WeWow on the Weekend

Summary

Wow in the World – WeWow on the Weekend (May 16, 2026)

Podcast: Wow in the World
Hosts: Mindy Thomas, Guy Raz, and Dennis
Episode Theme: Listener Q&A, a behind-the-scenes look, and an imaginative science adventure about how volcanic islands are born

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Episode Overview

This episode of WeWow on the Weekend, hosted by Dennis and his co-host Reggie the Giant Pigeon, brings together silly banter, science Q&A from kid listeners, and a relisten of a favorite “Wow in the World” adventure. The episode dives into questions about fingernails, elephants, and the fate of the sun, then takes the audience on an imaginative journey to a "baby island" newly formed by an underwater volcano. Mindy and Guy Raz unravel the science behind volcanic island formation, the role of birds in spreading life, and even how studying such islands helps scientists understand other planets.

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Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Opening Banter and Announcements (03:24)

• Dennis debuts his DIY, bedazzled new library card, complete with taped-on photo and rhinestones.
• Sets the tone: silly, playful, kid-centric.
• Introduces Q&A segment: “Let’s hear from our devoted listeners...”

Notable Quote:
"I taped this one on myself and then I bedazzled the whole card. Sparkle, sparkle." — Dennis (04:06)

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2. Listener Q&A (05:27–10:05)

Q1: Why do we have fingernails?

• Dennis: Humorous take: “Because it’s too hard to scratch ourselves with our toenails.”

Q2: Have you ever touched an elephant? What do you know about them?

• Dennis: Shares two elephant encounters from previous “Wow in the World” episodes:
  • Evie the elephant: Touched during a science experiment with Mindy’s soft robotics invention.
  • Stampy the elephant: “Got stamped on my flowers... turns out elephants are afraid of bees!” (07:35)
• Science fact: Elephants can be guided with sounds of bees (from Season 8, Episode 23).

Q3: When is the sun going to explode?

• Dennis (panicking comically): “Panic. Panic. Panic.” (07:52)

• Calmed by Reggie and explains real science with exaggerated drama:

  • Sun will run out of hydrogen in around 5 billion years.
  • "Okay, I think 5 billion years is just about enough time to get a spacesuit and a spaceship and a whole bunch of astronaut ice." — Dennis (08:22)

• Wrap-up: Call for more questions: “If you’ve got a question for me, call and leave me a message. The number is 1-888-7-WOW WOW.”

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3. Relisten: Inside Tinkercast Studios – "Hey Baby Island" (10:54–33:31)

Introduction to the Rerun (10:54)

• Dennis tees up a replay of a classic episode about “Hunga Tonga,” a real volcanic island.

Scene: Mindy’s Early Morning Walk (11:39)

• Mindy wakes up Guy Raz and Dennis at 4:00am for a "weekly neighborhood walk."
• Banter: Miscommunication about the time (AM/PM confusion leads to science adventure).

Imaginary Adventure: Exploring a Baby Volcanic Island

Science Story:

• Mindy and Guy Raz use the "Wow Machine" (a time-and-space traveling contraption) to visit Hunga Tonga—a real island near Tonga formed in 2015 by an underwater volcanic eruption.

Key Science Explainers:

• How are volcanic islands formed?

  • Underwater volcanic eruptions create new landmasses (25:02).
  • Islands may be temporary, but Hunga Tonga is special: survived for years and tracked via satellite images.

• Why is Hunga Tonga so significant?

  • Only three volcanic islands in the past 150 years have lasted more than a few months.
  • Hunga Tonga is the first to be "born" and tracked in the age of satellites, allowing scientists to watch its evolution (25:56–26:08).

  "Which means we have satellite photos of it growing up from a small eruption in 2015 to the four-year-old we have now in 2019." — Guy Raz (26:04)

• How does life get established on a new island?

  • Birds (like sooty terns) bring plant seeds in their digestive systems. When birds poop, seeds are deposited into nutrient-rich volcanic soil, allowing plants to grow (30:42–31:25).
  • Volcanic soil is full of nutrients like phosphates and nitrates, enhancing plant growth (31:33).

  "The seeds from many of these plants probably arrived in the bellies of these migratory birds. And once they pooped out... it began to grow into what we see here today." — Guy Raz (31:10)

• What can these islands teach us about planets beyond Earth?

  • NASA scientists use images of volcanic island formation to hypothesize about similar processes that may have happened on Mars (32:07–32:43).

