Two Whats?! And A Wow! - World Wide Web (7/4/25)

Summary

Wow in the World Podcast Summary
Episode: Two Whats?! And A Wow! - World Wide Web
Release Date: July 4, 2025
Host: Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz
Produced by: Tinkercast | Wondery

---

Introduction to Planet Wow

At the beginning of the episode, hosts Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz introduce an exciting initiative called Planet Wow. This collaborative effort with Geocaching HQ, the Aspen Institute, and the Nature Conservancy aims to engage young listeners in eco-friendly adventures through geocaching. Participants are encouraged to become the next generation of climate crusaders by exploring and appreciating various "wow" places on Earth.

Notable Quote:
Mindy Thomas (00:22): “Planet Wow... encourages curious kids like you to become the next generation of climate crusaders.”

Listeners are invited to search for Planet Wow trading cards in geocaches near their locations, with printable versions available on the Tinkercast website. The hosts also encourage children to share their eco-adventures for a chance to be featured in future episodes.

---

Main Segment: Two Whats?! And A Wow!

The core of the episode revolves around the interactive game show segment, Two Whats?! And A Wow!, a scientific game designed to educate and entertain listeners by distinguishing between fascinating facts ("wows") and plausible but incorrect statements ("whats"). The theme for this episode centers on spiders.

Round One: The Musical Web

Questions Presented:

1. A: Spider webs have been used to make violin strings.
2. B: Grandma G Force has a pet spider named Charlotte.
3. C: All spiders can swim.

Contestant: Adeline from Colorado
Winning Answer: A - Spider webs have been used to make violin strings.

Notable Quote:
Adeline (05:59): “My wow in the world is that people used to make violin strings with spider webs.”

Insight:
Dr. Osaki from Japan innovatively twisted thousands of spider silk threads to create violin strings that were tightly packed with minimal spacing. These spider-derived strings were favored by some professional violinists for their superior tone compared to traditional materials.

Mindy Thomas (06:37): “A researcher From Japan named Dr. Osaki twisted thousands of spider silk threads together, creating very tightly packed strings with virtually no space in between them.”

Round Two: Speedy Slingshot Spiders

Questions Presented:

1. A: Jumping spiders could jump over the length of a pickup truck.
2. B: Most spiders have excellent night vision.
3. C: A slingshot spider accelerates a hundred times faster than a cheetah.

Contestant: Joaquin from Maryland
Winning Answer: C - A slingshot spider accelerates a hundred times faster than a cheetah.

Notable Quote:
Joaquin (07:56): “My wow is that slingshot spider could accelerate 100 times faster than a cheetah.”

Insight:
Slingshot spiders possess the remarkable ability to accelerate over 3,000 feet per second squared, making them 100 times faster than the fastest land animal, the cheetah. Additionally, these spiders can withstand immense G-forces of about 130, significantly higher than what fighter pilots can endure.

Guy Raz (08:22): “Slingshot spiders have enough energy to accelerate over 3,000ft per second squared.”

Round Three: Sparkle Muffins – The Peacock Spiders

Questions Presented:

1. A: There is a peacock spider species called Sparkle Muffin.
2. B: The longest living spider lived for 93 years.
3. C: Spiders love to sing.

Contestant: Cormac from Idaho
Winning Answer: A - There is a peacock spider species called Sparkle Muffin.

Notable Quote:
Cormac (13:38): “There is a new species of peacock spider in South Australia. And the name of the species is Sparkle Muffin.”

Insight:
Sparkle Muffin spiders are diminutive yet captivating, measuring just a quarter of an inch in length. Distinguished by their vibrant striped colors, male Sparkle Muffins perform elaborate dance routines to attract mates, showcasing nature's intricate beauty and complexity.

Mindy Thomas (14:07): “This peacock spider species is tiny but adorable at just a quarter of an inch long. Sparklemuffin spiders are known for their bright striped colors.”

---

Conclusion and Prizes

Following the final round, the hosts announce prizes for the winning contestants. All victorious participants receive a unique prize dubbed "corn on the cobwebs," a playful combination of a favorite side dish and the episode's spider theme.

Notable Exchange:
Mindy Thomas (14:38): “You must stop, drop and add some sparkles to the nearest muffin.”
Guy Raz (14:42): “Either a spaceship has landed or Dennis is trying to play the kazoo again.”

The segment concludes with invitations for listeners to join the World Organization of Wowzers, participate in Tinkerclass for educational projects, and stay engaged with future episodes across various platforms.

Final Remarks:
Mindy Thomas (15:29): “If you're a teacher out there listening, make sure you join Tinkerclass. It's our free project-based learning program.”

---

Engage and Participate

Listeners are encouraged to:

• Join Planet Wow by visiting Tinkercast.com/PlanetWow to find geocaches and printable trading cards.
• Become a member of the World Organization of Wowzers for exclusive activities and rewards.
• Share their own wows via video or audio messages for a chance to be featured on the podcast.

