WeWow on the Weekend

Summary

Wow in the World – WeWow on the Weekend

Date: February 28, 2026
Hosts: Mindy Thomas, Guy Raz, Dennis, and Reggie the Giant Pigeon

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Episode Overview

In this energetic and science-packed WeWow on the Weekend episode, the Wow in the World crew blends science storytelling, humor, games, and audience interaction. Dennis, joined by his co-host Reggie, opens with listener Q&A and riddles, before Mindy and Guy Raz take center stage to dive deep—literally—into the dirt for a special relisten of the iconic “Ladies and Germs: Meet the Supervillain Superbugs!” episode. The show unpacks the fascinating history and urgent future of antibiotics, exploring how bacteria battle it out in the soil beneath our feet, and why superhero scientists hunt for new medicines to keep humanity safe from “superbugs.” The episode closes with a hand-washing power anthem and encourages listeners to look for their own “wow” moments in the garden!

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Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Show Opener and Listener Q&A with Dennis & Reggie

Timestamps: [00:41]–[06:17]

• Dennis kicks off with a “magical” card trick for Reggie, setting a playful tone.
• Q&A answering listeners’ silly, curious, and clever questions:
  • “Why am I missing one of every sock?” “Do fish get thirsty?” “Is cereal with milk breakfast soup?”
  • Notable riddle: “What time is it when an elephant sits on a fence?” Answer: “Time to fix the fence!” ([04:18])
• Friendship Quiz: Dennis asserts that you can have many best friends—including geese!
  • “Best friend is just a level of friendship. It goes strangers, acquaintances, regular old normal friends, close friends, then best friends. Oh, right. And goose friends.” ([04:51])
• Audience messages include fun with wordplay (“there’s an ant in your name, Grant!”) and a gentle reminder for kids to send in their own questions.

2. “Inside Tinkercast Studios” – Revisiting “Ladies and Germs: Supervillain Superbugs!”

Timestamps: [07:45]–[34:39]

A. Setting the Scene – Mindy, Guy Raz, and the World of Germs

[09:44]–[13:03]

• Mindy finds Guy Raz gardening in his lab coat.
• They introduce the wild world of bacteria living in the soil and even in—and on—us!
  • “There’s bacteria in my guts?” “Almost 29 trillion in you alone, Mindy.” ([12:01])
  • “29 trillion is 29 with 1, 2, 3, 4... 12 zeros after it.” ([12:24])

B. Bacteria: The Good, The Bad, The Moldy

[13:06]–[21:19]

• Bacteria can be “helpful” (yogurt-makers in your tummy), but some make us sick.
• Antibiotics: Introduced as the “bug fighters” we’ve used since the 1940s.
• History Time! Mindy’s “Home Theater” launches a comedic crash-course film on the invention of antibiotics:
  • “Dr. Alexander Fleming, a famous bacteriologist.” (after several tongue-twisted attempts: [17:48])
  • Fleming discovers penicillin accidentally when mold kills bacteria on a petri dish ([18:44]).
  • “Before the discovery of antibiotics, things as simple as a paper cut or a scraped knee could be deadly.” ([19:52])

C. The Race to Mass-Produce Penicillin

[21:20]–[24:31]

• Scientists need enormous amounts of mold to treat a single patient—“528 gallons...like three hot tubs worth of mold” ([23:03]).
• Enter the Cantaloupe!
  • “And growing on that cantaloupe is a very special kind of mold...produced 200 times as much penicillin!” ([23:50])
  • Technology leap: Scientists tinker with mold to produce enough antibiotics to treat lots of people.

D. The Rise of the Superbugs

[24:41]–[26:41]

• Superbugs introduced: bacteria that have evolved to resist antibiotics.
• “The smartest bugs, or at least the bugs that are winning the battle, are called superbugs, and they are what scientists call antibiotic resistant.” ([25:50])
• A future threat: If superbugs win, minor cuts could be deadly again, but “superhero scientists” are searching for new antibiotics.

E. Where Do We Find New Antibiotics? The Dirt!

[26:53]–[30:12]

• Modern scientists dig for answers in garden dirt, since “every day underneath our feet, millions of bacteria are clashing in epic microbial battles.”
  • “In just one ounce of dirt, there can be as many as 8.5 million different bacteria.” ([28:25])
• Scientists extract new “microbial weapons” to fight superbugs, one of which can defeat Streptococcus pneumoniae.