Memorable, Comedic Moments

• Mindy: Rattles, pacifiers, and cribs for the "baby island," keeping with the playful literal interpretation.
• Dennis: Mischief with bird poop, “Rope and rope and rope...” (Oaring to safety with a tennis racket), jokes about grossness of bird poop.

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4. Wrap-up & Call for Listeners’ Questions (34:22)

• Dennis encourages listeners to continue submitting questions.
• Playful exit song about not wanting to talk about bird poop anymore.

Notable Quote:
"I don't want to talk about bird poop anymore, so let's wrap this up." — Dennis (34:21)

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5. Listener Shout-Outs (35:11)

• Heartfelt thank yous and birthday wishes to Wowzer families who support the show.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Panic. Panic. Panic.” — Dennis, comically reacting to the question about the Sun exploding (07:59)
• “Is this an island full of babies? … The island is a baby.” — Guy Raz & Mindy, on the term “baby island” (17:06–17:28)
• “So, do you want to watch? … The island being born.” — Mindy, cueing a “live” eruption (22:49–22:55)
• “And the seeds from many of these plants probably arrived in the bellies of these migratory birds. And once they pooped out onto the volcanic soil here, well, it began to grow into what we see here today.” — Guy Raz (31:10)
• “It’s actually quite peaceful out here. … The beach, the waves, the pooping birds. What more could you ask for?” — Guy Raz & Mindy (32:43–32:59)
• “No time for semantics, Guy Raz. Rope and rope and rope and rope…” — Mindy, rowing to safety (29:01–29:09)
• “I just might answer your question on WeWow on the Weekend.” — Dennis (34:22)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:24 – Weekend intro song & library card story
• 05:27 – Listener Q&A: Fingernails, Elephants, The Sun
• 10:54 – Introduction of Inside Tinkercast Studios segment
• 11:39 – Start of “Hey Baby Island” relisten/adventure
• 21:05 – Arrival at Hunga Tonga
• 24:00–27:09 – Island formation explained, volcanic eruptions, satellite images, NASA research
• 29:16–33:31 – Flora, birds, pooping seeds, why it matters for planetary science
• 34:22 – Audience call-to-action & outro
• 35:11 – Shout-outs to supporting families and birthday wishes

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Episode Tone & Takeaways

• Playful, comedic, curious, and highly engaging
• Encourages wonder about the natural world, experimenting, and asks “why?”
• Makes science accessible and fun for kids and families—science concepts are interspersed with zany jokes, relatable moments, and energetic storytelling

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For the Curious Listener

This episode is perfect for kids (and adults) who love learning unexpected science facts infused with comedy. Through wild scenarios, actual listener questions, and a blend of real research and imaginative storytelling, the hosts break down complex topics into memorable, laughter-filled moments—all while inspiring listeners to keep asking questions about the world around them.

Transcript

[A]

Hey, Wowzer fams. Mindy here. And before we start the show, guess what? You can join me every Friday for two what's in a People who Wow Edition. In this Getting to Know youw game show, I'll be visited by some of the world's most fascinating people to get the wows and the what's of their lives. From cartoonist and graphic novelist Raina Telgemeier of the Smile series, to everyday extraordinary kids just like you. And that's not all. With this new season of two what's in a wow? There are now two ways to wow. What am I talking about? Well, first, you can listen to episodes right here in our wow. In the World podcast feed. Or, and this is a big oar. Yeah, you're right, Reg. That doesn't have the same ring to it. Okay, now where was I? Oh, yeah. As always, you can listen to new episodes in your favorite podcast player, or you can watch these episodes with your eyeballs on YouTube. I know. I should comb my hair or something. We are so excited for you to listen and watch our new season of two what's in a People who Wow Edition starting this Friday. So make sure you're subscribed to our podcast feed and our WowTube channel on YouTube so you don't miss out. That's two what's in a People who Wow Edition coming this Friday. And now a quick ad break and then we'll get on with the show. Hey, Grown ups. Mindy here. And do I have a wow for you. What if I told you that the best kids math program is actually inspired by comic books and it's about monsters? It's called Beast Academy. And the little monsters, like Grog, do the kind of math that gets kids curious enough to stop and think and figure things out for themselves. For example, Krog asked his Beast Academy math club, if our school has more than 366 kids in it, is it guaranteed that two of them will have exactly the same birthday? He proved that the answer is yes through problem solving. Wow, that's Beast Academy. Where kids build problem solving skills through interesting problems and puzzles. It's from the folks at Art of Problem Solving, the same people who train math champions, grown ups. Head to beastacademy.com and use code BEASTWOW for 10% off the online program. Oh, and tell Grog Mindy says hi. Who's that walking through the woods? Wyatt's Yoshi, here to explore a world of curious creatures with you. Discovered a creature you haven't seen before. Why don't you get Yoshi to see what it tastes like? Hmm. Soapy. No wonder this creature blows giant bubbles so big they can carry you. You jump from one bubble to another and reach new areas. There are plenty more surprises to discover too. Bowser Jr. What are you doing out here? You can jump into adventure with Yoshi and The Mysterious Book. May 21st only on Nintendo Switch 2. Game Rated E for everyone.

