Two Whats?! And A Wow! - The Long Run

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Two Whats?! And A Wow! - The Long Run"

Podcast: Wow in the World
Episode Date: December 12, 2025
Hosts: Mindy Thomas & Guy Raz
Theme: Fun facts and game show all about “long” things in science, nature, and pop culture

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Episode Overview

This episode of "Two Whats?! And A Wow!" centers on a playful competition testing knowledge of the world’s “longest” wonders. Hosts Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz present three rounds of delightfully tricky questions, with only one “Wow” (true fact) among two “Whats” (fakes) in each. Each round brings silly banter, quirky challenges, and lots of kid participation, making science fascinating and hilarious for the whole family.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. How the Game Works

• Each round presents three statements about "long" things.
• Kids (and listeners!) guess which is the true “Wow.”
• Winners get virtual prizes; losers perform a silly challenge.

[02:23] Mindy Thomas: "In each of our three rounds today, Guy Raz and I will present you with three scientific statements about things that are really, really long. 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."

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2. Round One: The World’s Longest Boardwalk

• A: Dubai, UAE has the world’s longest boardwalk.
• B: The world’s longest corn dog (15 ft) was sold at Coney Island in 1819.
• C: Atlantic City, New Jersey, is home to the world’s longest (and first) boardwalk.

Winning Wow:

• [04:27] Nathan (contestant): "My wow is that Atlantic City – that’s right near where I live – has the world's longest and first boardwalk."
• The Atlantic City boardwalk was built in 1870 to keep sand out of hotels.
• Additional fact: The “biggest” corn dog currently is a 30-ft fiberglass sculpture in Oregon — not edible!

Memorable banter:
[04:36] Mindy Thomas: “Winner, winner. Corn dogs for dinner. Man, I really want a corn dog right now.”
[05:39] Guy Raz: “And no, you cannot eat it.”

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3. Round Two: The Longest Giraffe Body Part

• A: A giraffe’s tongue can be 20 inches long.
• B: Baby giraffes love corn dogs.
• C: Giraffe’s legs are 3 or 4 feet longer than their necks.

Winning Wow:

• [06:51] Cadence and Cece (contestants): "Our wow in the world is that giraffe tongue can be 20 inches long."
• Giraffes' tongues are unusually long and purplish due to melanin, which protects against sunburn.
• They spend up to 12 hours a day using their tongues to pull leaves off trees.

Fun fact:
[07:23] Guy Raz: "Their tongues have an unusual color because they contain melanin, which is a pigment that protects them from ultraviolet rays. Giraffes spend up to 12 hours a day in the African sun using their tongues to pull leaves off of trees..."

Physical challenge for incorrect guesses:
[07:44] Mindy Thomas: "Now, if you did not get that answer correct, you must stop, drop, and go get me a corndog."

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4. Round Three: The Longest Ever Video Game Session

• A: The longest baseball game in history was 20 innings.
• B: A chess match cannot last longer than two hours.
• C: People have played Fortnite for longer than humans have existed on the planet.

Winning Wow:

• [10:06] Grady (contestant): "My wow in the world is that people have played Fortnite longer than humans have existed. That's so wow."
• People have spent a collective 3.8 billion days (10.4 million years) playing Fortnite, almost twice as long as humans have existed.

Clarifications:

• Longest baseball game: 33 innings.
• Longest chess match: Over 20 hours.

Memorable line:
[10:20] Guy Raz: "Wowzers. If you guessed c the people have played Fortnite for longer than humans have existed on the planet. Congratulations. You found the winning wow."

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5. Wacky Prizes & Science Learning

• [11:13] Mindy Thomas: "That sound also means that it's time for today's winning wowzers prize. Today, all of our winning wowzers will be receiving their very own tape measure. Want to know for sure how long something is? Use a tape measure. It's like a ruler, but it's way longer and it's all bendy and flexible."
• Winners receive (in their imagination) a tape measure for measuring all sorts of “long” things in their world.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [02:23] Mindy Thomas: “Only one of those statements will be a true wow. The other two, just a couple of made up whats.”
• [04:36] Mindy Thomas: “Winner, winner. Corn dogs for dinner. Man, I really want a corn dog right now.”
• [07:44] Mindy Thomas: “Now, if you did not get that answer correct, you must stop, drop, and go get me a corndog.”
• [10:16] Mindy Thomas: “Winner, winner. Llamas and bananas for dinner.”
• [11:39] Announcer: “Yeah.”
• [11:40] Mindy Thomas: “And then it's going to be lunch time. All right, Reg, ready to go with that prize cannon? Fire away.”
• [12:30] Guy Raz: “Until then, keep on wowing.”
• [11:31] Guy Raz: “And if anyone is wondering, the longest baseball game actually went 33 innings and the longest chess match took more than 20 hours."