F. The Power of Handwashing (and a Catchy Song)

[30:33]–[34:39]

• While waiting for new antibiotics, handwashing is our best everyday weapon!
  • “Washing your hands is actually the best way to stop these bacterial infections in their tracks. We’ve even got the science to back it up.” ([30:33])
• Study Recap: People reminded to wash their hands got sick less than those who weren’t ([31:33]).
• Guy Raz reveals his “hand-washing” family crest: “Emundare manuum tuarem”—Latin for “wash your hands.” ([32:11])
• Guy debuts his “Hand Washing Pump Up Jam”:
  • “Put your right hand in and wash it around, get some soap in your left hand and go to town.” ([34:20])
• Both hosts encourage listeners to take action in their own homes and gardens.

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Memorable Quotes

• Dennis:
  • “Best friends forever. Yeah.” ([05:00])
  • “There’s probably tons of science going on in my flower beds!” ([35:01])
• Mindy:
  • “29 trillion in you alone, Mindy.” ([12:01])
  • “There could be a million more medical discoveries still waiting out there, some maybe even lurking right beneath our feet.” ([30:12])
• Guy Raz:
  • “Washing your hands is actually the best way to stop these bacterial infections in their tracks.” ([30:33])
  • “Put your right hand in and wash it around, get some soap in your left hand and go to town!” ([34:20])
• On antibiotics:
  • “Superhero scientists to the rescue!” ([26:34])
  • “Super drugs for superbugs.” ([29:54])

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Important Timestamps

• [00:41] Q&A segment with Dennis and Reggie
• [07:45] Dennis intro to relisten: “Ladies and Germs: Supervillain Superbugs!”
• [09:44] Mindy and Guy Raz begin the main story
• [17:07] Film about antibiotics: Fleming’s discovery
• [23:26] The cantaloupe breakthrough
• [25:50] Introduction of “superbugs” and antibiotic resistance
• [28:25] "8.5 million different bacteria in one ounce of dirt"
• [30:33] “Washing your hands is actually the best way to stop these bacterial infections in their tracks”
• [34:20] Hand washing song debut
• [35:01] Dennis’ wrap-up and call to action

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Takeaways & Listener Actions

• The world beneath our feet is a battlefield for bacteria, and soil is a potential gold mine for new antibiotics.
• Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem, but science is “on the case.”
• Handwashing with soap is a simple, powerful tool everyone can use to help fight germs and superbugs.
• Listeners can contribute to the conversation by submitting questions and looking for scientific WOWs in their own gardens.

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Tone & Style

• Highly playful, energetic, and full of puns and child-friendly humor.
• Conversational and interactive, mixing educational content with silly banter and songs.
• Empowers kids (and grown-ups) to see themselves as scientists on the lookout for discoveries.
• Reinforces community by encouraging young listeners’ participation and curiosity.

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If you missed the episode, this summary should equip you with all the highlights, facts, and fun, making you feel like you joined Dennis, Mindy, Guy Raz, and Reggie in their scientific adventure!

Transcript

[A]

Hey, Wowzer fams. Mindy and Guy Raz here. And before we start the show, we've got a little surprise for you. Reggie, cue the fanfare.

[B]

Starting this week, we've got brand new episodes of wow in the World.

[A]

Yep, that's right. Starting right here on our wow in the World podcast feed. And also our YouTube channel, WowTube. You can watch [e-mail].

[B]

well, what are we waiting for? Let's get back to the show.

[C]

Ah ah ah ah. 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. Wee wow on the weekend. Yeah, we wow on the weekend. Wee 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. Hey, Reggie, guess what? I learned a magic trick. Wanna see? Okay, watch this. Watch this. Ahem. Ladies and gentlemen, as you can see here, I have a perfectly ordinary deck of cards. Perfectly ordinary. What? I'm not talking weird, I'm talking like a magician. Now pick a card. Any card. Wait, no, not that one. Not that one either. Not that one. Oh, that's a great card. Actually. No, wait, not that way. Reggie, just pick this card. Okay, very good, sir. Memorize your card. Now put it back in the deck. No, Reggie, not in the middle. How am I supposed to find it in there? Just put it right on top. Okay, great. Now magic, Magic, magic. Hocus crocus. And is this your card? Ta da. Magic. Pretty impressive, right? Oh, whatever. You loved it. Okay, let's get into our first segment. The Q and A segment. Ahem. 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?