Contact Information:

• Survey and Feedback: wondery.com/survey
• WoW Hotline: 1-888-7-WOWW
• Membership and More: Tinkercast.com
• Social Media: Follow on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @owintheworld
• Email: hellotinkercast.com

---

Production Credits

• Executive Producers: Meredith Halpern, Ranzer, Mindy Thomas, and Guy Raz
• Writers: Kenny Curtis and Anna Zagorski
• Sound Production and Design: Marion Lozano and Henry Moskal
• Theme Song: The Pop Ups (thepopups.com)

---

Stay Tuned:
Join Mindy and Guy every Monday for new episodes of Wow in the World, Friday for Two Whats?! And A Wow!, and weekends for WeWOW with Dennis. Keep exploring, learning, and most importantly, keep on wowing!

---

This summary captures the essence of the "Two Whats?! And A Wow! - World Wide Web" episode, highlighting the interactive game segments focused on spider facts, participant interactions, and the engaging educational content presented by the hosts.

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. Hey Wowzer fams. It's Guy Raz and Mindy here and Wowzers. If your family has some summer road trips coming up, take a pit stop to find some wow.

[Mindy Thomas]

We've teamed up with our friends at Geocaching hq, the Aspen Institute and the Nature Conservancy to create Planet Wow, an epic geocaching eco adventure that shares the wows of places on our Earth and encourages curious kids like you to become the next generation of climate crusaders.

[Guy Raz]

We've sent out Planet Wow trading cards to members of our World Organization of Wowzers to plant in a geocache near.

[Mindy Thomas]

Them and you can check and see if one of those cards are in a geocache near [e-mail] planetwow there you can also find the location of our official Planet Wow geocaches and if there.

[Guy Raz]

Are any trading cards nearby your route, print yours at home and plant them in a geocache along the ride. We have printable cards available on our website Tinkercast.com Planetwow we can't wait to.

[Mindy Thomas]

Hear what you find on your eco adventures this summer. Leave us a video or audio message about places in your world that wow you for a chance to be featured on an upcoming episode of wow. In the World.

[Dennis]

That's it.

[Mindy Thomas]

And now let's get back to the show.

[Sponsor Voice]

Hey grown ups. Ever feel like everyone's glued to their own screen? Want to actually feel good about your family's screen time? Next Playground flips the script with games that get the whole family moving, laughing and playing together. It's a motion powered game system. No controllers or wearables, just your body and a little wiggle. Explore wild adventures with how to Train youn Drag, Dance with Barbie, pop bubbles in Gabby's dollhouse, or kick it with Kung Fu Panda. It's 100% fun, 0% ads or in app nonsense. Safe, silly screen time that you'll actually feel good about ready to play? Visit nexplayground.com that's n e xplayground.com to bring the fun home. Hey grown ups. Looking for the family movie of the summer? Smurfs, in theaters July 18, is an adventure that will blue you 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 oh, 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.

[Guy Raz]

And now for everyone's second favorite game show after finding a spider in your.

[Dennis]

Kitchen, it's two what's and the wow. With your hosts, Mindy and Guy Rile. 2x2 Watts 2x2x 2x 2x hello and.

[Mindy Thomas]

Welcome to 2 what's and a wow.

[Dennis]

2 whats and a wow.

[Guy Raz]

The scientific game show that separates the wows from the what's and the category or theme for today is. Spiders. Now that we know the theme, Indy, 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 spiders.

[Dennis]

But.

[Mindy Thomas]

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]

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]

All right, everyone ready to get this show going?

[Mindy Thomas]

Great. Then let's get to it.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, round one. Which of the following statements is a true scientific wow? Is it A, spider webs have been used to make violin strings?

[Mindy Thomas]

Or is it B, grandma G force has a pet spider named Charlotte?

[Guy Raz]

Or is it C? All spiders can swim.

[Mindy Thomas]

When you think you have the correct answer, blink with your eight eyes.

[Guy Raz]

Let's give you a few seconds to think on it. Reggie, cue the thinking music. And time is up. Let's now reveal the winning wow.

[Mindy Thomas]

And to do just that, it's Adeline from Colorado. Adeline, tell us what's the winning wow?

[Caller]

Hi. My wow in the world is that people used to make violin strings with spider webs.

[Mindy Thomas]

Winner, winner, violin strings for dinner.

[Guy Raz]

Thank you, Adeline. Contestants, if you guessed the answer a that spider webs have been used to make violin strings, well, congratulations. You found the winning wow.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, that's music to my Ears, Guy Raz it's true. A researcher From Japan named Dr. Osaki twisted thousands of spider silk threads together, creating very tightly packed strings with virtually no space in between them.

[Guy Raz]

Not only were these spider strings creating music, apparently some professional violinists actually preferred the tone or sound of the strings made from spider silk to the traditional violin strings.

[Mindy Thomas]

Now, if you did not get that answer correct, you must stop, drop and play us some air violin.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, time for round two. Which of the following statements is a true scientific wow? Is it A, jumping spiders could jump over the length of a pickup truck?

[Mindy Thomas]

Or is it B, most spiders have excellent night vision?

[Guy Raz]

Or is it C? A slingshot spider accelerates a hundred times faster than a cheetah.

[Mindy Thomas]

Hmm, lots to think about here. When you think you have the correct answer, try saying cheetah 100 times fast.

