WeWow on the Weekend (11/23/25)

Summary

Podcast Summary: Wow in the World – WeWow on the Weekend (11/23/25)

Episode Overview

This episode of "WeWow on the Weekend," the playful weekend offshoot of the acclaimed science podcast "Wow in the World," takes listeners on a fun-filled, science-packed journey. Hosted by Dennis (with regular interruptions from his pigeon co-host Reggie), the show blends listener Q&As, music, and a relisten of a classic "Wow in the World" episode: “Pull a Face! The Science of Four-Legged Facial Mimicry." Key scientific themes include animal communication, facial mimicry, and the surprising social skills of sun bears. Along the way, the show is spiced with quirky humor, interactive segments, and memorable banter between the hosts.

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Main Episode Sections & Timestamps

1. Special Announcements and Upcoming Events (00:12–02:01)
2. Dennis and Reggie’s Weekend Intro & Listener Q&A (02:01–07:37)
3. Inside Tinkercast Studios: “Pull a Face!” Relisten (07:37–32:07)
4. Wrap Up and VIP Aspirations (32:07–33:37)

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1. Special Announcements and Upcoming Events (00:12–02:01)

• Mindy Thomas previews a “November to remember,” with special episodes, guest appearances (including Elmo from Sesame Street), and news about the upcoming 250th Wow in the World musical episode and a members-only listening party.
  “We think this one is going to be music to your ears. Literally. Did I mention it’s a musical?” – Mindy Thomas (00:42)

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2. Dennis and Reggie’s Weekend Intro & Listener Q&A (02:01–07:37)

• Dennis kicks off the show with his “WeWow on the Weekend” theme song, only to be interrupted by Reggie’s loud smoothie blending.

• Listener phone calls spark silly and imaginative conversations:

  Q1: "What’s your dream job?" (04:09)

  • Dennis shares a wild dream of being a “beach donut sales associate undersea detective with a manatee.”
  • “So I guess that would make my dream job a beach donut sales associate, undersea detective with a manatee!” – Dennis (04:32)

  Q2: “Is Baby Dennis a ballerina?” (04:53)

  • Baby Dennis makes an appearance, revealing he’s taken 12 years of ballet, 8 years of jazz, and 4 years of tap.
  • “Well, Baby Dennis has done 12 years of ballet class, 8 years of modern jazz, and 4 years of tap.” – Baby Dennis (05:05)

  Q3: “Put Baby Dennis in a swing?” (06:23)

  • Dennis gently sings Baby Dennis to sleep in a baby swing, putting him “back in his box.”

• Dennis invites kids to call in: “If you’ve got a question for me, call and leave me a message. The number is 1-888-7-WOW WOW.” (06:59)

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3. Inside Tinkercast Studios: “Pull a Face!” Relisten (07:37–32:07)

(Segment relistens “Wow in the World, Season 3, Episode 19: The Science of Four-Legged Facial Mimicry”)

Comedic Entry and Set Up (09:38–14:01)

• Mindy and Guy Raz are on their way to the “Interspecies Face Pulling World Championships.”
• Classic banter about Mindy literally bringing a kitchen sink.
  • “I didn’t literally mean bring the kitchen sink, Mindy.” – Guy Raz (12:18)
• Failed attempt to enter with counterfeit tickets purchased from a “trustworthy” weasel.

Getting In and Finding Seats (16:15–19:15)

• Reggie saves the day by selling legit tickets “for charity” in exchange for “five paper clips and a pinch of belly button lint.”
• Mindy and Guy sneak into the VIP section by pretending Mindy’s breath mints and a button necklace are “pearls.”
  • “Oh, excuse me, I didn’t see your pearls. My apologies. Come right in.” – Arena Attendant (18:31)
• They settle in for the big show, Mindy relishing her “vibration mode” seat.

The Face Pulling Championships (19:19–32:07)

• The competition begins! Setup explained: two competitors try to out-face-make each other; first to break loses.

• Notable Contestants:

  • Apes, monkeys, humans (last year’s winner: Brad the human; reigning favorite: Chad the Chimp)
  • This year’s underdog: Susan the Sun Bear – first solitary animal to compete.