[A]

You?

[C]

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

[D]

Hi, Dennis and Reggie. My name is Ajara.

[C]

Hi, Ajara.

[D]

I can probably answer all your questions, depending on how many.

[A]

Bye.

[C]

Oh, finally, someone who can answer all my questions. Okay, ready? Reggie? Why am I missing one of every sock? Do fish get thirsty? What's that weird smell? Where exactly is Kokomo? Do you think clouds taste like anything? And finally, after you add milk to your breakfast cereal. Can it be Considered a type of breakfast soup. Okay, Azshara, call us back with the answers. Thanks.

[D]

Hi, Dennis. My name is Joshua and I live in Los Angeles, California.

[C]

Hi, Joshua.

[D]

I have a riddle for you. What time is it when an elephant sits on a fence?

[C]

Huh? What time is it when an elephant sits on a fence? Um, noon. No, wait. Five o'.

[A]

Clock.

[C]

Well, what time do elephants usually sit on fences? And why? Oh, right. It's a riddle. Okay. What time? What time? Um, fence 30.

[D]

Time for the answer. It's time to fix the fence. I hope you got it. Bye.

[C]

I get it. Because when the elephant sits on the fence, the fence then becomes a chair and it's not a fence anymore and you have to fix it. Good one, Joshua. Next question.

[D]

Hi, Dennis. My name is Cindy.

[C]

Hi, Cindy.

[D]

And my question is, are you and Reggie really best friends, or is Reggie one of Mindy's friends and you just follow them?

[C]

Of course we're best friends. Right, Reggie? Exactly. And Mindy and Guy are also our best friends. That's right, Reggie. You can have more than one best friend. It's totally allowed. Best friend is just a level of friendship. It goes strangers, acquaintances, regular old normal friends, close friends, then best friends. Oh, right. And goose friends. I forgot about Gary the goose. Best friends. So many best friends. Best friends forever. Yeah. Next question.

[D]

Hi, Dennis. I'm Grant and I'm from Houston, Texas.

[C]

Hi, Grant.

[D]

My question is, why can Anthony be upside down?

[C]

How can ants be upside down? Well, Grant, my Aunt Griselda's in the circus and she hangs upside down from a trapeze. Now, a trapeze is like a swing, and you have to hang upside down at times in order to. What, Reggie? What? Oh, you think Grant means ants, like bugs. Oh, okay. So how can those little buggy ants walk upside down on leaves and stuff? Oh, boy. I don't know, Grant. I don't know. Ants seem to just go wherever they want, whenever they want, upside down on my picnic blanket and. Ahem. I don't want to alarm you, Grant, but there's an ant in your name. Hope that helps. Thanks for all your questions, everyone. If you've got a question for me, call and leave me a message. The number 1, 8 8, 8, 7. Wow. Wow. I just might answer your question on wee wow on the weekend. Okay, that takes care of that. All right, 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 2, Episode 19 called Ladies and Germs Meet the Supervillain Superbugs. What? Ew. Superbugs, like flies that have telekinesis and shoot lasers out of their proboscis. Oh, superbugs like powerful germs. That's even worse.

[A]

Blech.

[C]

Why can't Mindy and Guy Raz ever do an episode that's like the Science of Grapefruit Scented Hand Soap or Adventures in Staying Home and Reorganizing the Tea Cabinet? Okay, fine. We'll listen to the germisode. All right, here we go. And play wee.

[A]

Wow will be right back. Grown Ups, this message is for you.

[E]

Hey, Grown Ups. Spring is right around the corner. And as schedules fill up with activities and travel, let IXL help you stay on top of your child's learning. IXL is an award winning online learning platform that fits seamlessly into homeschooling. It offers interactive practice in math, language arts, science and social studies for grades Pre K through 12th. IXL offers personalized learning for every child and gives parents clear insight into their progress at Tinkercast. Making learning fun is our bread and butter. So we love that IXL has games, awards and celebrations to keep students motivated and engaged. Make an impact on your child's learning. Get IXL now and WOW in the world. Listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com wow. Visit ixl.com wow to get the most effective learning program out there at the best price.