[Guy Raz]

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

[Caller]

Hi, my name Guy Ross. My wow is that slingshot spider could accelerate 100 times faster than a cheetah.

[Mindy Thomas]

Winner, winner, slingshots for dinner.

[Guy Raz]

Thank you Joaquin. Wowzers. If you guessed, see that? A slingshot spider accelerates 100 times faster than a cheetah. Congratulations. You found the winning wow.

[Mindy Thomas]

Those speedy spiders. That's right, Guy Raz. Slingshot spiders have enough energy to accelerate over 3,000ft per second squared.

[Guy Raz]

Not only does that mean that they can accelerate 100 times faster than a cheetah, but these rapid arachnids can also withstand G forces of about 130, whereas fighter pilots can only withstand nine GS.

[Mindy Thomas]

I bet grandma G force could withstand a little more than that. Guy Raz. Now if you did not get that answer correct, you must stop, drop and clear out the cobwebs. And now it's time to take a moment to thank our sponsors. Today's show is brought to you by Spider Space, the world's first web designing website powered by spiders, making the web designing process as smooth as silk. You will be caught up in how much you love your new website.

[Guy Raz]

Well, thank you. Thank you Spiderspace. Now let's take a quick break and hear some other important messages for grownups.

[Dennis]

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

[Sponsor Voice]

Hey grownups. It may be summer, but learning doesn't have to stop. Whether you're keeping up a light homeschool curriculum through the break or just want to help your child catch up, stay sharp or get a head start on school, IXL can help. IXL is an award winning online learning platform that fits perfectly into your homeschool routine even during summer. It offers interactive practice across math, language arts, science, and social studies and adapts to your child's learning level to provide them with just the right challenge. At Tinkercast, we love learning all year long, so we appreciate the flexibility of IXL to give homeschool families the ability to learn whenever is best for them. Make an impact on your child's learning. Get IXL now and WOW in the world. Listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com wow visit ixl.com wow to get the most effective learning program out there at the best price. Hey grown ups. Summer is here and the possibilities for summer adventures are endless. But unfortunately, so is your shopping list. The good news is that summer of DashPass on DoorDash is back to keep more cash in your wallet this summer. Starting June 26 and running through July 30, Summer of DashPass has deals on all of the summer essentials. You're already ordering meals from local restaurants, groceries, picnic supplies, sunscreen, water wings, you name it, plus $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on eligible orders. Don't let errands get in the way of your fun summer plans. Do your shopping on DoorDash and save big during the summer of DashPass. Check daily for massive summer savings on restaurants, groceries and brands. From June 26 through July 30, order on DoorDash and save big during summer of DashPass. Sign up today. DashPass benefits apply only to eligible orders. Terms apply.

Summer's here and it's time for your kids to have fun in the sun. But it's also a great time to nurture growing minds. Million Bazillion, a podcast from Marketplace, teaches your kids about something that impacts all of us money. From a fun explainer on tariffs, yes, it's possible to why some athletes make so much money. Million Bazillion tackles big questions with easy to understand answers. Listen to Million Bazillion all summer long. Available wherever you get your podcasts.

[Dennis]

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 what.

[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 There is a peacock spider species called Sparkle Muffin?

[Mindy Thomas]

Or is it B the longest living spider spider lived for 93 years?

[Guy Raz]

Or is it C? Spiders love to sing.

[Mindy Thomas]

Take a Second to think this over. And when you think you have the correct answer, sing Itsy Bitsy Spider backwards.

[Guy Raz]

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

[Caller]

Hello, Mindy and Guy Raz. My wow is that there is a new species of peacock spider in South Australia. And the name of the species is Sparkle muffin.

[Mindy Thomas]

Winner, winner. Sparkle muffins for dinner.

[Guy Raz]

That's right, Cormac. Wowzers. If you guessed a that there's a peacock spider species called Sparklemuffin, congratulations, you found the winning wow.

[Mindy Thomas]

I couldn't have named it better myself. This peacock spider species is tiny but adorable at just a quarter of an inch long. Sparklemuffin spiders are known for their bright striped colors.

[Guy Raz]

And the male sparkle muffins use some flashy dance moves to help them find their mates.

[Mindy Thomas]

Now, if you did not get that answer correct, you must stop, drop and add some sparkles to the nearest muffin.

[Guy Raz]

What was that?

[Mindy Thomas]

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

[Guy Raz]

Either a spaceship has landed or Dennis is trying to play the kazoo again.

[Mindy Thomas]

Really does sound like a spaceship, huh? Anywho, I think that sound means it's time for today's winning wowzers prize. All of our winning wowzers today will receive their very own corn on the cobwebs.

[Guy Raz]

Wait, what?

[Mindy Thomas]

Just like the side dish you know and love now spun with a little extra silk and a dash of crawling critters. 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 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.

[Dennis]

Two. What's two. What's two what? Two W To what? To what? And wow.

[Mindy Thomas]

Grownups. 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 on Apple Podcasts prime members can listen ad free on Amazon.

[Mindy Thomas]

Music 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 Marion 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, Sara, 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 weekend with Dennis and Mondays for 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.

[Dennis]

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