Key Science Moments:

• Sun Bear Discovery:
  • Sun bears, which are solitary (not social like primates), were found to mimic each other’s facial expressions, challenging old assumptions about animal communication.
  • “Many animals, including us humans, use our faces to convey or to show how we’re feeling with the people around us.” – Mindy Thomas (25:35)
  • “But it’s like Susan the sun bear came along and proved them all wrong.” – Guy Raz (26:12)
  • Based on research by primatologist Marina de Villaras, filmed at a Malaysian animal rehab center.
• Scientific Process:
  • “She filmed 22 different sun bears for a bunch of days. And when she got back to the lab and looked over the footage, she saw that most of these bears, when interacting with each other, pulled faces at each other.” – Mindy Thomas (27:11)
  • Example of creative facial communication: “They would bare their teeth and open their mouths really wide, and then a split second later, the other bear would do the same thing back…” – Mindy Thomas (28:04)

Final Competition and Result:

• Susan the Sun Bear triumphs over Chad the Chimp with her unbeatable “bare teeth” move.

• “Ladies and gentlemen, what an upset here at the Sour Patch Arena. Chad the chimp defeated in the final, and we have a new champion.” – Announcer (29:49)

• Takeaway: “This is a really important victory for solitary animals everywhere.” – Guy Raz (30:35)

• The science community plans to investigate similar mimicry in other solitary animals, like leopards.

Memorable, Kid-Friendly Humor:

• Mispronounced event tickets: “The Face Dulling World Dampening Ships.”
• Mindy wants to mix caviar and tacos.

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4. Wrap Up and VIP Aspirations (32:07–33:37)

• Dennis, inspired by the “VIP” section, dreams of being “a very important person” and “playing golf on the moon” with Reggie.
• Listener participation is encouraged: “If you have a question for me, call and leave me a message at 1-888-7-WOW-WOW.”
• Reggie suggests “chocolate truffles made with truffle mushrooms—so fancy!” as their first VIP activity.

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Notable Quotes & Moments With Timestamps

• “So I guess that would make my dream job a beach donut sales associate. Undersea detective with a manatee.” – Dennis (04:32)
• “Well, Baby Dennis has done 12 years of ballet class, 8 years of modern jazz, and 4 years of tap.” – Baby Dennis (05:05)
• “Many animals, including us humans, use our faces to convey…how we’re feeling with the people around us.” – Mindy Thomas (25:35)
• “But it’s like Susan the sun bear came along and proved them all wrong.” – Guy Raz (26:12)
• “She filmed 22 different sun bears for a bunch of days…[and] saw that most of these bears…pulled faces at each other.” – Mindy Thomas (27:11)
• “Ladies and gentlemen, what an upset! Chad the chimp…defeated…and we have a new champion: Susan the Sun Bear!” – Announcer (29:49)
• “This is a really important victory for solitary animals everywhere.” – Guy Raz (30:35)

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Key Themes, Science, and Humor

• Animal communication: Even solitary animals like sun bears can express and mimic facial expressions, challenging old notions that facial mimicry is unique to social species.
• Scientific Discovery & Research: Features real-world research and step-by-step methodology accessible to kids.
• Whimsy and Wordplay: The episode is packed with kid-friendly jokes, silly characters, and creative listener engagement.

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Why Listen?

This episode captures everything that makes “Wow in the World” beloved: educational science presented through wild imagination, interactive segments, humor for all ages, and accessible storytelling. Listeners will leave with a new appreciation for the complexity of animal communication—and maybe start practicing their own best funny faces.

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For more episodes, listener games, and science adventures, visit Tinkercast.com.

Transcript

[Guy Raz]

Grown Ups Wondery subscribers can listen to wow in the World early and ad free right now. Join Wondery in the Wondery app or Wondery Kids plus on Apple Podcasts.

[Mindy Thomas]

Hey Wowzer fams. Mindy here. And before we start the show, I gotta let you know that this November is about to get a lot more wow. Join us each week for the rest of the month for special episodes of wow in the World. This week, grab a plate and join us for a slice of Turducken with a special new episode featuring our friends at Circle Round and Terrestrials on Radiolab for kids. And don't miss when Elmo from Sesame street stops by. Wow. In the World to make us all belly laugh on November 24th. Oh, but that's not all, Reg. On December 1st, we are sharing our 250th episode of WOW. In the World with all of you. We think this one is going to be music to your ears. Literally. Did I mention it's a musical? And if you're a member of the world organization of wowzers. Oh boy, do I have a surprise for you. You can listen to our 250th episode early with me and other members from around the world on Saturday, November 22nd at 7pm Eastern. That's right. We are throwing another listening party. Join us as we dance along to our new songs, react to the episode with other members in the chat and more grown ups. If you want your Wowzer to join this MEG Members Only listening party, you can sign up to become a member [e-mail] wow. Already a member. Well, you can find the link and password to join the event when you sign [e-mail] wow. That's it. It's gonna be a November to remember, but for now, let's get on with the show.

