WeWow on the Weekend (11/1/25)

Summary

Podcast Summary: Wow in the World – WeWow on the Weekend (11/1/25)

Hosts: Mindy Thomas, Guy Raz
Segment Host: Dennis
Special Appearance: Reggie the Giant Pigeon
Original Air Date: November 1, 2025

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Episode Overview

This WeWow on the Weekend episode of Wow in the World gives kids and their grown-ups a science-packed adventure full of curiosity, laughs, and imagination! Dennis and Reggie kick things off with a lighthearted cooking experiment, followed by a replay of a classic episode about "space junk" and innovative ways scientists are working to clean up Earth's messy orbit. Along the way, Mindy and Guy introduce scientific concepts like biomimicry and dig into how geckos could help solve space problems, while Dennis keeps things fun with his signature silly style.

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Main Segments & Key Discussion Points

1. Weekend Kick-Off and "Dishing it up with Dennis"

Time: 01:23 – 04:10

• Dennis’ Intro: Opens the episode with a playful song and lots of nickname brainstorming with Reggie.
• Simple Cooking Segment:
  • Dennis attempts to make toast, only to discover the toaster wasn’t plugged in. (Classic Dennis!)
  • Quote:
    • Dennis (03:05): “So this time we’re making something super easy—toast. Exactly. Not even I could mess this up.”
    • Reggie lets Dennis know the toaster isn’t plugged in.
• Transition: While the toast is actually (finally) toasting, Dennis launches the next segment.

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2. Inside Tinkercast Studios: "Clean Up Youp Space" (Replay)

Time: 04:10 – 22:37

A. The Problem of Space Junk

Time: 06:13 – 10:13

• Setting the Scene:
  • Mindy imagines herself lecturing astronauts on the International Space Station about cleaning up their garbage.
  • Quote:
    • Mindy (06:26): “Astronauts, please take your seats… Now, you may all be wondering why I brought you here today to the International Space Station. Well, it’s been brought to my attention that you have… you have been leaving your space junk all over outer space, and now it’s time to clean it up.”
• What Is Space Junk?
  • Debris from satellites, rockets, and metal pieces since the 1950s.
  • Over 500,000 pieces of junk the size of a marble or larger orbit Earth!
  • Dangers Highlighted: Collisions can endanger satellites, astronauts and start a destructive chain reaction, known as the Kessler Syndrome.
    • Guy Raz (10:13): “There’s even a name for this crazy catastrophic chain reaction… the Kessler Syndrome.”

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B. Flying Through Space Junk (Imagination Adventure)

Time: 10:45 – 14:09

• Guy and Mindy suit up in “space debris proof” suits (one’s a toddler size).
• Reggie flies them into orbit in a wacky, imaginative journey:
  • Dodging satellites, screws, and junk at 17,000 mph.
  • Memorable Moments:
    • Mindy (11:46): “What’s a few bumps and bruises, Guy Raz, when you are in the pursuit of science?”
    • Guy Raz (13:00): “Mindy, I think we’re traveling at 17,000 miles an hour.”

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C. Solutions: Biomimicry and Gecko Grippers

Time: 14:10 – 20:19

• Old ideas for cleaning up space (giant nets and vacuums) won’t work.
  • Vacuum needs air pressure, nets can’t keep the junk inside.
• Biomimicry Solution: Gecko-Inspired Robots
  • Stanford professor Mark Kotkowski invents a robot “gripper” that mimics gecko feet to stick to and move space junk.
  • Scientific Insight:
    • Gecko toes have microscopic hairs (“setae”) that adhere due to the van der Waals force.
    • Guy Raz (17:29): “Wait a minute. Are you referring to the van der Waals force?”
    • Mindy (17:53): “When it works, it can create a really tight sticky bond between two things.”
  • Robots can move even large pieces of space junk in microgravity, helping astronauts clear the clutter.
  • Most junk burns up in Earth’s atmosphere or can be recycled with special ships.
  • Unexpected Applications: Gecko-inspired stickiness could revolutionize medical tape or even let people climb like Spider-Man!