[A]

Hello, it's me, Carly Q. From who When Wow Mystery Edition. And I have big news to share. I've learned a lot on my time traveling adventures over the years, like what to pack when you're traveling to Victorian England or the must try foods when you're visiting the Viking age. Spoiler alert. The food is pretty good, but they don't have pie yet, which is a bummer. I can't wait to share my time travel tips and tricks with you all. You can listen to my new bite sized episodes in the who When Wow Podcast feed now. Looks like lunch break is over. That's it. Now back to the show.

[B]

Ah, what a beautiful day for a little gardening. Let me just turn on my old garden hose here. There we go. Some for you, Miss Petunia. And for you, Mr. Hydrangea. Oh, we're thirsty today, aren't we? Oh, hey. Good morning, Mindy. Watch out for them ho.

[A]

Morning, Guy. Raz.

[B]

Are you okay, Mindy Yeah, I'll be fine.

[A]

I think my harmonica broke my fall.

[B]

Your harmonica?

[A]

Yeah. Let me just. Yep, still pitch perfect. So whatcha doing out here? Little medical research?

[B]

Medical research? No, Mindy, I'm just doing some light gardening.

[E]

Look.

[B]

Look here. Everything is in bloom. I've got some hydrangeas.

[A]

Nice.

[B]

I've got some tulips.

[A]

Ooh, such friendly flowers.

[B]

There's some orchids.

[A]

Ooh la la.

[B]

But that. That donut tree you planted earlier this year still hasn't sprouted.

[A]

Huh. Well, do you remember what kind of Cheerios we used?

[B]

I think it was whole wheat.

[A]

Oh, well, there you go. Whole wheat Cheerios always bloom late.

[B]

Well, if you say so. Hey, wait a minute. Why did you think I was doing medical research?

[A]

Well, my first clue was that white lab coat you're wearing.

[B]

Mindy, I always wear a lab coat when I garden.

[A]

Of course you do. But second of all, I was just reading this new scientific study that says that the next medical breakthrough could be found in the dirt beneath our feet.

[B]

The dirt beneath our feet? You mean like. Like this stuff?

[A]

Yep. Living inside that handful of dirt are millions of tiny microscopic life forms called bacteria.

[B]

Ah, yes, of course. Bacteria. Bacteria are those tiny little organisms that live almost everywhere on Planet Earth, from our oceans to the soil, even in our own guts.

[A]

What? Hold the phone, Guy Raz.

[B]

Huh?

[A]

There's bacteria in my guts?

[B]

Almost 29 trillion in you alone, Mindy.

[A]

20. 29 trillion. Hang on a second. I gotta write this down. Okay, now, let's see here. Carry the one. Okay, no, wait, I got it. 29 trillion is 29, with 1, 2, 3, 412 zeros after it.

[B]

Exactly. And 29 trillion bacteria live inside of you. And another 29 trillion live inside of me and everyone else and so on.

[A]

Whoa.

[B]

Bacteria comes in all shapes and sizes, too. Sometimes they're helpful.

[A]

Oh, yeah? Like how bacteria can help turn milk into yogurt.

[B]

Right. Or some of the bacteria in our guts that help keep us healthy.

[A]

That's nice of them.

[B]

But there are some bacteria that are bad for us. And these kinds of bacteria often infect us with diseases and can make us sick.

[A]

How dare you. Bacteria.

[B]

But since the 1940s, we've been using a special type of medicine called antibiotics to help us fight off these nasty bacterial bugs.

[A]

Right, Antibiotics. That's what this new research is about.

[B]

Oh, really?

[A]

Really. But first, I think we need a crash course in antibiotics. And, Guy Raz, this crash course in antibiotics will give me the opportunity I've been waiting for to try out my new home. Theater system?

[B]

Home theater system.

[A]

Oh, yeah, Reggie helped me set it up last weekend. 5.1 surround sound, 4K display. There's even a machine that shoots popcorn right into your mouth.

[B]

That's a real time saver.

[A]

You're telling me. Come on, let's go.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Walk.

[B]

Why do you always do that, Mindy?

[A]

What?

[B]

Talk to yourself as you walk. Oh, well. Or run or basically do anything.

[A]

Well, how else would I know what I was doing? Okay, here we are. Just need to kick in the door here.