[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. Yeah. We wow on the weekend. Laugh, clap. 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 Reggie, my co host. This is the show where we. Ah, Reggie, stop. Do you have to blend that smoothie right now? Well, I'm trying to do the podcast intro where I tell everyone that this is the show where we chit chat and Rajay stop. I was saying we chit Chat and answer questions from our fans and listen to Tinkercast podcasts. Well, thank.

[Guy Raz]

Are you done?

[Dennis]

Okay, good. So, Reggie, what do you think if. Well, can I have a sip? Thank you. Oh, that's good.

[Guy Raz]

Yeah.

[Dennis]

Okay, let's hear from our devoted listeners with a Q and A segment.

[Guy Raz]

Ahem.

[Dennis]

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 weekend. That's me. Do you have a question? Well, I do too. Lots of them. And who's gonna answer all my questions? You? Probably not, But I guess I can answer yours. Leave me a message.

[Mindy Thomas]

Hi, Dennis, this is Mimi from Parkland, Florida.

[Dennis]

Hi, Mimi.

[Mindy Thomas]

My question for you is what's your dream job?

[Dennis]

Ooh, what's my dream job? Well, one time I dreamed I sold donuts at the beach. Yeah? And then one of the donuts turned into an innertube and I floated out on a giant donut innertube into the ocean. And then the inner tube became a submarine and I went under the water and made friends with a manatee and we solved mysteries together. So I guess that would make my dream job a beach donut. Sales associate. Undersea detective with a manatee. I also wouldn't mind being a postal worker. Next question.

[Mindy Thomas]

Hi, Dennis, My name is Shanna and I have a question for you.

[Dennis]

Hi, Jana.

[Mindy Thomas]

Is Baby Dennis a ballerina?

[Dennis]

Is Baby Dennis a ballerina? Huh? I don't know. Let's ask him. Oh, Baby Dennis, come here real quick. What is it, Big Dennis? Jonna wants to know if you're a ballerina. Well, Baby Dennis has done 12 years of ballet class, eight years of modern jazz, and four years of tap. So are you a ballerina or not? Teehee, does this answer big Dennis question? 5, 6, 7, 8. Chantel. Plie. Rumbling. Wow, Baby Dennis, you really can do ballet.

[Mindy Thomas]

Yay.

[Dennis]

Now is Big Dennis ready for the lift? Lift? What lift? Here comes Baby Dennis. What Baby Dennis? No, I'm not ready. I haven't stretched. So, to answer Jonas question, Baby Dennis is a ballerina and Big Dennis is not. Next question.

[Mindy Thomas]

Hi, Dennis, I'm Kate and I'm from Texas.

[Dennis]

Hi, Kate.

[Mindy Thomas]

I want you to put Baby Dennis right now in a baby swing and rock him to sleep and then put him back in his box.

[Dennis]

Bye.

[Mindy Thomas]

Love your show.

[Dennis]

What? Oh, gladly, Kate. Okay, Baby Dennis, let's put you in my old baby swing Mo. Yes. And you go for Betty night. But Baby Dennis is tired. Lullaby a beddy night. Go to Sleepy baby Dennis, you were annoying, but now you're snoring, so I'll put you in this box. There you go. Good night, baby Dennis. Great idea, Kate. Thanks for 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-WWOW WOW. I just might answer your question on Wee W. Okay, that takes care of that. Next up is a little segment I like to call Inside Tinkercast Studios.

[Roger]

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 3, Episode 19 called Pull a Face. The science of four legged facial mimicry.

[Roger]

Pull a face?

[Dennis]

Whose face are we pulling? Oh, pull a face means make a funny face. Like this. Okay, Reggie, now you do one. Oh, I wish the listeners could see your hilarious face, but they can't. Okay, here we go. And Pull Play.

[Mindy Thomas]

Wee wow will be right back. Grown ups, this message is for you. Hey, grown ups, it's Mindy and Guy Raz here from wow in the World.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy and I have some brand new wow in the World toys out in the world just in time for the holidays.

[Mindy Thomas]

Made for the kids who love science and for the ones who don't yet.

[Guy Raz]

From our 100 experiments, that wow kit to the telescope and astronomy kit, our wow in the World toys help your Wowzer learn about their world through play.

