Two Whats?! And A Wow! - Vegging Out

Summary

Wow in the World: "Two Whats?! And A Wow! - Vegging Out"

Podcast: Wow in the World
Hosts: Mindy Thomas & Guy Raz
Episode Theme: Science Game Show All About Vegetables
Release Date: February 27, 2026

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Episode Overview

This lively episode of "Two Whats?! And A Wow!" features Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz hosting a science-based game show focused on the wonders and weirdness of vegetables. Through three fun-filled rounds, kid callers, and silly physical challenges, listeners are invited to separate the amazing "wows" from the misleading "whats" in vegetable science. Sprinkled with educational tidbits, laughter, and zany moments, it's an episode designed to get families thinking—and giggling—about science in their everyday veggies.

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Key Discussion Points & Episode Structure

1. Game Overview and Rules

[03:09–03:58]

• The game is introduced by Mindy and Guy Raz, explaining that each round features three science statements about vegetables—only one is the true "wow."
• If you guess incorrectly, you have to complete a silly physical challenge.

Notable Quote:
Mindy: "Only one of those statements will be a true wow. The other two, just a couple of made up what?" [03:35]

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2. Round 1: Onion DNA

[04:02–05:19]

• The Statements:
  • A: An onion has more DNA than a human.
  • B: Asparagus grows on trees.
  • C: Turnips and artichokes are in the same plant family.
• Answer Revealed by: Vesper from Michigan – "An onion has more DNA than a human."
• Science Explanation: Onions, though simpler than humans, have more DNA. The reason why is not fully understood; some may be "junk DNA," or it could have an unknown purpose.
• Physical Challenge: "Stop, drop, and eat a raw onion without crying." [06:07]

Notable Quote:
Guy Raz: "One theory is that onions have a lot of DNA that isn't being used. We sometimes call this junk DNA." [05:39]

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3. Round 2: Potato Battery

[06:07–07:55]

• The Statements:
  • A: There's a type of carrot that produces natural glitter.
  • B: Potatoes can be used as batteries.
  • C: You can get rid of pimples by rubbing cauliflower on your skin.
• Answer Revealed by: Alder from New York – "Potatoes can be used as batteries."
• Science Explanation: Potatoes contain electrolytes, essential for batteries. Boiled potatoes can generate more electricity than raw, enough for up to 20 hours of light.
• Physical Challenge: "Stop, drop, and roll around like a hot potato." [07:55]

Notable Quote:
Mindy: "Batteries are containers that store energy... Potatoes contain electrolytes, which happen to be an important part of a battery." [07:20]

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4. Round 3: Musical Vegetables

[08:03–09:49]

• The Statements:
  • A: You can make music with vegetables.
  • B: Most vegetable peels are not edible.
  • C: All vegetables are fruits, but not all fruits are vegetables.
• Answer Revealed by: Abram from Pennsylvania – "You can make music with vegetables."
• Science Explanation: People craft musical instruments from veggies—celery as drumsticks, carrots as flutes. Some devices can even make synthesizers out of vegetables because their water conducts electricity.
• Physical Challenge: "Stop, drop and play a sugar pea symphony." [09:49]

Notable Quote:
Mindy: "It’s not just beans that are musical. People have found ways to make music with all kinds of vegetables." [09:21]

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5. Fun Fact Spotlight: Baby Carrots

[09:49–10:52]

• Short PSA: Baby carrots aren’t baby vegetables—they’re full-size carrots cut and shaped by machines.

Memorable PSA:
Mindy: "Baby carrots aren't actually young carrots. They're adult carrots that have been cut down, peeled, and shaped by machines." [10:18]

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6. Bonkerballs Bonus Round: Sargassum Bloom

[11:35–12:32]

• Bonus Question: In 2023, a Sargassum bloom stretched 5,500 miles from Africa to the Gulf of Mexico. How much did it weigh?
• Correct Answer: 10 million tons (about 27 Empire State Buildings) [12:20]

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7. Prizes & Finale

[12:37–13:07]