[B]

Yo, Mindy. You could probably save yourself a lot of time from having to bake a new gingerbread door every few days if you just stopped kicking them all in.

[A]

Well, the last time I ate my way through the door, I got sick.

[B]

So where's this brand new home theater of yours?

[A]

Right this way. Just follow me, Guy Raz. Oh, hey, before we start, you want a snack for the movie?

[B]

Movie? Wait a minute. What does a movie have to do with antibiotics?

[A]

Oh, it came with the system.

[B]

What did?

[A]

The entire history of antibiotics.

[B]

The entire history of antibiotics came with your home theater system.

[A]

I know, Crazy coincidence, huh?

[B]

You can say that again.

[A]

Crazy coincidence, Mindy. Okay, so you want a movie snack or what?

[B]

Uh, do you have any kale chips?

[A]

Uh, no kale chips, but I can scoop some mayonnaise into a cone for ya.

[B]

Uh, no thanks.

[A]

Uh, okay, let me see here. Oh, I got some gravy to munch

[B]

on during the movie.

[A]

You don't munch on gravy during a movie, Guy Raz.

[B]

Huh?

[A]

You suck it through a straw.

[B]

Uh, I think I'll pass on the movie snacks, Mindy.

[A]

Suit yourself. More for me. Okay, Guy Raz, now I just need you to squeeze right through that door and then you'll be in my home theater. Okay?

[B]

Through that doggy door.

[A]

Well, it's only a doggie door if you have a dog, which I do not. So come on, you can get through there. You're small. Just take a deep breath and squeeze your way through. Okay, I'll be right behind you. Okay. Tighter squeeze than I thought. I'm gonna give you a little shove.

[B]

What?

[A]

Ready? On the count of three. One, two, three. And do it. Come on. Just keep on pushing. Just keep. See, that wasn't too bad. Alright, coming in right behind you, Mindy. So what do you think of my home theater? Whoa.

[B]

You could fit like 300 people in here.

[A]

Yeah, first I thought maybe it's a little too much, but then Reggie was like, please, I want to have all my friends over to watch some old Movie called the Birds. And I was like, this is for the birds. Okay, fine, Reggie, you always get your way.

[B]

This is so cool. Mindy. Mindy.

[A]

I'm back here. Guy Raz in the projector booth. Somebody's gotta run this bad boy.

[B]

Oh, right.

[A]

Okay. Just gonna boot up the old projector here. There should be in business now. Okay. Hello, and welcome to the Grandma GeForce Theater. Thank you for joining us today. For updates on upcoming movies, special deals, and Disney on food, please ask one of our attendants for information on how to sign up for our. Okay, fine. Tonight's film will be Antibiotics. A History with running commentary from yours truly.

[B]

Running commentary.

[A]

So sit back and relax as we take you through the history of molecular medicine. The year is 1928, and Dr. Alexander Fleming, a famous bacterial ologamist.

[D]

Huh?

[A]

No, a famous bacteriologist.

[B]

What the.

[A]

Wait. Bacterial burst. Bacterial allergist. Practice this word all night. Hang on a second. Guy Raz. Dr. Alexander Fleming, a famous bacteria. Baca bacula.

[B]

Are you trying to say bacteriologist?

[A]

Ugh. Get raw. As I had it that time.

[B]

But you did mean a bacteriologist, right? A scientist who studies bacteria.

[A]

Yeah, that's what I was trying to say.

[C]

Who cares? Start the movie.

[B]

Ah. Who is that?

[A]

Sorry. Okay, back to the film. When Alexander returned home from his summer vacation.

[C]

Ah, how I do enjoy the Scottish moors.

[A]

He found that his lab was a complete mess.

[C]

This lab is a complete mess.

[A]

And there he discovered that a mold called Penicillium notatum had contaminated or poisoned all of his petri dishes.

[C]

Oh, no. My petri dishes.

[B]

And many petri dishes are those little disciplines of plastic or glass that scientists put bacteria and other things on so they can look at them under the microscope.

[A]

You got it, Guy Raz. And when he put one of these moldy petri dishes under the microscope, he noticed that the penicillium mold had completely stopped the growth of the bacteria that he already had on that petri dish.

[B]

And what type of. What bacteria was that, Mindy?

[A]

It was a bacteria called staphylococci.

[B]

Ah, staphylococci, Mindy, isn't that a deadly disease?

