WeWow on the Weekend (1/25/25)

Summary

Wow in the World: "WeWow on the Weekend" Episode Summary

Release Date: January 25, 2025
Hosts: Dennis and Reggie
Podcast: Wow in the World by Tinkercast | Wondery

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1. Episode Overview

In the "WeWow on the Weekend" episode of Wow in the World, hosts Dennis and Reggie dive into a delightful mix of listener questions, behind-the-scenes insights, and an engaging exploration of Saturn's moon Pan. The episode seamlessly blends educational content with humor and interactive segments, making complex scientific topics accessible and entertaining for both kids and their grown-up listeners.

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2. Listener Q&A Segment (02:55 - 05:53)

Dennis opens the show by introducing the Q&A segment, where listener questions are addressed in a fun and informal manner.

• Fish Species Inquiry
  Spencer asks, "How many species of fish are there?"
  Dennis responds with humor, listing various fish types and adding playful remarks:

  "[02:55] Dennis: Good question, Spencer. Okay, well, let's see. There's tuna fish, um, goldfish, crackers, fish sticks, fish fingers."

• The Bagel Emoji Question
  Ezra inquires, "Why are bagel emoji so good?"
  Dennis humorously attributes the appeal to shape:

  "[03:30] Dennis: Because they're round, Reggie. Think about it. All the best foods are round. Pizza, doughnuts, cookies, um, oranges."

• Snoop Sash Curiosity
  JL&JL asks, "Do you still have the snoop sash?"
  Dennis clarifies with a laugh about the spelling and ownership:

  "[04:15] Dennis: Firstly, technically it's not a snoop sash because Reggie spelled Snoop wrong. No one wants a sash that says Biggest Poop, Reggie."

Through these exchanges, the hosts maintain a light-hearted atmosphere while subtly educating listeners about different topics.

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3. Inside Tinkercast Studios (06:03 - 10:28)

Transitioning from the Q&A, Dennis introduces the "Inside Tinkercast Studios" segment, where past episodes are revisited to provide deeper insights.

• Revisiting "A Tasty Looking Moon"
  The hosts play an excerpt from the thirteenth episode titled "A Tasty Looking Moon," sparking a lively discussion about Saturn's moon Pan and its unusual shape.

• Discussion on Saturn's Moon Pan
  Guy Raz elaborates on recent observations:

  "[07:59] Guy Raz: Well, it looks like an empanada."

  Mindy seeks clarification:

  "[08:11] Mindy: Wait, what's an empanada?"

  Guy Raz explains:

  "[08:12] Guy Raz: Oh, Mindy, you are in for a treat if you have never tried an empanada. Empanadas are these little bread pockets filled with meat or cheese or vegetables."

This segment effectively bridges past content with the current episode's focus, enhancing listener understanding of astronomical phenomena through relatable analogies.

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4. Exploring Saturn’s Shepherd Moon Pan (10:28 - 12:17)

Delving deeper into the main topic, the hosts explore the characteristics and significance of Pan, one of Saturn's numerous moons.

• Unveiling Pan's Shape
  Guy Raz describes Pan's empanada-like appearance, drawing parallels to its spherical neighbors:

  "[08:10] Guy Raz: An empanada."

• Technology Behind the Discovery
  Mindy expresses amazement at space technology:

  "[09:00] Mindy: Wait a minute, wait a minute. There is a camera flying around up in outer space?"

  Guy Raz clarifies the role of space probes:

  "[09:22] Guy Raz: Yeah. In fact, Mindy, there are lots of them. Well, not exactly cameras flying up in space, but space probes or small little spacecrafts that fly around planets and do things like take close-up photographs of them."

• Mythological Naming
  The conversation shifts to the origin of Pan's name, linking astronomy with mythology:

  "[10:25] Mindy: So why do they call it Pan anyway?"
  "[10:31] Guy Raz: Pan was named after a mythological God named Pan."

Through this discussion, listeners gain insights into celestial naming conventions and the scientific methods used to study distant moons.

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5. Culinary Adventure: Making Empanadas (12:17 - 13:57)

Injecting humor and relatability, Dennis and Reggie embark on a playful cooking segment attempting to make empanadas with unconventional ingredients.

• Attempted Recipe
  Dennis humorously improvises with available items:

  "[12:08] Dennis: ...No, I don't have any pastry dough, but I do have half a bagel with cream cheese here."