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D. Other Examples of Biomimicry

Time: 20:24 – 21:23

• Velcro was inspired by plant burrs.
• Fish schools inspire ideas for self-driving cars to avoid crashes.
• The Ultracane: A walking cane for the blind that uses echolocation, inspired by bats and dolphins.
• Quote:
  • Mindy (21:23): “It’s so cool to think that biomimicry of the smallest creatures could solve some of the biggest problems in our universe.”

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3. Return to Studio: Dennis Wrap-Up

Time: 22:39 – 24:37

• Dennis and Reggie attempt to eat the now-incinerated toast.
  • Dennis (23:01): “Oh, yeah, that is… that is burnt. Do you want to try it? … I mean, sure, I’ll try it. Mmm. So yummy… blagh. Yeah, I need a glass of water.”
• Audience engagement: Dennis invites listeners to call in with questions.
• Show closes with Dennis needing water and Reggie being a loyal cohost.

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Memorable Quotes

• Mindy (06:26): “Clean up your outer space right this minute, or no freeze-dried ice cream for dessert.”
• Guy Raz (10:13): “There’s even a name for this crazy catastrophic chain reaction… the Kessler Syndrome.”
• Mindy (15:00): “Well, not whole geckos. Just their feet.”
• Guy Raz (17:29): “Wait a minute. Are you referring to the van der Waals force?”
• Mindy (17:53): “When it works, it can create a really tight sticky bond between two things.”
• Mindy (21:23): “It’s so cool to think that biomimicry of the smallest creatures could solve some of the biggest problems in our universe.”
• Dennis (23:01): “Oh, yeah, that is… that is burnt. Do you want to try it?... Mmm. So yummy… blagh. Yeah, I need a glass of water.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:23 – Dennis’ Toast Fiasco begins
• 04:10 – Replay of “Clean Up Youp Space” intro
• 06:13 – Mindy’s astronaut lecture & space junk problem explained
• 10:13 – Explanation of Kessler Syndrome
• 11:22 – Imaginative flight through space junk
• 14:10 – Gecko-inspired space junk solution explained
• 17:29 – Introduction to van der Waals force
• 19:21 – How space junk gets disposed of
• 20:24 – More examples of biomimicry (Velcro, fish, Ultracane)
• 22:39 – Dennis returns, burnt toast conclusion
• 24:37 – Episode ends

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Tone and Style

The episode is lively, friendly, and jam-packed with energy, humor, and accessible explanations. Mindy and Guy’s interplay mixes education with imagination, and Dennis’ zany style keeps things light for kids and families.

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Final Thoughts

This episode artfully weaves science, problem-solving, and wonder into an engaging story for kids and adults alike. By using space junk cleanup and biomimicry, the hosts show how clever ideas from nature can address big challenges, inspiring listeners to view the world—and the universe!—with curiosity and hope. After all, as Mindy says, “There are so many ways to wow!”

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]

Hey, Wowzer Fams. Mindy and Guy Raz here. And before we start the show, did you hear that? We are on YouTube.

[Guy Raz]

That's right, Mindy Wowzer fams. You can find full episodes of wow in the World and more of your favorite Tinkercast podcasts on our YouTube channel, WowTube.

[Mindy]

Plus on WowTube, you can also watch me explode some watermelons and test out Bonkerball's experiments in the laboratory of bad ideas.

[Guy Raz]

Or you can dance along with Dennis for music videos featuring music from WEW on the Weekend.

[Mindy]

There is so much in store made just for you on WowTube. Visit Tinkercast.com YouTube to watch. Now that's Tinkercast.com YouTube.

[Dennis]

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.

[Mindy]

Yeah.