[Mindy Thomas]

Plus, you can hear exclusive audio content from me and Guy Raz to help your Wowzer discover even more wows.

[Guy Raz]

Grown ups give the gift of wow and wonder this holiday season with our latest wow in the World toys designed with your curious Wowzer in mind.

[Mindy Thomas]

You can shop our wow in the world [e-mail] that's tinkercast.com toys. That's it. Now back to the show.

[Roger]

The next station is Block Street. Please make sure to take all of.

[Guy Raz]

Your belongings with you as you exit from the ARR.

[Roger]

Starboard side of the vessel.

[Dennis]

I'm just having fun, Roger. No silly voices.

[Guy Raz]

I won't tell you again.

[Mindy Thomas]

Aw, come on. Wake up, Guy Raz. We're almost there.

[Guy Raz]

No, no, not the peanut butter. I have a dairy intolerance.

[Mindy Thomas]

Guy Raz, wake up. We're getting off at the next stop.

[Guy Raz]

Oh. Oh, sorry, Mindy. I must have dozed off there for a second.

[Mindy Thomas]

Wake up. We're gonna miss our stop. Come on.

[Guy Raz]

I was up late last night reading up on today's competitors.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, I know. I have been so excited that I went ahead and just refilled all the ants in my pants.

[Guy Raz]

You what?

[Mindy Thomas]

Anywho, when I heard that our little old town was gonna be hosting the interspecies face pulling world championships this year, I thought, you know who likes twisting and pulling his face into different expressions? This guy Raz. Yeah, that's a good face. Or you could pull it this way with your ears out and your nose up.

[Dennis]

Mindy.

[Mindy Thomas]

Or the classic tongue out, one eye, closed face.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, let go of my tongue.

[Mindy Thomas]

Or you could go for the.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, stop pulling my face.

[Mindy Thomas]

Ooh, but it's so stretchy and like crazy putty.

[Guy Raz]

Ouch.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oops, sorry.

[Guy Raz]

Well, anyway, Mindy, I'm so excited. Making a face and mimicking other people's faces is, scientifically speaking, an incredibly rare thing. An ability only held by a few select animals.

[Mindy Thomas]

And this is where the best of the best come to compete against each other.

[Guy Raz]

That's right. What we're about to see, Mindy, is a natural scientific phenomenon.

[Dennis]

The next station will be Sour Patch Arena. If you're attending the world face pulling championships today. Arrr.

[Guy Raz]

This be your stop.

[Dennis]

Roger, that's it.

[Guy Raz]

I'm replacing you with the robot voice.

[Dennis]

No.

[Guy Raz]

Here we are. Mindy, don't forget your stuff.

[Mindy Thomas]

Forget my stuff? How could I forget this?

[Guy Raz]

What is. What even is that thing, Mindy?

[Mindy Thomas]

What? It's the kitchen sink.

[Guy Raz]

The what?

[Mindy Thomas]

Well, every time we go anywhere, I pick hack my adventure tool kit. And then you take one look at it and say, mindy, it looks like.

[Dennis]

You brought everything but the kitchen sink.

[Mindy Thomas]

So this time I made sure not to forget it.

[Guy Raz]

Well, I didn't literally mean bring the kitchen sink, Mindy.

[Mindy Thomas]

And now you can fill up your reusable water bottle without having to find a toilet to dunk it in. Okay, let's get off this train. And you wanna. You wanna get the door?

[Dennis]

Sure.

[Roger]

Door's opening.

[Mindy Thomas]

Yeah.

[Dennis]

Come on.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, let's see here. We should be able to get out this way. There. Follow me, Mindy.

[Mindy Thomas]

Right behind you.

[Guy Raz]

Excuse me, excuse me. Pardon me. Coming through. Don't mind me. Excuse me, pardon me. Coming through.

[Roger]

Sour candy hip. Get your sock in it. Mouth pullers. 100% genuine face pulling championship mouth pullers.

[Mindy Thomas]

Ooh, Guy Raz, you want a mouth puller?

[Guy Raz]

A mouth puller?

[Mindy Thomas]

Yeah, check it out. Hello, sir. One mouth puller, please. Okay, here you go, and here you go.

[Roger]

Thank you very much.

[Mindy Thomas]

Okay, let's see here. Guy Raz, you put one end in One side of your mouth. Then the strap goes around your mouth and then you get the other part and put that in the other side of your mouth. Then that goes around that ear and.

[Dennis]

Ta da. Mindy.

[Guy Raz]

Get it off.

[Dennis]

Get it off.