[A]

Well, technically, it's a big family of bacteria, Guy Raz. And just like in most families, there are some members that are totally fine, but others, well, let's just say they're the kinds that can be a little cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs, if you know what I mean.

[B]

You mean like your Aunt Mojo?

[A]

Yeah, but unlike my Aunt Mojo, these guys don't stay out singing karaoke till three in the morning. Instead, they cause all kinds of problems for us humans, Everything from food poisoning to skin infections.

[B]

Oh, boy.

[A]

But you're right. They can sometimes turn deadly. Especially before Alexander Fleming's discovery.

[B]

I can imagine, because before the discovery of antibiotics, things as simple as a paper cut or a scraped knee could be deadly. Because open wounds could let infectious bacteria like staphylococci. Exactly.

[A]

Which is why Alexander Fleming's discovery was such a huge deal.

[B]

So what happened next?

[A]

Well, he spent the next few months just toiling away, creating more and more of this penicillium mold. Toil, toil, toil, toil, toil, toil, toil, toil. And eventually, he discovered that this mold could be used to create medicine that could not only stop staphylococci, but all sorts of other infectious bacterial diseases as

[B]

well, creating the world's first antibiotic medicine. I call it penicillin. Fascinating.

[A]

But that's not the end the of of the story.

[B]

It isn't?

[A]

Not even close. Now, let me just find the fast forward button here. Oh, here it is.

[B]

Wait a minute. Mindy, when you said you had the entire history of antibiotics, I didn't think you meant you literally had the entire 100 years on tape.

[A]

Oh, yeah, I got everything from that day. Alexander Fleming found a worm in his apple.

[C]

Yuck.

[B]

There's a worm in my apple.

[A]

To us talking about antibiotics in your backyard just a few minutes ago.

[B]

What? Mindy, I always wear a lab coat when I garden.

[A]

Of course you do. But secondly. Whoops, too far. Let me just hit the rewind button here. We need to stop at around 1941 there.

[B]

Right this way, sir. Righty o.

[A]

Very good.

[B]

Huh? Who's that, Mindy?

[A]

Oh, that Guy Raz is Dr. Howard Florey. He's just showing Mr. Albert Alexander into his lab.

[B]

Oh, Albert Alexander. I know him. He's the first person who was ever treated with antibiotics.

[A]

You know it. He got pricked by a rose thorn in his garden, and then his cut got infected with staphylococci.

[B]

The bacteria from Fleming's lab.

[A]

Yeah, and even though Alexander Fleming had been able to combat small microscopic doses of staphylococci in his lab, to treat a whole person, that would take a lot more mold.

[C]

Oh, my cheese and whiskers. What on earth is going on here? Well.

[B]

Oh, my gosh, Mindy, look at Flory's lab. It's covered in bottles and flasks and tubes of. Wait, wait, what is that?

[A]

That, my friend, is beautiful. 100% organic, certified fresh mold mold Mindy, that's disgusting.

[B]

And look, Flori's lab is completely covered in the stuff.

[A]

I know, right? Turns out you need 2000 liters or 528 gallons of mold just to get enough penicillin to treat one person.

[B]

528 gallons? Mindy, that's like three hot tubs worth of mold.

[A]

Yep, and all for just one guy or gal. So obviously, they had to find a better way to make this much penicillin.

[B]

Obviously.

[A]

And that better way came in the form of. Of a cantaloupe.

[B]

A cantaloupe.

[A]

Yep. And for this, we're gonna need to fast forward again to 1941.

[B]

Hey, who's that walking into Flory's lab now?

[A]

Oh, that's his laboratory assistant, Mary Hunt. And look, she's just returned from the market with a cantaloupe. I got that cantaloupe you asked Wal, sir.

[B]

Ah, just in time for.

[A]

And growing on that cantaloupe is a very special kind of mold.

[B]

Ah, more mold.

[A]

More mold. Guy Raz. But the fungus found in this mold produced 200 times as much penicillin as that fungus Alexander Fleming discovered.

[B]

Wow, that's a lot of mold.

[A]

And that's not even the best part. With a little bit of tiny tinkering. Tinker, tinker, tinker, tinker, tinker. They were able to make this fungus produce 1000 times as much penicillin as Alexander Fleming's original discovery.

[B]

So that means they were now able to make enough of it to treat people.