[B]

We wow on the weekend. We wow on the weekend? We wow on the weekend. Cause this is what we do on the weekend. Talking, laughing, me and Reggie singing, laughing. And then we. Oh wait, no, I said laughing twice. Whatever. We wow on the weekend. Yeah, we wow on the weekend. Wah wah. Me wow on the weekend. Cause this is what we do on the weekend. Hello and welcome to Wee Wow on the Weekend. I'm your host, Dennis, and that's my co host, Reggie the Giant Pigeon. This is the show where we chit chat and answer questions from our fans and listen to Tinker Cash podcasts. Hey Reggie, check it out. Yeah, I got a new library card. Isn't it cool? It's all new and shiny and has my picture on it. Well, now, library cards don't usually have pictures on them. I taped this one on myself and then I bedazzled the whole card. Sparkle, sparkle. Oh yeah. I guess all the rhinestones could make it hard for the librarian to scan my card when I check out books. Umm, well, that'll be a problem for future Dennis. Thanks, future Dennis. In the meantime, let's hear from our devoted listeners with a Q and A segment. The Q and A segment. Alright, let's just get the old answering machine pulled up here. Okay, here we go. Hi, you've reached Dennis from WEW on the Weeknd. That's me. Do you have a question? Well, I do too. Lots of them. And who's gonna answer all my questions?

[A]

You?

[B]

Probably not, but I guess I can answer yours. Leave me a message.

[A]

Hi, Dennis. Hi, Reggie. My name is Izzy and I am 11 years old.

[B]

Hi, Izzy.

[A]

Another question. Why do we have fingernails?

[B]

Ooh, good question, Izzy. Why do we have fingernails? Well, we have fingernails because sometimes we get itchy and it's too hard to scratch ourselves with our toenails. Next question.

[A]

Hi, this is Jordan and Miles.

[B]

Hi, Jordan and Miles.

[A]

And Miles would like to let you know that his biggest dream in the world is to what elephant to touch an elephant. And he wants to know if you've ever touched an elephant and what you know about them.

[B]

Have I ever touched an elephant? Good question, Myles. And yes, I've touched two elephants. Yeah, I did, Reggie. First, there was Evie the elephant. She was from the local zoo. In wow in the World, Season 7, Episode 7 titled Elephant in the Room, Mindy borrowed Evie from the zoo to study her trunk. Yeah, Mindy studied Evie's trunk, and using soft robotics, she invented a thing called, like, the Super Suction Sniffer Storage sprayer, snorkel something something 2000. Right. And I got to touch Evie because she needed a push to fit through the door of Mindy's laboratory. And also, she picked me up with her trunk and squeezed me and tossed me around. And then there was Stampy the elephant. I don't know where that elephant came from. In wow. In the World, Season 8, Episode 23 titled My Elephant Got Loose, Mindy just set an elephant free in the neighborhood because she thought it would be happier in the wild. But then Stampy came into my yard and stamped on all my flowers and scuffed my shoe. Yeah, Stampy was a little rascal. Oh, right. A big rascal. And we needed to get Stampy to move out of the neighborhood. Well, it turns out elephants are afraid of bees. Yeah, bees. And Mindy and Guy played bee buzzing noises through a big speaker and got Stampy to move to someplace safer. I know. Who would have thought that big old elephants would be afraid of little old bees? There you have it, Miles. I've touched two elephants. Oh, yeah, you're right. Maybe they touched me. Um, next question.

[A]

Hi, Dennis. My name is Paul.

[B]

Hi, Paul.

[A]

And my question is, when is the sun going to explode? Bye.

[B]

What? The sun's gonna explode? Panic.

[A]

Panic.

[B]

Panic.

[A]

Panic.