[Dennis]

We wow on the weekend. Laugh, laugh. We 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. Or Reggie for short or Reg for even shorter. Or just R for even shorter than that. Hey, Reggie, do you have a nickname for me? I think you should call me the Demon. No? Okay, how about the Denonator? Fine. How about Denster Dashing Dennis Denny Cakes Jr? Mr. Wham Jam. Mother's Little Gentle Boy Dennis the Darling Denny and the Jets. Well then, what do you want to call me? Ooh, just Dennis. Classic. Okay, let's get into the show. First up, we're going to do some cooking with a little segment I like to call Dishing it up with Mr. Wham Jam. Okay, fine. Dishing it up with Dennis. Ahah. Dish it up on a dish. Anything that you wish. Take a bite. That's delish. Dishing it up with Dennis and Reggie. So on previous Dishing it up with Dennis' we may have run into some issues with not having all the ingredients right. Or any of the ingredients. So this time we're making something super easy toast. Exactly. Not even I could mess this up. Okay, so I've got mother's old toaster from 1975 here, and I've got some bread. Just gonna put the bread into the toaster. Like this. And press down on the lever like this. And now we wait. Oh, sorry. I'll stop. Ahahaha. It's ready. And now, ladies and gentlemen, we have. Wait. Why didn't it toast? This bread is just still bread. What gives, Reggie? What do you mean it wasn't plugged in? Well, why didn't you say something? Okay, well, I'm plugging it in now. There we go. And we'll just push this back down. And let's move on to the next segment while that cooks. All right, next up is a little segment I like to call Inside Tinkercast Studios.

[Guy Raz]

Ahem. Ahem.

[Dennis]

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 1, Episode 19 called Clean up youp Space. In this episode, Mindy and Guy fly into low Earth orbit to look at all the space junk floating around up there. Okay, fine. Reggie flies Mindy and Guy into low Earth orbit to look at all the space junk floating around up there, right? And then they talk about some of the biomimicry solutions scientists are working on to clean it up. Yeah, let's listen. Okay, here we go. And play.

[Mindy]

We wow. We'll be right back.

[Dennis]

Grown Ups.

[Mindy]

This message is for you. Hey, Grown Ups. Mindy here from wow in the World, the number one podcast for curious kids and their grownups. That's you. And we are so excited to bring the wows of the world to your home with our brand new wow in the World stem toys from Wondery Kids and Themes and Cosmos Channel your inner astronomer with our wow in the World telescope kit. Or zoom in on the tiny wows of nature with our wow in the World microscope and biology kit. You can even tinker like real scientists with our 100 experiments that wow Kit. And with every wow in the World stem toy, you unlock access to exclusive audio content from me and my buddy, Guy Raz. There are so many ways to wow. So whether you're shopping for a kid who loves science or one who doesn't just yet, our wow in the World stem toys are the perfect gift for your curious kids. Grown ups. Visit tinkercast.comtoys to shop the wow Now. That's it. Now back to the show.

[Dennis]

What in the world?

[Mindy]

Excuse me, is this thing on? I don't think it's on, Pickles.

[Guy Raz]

It's on.

[Mindy]

Oh, it is on. It's on. Oh. Can everyone hear? Can you hear me? Can everyone hear me? Thank you. Thank You.

[Guy Raz]

Thank you.

[Mindy]

Now, astronauts, please take your seats. Sit down. Please take your. Sit down. Sit down. All the way down.

[Guy Raz]

Okay.

[Mindy]

Okay. Then you can float if you need to. All right, just. I need everyone's attention. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Now, you may all be wondering why I brought you here today to the International Space Station. Well, it's been brought to my attention that you have. You have been leaving your space junk all over outer space, and now it's time to clean it up. It's not even mine. No, I don't care whose junk it is. It's a mess up here and it's dangerous. And if we don't clean it up, someone is going to get hurt. Astronauts, I'm only going to say this once. Clean up your outer space right this minute, or no freeze drops. Ice cream for dessert.