[Mindy Thomas]

Aw, looks like you got a permanent grin on your face.

[Guy Raz]

I think I'll leave the face pulling to the professionals. Mindy, are you ready to head in?

[Dennis]

You know it.

[Mindy Thomas]

Race ya.

[Guy Raz]

I told you before, I can't run in this jacket.

[Mindy Thomas]

I thought you said it was a sports coat.

[Guy Raz]

What?

[Mindy Thomas]

Run. Run.

[Dennis]

Mindy, wait up.

[Roger]

Whoa, hold your horses there, missy.

[Mindy Thomas]

Sorry, got a little carried away there.

[Roger]

No, not you. The lady behind you. Excuse me, you miss, with the horses. Please hold the horses. We don't want them running around loose now. Sheesh. Some people. How can I help you?

[Mindy Thomas]

Okay, well, anywho, I've got two front row tickets to the Face Polling World championships. Here you go.

[Roger]

Okay, let's just have a look here. Ooh, I'm sorry, ma', am, but these tickets appear to be counterfeit. Totally fake.

[Mindy Thomas]

What?

[Dennis]

That's impossible.

[Mindy Thomas]

The weasel that sold them to me is one of the most trustworthy rodents I know.

[Guy Raz]

I think it's pretty well known that weasels are typically kind of sneaky. Mindy.

[Roger]

What? That is a misconception. Actually, statistically speaking, weasels are quite trustworthy. Now possums. Those are weasels. Anyway, fraid I can't accept these fake tickets. Look, the name of the event is even misspelled.

[Mindy Thomas]

Ah, let me see that. Ah, the face Dulling World Dampening ships.

[Dennis]

Man.

[Roger]

Open and shut.

[Guy Raz]

Oh no. I was really looking forward to these championships.

[Mindy Thomas]

Don't give up that easy, guy Raz, I bet someone around here is selling tickets. Tickets. Looking for two tickets, please.

[Guy Raz]

Hmm, let's see. I see a woman dressed up as a giant lemon. I see a sherbet salesman. Hey, hey, what's that?

[Mindy Thomas]

What's what?

[Guy Raz]

Up there in the sky.

[Mindy Thomas]

It's a bird.

[Guy Raz]

It's a plane.

[Mindy Thomas]

Nope, it's dolphinitely a bird.

[Guy Raz]

Not just any bird though. Reggie.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, Reg. What are you doing at the World Face Pulling championships? Selling tickets for charity. So, Reg, you think he can hook us up? We need two tickets. Oh, Reggie, thank you so much. You saved the day. Oh, and I gotta pay you. I think five paper clips and a pinch of belly button lint should cover it. You can keep the change. Okay, let's try this one more time. Guy Raz.

[Guy Raz]

Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk.

[Mindy Thomas]

Hello again.

[Roger]

Why, if it isn't Ms. McPhony. Ticket face.

[Mindy Thomas]

Yeah, that's me. But not for very much longer. Check it out. Bam. Two tickets.

[Roger]

Okay, let's see here. No spelling errors. And yes. See, these tickets are elastic, so they're genuine.

[Mindy Thomas]

Let's go.

[Roger]

Wait a minute. What's that you're carrying?

[Guy Raz]

It's the kitchen sink.

[Roger]

Read the sign, please.

[Guy Raz]

No outside food or drink. No skateboarding and no kitchen sinks.

[Roger]

That's right. Except for, of course, medical kitchen sinks or emotional support kitchen sinks. Is that an emotional support kitchen sink? Well, just what I thought. I'll need to confiscate that sink.

[Mindy Thomas]

Whatever, let's just go. Guy Raz. Here, catch.

[Roger]

Wait.

[Mindy Thomas]

Lets go.

[Guy Raz]

Wow, this place is huge, Mindy.

[Mindy Thomas]

It's even bigger than I thought it would be. Now we just gotta find a place to sit. Oh, look, I bet we could find somewhere to sit in that fancy booth over there. Ooh la la.

[Guy Raz]

VIP section. Brought to you by lemon juice wrinkling faces and going places since 1910. 12.

[Mindy Thomas]

Ooh, a sponsor.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy VIP Warnot VIP.

[Mindy Thomas]

Not with that attitude we're not.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy.

[Mindy Thomas]

Guy Razzie. Look, just pull my lead nose up. Pearls on pearls. And just say stuff like this when you walk in. Oh, excuse me, sir, could you show me to the caviar?

[Guy Raz]

Excuse, miss? Sir, could you show me to the caviar?