[B]

Reggie, why are you so calm? Didn't you hear Paul? The sun's gonna explode. Wait, what? Oh, the sun won't actually explode, but it will eventually run out of hydrogen fuel. Ah, my sun's gonna run out of hydrogen fuel. Wait, what's that? Oh, the sun won't run out of hydrogen fuel for, like, 5 billion years. Okay, I think 5 billion years is just about enough time to get a spacesuit and a spaceship and a whole bunch of astronaut ice, and then I'll figure it out from there. Boy, you and Paul really had me freaked out there for no reason. Yeah, I think that's about all the questions I can handle right now. Thanks for all your calls, everyone. If you've got a question for me, call and leave me a message. The number is 1-888-7-WOW WOW. That's 1-888-7-NWOW. Wow. I just might answer your question on Wee Wow. On the weekend. Okay, that takes care of that. Alright, next up is a little segment I like to call Inside Tinkercast Studios. Ahem. Inside Tinkercast Studios. This is the part where we revisit an episode of one of my favorite Tinkercast shows. And today we're listening to wow in the World, Season 3, Episode 13 called hey Baby Island. How'd you get here? When underwater volcanoes Grow up. Oh, I think I'm in this one. Yeah, it's the one where Mindy woke up the whole neighborhood in the middle of the night. But it's cool because we got to chit chatting and I think we really connected, you know? Yeah, I'm a super duper good listener. People just talk and talk and talk and all I do is listen and I make them feel heard and understood. Right, right, right, right, right. The episode. Okay, here we go. And play.

[A]

Wee. Wow. Will be right back. Grown ups, this message is for you.

[C]

Attention all non mouth breathing Grown ups.

[B]

This is a code red. I repeat, this is a code red.

[C]

So listen very carefully. What I'm about to say will turn your world upside down.

[B]

I've taken the WOW machine back to

[C]

1985 and I'm transmitting to you from Hawkins, Indiana. Get ready for an all new animated

[B]

adventure from the creators of Stranger Things.

[C]

Bundle up and join 11 Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas, Max, and all of the most beloved characters as they uncover new mysteries, new monsters, and their greatest adventure yet.

[B]

Return to Hawkins for a whole new

[C]

dimension of the Stranger Things universe in

[B]

this epic animated series. Rated TV 14 Stranger Things tales from 85 only on Netflix.

[C]

Over and out. I can't open this jar of pickles.

[B]

Let me try, Grandpa.

[C]

Ha. You've clearly been drinking your milk. Milk can help you build muscles.

[A]

Free. We're finally free.

[C]

Wait, who said that milk can't stop pickles from coming alive?

[A]

That's it. Now back to the show.

[B]

What in the world?

[A]

Hey, Guy Raz. Guy Raz, it's me, Mindy. Open the door. I'm here. Guy Raz. Guy Razzie.

[B]

Hi, Mindy.

[A]

Hey, Dennis.

[B]

Mindy, it's 4 in the morning. What are you doing up so early?

[A]

Just getting ready for my morning Walk with Mr. Sleepypants in here. Guy Raz, I'm outside.

[B]

Mindy, Mr. Sleepypants moved out of that house five years ago. Lots of people have lived there before. Guy Raz. Back in the 50s, it was lazy Susan. Then after her was Mr. And Mrs. Party pooper. They were cool, but they also owned a lot of stuff. Scaredy cats.

[A]

Dennis, what are you even Doing awake? It's the middle of the night.

[B]

Well, you're making a racket and I'm an insufferable busy body.

[A]

Good morning, Guy. Raz. Good morning. Good morning. And it's time to wake up, friends. Good morning. Good morning to you.

[C]

What on earth are you doing? It's the middle of the night.

[A]

Actually, it's four hours past the middle of the night.

[C]

What?

[A]

It's 4:00am Hi Guy.

[B]

Hey, since we're all awake, who wants to play Yahtzee? Dennis.

[C]

Dennis.

[A]

Mindy.

[C]

What on earth is going on here?

[A]

It's time for our new weekly neighborhood walk. Remember I was saying how I needed to get more exercise after I won that napping hot dog eating contest?

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And then you were like, hey, we should go on one long walk around the neighborhood once a week.

[C]

Uh huh.

[A]

And then you said, come over to my house and knock on the door tomorrow at 4 o'.

[B]

Clock.

[A]

And judging by the time on this watch I'm not wearing right now, it's four o'.

[C]

Clock. Oh, Mindy, I meant four o' clock in the afternoon. I assumed you would have figure that out by yourself.

[A]

Well, you know what happens when you assume.

[C]

What?