[Dennis]

Come on.

[Mindy]

And I don't want to hear any whining.

[Guy Raz]

Hey, Mindy, who are you yelling at in here? I could hear you all the way from my house.

[Mindy]

Oh, hey, Guy Raz. I'm just imagining what I would say to the astronauts on the International Space Station if I had the chance. Wha. And it is not going well. Here, pop the top of my head and see for yourself.

[Guy Raz]

I still feel weird about doing this, Mindy. Ugh.

[Mindy]

Here, I'll do it for you. Just. Whoa. Quick, close it back up before they get out. See what I mean?

[Guy Raz]

Yeah. Wow, those astronauts are really mad. What's going on?

[Mindy]

I know. I just asked them to clean up all their scrap metal and junk that's floating around in space. It's a mess up there.

[Guy Raz]

You mean all those bits of old satellites and empty rocket parts and pieces of metal just floating around Earth?

[Mindy]

Yeah, it's just this giant junk jumble that's been grow since 1957, which, by the way, is the same year that humans first launched a rocket into space. And that was the rocket that carried the world's first space satellite called Sputnik. Still the best name ever.

[Guy Raz]

Oh, yeah, that was launched by Russia.

[Mindy]

You are a little baby Einstein, guy Raz. Anywho, ever since then, we humans have been launching more and more and more and more and more rockets and satellites up into space.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, did you happen to investigate just how much junk is even up there?

[Mindy]

Sure did. So the last time I counted.

[Guy Raz]

You did not count it, Mindy.

[Mindy]

Okay, so the last time someone else counted NASA, they found more than 500,000 pieces of space junk all the size of a marble or larger, just orbiting or circling around the Earth.

[Dennis]

Wow.

[Mindy]

And now there are so many pieces of metal floating up there and orbiting around our planet that it's actually. Actually making things dangerous.

[Guy Raz]

Dangerous as in some of this junk can actually crash into other junk.

[Mindy]

Yep. And in fact, this junk is flying around so fast that it's pretty surprising that there aren't even more accidents and crashes.

[Guy Raz]

Yeah, I see your point. And I imagine that this can cause real problems for satellites like the ones we use to help forecast our weather, or the ones that take the pictures of Earth.

[Mindy]

Yeah, and it could also be dangerous for the human astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

[Guy Raz]

Yikes. And I'd imagine that crashes caused by the space junk would probably create even more space junk that would go on to destroy more objects in space. Like a. Like a chain reaction of junk and disaster.

[Mindy]

You know it, Guy Raz. In fact, there's even a name for this crazy catastrophic chain reaction.

[Guy Raz]

Really?

[Mindy]

Yep. It's known as the Kessler Syndrome. And it's named after the NASA scientist, Donald J. Kessler, who first came up with the idea all the way back in 1978.

[Guy Raz]

Hmm. The Kessler Syndrome. A catastrophic chain reaction of junk and disaster. That sounds like. Hey, that sounds like you, Mindy.

[Mindy]

What? I can't believe you noticed. Guy Raz. Hey, have you ever wondered what it might feel like to fly through all that space junk?

[Guy Raz]

Come to think of it, not really.

[Mindy]

Well, then you're in luck, my friend, because I have purchased not one, but two space debris proof rubber space flying suits. And I got one just your size. Then I lost it, so I had to go back to the store, and they only had toddler sizes left, so I had to get one of those for you. It's gonna be a tight squeeze, but it will be worth it.

[Guy Raz]

No.

[Mindy]

Here, put this on.

[Guy Raz]

Come on.

[Mindy]

You can do hard things. Just sucking everything you got. There you go, little buddy.

[Guy Raz]

This thing.

[Mindy]

Now just try not to exhale while I jump into my seat is a little tight. All set. Ready to go.

[Guy Raz]

You promise this is gonna protect us?