[Mindy Thomas]

Yeah, just like that. Okay, follow me.

[Dennis]

Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk.

[Roger]

Pardon me, madam, this area is for VIP members only.

[Mindy Thomas]

Ahem.

[Roger]

Oh, excuse me, I didn't see your pearls. My apologies. Come right in.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, not to worry. As you were. Come on, Guy Raz.

[Guy Raz]

Excuse me, sir, could you show me to the caviar?

[Roger]

Of course. Right there next to the shiverobe. I shall have someone fetch you a crystal spoon and freshly buttered toast points from the butler's pantry straight away.

[Guy Raz]

Thank you kindly, sir.

[Mindy Thomas]

Over here, Guy Raz. Check out these seats.

[Guy Raz]

Nice seats, Mindy.

[Mindy Thomas]

It even has a vibration mode.

[Dennis]

Aw. Wow.

[Guy Raz]

You can see the whole arena from up here, Mindy.

[Mindy Thomas]

And it looks like the first event is just about to start.

[Roger]

Ladies and gentlemen, birds and bees, welcome to the annual interspecies Face Pulling World Championships.

[Guy Raz]

This is so exciting, Mindy.

[Dennis]

I know.

[Mindy Thomas]

I've been watching the Face Pulling World Championship since Grandma just GeForce was a kid. I can't believe I'm actually here.

[Guy Raz]

So remind me, Mindy, are they playing by European rules or North American rules?

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, North American. So here's how it works. Two competitors go face to face, literally, and pull the funniest face they can muster. Then the first animal to break loses.

[Guy Raz]

I'm so excited. Have you seen the lineup for this year, Mindy?

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, yeah. So first we've got some of the regular competitors. You know, the apes, the monkeys, the humans.

[Guy Raz]

Did you see when Brad the human won the competition last year? I mean, he beat out my favorite face puller, Chad the chimp.

[Dennis]

Ha.

[Guy Raz]

Remember that face he pulled with his bottom lips stretched all the way over his nose?

[Dennis]

Ha.

[Mindy Thomas]

Yeah. But this year there's a newcomer, someone completely unexpected.

[Guy Raz]

Who's that?

[Roger]

Round one of the face pulling world championships is set to begin.

[Mindy Thomas]

I'll tell you all about it after this round.

[Roger]

In the red corner, hailing from the jungles of java, weighing in at 190 pounds, his favorite food is bananas. Give it up for Oscar the orangutan. And in the brew corner, From Columbus, Ohio, Mr. Brexiface, the man with the moldable mug.

[Guy Raz]

Hello.

[Roger]

Ladies and gentlemen, let's get ready to face Paul.

[Dennis]

Okay, you two, only funny business. Three, two, one, pull.

[Roger]

Brad has gone for the nose of his outfit. Amazing. How is it even possible without a third hand? Oscar going for a teeth out, eyes crossed face. Oh, I think I heard a snicker. It looks like Brad is about to break. And just like that, Brad is eliminated from the face pulling world championship. What an upset. Brad, the reigning champion from last year's competition is out.

[Mindy Thomas]

Ooh, that's gotta hurt. Man, I did not see that one coming.

[Guy Raz]

So Mindy, what about this newcomer you were talking about? Someone that's never been in the competition before.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh yeah, right. The species everyone's keeping an eye on this year, the underdog for this whole competition, the newcomer is Susan the sun bear.

[Guy Raz]

Susan the sun bear?

[Mindy Thomas]

Yep. Not only is it the first time that a sun bear has competed in the world football face pulling championships, but it's also the first time that any species like it has competed.

[Guy Raz]

Well, what do you mean, Mindy?

[Roger]

Ladies and gentlemen.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, hang on, I'll tell you in a sec.

[Roger]

Let's hear it for our semifinalists. First up, you might remember his famous move from last year's competition, the twisted kisser. Give it up for the ones, the only, Chad the chimp. And his challenger from the north central African savannah with her bright red cheeks and even redder face, please welcome Brenda the baboon.

[Dennis]

All right, no boogers, no farty noises. Three, two, one, call.

[Roger]

And let's see what Chad has for us this year. Oh, going for a nip over the nose move. What a feat. I mean, what a face. Brenda already starting to grin.

[Dennis]

And ooh.

[Roger]

And Chad the chimp has shown once again why he's one of the best in the world. He will be moving on to the finals.

[Guy Raz]

Woo hoo.

[Roger]

Woo.

[Dennis]

Woo.