• Prize: A life supply of peas for the winning Wowzers.
• Comedic Prize Cannon Launch: "Peas for everybody. Just don't put them up your nose." [13:02]
• Farewell and encouragement to join Tinkercast platforms and Club Wowzers.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Mindy: "Stop, drop, and eat a raw onion without crying." [06:07]
• Guy Raz: "One slice of boiled potato can create enough energy for roughly 20 hours of light." [07:51]
• Mindy: "People have found ways to make music with all kinds of vegetables. It can be as simple as using celery as drumsticks, or a little more advanced, like hollowing out a carrot to make a flute." [09:21]
• Mindy: "Baby carrots aren't babies. They're adult carrots that have been cut down, peeled, and shaped by machines. So the next time you're hungry for a vitamin A rich snack, try chomping on a regular carrot like a wise Kraken cartoon rabbit." [10:18]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Game Show Intro & Rules: [03:05–03:58]
• Round 1 (Onion DNA): [04:02–05:19]
• Round 2 (Potato Battery): [06:07–07:55]
• Round 3 (Musical Veggies): [08:03–09:49]
• Baby Carrot PSA: [09:49–10:52]
• Bonkerballs Bonus Round (Sargassum): [11:35–12:32]
• Prizes & Finale: [12:37–13:07]

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Tone & Style

The episode is bursting with playful banter, goofy physical challenges, and unexpected vegetable facts, packaged in a fast-paced and interactive science game-show format designed to inspire awe and curiosity. Mindy’s and Guy’s exchanges are high-energy and full of humor, making complex science topics accessible and memorable for kids and their families.

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Summary Wrap-Up

"Two Whats?! And A Wow! - Vegging Out" is a delightful, science-filled romp through the vegetable patch, proving that even the most everyday foods can inspire surprise and laughter. With inventive questions, real kid participation, and science made silly and spectacular, Mindy, Guy, and their crew remind listeners to keep on wowing.

Transcript

[A]

Hey, grown ups. I'm Meredith Halperin Ranzer, the chief executive Tinkerer and co founder of Tinkercast. You may have heard my name at the end of the credits. As they say, I power the wow, but I don't do it alone. I've had the absolute pleasure of steering this ship with the most talented crew of tinkers you can imagine. This team of writers, producers, musicians, educators, parents, former children not only embody the spirit of play, curiosity and innovation, but they've made it their life's work to create content that inspires play, curiosity and innovation. Right now, we need your help to keep the wind in our sails and keep us wowing. This is our final week of our fund drive, and we're so grateful for those of you that have already contributed. Truly, it means the world to us to know how much you value what we do, but we're not even close to meeting our goal. Whatever you're able to give helps. And for those of you with means to help significantly, we really need you now. When we started up Tinkercast nine years ago, many of us were parents just like you. And as parents, we wanted our kids to look up, have conversations, feel agency in their world. As media makers, we wanted to tell stories that could connect laughter to learning and kids to the real amazing wows in their world. Since then, we've built the company we've always wanted to work at with the Dream Team. We wanted to play Tinker and grow with. And grow we did. In fact, our audience, that's you, is still growing every month. We're so honored you welcome our shows into your homes, your cars, your ears, your imaginations, and your worlds. Every week we hear from you that we bring your family joy and laughter and a shared experience that brings you closer together. And we want to keep doing that for your family and for those families that are just discovering our shows now. Again, this is our last week of asking our audience directly for financial support. We still have a long way to go to meet our goal. Please visit tinkercast.com support and give what you can. You can also choose from a handful of different thank you gifts for your different levels of giving. We're talking personal shout outs from your favorite characters, special audio and video messages just for your wowzers, a chance to go behind the scenes of a show recording, and more. Once again, that's Tinkercast.com support. As chief executive Tinkerer, along with my co founders, Guy and Mindy, and our unbelievably talented team of Tinkerers, we Thank you. Now, on with the show.

[B]

And now for everyone's second favorite game show. After selecting all the little images of a car to prove you're not a robot to a robot, it's to what's and a wow.

[C]

With your hosts, Mindy and Guy Rice. 2 what's 2 what? 2 what's 2 what? 2What's 2 what? 2 what's and a wow.

[D]

Hello and welcome to 2 what's and a wow.

[C]

2 what's and a wow.