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:46] Show starts: “Two Whats?! And A Wow!” intro
• [02:23] Game rules and explanation
• [03:17] Round 1: Boardwalks, corn dogs, and the correct answer
• [05:02] Historical backstory of Atlantic City boardwalk
• [06:12] Round 2: Giraffe tongues and fun with melanin
• [07:50] Silly challenge for wrong guesses
• [09:00] Round 3: Gaming longer than humanity
• [11:13] Prize segment: Tape measures
• [12:22] Signoff and announcements

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Tone & Style

Just as vibrant and zany as usual, with Mindy’s playful puns and Guy’s friendly straight-man delivery. The episode leans into silly humor (“corn dogs for dinner!”), hands-on learning, and interactive imagination, all while keeping the energy kid-centric and scientifically factual.

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Conclusion

This "Two Whats?! And A Wow!" episode delivers plenty of “Wows” about extraordinarily “long” things in the world—including record-breaking boardwalks, wild animal adaptations, and mind-boggling video game stats. Mindy and Guy make learning feel like a game, peppering in facts (and jokes about corndogs) while helping kids see science as full of surprises.

Final words:
[12:30] Guy Raz: “Until then, keep on wowing.”

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Great for kids, families, and anyone who loves science with a big side of fun!

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, did you hear that? It's the sound of the holidays and they're right around the corner. Okay, technically it's the sound of my sleigh cats around the corner, but you know what I mean. Grownups, if you're looking for a gift that wows all year long long you might want to consider joining your wowzer up for the World Organization of wowzers. When you become a member of the World Organization of Wowzers, you get an autographed picture of Guy Raz and me and an exclusive members only T shirt delivered right to your door. And if you're in the US and you sign up by December 15th, you will get it before December 25th. Every membership helps to support our podcasts and Tinkercast's mission to spread WOW to families and teachers all over the world for free. Oh, that's right, Reg. How could I forget? Members of the World Organization of Wowzers also get birthday cards in the mail from me and Guy Raz, plus quarterly mailings from Reggie and so much more. To get your welcome kit delivered in time for the holidays and to help power the wow at Tinkercast all year long, sign [e-mail] wow before December 15th. That's tinkercast.com wow. Oh, and P.S. if you use the promo code wow10, you get 10% off. Happy holidays, Wowzer fams. And now, let's get back to the show.

[Guy Raz]

And now for everyone's second favorite game show after getting into a staring contest with your imaginary friend, it's two Once and the wow.

[Announcer]

Your hosts, Mindy and Guy Rats. Two Watts. Two what's two what? Two what's two what? 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 what's. And the category or theme for today is Long stuff. 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 things that are really, really long. 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.

[Mindy Thomas]

You win a pol 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?

[Reg]

Great.

[Mindy Thomas]

Then let's get to it.

[Guy Raz]

Alright, round one. Which of the following statements is a true scientific wow? Is it A, the world's longest boardwalk is in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates?

[Mindy Thomas]

Or is it B, the world's longest corn dog was 15ft long and sold on Coney island in 1819?

[Guy Raz]

Or is it C, the world's longest and first boardwalk is in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

[Mindy Thomas]

When you think you have the correct answer, close your eyes and concentrate on growing your fingernails out really, really long.

[Reg]

Hey, Reg.

[Guy Raz]

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

[Mindy Thomas]

And to do just that, it's Nathan from New Jersey. Nathan, tell us, what's the winning wow?

[Contestants]

My wow is that Atlantic City? That's right near where I live. Has the world's longest and first boardwalk.

[Mindy Thomas]

Winner.

[Announcer]

Winner.

[Mindy Thomas]

Corn dogs for dinner. Man, I really want a corn dog right now.

[Guy Raz]

Thank you, Nathan. Contestants, if you guessed the answer, see that the world's longest and first boardwalk is in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Congratulations. You found the winning wow.

[Reg]

It's true.

[Mindy Thomas]

The Atlantic City boardwalk is the longest and oldest one ever built in any part of the world.

[Guy Raz]

It was originally built in 1870 as a way to keep sand away from the hotels and resorts that were being built right along the beach. People wanted to walk from place to place, but they didn't want to walk through the sand. So the idea of a wooden walkway that would be about 8ft wide was presented, and the rest of the is history.

[Mindy Thomas]

And for anyone keeping track, the world's largest corn dog that we know of is actually a fiberglass structure on the roof of a corn dog restaurant in Oregon. And that corn dog is 30ft long.

[Guy Raz]

And no, you cannot eat it.

[Mindy Thomas]

I know. Such a bummer. This is not helping my corn dog craving guy, Raz.

[Guy Raz]

Well, at least we have the show to keep us busy.

[Mindy Thomas]

That's true. All right, now, if you did not get that answer correct, you must stop, drop, and pretend to be sunbathing on the beach.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, on to round two. Which of the following statements is a true scientific wow? Is it A, a giraffe's tongue can be 20 inches long?