  Reggie contributes with comedic reluctance:

  "[12:17] Dennis: So, better wrap up the show. Want to do the goodbye song?"
  "[12:27] Reggie: ...Oh, well, almost had it."

• Humorous Outcome
  The duo concludes their culinary experiment with laughter, emphasizing the fun in trying and failing:

  "[12:33] Dennis: Just gonna scrape off the cream cheese. Okay, next is the fil. Do we have any beef? ..."

This segment not only entertains but also reinforces the episode's earlier analogy between Pan and empanadas, making science memorable through creativity and humor.

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6. Closing Remarks (13:57 - End)

In the episode's conclusion, Mindy and Guy Raz reiterate ways to engage with the podcast and encourage listener interaction.

• Engagement Opportunities

  "[13:57] Mindy: Grown ups. If you like wow in the world, you can listen early and ad free right now on Wondery."

• Feedback Invitation

  "[14:12] Mindy: And before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short [e-mail] survey."

These final notes serve to foster a community around the podcast, inviting listeners to stay connected and contribute to future content.

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Key Takeaways

• Educational and Entertaining Content: The episode skillfully blends scientific exploration with humor, making complex topics like astronomy accessible to younger audiences.

• Interactive Segments: Listener Q&A and the cooking segment encourage audience participation and engagement, enhancing the show's interactive appeal.

• Relatable Analogies: Comparing Saturn's moon Pan to an empanada provides a tangible reference point, aiding in the understanding of celestial shapes and characteristics.

• Behind-the-Scenes Insights: Revisiting past episodes offers depth and continuity, enriching the listener's experience and knowledge.

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Notable Quotes

• Dennis on Fish Species (02:55):

  "There's tuna fish, um, goldfish, crackers, fish sticks, fish fingers."

• Guy Raz on Empanadas (08:12):

  "Oh, Mindy, you are in for a treat if you have never tried an empanada."

• Mindy on Space Cameras (09:22):

  "Wait a minute, wait a minute. There is a camera flying around up in outer space?"

• Guy Raz on Pan's Naming (10:31):

  "Pan was named after a mythological God named Pan."

• Dennis’s Culinary Attempt (12:08):

  "No, I don't have any pastry dough, but I do have half a bagel with cream cheese here."

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Conclusion

"WeWow on the Weekend" successfully delivers a captivating blend of science, storytelling, and humor. By addressing listener questions, exploring astronomical phenomena, and engaging in light-hearted segments, Dennis and Reggie create an enriching auditory experience that inspires curiosity and wonder in listeners of all ages.

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 here. And before we start the show. Oh, sorry about that. I forgot to put it on silent. Hey, wait a second. It's an email from us. Check it out, Reg. Let's see here. It says we've got episode recommendations, free steps, activities to try out at home, the latest news about what's happening at Tinkercast. Pretty bonker balls, huh? Here, I'll help you sign up. So you and the grown ups will just go to tinkercast.comemail and put in your first and last names and email address. Wait, Reggie, I just realized I don't know your last name. Really? Is that with a silent G or a silent Q? Huh. Who knew? Let's see here. Oh, and you're not a robot, right? Sorry. Just had to double check. Ok, you are all signed up Grown Ups. You can sign up for our Tinkercast newsletter too. It's full of ideas on how to get some extra wow to your family's life. Visit tinkercast.comemail to sign up today. That's tinkercast.comemail. that's it. And 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. Cause this is what we do on the weekend. Hello and welcome to Weebo on the Weekend. I'm your host, Dennis and Reggie. Guess what I found. New questions sent in from my devoted listeners. No, they're not voicemails. No, they're not reviewsies either. Okay, well, they're kind of reviewsies. Cause I had to print them out like the reviewsies. But they're not reviews. Yeah, they're questions. Like the voicemail Q and A segment. Right. And I want to answer some of these. Well, I'm just trying to figure out which segment of the show they should go in. Because I have to sing a song before I read them so everyone knows what we're doing. Okay. You think we should put them in reading reviewsies? Great. Ahem.

[Mindy]

Ahem.