[A]

You get confusing logistical mix ups. Like this.

[C]

Well.

[A]

What?

[C]

You've woken me up. So I suppose if we start now, we might be able to make it back for sunrise.

[A]

Well, you know I love a good sunrise. One time I took the wow machine to go back and forth in time just to watch the same sunrise 12 times in. You know, if you're not careful, a bird's gonna fly in your mouth.

[C]

Let me just get into my walkout gear and we can get going. Just wait here for a minute.

[A]

Okey doke. I'll be waiting right here. Here.

[B]

Well, Mindy, looks like it's just you and me, a science minded sassafras and a professional neighborhood snoop.

[A]

What exactly?

[B]

Exactly what adventures lie in store for us? Will we solve scientific mysteries or will we go eavesdropping in the backyard? Personally, I say eavesdropping. I think audiences will really respond to

[C]

it and it'll be I'm ready.

[A]

Right on time.

[B]

Also, I really think it'll help flesh out our characters as we go into the sixth and seventh seasons. Where are you going?

[C]

You know Mindy, once you're actually out of bed and you've got the cold morning air on your face, it's actually quite nice being out at this time of day. It's so peaceful.

[A]

I know. No people, no cars, no babies running you over with their rollerblades.

[C]

Just peace and quiet.

[A]

Ooh, it's ready.

[C]

Mindy, what in the wow was that?

[A]

Oh, that was my phone.

[C]

Who's trying to contact you at 4 in the morning?

[A]

Oh, that wasn't someone trying to contact me.

[C]

Then why did your call phone just bawk like a chicken?

[A]

That was just my phone letting me know that my app is finished downloading.

[C]

Your app?

[A]

Yeah, it's this new app called Nice Breakers.

[C]

Nice Breakers?

[A]

Mm hmm. It's kind of like ice breakers. You know, like the kind of questions that you ask people to get to know them a little bit better.

[C]

But Mindy, we've known each other for years. Do you really think we need icebreaker questions?

[A]

And. Okay, here we go. Guy Raz, if you could take one item to a deserted island, what would it be and why?

[C]

Oh, that's a good one, Mindy. Hmm, let me see. I suppose it would have to be my collection of essays from the London Review of Books.

[A]

Hmm, color me surprised.

[C]

Oh boy, I could read and re read those for years and years and years until someone stopped by the island to rescue me. Oh, did I ever tell you about that one article I read, Mindy, about carbon capture solutions and developing.

[A]

Well, if you must know, I guess I would have to take a rattle.

[C]

A rattle?

[A]

Maybe a pacifier.

[C]

Huh?

[A]

Or maybe like one of those little cribs you can travel with.

[C]

A rattle? A pacifier. A crib. Mindy, why would you want to take all this baby baggage to a deserted island?

[A]

Well, Guy Raz, I'm thinking of a very specific island. Oh, the island I'm thinking of is a lil baby is in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, near the island country of Tonga.

[C]

Little baby island. Mindy, is this an island full of babies?

[A]

Yes, of course it's not an island full of babies. Guy Raz, don't be ridiculous.

[C]

Oh good. Cause I thought you were saying the

[A]

island is a baby.

[C]

What?

[A]

The island is a baby.

[C]

I don't think I understand. Mindy, you're of kind gonna have to explain this one to me.

[A]

Well, I guess I could tell you about it. Yeah, but I'd rather show you about it. Come on, let's turn this nice breaker into a stone cold adventure maker.

[C]

I thought we were going for a walk, Mindy.

[A]

Well, it's kinda hard to walk to an island, Guy Raz. I mean, for one, they're surrounded by water on all sides. Well, but good news for us, I have a partly functional wow machine that can get us there lickety splits. And since it can travel through time, we can just come back once we're done and I can wake you up all over again. Anything for science, right?

[C]

Anything for science.

[A]

Yes. Okay, you wait here and I'll run back and get the wow machine, okay?

[C]

Uh, okay.

[A]

Be back before you can say, hey. Where did Mindy go? I thought she was right here, but now she isn't. Wow. She's faster than lightning. Sure hope she'll be back soon.

[C]

Mindy, are you pulling along the wow Machine with your cat?

[A]

Yeah, all 47 of them. Finally left them out of my adventure toolkit. Come on, guys.

[C]

And what's that leaking out of the bottom? What?

[A]

Oh, that's margarine.

[C]

Margarine?

[A]

Yeah, I ran out of butter.

[C]

Uh huh.

[B]

Okay. All right.

