around the outside. Pluto's orbit is actually tilted a little bit. Like if you picked one side of that frisbee up. The two orbits only intersect if you're looking at them flat. But in reality, Pluto might actually be above or below Neptune when it's in orbit.

[Guy Raz]

Also, Pluto and Neptune have resonant orbits and that means they don't move in sync. Pluto goes around the sun two times, but Neptune goes around three times. So these two planets never get very close to each other.

[Mindy Thomas]

Now, if you did not get that answer correct, you must stop, drop and change your family dog's name to dwarf planet Pluto. Who's a good boy? Who's dwarf planet Pluto? You are. Yes, you are.

[Guy Raz]

What was that?

[Mindy Thomas]

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

[Guy Raz]

Is that your ice cream truck?

[Mindy Thomas]

Yes, it is. And it also means it's time for today's winning wowzers prize where all of our winning wowzers will receive their very own Pluto flower Pluto flavored snow cones. Since the dwarf planet Pluto is basically just ice and rocks, I wanted to give our audience something to taste the experience.

[Guy Raz]

Snow cones can be great treats. But what do you mean by Pluto flavored?

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, that just means that the snow cones are rock flavored.

[Guy Raz]

You mean like rocky road?

[Mindy Thomas]

No, just rocks. These are snow cones that taste like rocks. We're keeping it real, Guy Raz.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, great.

[Mindy Thomas]

Reg, you ready with the prize cannon? 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 2 what's in a wow? And don't forget we wow on the weekend with Dennis.

[Guy Raz]

Until then, keep on growing.

[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. And you just might be featured on an upcoming episode of 2 what's in a wow? Once again, that's 1-888-7-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, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter owintheworld. And our email address is hello in.

[Guy Raz]

Tinkercast.Com 2 what's in a wow 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 Mariam Lozano and Henry Moskal with help from Jed Anderson and Tyler Thol and special.

[Mindy Thomas]

Thanks to our Tinkercast team including Rebecca Caban, Dr. Natasha Crandall, Kristin Yang, Thuy Mack, 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 wow in the world.

[Show Announcer]

Wow in the world wow in the world wow in the world. Wow in the world.

[Sponsor Message Announcer]

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