[Dennis]

I'm reading review Z's for me and for you Z's. We got it. Reggie. What? You changed your mind? Fine. You're right. They're questions and we're gonna answer them. So they belong in the Q and A segment. Ahem. The Q and A segment. Okay, let's take a look at what we got here. This first question comes from username Spencer. And Spencer asks, how many species of fish are there? Good question, Spencer. Okay, well, let's see. There's tuna fish, um, goldfish, crackers, fish sticks, fish fingers. Uh, can you think of any more, Reggie? Oh, right. Go fish. I forgot about that one. That's a fun game. We should play that. Okay, how many fish was that? Yeah, I think that's all the fish there are. Next question. Okay, this next one is from username Ezra. And Ezra asks, why are bagels bagel emoji so good? I love them. Am confused. Good question, Ezra. And the answer is. Because they're round, Reggie. Think about it. All the best foods are round. Pizza, doughnuts, cookies, um, oranges. No, Reggie, those are spheres. Next question. Okay, this next one is from username JL&JL asks, Do you still have the snoop sash? Good question, jl. Firstly, technically it's not a snoop sash because Reggie spelled Snoop wrong. No one wants a sash that says Biggest Poop, Reggie. And secondly, Mindy's Snoop and Seek robot has it. I know. Boo. Thanks so much for your questions, everyone. And if you have a question for me, you can write or leave me a voicemail at 1-888-7-WOW-WOW. That's 1-888-7-WWOW WOW. I just might answer your question on Wee Wow on the weekend. Okay, next up is a little segment I like to call Inside Tinkercast Studios. Inside Tinkercast Studios. This is the part where we revisit an episode of one of my favorite Tinkercast shows. And this weekend, we're revisiting epis. Welcome to the first season of wow in the World. Today we're doing a story from episode 13 called A Tasty Looking Moon. You're right, Reggie. It is the one where they talk about empanadas. Yeah, like half the episode is empanada talk. Well, let's play it. Okay, here we go. And play.

[Mindy]

Wee wow will be right back. Grown ups, this message is for you. That's it. Now back to the show.

[Dennis]

Well, in the world.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, did you ever find really cool shapes in the clouds?

[Mindy]

Yes. One time I looked up and I saw a dolphin being pushed in a baby stroller by a T. Rex. Only the T. Rex was having trouble pushing the stroller because his baby arms were too small and he was holding a latte.

[Guy Raz]

Hmm. I must have missed that one.

[Mindy]

And this morning when I was looking up at the clouds, I said, a huge piece of cauliflower topped with shaving cream. It looked delicious.

[Guy Raz]

Uh, yeah.

[Dennis]

Yeah.

[Guy Raz]

Cool. You've got a great imagination, Mindy.

[Mindy]

What imagination, Guy Raz? I saw a piece of giant cauliflower topped with shaving cream in the clouds. It was real.

[Guy Raz]

Uh, okay, well, moving on. You know, scientists who've been observing Saturn have also been noticing some pretty unusual shapes recently, especially around one of Saturn's.

[Mindy]

Wait a minute. I know we've talked about this before, Guy Raz, but just to be sure, Saturn has a moon, just like we have our moon for our planet Earth.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, Saturn does not have one moon.

[Mindy]

Well, you just said it did.

[Guy Raz]

Well, I said one of Saturn's moons, Saturn has. Are you ready for it? Saturn has at least 62 moons and probably as many as 150. But we've only been able to see 62.

[Mindy]

Wow, that's crazy. So this means that if the book Goodnight Moon was written about Saturn, it would be titled Good Night, Moon, Moon, Moon, Moon, Moon, Moon, Moon, Moon, Moon, Moon. Mindy. Mindy.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy. Moon.

[Mindy]

Moon.

[Guy Raz]

We get it.

[Mindy]

Moon man. Sorry, Guy Raz. I don't know what just happened there. I think I might have left out a moon. Anyway, you were saying?

[Guy Raz]

Well, astronomers have noticed that one of Saturn's closest moons, called Pan, has a very, well, unusual shape.

[Mindy]

So what's the shape?

[Guy Raz]

Well, it looks like an empanada.

[Mindy]

An empanada?

[Guy Raz]

An empanada.

[Mindy]

Empanada. Yup.

[Guy Raz]

An empanada.

[Mindy]

Empanada.

[Guy Raz]

An empanada.

[Mindy]

Wait, what's an empanada?

[Guy Raz]

Oh, Mindy, you are in for a treat if you have never tried an empanada. Empanadas are these little bread pockets filled with meat or cheese or vegetables. And you can find them in countries like Argentina, Venezuela, Chile, Colombia, and even in Latin American restaurants here in the United States. And Mindy, I can tell you from experience, they are amazing.