[B]

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

[D]

You know it. Wowzers. In each of our three rounds today, Guy Raz and I will present you with three scientific statements about vegetables.

[C]

But.

[D]

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 what?

[B]

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

[D]

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

[B]

Okay, everyone ready to start the game?

[D]

Great. Then let's do it.

[B]

Round one. Which of the following statements is a true scientific wow? Is it A, an onion has more DNA than a human?

[D]

Or is it B, asparagus grows on

[B]

trees, or is it C, Turnips and artichokes are in the same plant family.

[D]

When you think you have the correct answer, Yellow. I'm spilling the beans. Hey, Reggie, give us some thinking music.

[B]

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

[D]

And to do just that, it's Vesper from Michigan. Vesper from Michigan, tell us, what's the winning wow? Hi, my name is Vesper, and my wow in the world is that an onion has more DNA than a human is. Winner, winner, onion rings for dinner.

[B]

Thank you, Vesper. Contestants, if you guessed the answer A, that an onion has more DNA than a human, well, congratulations. You found the winning wow.

[D]

Organisms, or living things have DNA, which is sort of like a blueprint for our bodies. But not all organisms have the same amount of DNA. And it turns out that even though onions are simpler organisms than humans, they have more DNA than we do. And we're not exactly sure why.

[B]

One theory is that onions have a lot of DNA that isn't being used. We sometimes call this junk DNA. On the other hand, the this seemingly useless DNA might actually have a purpose that we just haven't figured out yet.

[D]

Now, if you did not get that answer correct, you Must stop, drop, and eat a raw onion without crying.

[B]

Okay, round two. Which of the following statements is a true scientific wow? Is it A, there's a type of carrot that produces natural glitter, or is it b?

[D]

B, potatoes can be used as batteries.

[B]

Or is it C, you can get rid of pimples by rubbing cauliflower on your skin.

[D]

When you think you have the correct answer, yell, I'm unbeatable. Uh, singing Music, please.

[B]

And time is up to reveal the winning answer. It's Alder from New York. Alder, please reveal the winning wow.

[D]

Hi, my name is Alder. My round rule is that potatoes can be used as batteries. Winner, winner, taters for dinner.

[B]

That's right, Alder. Wowzers. If you guessed B that potatoes can be used as batteries, well, congratulations, you found the winning wow.

[D]

As some of you may already know, batteries are containers that store energy that can be converted into electricity. Potatoes contain electrolytes, which happen to be an important part of a Battery.

[B]

And in 2010, researchers found that potatoes that have been boiled for eight minutes could make a battery up to 10 times more powerful than one using a raw potato. In fact, one slice of boiled potato can create enough energy for roughly 20 hours of light.

[D]

Now, if you did not get that answer correct, you must stop, drop, and roll around like a hot potato.

[B]

Okay, round three. Which of the following statements is a true scientific wow? Is it A, you can make music

[D]

with vegetables, or is it B, most vegetable peels are not edible.

[B]

Or is it C, all vegetables are fruits, but not all fruits are vegetables.

[D]

When you think you have the correct answer, yell. Remain calm, everyone. I've got this. Hey, Reggie, can we get some thinking music, please?

[B]

And time is up. And joining us by phone, it's Abram from Pennsylvania. Abram, please reveal the winning wow.

[D]

Dear Mindy and Guy Raz, My name is Abram. My wow in the world is you can make music with vegetables. Very eco safe.

[C]

Winner.

[D]

Winner, musical veggies for dinner.

[B]

That's right, Abram. Wowzers. If you guessed a that you can make music with vegetables, well, congratulations, you found the winning wow.

[D]

It' not just beans that are musical. People have found ways to make music with all kinds of vegetables. It can be as simple as using celery as drumsticks, or a little more advanced, like hollowing out a carrot to make a flute.

[B]

There are even electric devices that can turn veggies into synthesizers. The water in vegetables conducts electricity. So when you connect them to the device and a computer, you can tap the vegetable and create an electric sound.