[A]

There we go. Okay. Hop in, guy. Raz.

[C]

Mindy, did you move the door again?

[A]

Yeah, had to make room for the solar power toaster. The door is. Now. Where did I. Where did I put that thing? Oh, oh, here it is. Here it is.

[C]

Oh.

[A]

100% upcycle door. Can you believe someone was just gonna throw this thing away?

[C]

Mindy, Mindy, where did you get this thing? It looks 400 years old.

[A]

421 years old. I found it on the side of a pirate ship.

[C]

An abandoned pirate. Pirate ship.

[A]

Sure. Oops, sorry. Let me just grab that thing. There. Get his new. Right behind you, buddy. Okay, let's see here. Now. Let me just get these empty coconuts off the dashboard.

[C]

Empty coconuts?

[A]

Yeah. Reggie borrowed the wow machine the other day. He took a four year vacation to Tahiti and was back in an hour.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

All right, let me see here. We're gonna punch in the coordinates. The island of Honga Tonga. Let's lock it in. And here we. Oh, wow. What a ride. This never gets old. Right, buddy?

[C]

Right.

[A]

Come on, let's go look outside from the observation deck.

[C]

Wait, the wow machine has an observation deck?

[A]

Yeah, it's right between the gym and the business center.

[C]

What?

[A]

Now? If you get to the pool, you've gone too far.

[C]

Huh?

[A]

Come on, follow me. Okay. Guy Raz. May I present to you Hunger Tonga, one of the youngest, most teeny, tiny baby islands in the entire world. Whoa. Can you even believe it? It's four years old today. A little toddler. Such a little cutie. Pretty soon he's gonna be going off to island kindergarten to learn his island ABCs. Make lots of little islands.

[C]

Wait a minute. Mindy, is this what you mean when you were talking about a baby island?

[A]

Yeah. Isn't it cute? I mean, look at those little adorable sand banks. I just Want to eat them up.

[C]

Where exactly are we anyway?

[A]

Ugh. Well, that's kind of a tough question to answer because, well, we're kind of in the middle of nowhere.

[C]

What?

[A]

Technically, this island belongs to. To the Kingdom of Tonga.

[C]

And the Kingdom of Tonga is a string of islands in the South Pacific Ocean.

[A]

You know it? Tonga is made up of more than 160 islands and is 6,540 miles away from the US's west coast.

[C]

Oh, yeah, I can see it on my globe right here.

[A]

Your globe?

[C]

I never leave home without it. Here it is. Tonga, huh? It looks like these islands lie about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand.

[A]

Yeah, that looks about right. And this little baby was formed in the Kingdom of Tonga in January of 2015.

[B]

Huh.

[A]

So do you want to watch?

[C]

Watch what?

[A]

The island being born.

[C]

Born? Mindy, don't you mean formed?

[A]

Yeah, that's what I said. So, do you want to watch?

[C]

Uh, yeah.

[A]

Well, then strap in again. We're going to use this wow machine to travel way back in time, all the way to 2015.

[C]

2015? That's like seven guy phones ago.

[A]

I know. Aren't ancient cultures so fascinating? 2015, here we come.

[B]

Whew.

[A]

That was a close one. I had to dodge a royal wedding, two Soccer World Cups, and a Beyonce Baby Pat. We're here, safe and sound. What was that sound?

[C]

Mindy, what was that?

[A]

Well, if I had to guess, I'd say it's an underwater volcano.

[C]

An underwater volcano?

[A]

Is there an echo in here? Mindy?

[C]

Mindy, why in the world would you land us right over an active underwater volcano?

[A]

Because, Guy Raz, this is how most islands are formed. In the fiery and watery depths of massive underwater volcanoes. Ah. Now who shut the blinds? We're gonna miss the best part. I can't get these things to open ever. Oh, man, that sounded like a good one.

[C]

Mindy, are you sure we're safe in here?

[A]

Yes, of course I'm not sure we're safe in here, Guy Raz, now can you give me a hand with these? Because we're missing the best part of the show.

[C]

Sure thing, Mindy. Wait. Don't you just pull this cord?

[A]

I knew that. Whoa.

[C]

Look at that, Mindy. All those bubbles and jets of water, that massive cloud of ash. This is amazing.

[A]

And to think that just four years from now, there will be an island right there in that exact same way.

[C]

Wait a minute, Mindy, is this a volcanic island?

[A]

You know, it is.

[C]

You know, Mindy, I've read about these sorts of islands before, but if I'm not mistaken. Don't these islands only usually hang around for a few months before sinking back into the ocean?