[A]

Exact oritos. Guy Raz. And as they say, the rest is antibiotic history.

[C]

Wow.

[B]

What a movie. And you know what? It gets me thinking.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

Since that first antibiotic penicillin made its way to our hospitals almost 80 years ago, we've made so many more medical discoveries and developed a whole bunch more antibiotics.

[A]

Yeah. And so much so that when people have access to doctors and medicine, bacterial infections are pretty much a thing of the past. I mean, nobody freaks out about getting a deadly infection. Infection from a paper cut anymore.

[B]

And it's probably also made surgery a lot safer too. Hey, Mindy, what are you doing?

[A]

Much better. Man, it was so cramped in there.

[B]

So, Mindy, as much as I enjoyed the movie, I still don't understand what any of this has to do with my gardening.

[A]

Oh, right. So as much as these antibiotics have helped us keep these nasty bacterial bugs away.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Well, these bugs have basically spent the last 80 years getting smarter and learning new ways to fight back.

[B]

The bacterial bugs are trying to fight the antibiotics.

[A]

Oh, yeah, and the smartest bugs, or at least the bugs that are winning the battle, are called superbugs. And they are what scientists call antibiotic resistant.

[B]

Antibiotic resistant?

[A]

Yeah, which is basically just a fancy way of saying that antibiotic medicine doesn't always work against these bacterial infections anymore.

[B]

Oh, that's right. And I was reading that some scientists are concerned that if more and more of these bugs become antibiotic resistant, then we'll soon go back to a world like the one before Fleming's discovery.

[A]

Yeah, a world where a paper cut could be deadly.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

But have no fear, Guy Raz. Superhero scientists to the rescue.

[B]

Phew.

[A]

These super scientists, men and women, are on the case, searching high and low for new antibiotics to fight these new superbugs. Huh.

[B]

Well, where are they searching?

[A]

Well, you know that dirt in your backyard?

[B]

Scientists are looking for the next big antibiotic in the dirt in my backyard?

[A]

Well, I mean, not just the dirt in your backyard, but dirt everywhere.

[B]

Wait a minute.

[A]

You know what? Let's head back out to your backyard and I'll show you. Plus, I think I hear the cleaning crew is about to come in.

[B]

Yep, looks like it's time to get out of here.

[A]

Walk, walk, walk, walk. After you.

[B]

Thank you very much. Ah, back in my beautiful, pristine, well kept antibiotic farm. Well, I was gonna say horticultural display, but.

[A]

But nothing. Guy Raz, you are currently standing on a potential gold mine of medical wonders.

[B]

But, Mindy, all I see here is my beautiful flower display and those pogo sticks you and Reggie left. I told you not to leave pogo sticks in my backyard anymore.

[A]

Oh, so that's where we left them.

[B]

Well, anyway, I don't see any antibiotics or mold anywhere.

[A]

Well, the antibiotics that we're looking for aren't gonna be found in some gross mold, Guy Raz.

[B]

They're not? Nope.

[A]

They'd be found in some gross dirt in my flower.

[B]

Dirt.

[A]

Exactoritos. And like I said earlier, there are trillions of bacteria living inside this dirt. In fact, in just one ounce of dirt, there can be as many as 8.5 million different bacteria.

[B]

Wow, 8.5 million. That's like the entire population of New York City living in this tiny morsel of dirt.

[A]

And guess what?

[B]

What, Mindy?

[A]

Those bacteria are at war. That's right. Every day underneath our feet, millions of bacteria are clashing in epic microbial battles. And each of these microbes uses a different type of microbial weapon to fight the others.

[B]

Oh, yikes.

[A]

And some of these bacteria are the ones that. That spread infectious diseases and make us sick.

[B]

Ha. And so I'm guessing that these scientists are studying how these warring bacteria defeat each other so they can try to use that same technique in hospitals. Right.

[A]

Right. These superhero scientists are trying to take the weapons that the good bacteria is using against the bad infectious bacteria.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

And then use these weapons to defend ourselves the next time the bad bacteria decides to infect a human.

[B]

Huh. So how did they do it?

[A]

Well, after inspecting soil samples sent in from other scientists from all over the world, the team was able to extract or take out 10,000 new microbial weapons that could potentially be used to fight superbugs.

[B]

Super drugs for superbugs.