[Guy Raz]

Chad. Go Chad.

[Mindy Thomas]

Go Chad. Ooh, you're a big chimp fan, huh?

[Guy Raz]

You bet, Mindy. Check it out. I have his trading card here in my wallet. It's my good luck token.

[Mindy Thomas]

Aw, look at that face.

[Guy Raz]

Right? He's a shoo in for sure this year.

[Mindy Thomas]

Not so fast. Guy Raz. Remember that new species of a competitor I was telling you about?

[Guy Raz]

Susan the sun bear?

[Mindy Thomas]

Yep. And remember how I said that she wasn't just a first of her species to compete in the face pulling world Championships, but also her type of species?

[Guy Raz]

Yeah.

[Mindy Thomas]

Well, what I meant by that was that sun bears are what are known as solitary animals. Huh.

[Guy Raz]

And solitary animals are species that tend to live by themselves in. In nature rather than in groups.

[Mindy Thomas]

Yes. And animals that like to live in groups are called social animals. So, like monkeys and apes and. Well, basically every other competitor in this competition.

[Guy Raz]

You're right, Mindy. Brad the human, Oscar the orangutan, Brenda the baboon. They're all primates. Mm. So what you're saying, Mindy, is that Susan the sun bear is. Is not only the first of her species to compete in the face pulling world championships, she's also the first solitary animal to ever pull a face here.

[Mindy Thomas]

Bingo. Guy Raz, Many animals, including us humans, use our faces to convey or to show how we're feeling with the people around us. From anger to joy to sadness.

[Guy Raz]

And we humans and other social animals are super great at this. We mimic or copy a friend's face to show that we care about what they're saying.

[Mindy Thomas]

Yeah. And for the longest time, scientists thought that this was just something that only a few skilled social animals could do.

[Dennis]

Right.

[Guy Raz]

But it's like Susan the sun bear came along and proved them all wrong.

[Mindy Thomas]

Exact oritos. So there was this primatologist, you know, a scientist who studies primates.

[Guy Raz]

Primates like monkeys, chimps and other apes?

[Mindy Thomas]

Yeah. So a primatologist named Marina de Villaras from the University of Portsmouth in England wanted to see if this skill at mimicking or copying faces was more common in the animal kingdom than we thought.

[Guy Raz]

So did she go out into the wild to spy on animals?

[Mindy Thomas]

Well, not exactly. She went to a rehabilitation center for animals in Malaysia.

[Guy Raz]

And a rehabilitation center is a place where injured or endangered animals are taken to get better or reproduce before being let back out into the wild.

[Mindy Thomas]

Exactly. She went to one of these rehabilitation centers to see if Any animals other than primates were able to mimic faces.

[Guy Raz]

And what did she find?

[Mindy Thomas]

Well, she filmed 22 different Sun Bears for a bunch of days. And when she got back to the lab and looked over the footage, she saw that most of these bears, when interacting with each other, pulled faces at each other.

[Guy Raz]

Well, what kind of face pulling are we talking about here, Mindy? Like when I put hooks in your cheeks, or when I pull your tongue out.

[Dennis]

Look, who wants to?

[Guy Raz]

Or when I push your nose in. Hmm.

[Mindy Thomas]

My nose? You're plugging in my nose.

[Guy Raz]

Oh, sorry.

[Dennis]

Oh, man.

[Mindy Thomas]

So anywho, what I was saying is that the researchers observed or noticed that the sun bears would often come up to each other, bare their teeth.

[Dennis]

Ha.

[Guy Raz]

Bear, nice one.

[Mindy Thomas]

Thank you very much. They would bare their teeth and open their mouths really wide, and then a split second later, the other bear would.

[Guy Raz]

Do the same thing back, suggesting that the bears were communicating with each other using their faces.

[Mindy Thomas]

You know it. And like I said, up until now, scientists had thought that this was something that only social animals could do.

[Guy Raz]

Whoa. Talk about an underdog story.

[Mindy Thomas]

Ooh, I think it's about to start again.

[Roger]

It's all come down to this, folks. The final face off. Please welcome the returning challenger from the heartlands of Africa, the great ape with the foldable face, Chad the Chim.

[Dennis]

We love you, Chat. Go, Chad.

[Roger]

And his opponent, from the depths of the Malaysian woodlands, weighing 140 pounds and measuring 5ft 2 inches, the honey bear with the moldable muzzle, the great grimacing wonder of the world, Susan the sun bear.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, yeah, Susan the sun.