[A]

Yeah. In fact, over the past 150 years, only three volcanic islands have survived more than a few months.

[C]

Whoa.

[A]

Whoa. Was right. But this island is extra special because.

[C]

Because it's sort of shaped like the bat signal.

[A]

Close, but no. This island is extra special because it's the only one of those three islands that have been born in the age of satellites. Which means?

[C]

Which means that we have satellite photos of it growing up from a small little eruption in 2015 to the four year old we have now in 2019.

[A]

Bingo. And if you played all those satellite images in a row like a flipbook, it would look a little something like this. Whoops, wrong button. Where did I put the fast forward button on this thing? Oh, here it is. Ahem. A little something like this. Whoa.

[C]

That's incredible, Mindy. I can see the island slowly rising up from the water.

[B]

And look.

[C]

I can see plants starting to sprout on the black soil down there.

[A]

Wow. Okay, we're coming up under the in 2019. Gotta time this just right. Wait for it. Wait for it. Now. Ah, there we go. Back to present day.

[C]

Nice landing, Mindy.

[A]

Thanks, buddy.

[C]

It's now been around four years. So does that mean that Hunga Tonga is here for good now?

[A]

Well, according to a team of scientists from NASA's Goddard's Space Flight center that recently visited the island on a research expedition, they expect that the island will be here for around another 30 years.

[C]

Wow. Really?

[A]

Yeah. You know, in fact, I think I see one of those little researchers down there on the beach right now.

[C]

What?

[A]

Maybe he can tell us more about it. Here, let me just get on the megaphone. Hello down there. Oh, no. It's okay, little buddy. We come in peace. Aliens.

[B]

I knew it. Run. Run for your lives.

[A]

Why does this keep happening to me? Well, I guess we're gonna have to investigate ourselves. Prepare for a water landing, Guy raz.

[C]

Water landing.

[A]

3, 2, 1, 0. Wait. Did I ever fix that leak? Huh?

[C]

Nope. Mindy, what are we gonna do? We're in the middle of the Pacific Ocean in a slowly sinking wow. Machine.

[A]

Well, the first thing we're gonna have to do is stop complaining and go with the flow. Get it? Because of the leaking water, Mindy. And the second thing to do is grab an ore and help me get to land before this wow. Machine becomes a. Wow. That sunk quickly machine.

[C]

Are the oars in the same place as last time?

[A]

Yes, of course they're not Guy Raz. Here, I'll get them. They're right next to the tennis rackets. Do you want starboard or bow?

[C]

Does it matter?

[A]

Starboard it is. Catch.

[C]

Catch. Mindy, this is a tennis racket.

[A]

No time for semantics, Guy Raz. Rope and rope and rope and rope and rope and rope and rope. Hey, we made it.

[C]

Yay.

[A]

Okay, let's get out and see what's going on on Hunga, Tonga. Hmm. Smell that South Pacific, Polynesian air.

[C]

Wow. Mindy, take a look at this soil. It's completely black, and its grains are bigger than regular sand. Like small little pea sized pebbles.

[A]

Yeah, I think this might be basalt.

[C]

Basalt? Oh, you mean the type of rock that forms once the lava from a volcano cools down?

[A]

Exactly. All of this black stuff we're standing on right now probably started its life as piping hot volcanic magma.

[C]

And yet. Look over there, Mindy.

[A]

Over where?

[C]

Over there. There's green vegetation growing all over this baby island.

[A]

Green vegetation is my third favorite kind of vegetation.

[B]

Huh?

[A]

Come on, let's check it out. Run, run, run, run, run, run, run.

[B]

Whoa.

[A]

Check this out, Guy Raz.

[C]

This is incredible, Mindy. This island is in the middle of the ocean, hundreds of miles away from most to the rest of the world, and yet life seems to be thriving here.

[A]

But how?

[C]

Well, if it's anything like other islands in the Pacific, the answer probably lies in what those feathered friends are doing over there.

[A]

Where?

[C]

See over there, the birds.

[A]

Oh, yeah, those sooty terns chilling out over on the cliff face.

[C]

Right, those sooty terns that have decided to make this island their home as they fly across the Pacific. And these birds have most likely brought these plants with them.

[A]

What? How?

[C]

Well.

[A]

Ugh. Is that sooty tern becoming a poopy tern?

[B]

Yup.