[Mindy Thomas]

Or is it B, baby giraffes love corn dogs.

[Guy Raz]

Or is it C, giraffe's legs are actually 3 or 4ft longer neck.

[Mindy Thomas]

Hmm, lots to think about here. When you think you have the correct answer, stick out your tongue and your neck at the same time.

[Guy Raz]

And time is up. And joining us by phone, it's our friends Cadence and Cece with the winning wow.

[Contestants]

Hi, I'm Cadence. And I'm Cece. And roll in the world is that giraffe tug can be 20 inches long.

[Mindy Thomas]

Winner, winner. Lollipops and ice cream cones for dinner.

[Guy Raz]

Thank you, Cadence and Cece. Wowzers. If you guessed a that a giraffe's tongue can be 20 inches long, congratulations. You found the winning wow.

[Mindy Thomas]

Everyone knows that giraffes. Giraffes have long necks. But did you know that they also have really long purplish tongues?

[Guy Raz]

Their tongues have an unusual color because they contain melanin, which is a pigment that protects them from ultraviolet rays. Giraffes spend up to 12 hours a day in the African sun using their tongues to pull leaves off of trees so they can eat, so their tongues have natural sunscreen.

[Mindy Thomas]

Now, if you did not get that answer correct, you must stop, drop, and go get me a corndog.

[Guy Raz]

Really?

[Mindy Thomas]

I'm starving. And now it's time to take a moment to thank our sponsors. Today's show is brought to you in part by.

[Guy Raz]

Please don't say corndogs.

[Mindy Thomas]

Tiny Tabitha's toe long hot dogs.

[Guy Raz]

Don't you mean foot long hot dogs?

[Mindy Thomas]

Nope. Tiny Tabitha knows that not everybody wants a foot long hot dog. Or in my case, a corn dog. Sometimes just want a little snack. And that's why Tiny Tabitha has her toe long hot dogs. These dogs are bite sized and perfect for after school snacks. So if a foot long hot dog is too long, reach for Tiny Tabitha's toe long hot dogs.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, thank you, Tiny Tabitha. Now let's take a quick break and hear some other important messages for grownups.

[Reg]

Two 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 two what's and a Wow.

[Mindy Thomas]

A scientific game show that separates the wows from the what.

[Guy Raz]

And now we're onto our floor. Final round of questions. Round three. Which of the following statements is a true scientific wow? Is it A, the longest baseball game history was 20 innings long?

[Mindy Thomas]

Or is it B, a chess match cannot last longer than two hours.

[Guy Raz]

Or is it C? People have played Fortnite for longer than humans have existed on the planet. Planet.

[Mindy Thomas]

Take a second to think it over. And when you think you know the correct answer, call a timeout so you can take even more time to think it over.

[Guy Raz]

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

[Contestants]

My wow in the world is that people have played Fortnite longer than humans have existed. That's so wow.

[Mindy Thomas]

Winner, winner. Llamas and bananas for dinner.

[Guy Raz]

Great job, Grady. Wowzers. If you guessed c the people have played Fortnite for longer than humans have existed on the planet. Congratulations. You found the winning wow.

[Mindy Thomas]

Forbes magazine reports that people spend a total of 3.8 billion days, which is about 10.4 million years, playing the video game Fortnite, which is almost twice the amount of time that human beings have been on the planet.

[Guy Raz]

And if anyone is wondering, the longest baseball game actually went 33 innings and the longest chess match took more than 2020 hours.

[Mindy Thomas]

Now, if you did not get that answer correct, you must stop, drop and replace the batteries in your game controller.

[Guy Raz]

What was that?

[Mindy Thomas]

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

[Guy Raz]

You're still thinking about corndogs, aren't you?

[Mindy Thomas]

Obviously. But that sound also means that it's time for today's winning wowzers prize. Today, all of our winning wowzers will be receiving their very own tape measure. Want to know for sure how long something is? Use a tape measure. It's like a ruler, but it's way longer and it's all bendy and flexible. So you know what time it is.

[Guy Raz]

It's measuring time.

[Announcer]

Yeah.

[Mindy Thomas]

And then it's going to be lunch time. All right, Reg, ready to go with that 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 wowing.

[Announcer]

2 what 2 what 2 w 2 w 2 what 2 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 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, Instagram and Twitter owintheworld and our email address is hellotinkercast.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 Marianne Lozano and Henry Moskal with help from Jed Anderson and Tyler Thole and special.

[Mindy Thomas]

Thanks to our Tinkercast team including Rebecca Caban, Dr. Natasha Crandall, Kristin Yang, Thuy Mak, Erica Medina, Jodi Nussbaum, Ali Paxima, Linda Rothenberg Z, 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 WeWow, on the weekends with Dennis and Movie 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.

[Announcer]

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

[Reg]

The world wow in the World was made by Tinkercast and sent to you by Wondery.