[A]

Yep. And one of these microbial weapons that they were able to get from these dirt samples has proven to knock out a nasty superbug called Streptococcus pneumoniae.

[B]

So I guess there's hope for the future of medicine after all.

[A]

I mean, just think about it, Guy Raz. There could be a million more medical discoveries still waiting out there, some maybe even lurking right beneath our feet. Feet.

[B]

You're absolutely right, Mindy. But, you know, in the meantime, there's a much more effective and potentially cheaper way to combat antibiotic resistance.

[A]

Really?

[B]

How? Well, it may seem like a pretty simple thing, Mindy, but washing your hands is actually the best way to stop these bacterial infections in their tracks. We've even got the science to back it up.

[A]

Battling bacteria with soap and water, baby, could do that.

[B]

Yeah. In fact, researchers at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom recently conducted a huge survey where they divided 20,000 people into two groups. And one group was told to go to a website that encouraged them to wash their hands.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And that website would remind the people in that group about the benefits of washing hands and the dangers of not washing your hands.

[A]

Huh. And so what happened?

[B]

Well, three years later, the researchers went back to that group and compared them with another group that never saw the website at all.

[A]

So what did these researchers find?

[B]

Well, they found that the group that was reminded to wash its hands, the people in that group didn't get sick as often as the people in the other group that weren't washing their hands.

[A]

Like less cold flu and all those other infections we get.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

But do we know exactly why?

[B]

Well, I'm glad you asked. Mindy.

[A]

Uh, Guy Raz, what are you doing?

[B]

I'm just getting out my PowerPoint.

[A]

You made a PowerPoint presentation for this?

[B]

Well, I'm really into hand washing.

[A]

Yeah, I can tell.

[B]

It's even on my family crests.

[A]

What?

[B]

Check it out. It's on this Patch on my shirt here.

[A]

Let me see. Emundare manuum tuarem. What? It's Latin for wash your hands. Got it.

[B]

Okay, let me just finish getting set up here. Boot up the projector, man. There we go. Okay, where was I? Oh, right, right. The three benefits of hand washing. Number one.

[A]

Oh, boy.

[B]

It stops us from catching infections from the people around us. Number two.

[A]

You said number two.

[B]

Number two, it stops the people around us from catching any infections we might have. And number three, if you don't get an infection, that means you don't. You don't have to visit a doctor, which saves you.

[A]

So what you're saying is that our hands are like a highway that infections use to travel, and hand washing with soap is the big roadblock we need.

[B]

Spoken like a true member of the hand washing society.

[A]

So there's something that all of us can do to help defeat these nasty superbugs.

[B]

That's right. I even put it into a song. Man. Now there's a. I was so impressed with your gratitude appreciation song last year.

[A]

Thank you. Thank you.

[B]

Hot now, Jed.

[A]

Sorry so much. Aw, I was about to launch into the good part.

[B]

Well, I thought I'd make up my own song for hand washing.

[D]

Aw.

[A]

Well, look at you, you little show pony. I knew I'd rub off on you eventually.

[B]

Look, do you want to hear it or not? Mindy?

[A]

Guy Raz, there is literally nothing I'd rather hear more in this moment than your hand washing. Pump up jam.

[B]

Okay, well, let me just get out my boombox here.

[A]

Man, you sure do keep a lot of tech out here in your backyard.

[B]

And here we go. All right, here we go. Put your right hand in and wash it around. Get some soap in your left hand and go to town.

[A]

All right. Yeah, Kind of hand Washington I can really get into.

[B]

Put your right hand in and wash it all around. Get some soap in your left hand and go to town.

[A]

Guy Raz, you show that bacteria who's boss.

[C]

Wow, that was so cool, Reggie. There could be a new medical breakthrough hiding in the dirt. Well, I have dirt. Yeah, out back in the garden. There's probably tons of science going on in my flower beds. We need to go look right now. Let me get my gardening gloves and a microscope and my big floppy sun hat.

[B]

Oh, right.

[C]

Let's wrap up the show first. Ahem. 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 1-8887 wow. Wow. I just might answer your question on Wee Wow on the waken. Okay. Should we do the goodbye song? Good. That's the end of the show. I need to go and look for signs in the dirt. But I'll do another show tomorrow. But for now, that's the end of the show.

[A]

Bye.