[Mindy]

No, I can't promise you that. But what's a few bumps and bruises, Guy Raz, when you are in the pursuit of science.

[Guy Raz]

Yeah, fair enough.

[Mindy]

Okay, so listen carefully, because here's how it's gonna work. So first, my carrier pigeon, Reggie, is going to fly us up to the upper reaches of the stratosphere. And then we're gonna have to use these rocket launchers on our rubber spacesuits to get us into low Earth orbit. Okay? Okay, Mindy, Reggie, slap on your space goggles, you cuckoo old bird. We're Ready for takeoff, Guy Raz, let's say the magic words.

[Guy Raz]

Here we go.

[Mindy]

Okay, now this is the part where Reggie says, sayonara. Flip on your rocket booster sky rods.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, I'm assuming it's this red button from here.

[Mindy]

Yep, that's the one. This is so awesome. Can you believe it? We're flying through space. Guy Raz.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy. Mindy, I. I think we're traveling at 17,000 miles an hour.

[Mindy]

That sounds about right. Whoa. Rocket, straight ahead. Roll the clock. Watch your hands.

[Guy Raz]

Just missed it.

[Mindy]

But. But.

[Dennis]

Wow, this is not.

[Guy Raz]

There's so much junk up here.

[Mindy]

I know, right? I told you. Whoa. Watch out. Here comes a bunch of blue screws.

[Guy Raz]

I think they're gonna hit us.

[Mindy]

Brace for impact.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, I think I get the point. Can we rocket back to Earth now?

[Mindy]

Ah, sorry, I'm. I can't hear you, Guy Raz. I'm already halfway back to Earth.

[Guy Raz]

Oh, brother. Rocket booster's on. Back to Earth. What? Oh, no.

[Mindy]

Oh. Hey, Guy Raz. Where did you come from? Man, that was wild.

[Guy Raz]

You were right, Mindy. It's a veritable junkyard up there in space.

[Mindy]

So now do you see why I wanted to get the astronauts to help clean it up?

[Guy Raz]

Yeah, but it's gonna be virtually impossible for the astronauts to do it alone. I mean, they're gonna need some help.

[Mindy]

You better believe it, Guy Raz.

[Guy Raz]

So then why don't we just invent like, a. Like a giant space net for them?

[Mindy]

Well, scientists have actually thought of that, but it wouldn't work because it would be so hard to capture all of that junk and keep it from floating out of the net.

[Guy Raz]

And of course, I guess a vacuum cleaner wouldn't work because it needs the air pressure here on Earth to suck things in.

[Mindy]

Yep, and in space, there isn't enough air pressure to get the vacuum cleaner to suck stuff up.

[Guy Raz]

So what can we do? I mean, how can we solve this problem of space junk?

[Mindy]

Well, the good news, Guy Raz, is that some super inventive scientists and engineers are already on the case.

[Guy Raz]

Phew. That's a relief. So what's their solution?

[Mindy]

Oh, geckos.

[Guy Raz]

Geckos?

[Mindy]

Well, not whole geckos. Just their feet.

[Guy Raz]

Now, I did buy my car insurance from a gecko, but I'm not sure he'd survive in outer space.

[Mindy]

Wait, did you really buy your car insurance from a gecko?

[Guy Raz]

You were the one to recommend him to me. Am you? You said he'd give me a discount.

[Mindy]

I didn't think it would actually work anywho Back to the gecko feet.

[Guy Raz]

I'm with you. I think so.

[Mindy]

You know how when you chase a gecko up a wall or a sliding glass door?

[Guy Raz]

Uh, no, I've never tried that.

[Mindy]

Well, I've tried it, and let me tell you, it's not as easy as it looks.

[Guy Raz]

Okay.

[Mindy]

Scale up super smooth walls like nobody's beeswax. And then laugh at you as they hang upside down by the tips of their toes.

[Guy Raz]

Right. And they're able to do this because they have super special sticky toes. Right.