[C]

And the seeds from many of these plants probably arrived in the bellies of these migratory birds. And one, once they pooped out onto the volcanic soil here, well, it began to grow into what we see here today.

[A]

You mean like how those ducks were spreading duckweed from pond to pond and lake to lake all over America?

[C]

Exactly.

[A]

Whoa.

[C]

And that's not all, Mindy. Volcanic soil, like the stuff we're standing on right now is chock. A block full of nutrients like phosphates and nitrates and potassium and calcium, which are all needed for plants to grow up big and strong.

[A]

Yeah, well, watch where you're treading there, Guy Raz, because there's a lot of that plant fertilizer all over this island beach.

[C]

So, did you find out what the scientists from NASA learned about this island, Mindy.

[A]

Well, as it turns out, this little volcanic island could teach us a lot more about other volcanic islands. And I'm not talking about just the ones found here on Earth.

[C]

Wait, what do you mean?

[A]

Okay, so the scientists at NASA are hoping that these satellite images can help us to understand how volcanoes and oceans work together to make islands here on Earth. Huh. And if they can do that, they can use similar satellite images that we have from Mars to understand if they were also formed with oceans millions of years ago.

[C]

Wow. You know what, Mindy? It's actually quite peaceful out here.

[A]

I know the perfect spot for our morning walk. The beach, the waves, the pooping birds.

[C]

What more could you ask for?

[A]

Oh, I know this.

[C]

Oh. Oh, no, not more nice breakers.

[A]

Oh, yes, More nice breakers. Okay, let's see here. Oh, this is a good one. If you had to choose between getting woken up at four in the morning every day for the rest of your life or row across the Pacific Ocean with nothing but a wooden door from a pirate ship and a tennis racket, what would you choose?

[B]

Mayday.

[A]

Mayday.

[B]

Wow, that was so cool. That's where most islands come from. Underwater volcanoes. And then the volcanic rock turns into soil, and the soil grows plants, and the plants are fertilized by bird poop. That's so awesome. Except for the bird poop part. That part's gross.

[C]

Ew.

[B]

What? Bird poop is not less gross than other kinds of poop, Reggie. If anything, it's more gross.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Huh?

[B]

It is. Because one time a seagull pooped on my shoulder while I was standing in line for ice cream at the beach, and the ice cream lady said, that's good luck. No, Reggie, it was not good luck, because then the seagull stole my entire ice cream cone, so I had bird poop on me and no ice cream. Okay, I don't want to talk about bird poop anymore, so let's wrap this up.

[C]

Ahem.

[B]

Thanks to all you listeners out there for tuning in to Wee Wow on the Weekend. If you have a question for me, call and leave me a message at 1-88-8-7, wow. Wow. That's 1-888-7-7 Wow. I just might answer your question on Wee Wow on the Weekend. Okay, should we do the goodbye song? Here we go. Ahem. That's the end of the show. I need to go and do something else besides talk about bird poop. Ew. But I'll do another show tomorrow. But for now, that's the end of the show. Bye.

[C]

Before we get into the credits for today's episode. We want to give some special shout outs and say a huge thank you to some of the wowzers whose families are powering the WOW this year.

[A]

We broke the names up into two batches and here is our first batch of names. We are so grateful for your support.

[C]

Owen and Aubrey from California Saman and Ryan from California Oralene and Esther from New York. Ella from Singapore. Lacey elementary from North Carolina.

[A]

Teddy, Silas and Emmett from Arizona. Jason from Texas Eli and Nolan from Texas Luke and Noel from North Carolina

[C]

Ilan from California Emmett and Adler from Kansas John, Katie, Ethan and Amelia from Pennsylvania Nejla and Yakub from Kuwait Evelyn, Ramona and Tabitha from Nevada John R.

[A]

From Wisconsin Emory and Isla from California Caroline from Massachusetts Ian and Declan from Washington. Elena and Lucia from Maryland Parker from

[C]

Texas Albert and Lulu from Brighton, England. Hayden, Hazel and Allie from Pennsylvania Magnus from the District of Columbia William and Allie from Virginia.

[A]

Brendan, Jessica, David and Michael from Ohio. Bailey, Macy and Hank from South Carolina James from Washington Peter, Teddy and Leo from Minnesota.

[C]

Paul from Rhode Island Nuri from Washington Violet and Will from California. Audrey and Ethan from Virginia Alex H. From Tennessee. James and Madison from Utah.

[A]

And happy birthday to Otis from Minnesota.

[C]

From the bottom of our hearts and

[A]

the tops of our brains, thank you.