[D]

Now, if you did not get that answer correct. You must stop, drop and play a sugar pea symphony. And now it's time to take a moment to thank our sponsors. Today's show is brought to you in part by this important public service announcement. Baby carrots. Small, cute, delicious, with ranch dressing. But they are not what they seem. What big carrot doesn't want you to know is that baby carrots. Carrots aren't babies. That's right. Baby carrots aren't actually young carrots. They're adult carrots that have been cut down, peeled, and shaped by machines. So the next time you're hungry for a vitamin A rich snack, try chomping on a regular carrot like a wise Kraken cartoon rabbit. Choose carrot stick, not carrot tricks.

[B]

All right, thank you for that psa. Why don't we take a quick break and hear some other important messages for

[D]

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

[B]

Welcome back to Two what's and a wow?

[C]

Two what's and a wow.

[D]

The scientific game show that separates the wows from the Woo.

[C]

Woo.

[B]

What was that?

[D]

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

[B]

Our old timey ride is here.

[C]

Nope.

[D]

It's time for today's Bonkerballs bonus round. If you listen to our wow in the World episode, Algoraid to the Rescue, you'll know the answer to this one. And the bonkerball's bonus question is. In 2023, a Sargassum bloom stretched 5,500 miles all the way from Africa to the Gulf of Mexico. How much did it weigh?

[B]

Is it A, 10 million tons? About the same as 27 Empire State Buildings?

[D]

Or is it B, 1 million tons? About the same as 40 Statues of Liberty?

[B]

Or is it C, 1 ton, about 6 reindeer?

[D]

If you answered A, you are correct. This massive bloom weighed more than 10 million tons. Now, that is a lot of seaweed.

[B]

Well, congratulations to all of our winning Wowzers. Mindy, what's today's prize?

[D]

Guy Raz? Today's winning Wowzers will all be receiving a life supply of peas.

[C]

Wow.

[B]

That's a pretty great prize.

[D]

Wait, really?

[B]

Well, yeah. I mean, peas are a great source of vitamins and nutrients and protein. Reggie, why don't you cue the prize cannon?

[D]

What in the.

[C]

Fire away. Oh, yeah.

[D]

Peas for everybody. Just don't put them up your nose.

[B]

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.

[D]

And for any teachers in our listening audience, consider joining tinkerclass, our free brand new learning platform that helps get kids wild about Science. Just visit Tinkercast.com membership that's Tinkercast.com membership and be sure to come back on Monday for a brand new episode of wow in the World, this weekend for some wee wow in the Weeknd with

[B]

Dennis, and again on Friday for a new episode of two what's and a wow.

[D]

Until then, keep on wowing.

[C]

Two what's two what? Two W two what? Two what's two what? Two what and a whopping.

[B]

Two what's and a wow is executive produced by Meredith Halpern, Ranzer, Mindy Thomas and me, Guy Raz.

[D]

Our writers are Ruth Morrison and Anna Zagorski with collaboration from our head writer Kenny Curtis.

[B]

Sound production and design is by Marian Lozano with help from Jett Anderson and Tyler Thol.

[D]

Special thanks to Rebecca Caban, Dr. Natasha Crandall, Lizzie Froehlich, Kristin Yang, Twee Mak, Erica Medina, Henry Moskal, Jody Nussbaum, Ali Paxima, Linda Rothenberg, Steph Sosa, Joanna Weber, Anna Zagorski and all of the other Tinkerers at Tinkercast hq.

[B]

Our theme song was written and composed by the Pop Ups. For more on their three time Grammy nominated all ages music, find [e-mail] and

[D]

to keep the wow rolling. After you finish this episode you can Visit [e-mail] There you can become a member of the World Organization of wowzers to get year round mailings and weekly activities. Shop our wow Shop, get tickets for upcoming events, find our best selling books and learn all about the other amazing podcasts from Tinkercast Grown ups.

[B]

You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @wowintheworld. And our email address is helloinkercast.com finally,

[D]

if you're a kid with a big wow to share, it could be used on an upcoming episode of 2 what's in a wow? Call us at 1-8887-WOW. Wow.

[B]

Thanks again for listening and playing along. Meet us back here next Friday or every Monday for Wow in the World.

[C]

Wow in the World wow in the World Wow in the World Wow in the World Wow in the World Wow

[D]

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