[Dennis]

Be there.

[Mindy Thomas]

Pull that face, girl.

[Dennis]

Okay, you know the rules. No plastic teeth, no fake noses. Three, two, one, pull.

[Roger]

And the battle begins. Chad is going with the ears pulled, tongue out. Susan baring all her teeth. Chad trying to regain the upper hand with the reverse cross eye underbite. Susan unfazed, continuing to bare her teeth. Opening her mouth wider, Chad's bottom lip begins to quiver. He's about to break. Ladies and gentlemen, what an upset here at the Sour Patch Arena. Chad the chimp defeated in the final, and we have a new champion.

[Mindy Thomas]

Susan the Sun Man.

[Roger]

Susan the sun.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, man, what a finale. Sorry your chimp didn't win, Guy. Raz.

[Guy Raz]

Ah, it's okay, Mindy. He'll be back next year. And besides, I think that this is a really important victory for solitary animals and everywhere.

[Mindy Thomas]

That is true.

[Guy Raz]

So what are these researchers hoping to do with this information next?

[Mindy Thomas]

Well, now that we know that face copying or pulling or mimicking isn't A trick that only social animals can do. The researchers are looking to see if other solitary animals, like leopards, for example, can also communicate with their faces.

[Guy Raz]

So what you're saying is that the World Faces Face Pulling championships is just going to keep on getting more and.

[Mindy Thomas]

More diverse, maybe with more and more species added every year.

[Guy Raz]

So it looks like Chad might have some stiff competition yet.

[Mindy Thomas]

Could be Guy Raz. Only time and more research will tell.

[Roger]

Pardon me. May I refill your caviar goblet? And perhaps I could interest you in our VIP pearl polishing service where it. Wait a minute. These pearls aren't pearls. They're breath mints and a button. I dare say you aren't VIP at all.

[Dennis]

I'm afraid I must ask you to leave.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, can I at least keep the caviar?

[Roger]

No.

[Guy Raz]

What?

[Mindy Thomas]

I was gonna put it in a taco.

[Roger]

Completely uncivilized.

[Mindy Thomas]

Let me tell you something, buddy. We're VIPS.

[Roger]

VIPs.

[Mindy Thomas]

We're VIPs, baby. Wow.

[Dennis]

That was so cool. Reggie. I want to do that. No, not be in a face pulling competition. Be a vip. A very important person. Yeah, and you can be a very important pigeon. Okay, let's go wear diamond encrusted jean jackets and play golf on the moon. Well, I don't know. We gotta go do whatever it is VIPs do. Let's go. Oh, right, right, right, right, right. We gotta wrap up the show first.

[Guy Raz]

Ahem.

[Dennis]

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- wow Wow. I just might answer your question on Wee Wow on the weekend. Okay, let's go. So, Reggie, what kind of fancy VIP things do you want to do first? Eat truffle truffles. What are those? Ooh, chocolate truffles made with truffle mushrooms. So fancy.

[Mindy Thomas]

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

[Guy Raz]

Join Wondery in the Wondery app or on Wondery Kids plus on Apple Podcasts. Prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music.

[Mindy Thomas]

And before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short [e-mail] survey.

[Dennis]

Thanks for joining us for this edition of WEW. Our show is written by Ruth Morrison and Jed Anderson. The role of Baby Dennis is played by Jed Anderson. For the hoopla plays the role of Big Dennis. Never your mind. Tee hee. Original sound design and production is done by Henry Moskal with contributions from Jett Anderson and Tyler Thole. Original music for Wee Wow is composed and performed by Tyler Thole. Special thanks to Jessica Bode, Rebecca Caban, Dr. Natasha Crandall, Kenny Curtis, Kristin Yang, Meredith Helpern, Ranzer, Twee Mac, Jody Nussbaum, Ali Paxima, Guy Raz, Linda Rothenberg, Steph Sosa, Mindy Thomas, Anna Zagorski and all of the other tinkerers at Tinkercast HQ. Be sure to visit tinkercast.com where you can become an official member of the World Organization of wowzers. Learn about upcoming events, shop our wow Shop, find our best selling books and learn about all the other amazing amazing podcast from Tinkercast. Thanks again for thinking, tinkering, experimenting and exploring with me this week. Be sure to check out episodes of wow in the world on Mondays 2 what's in a wow On Fridays and We Wow on the weekend with Dennis on the weekends. And remember who Wows. I wow. Oh baby Dennis We Wow. All right. Wow.

[Mindy Thomas]

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