[Mindy]

Okay, now I'm hungry. Let's take a snack break.

[Guy Raz]

Nah.

[Mindy]

Mm, mm, mm. Kairoz, you were right. Those empanadas were delicious. I told you, they look like little giant raviolis.

[Guy Raz]

Yeah, they're puffy in the middle and flat along the edges. The puffy part is where you've got the yummy stuff inside. And this moon, Mindy, Pan, it looks a little like an empanada.

[Mindy]

And astronomers have just figured this out?

[Guy Raz]

Yes. And Mindy, the reason why is because they recently got some really great photographs of Pan from a space Camera called Cassini.

[Mindy]

Wait a minute, wait a minute. There is a camera flying around up in outer space?

[Guy Raz]

Yeah. In fact, Mindy, there are lots of them. Well, not exactly cameras flying up in space, but space probes or small little spacecrafts that fly around planets and do things like take close up photographs of them.

[Mindy]

Huh? Okay, I need Mars, I need Venus. I need faces towards the sun. Jupiter, Lose the pouty face. I want to see some teeth, honey.

[Guy Raz]

And then they send those photos back to Earth in a kind of an email to scientists who are working at NASA, the US Space Agency.

[Mindy]

And just to be clear, there's no one on these spaceships, right?

[Guy Raz]

That's right, Mindy. These are unmanned spacecrafts and they help scientists here on Earth understand what's going on in space by doing things like taking photos.

[Dennis]

Oh.

[Mindy]

And that's how they realized that Pan isn't just a moon, but an actual empanada.

[Guy Raz]

Well, it is a moon, actually, not an empanada. And it's made of mostly rocks and ice.

[Mindy]

So no beef and cheese?

[Guy Raz]

No, man.

[Mindy]

So why do they call it Pan anyway?

[Guy Raz]

Oh, that's a great question, Mindy. Pan was named after a mythological God named Pan. Mindy, I know a lot of kids will have heard about Greek mythology. These are ancient stories that come from the country, Greece, and way back a long, long, long time ago. The ancient Greeks believed in many different gods which were a little like powerful superheroes. We don't generally believe in these gods today and we stories about them myths. But these stories were created to help humans make sense of the world around them, especially about things they didn't understand. So there were gods of the ocean and the skies and music and even wine. And Pan was the God of shepherds.

[Mindy]

But what does the God of shepherds have to do with Saturn?

[Guy Raz]

Ah, great question, Mindy. Well, Pan is known as a shepherd moon because just as a shepherd makes sure that the, the sheep don't get too far away from the flock and, you know, stay inside a closed off area. The shepherd moon is generally a moon that orbits a planet with rings like Saturn or Neptune. And these shepherd moons stay inside or very close to the rings. They don't stray. And so astronomers have compared these moons to shepherds, and thus they call them shepherd moons.

[Mindy]

Wow, that's a pretty cool explanation for how it got its name. Anyway, Guy Raz, I'm gonna head on down to the farmer's market and like a good shepherd, I'm gonna herd some empanadas right into my belly. You want one?

[Guy Raz]

Be Careful, Mindy. You know what they say.

[Mindy]

Yep. 12 empanadas a day keeps the doctor away or something like that.

[Dennis]

Reggie, we should make empanadas. Okay, hurry. Let's do a quick cooking segment. Ahem. Dish it up on a dish. Anything that you wish. Take a bite. That's delish. Dishing it up with Dennis and Reggie. Okay, empanadas, they're like a little pastry filled with cheese or meat or veggies or something like that. No, I don't have any pastry dough, but I do have half a bagel with cream cheese here. It's pretty much the same, I think. Just gonna scrape off the cream cheese. Okay, next is the fil. Do we have any beef? Oh, yeah, the beef jerky. Oh, wait, no. I ate that earlier. How about veggies? What? I thought there were some carrot sticks around here earlier. Okay, you ate those. How about cheese? Cheese, Cheese. Oh, right, the cream cheese I just scraped off the bagel a minute ago. Just going to smear that back on. And voila. A cheese empanada. Yeah, I guess you're right. It's just the same half bagel with cream cheese I started with. Oh, well, almost had it. Yeah. Better wrap up the show. Want to do the goodbye song? Okay, that's the end of the show. I have to go find a real empanada, 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]

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

[Mindy]

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