[Mindy]

Well, this is where it gets interesting. So if you were to look at the bottoms of their toes under a microscope, you'd notice that they're actually covered in teeny, tiny microscopic hairs. Called setting. Huh.

[Guy Raz]

Interesting. But how are hairy gecko toes gonna help clean up all that space junk in low Earth orbit?

[Mindy]

Well, the story begins with an engineering professor at Stanford University in California named Mark Kotkowski. And he came up with this crazy idea, which he published in the journal Science Robotics.

[Guy Raz]

What was the idea?

[Mindy]

The idea was that by using something called biomimic.

[Guy Raz]

Biomimicry. That means using animals and plants as the inspiration for new technology. For inventing cool new things.

[Mindy]

Exactly. So in this case, that animal would be the gecko.

[Guy Raz]

And the gecko's sticky feet.

[Mindy]

You're picking up what I'm putting down, guy Raz. So Professor Kotkoski and his team designed a robot that is actually a giant gripper.

[Guy Raz]

Like a big robot?

[Mindy]

Yeah, kind of. And the bottom of it is covered in thousands of tiny bristles to mimic or copy the settee hairs on the gecko's feet.

[Guy Raz]

Wow.

[Mindy]

And what's really crazy is that each tiny bristle is 10 times thinner than a human hair.

[Guy Raz]

But how do these tiny hairs on the gecko feet and the robot help to create a sticky effect?

[Mindy]

Well, on both the gecko and the robot, the hairs or bristles work together to create a stick special kind of sticky electric force.

[Guy Raz]

Wait a minute. Are you referring to the van der Waals force?

[Mindy]

I knew this would excite you.

[Guy Raz]

So there are atoms or teeny tiny little balls of material which, to be clear, we cannot see with our own eyes. And they're on the hairs of the robot hand and the gecko, and those atoms stick to the other atoms on the space junk.

[Mindy]

Phew. That is a complicated phenomenon. But when it works, it can create a really tight sticky bond between two things.

[Guy Raz]

Kind of like a friendship.

[Mindy]

Yeah, Just like you and me.

[Guy Raz]

I get it.

[Mindy]

Yeah. And the tiny bristles are put on little pads that are attached to the robot. So it's kind of like a little robot hand or foot that the astronauts can hold onto and control.

[Guy Raz]

Wow. And so that's how it's able to grab onto the space chunk.

[Mindy]

You got it. Just like a gecko can stick and unstick its feet to walk up a.

[Guy Raz]

Wall, and this way, the robot can grab the space trash, Move it, and then, I guess, let it go.

[Mindy]

Pretty cool, huh?

[Guy Raz]

Yeah, I'll say.

[Mindy]

And professor Kudkosky and his team are designing this robo to be able to stick to and capture the biggest and most dangerous space junk up there.

[Guy Raz]

But, I mean, how big and strong will these robots be? Because, I mean, space junk can be huge. Some space junk is the size of trucks just floating around up there. I mean, it's pretty heavy garbage.

[Mindy]

Well, that's the thing. Because there's so little gravity in space, really heavy things like broken satellites or spacecrafts or space minivans Aren't actually heavy at all. It's a little bit like when you float in water and you feel a lot lighter.

[Guy Raz]

Yeah. So the astronauts that you were scolding in your imagination actually might be able to clean up some of this junk.

[Mindy]

That's what I was trying to tell them. These astronauts would be able to take handheld robots with sticky pads and stick them to pieces of space trash, Move it, and then unstick it.

[Guy Raz]

Yeah, but where would they put it, Mindy? I mean, it's not like they're dumpsters floating around in space.

[Mindy]

Oh, this is crazy. So they would push the space trash back towards the earth, which means that as it came back flying towards the earth, the speed would create so much heat that the junk would naturally burn up before it even reached our planet.

[Guy Raz]

Wow.

[Mindy]

Or they could even take some of it and put it inside a special spaceship to be recycled.

[Guy Raz]

So by cleaning up this giant garbage pile floating around in space, we would actually be making space a little bit safer.

[Mindy]

Yep. And this same gecko foot inspired technology could also be used to help us regular humans here on earth.

[Guy Raz]

Really? How so?

[Mindy]

Well, some medical researchers Are thinking that maybe they could use it to create a special kind of tape that could be used in place of stitches or even a pair of gloves that could give a person the ability to climb. Like spider man.

[Guy Raz]

Wow. I will never look at geckos the same again, Mindy.

[Mindy]

Me neither, guy. Raz. I'll never look at any animal's superpowers the same way again.

[Guy Raz]

Hey, you know what? That reminds me. Speaking of all this biomimicry and Animal superpowers. Did you know that Velcro was inspired by the tiny hooks or burrs from bushes and plants that stick to our clothes?

[Mindy]

No way. Prickly plants are nature's Velcro. Well, can you guess why researchers are studying how schools of fish swim together without bumping into one another?

[Guy Raz]

Hmm. I wonder if that might have something to do with wanting to figure out how to do the same thing with cars. With driverless cars. You know, to keep them from crashing. Yep. And hey, have you heard of the Ultra cane?

[Mindy]

The edible peppermint candy walking cane that people can suck on when they're not using it to help them walk?

[Guy Raz]

What? No, no, no, no. It's a cane for the blind which uses echolocation, or sound waves to tell the person using it that they're close to an object like a wall. It's the same technique used by dolphins and bats.

[Mindy]

Man, it's so cool to think that biomimicry of the smallest creatures could solve some of the biggest problems in our universe.

[Guy Raz]

So, about those astronauts in your head who are trying to get out of cleaning up their space junk.

[Mindy]

Oh, yeah. So you want to break.

[Guy Raz]

I don't know if my insurance covers climbing into your imagination, Mindy.

[Mindy]

It does if you bring your gecko. Insurance salesman.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, here we go.

[Mindy]

Easy does it.

[Guy Raz]

Do I just climb inside?

[Mindy]

Take your shoes off first. You got it. You got it. Climb right inside.

[Guy Raz]

Yep, I'm in here now. Now what, Mindy?

[Mindy]

Okay, now take the podium and show em who's boss.

[Guy Raz]

Astronauts. Hello. You're gonna have to clean up your space job.

[Mindy]

I'm an adult steering a band aid. Now tell him the good news.

[Guy Raz]

But thanks to the common reptile known as the gecko, cleaning up outer space is about to get a lot more fun.

[Mindy]

Wow.

[Dennis]

That was so cool. I love that part where Mindy and Guy flew through outer space and they were all like, yeah. And then Guy was all like wa. And then Mindy was all like, look out.

[Guy Raz]

And then.

[Dennis]

Oh yeah, we just listened to it. Well, now what?

[Mindy]

Ah.

[Dennis]

What was that? Oh, right, the toast. Was it toasting this whole time? Oh, yeah, that is. That is burnt. Do you want to try it? Oh, come on, Reggie. It's not that burnt. I'm not going to eat it. It's completely charred. I mean, sure, I'll try it. Mmm. So yummy. Ah, blah, blah, blah. Yeah, I need a glass of water. Let's wrap up the show. 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 1-888-7-WOW-WOW. That's 1-888-7-WWOW. I just might answer your question on Wee Wow on the weekend. Okay, let's go. The Goodbye song. Reggie, I need water. Everything tastes like charcoal. Okay, fine. That's the end of the show. I need to go and gargle a bunch of water and then maybe eat something sweet so my mouth doesn't taste like burning. But I'll do another show tomorrow. But for now, that's the end of the show. Ee bye.

[Mindy]

Grown ups. If you like wow in the world, you can listen early and ad free right now on Wondery.

[Guy Raz]

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[Mindy]

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