WeWow on the Weekend

Summary

Wow in the World: "WeWow on the Weekend"

Podcast: Wow in the World
Episode Date: May 2, 2026
Hosts: Mindy Thomas & Guy Raz (with Dennis & Reggie for WeWow)
Episode Theme: Science, curiosity, and listener interaction—behind-the-scenes fun with a special highlight on “Ricequake,” a quirky, food-themed science story.

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Episode Overview

This episode of "WeWow on the Weekend," part of the Wow in the World universe, balances listener Q&A, playful banter, and an immersive relisten to a classic Wow in the World segment, connecting science learning with humor and creative storytelling. The featured science topic: how a real research study using breakfast cereal (puffed rice) helps scientists predict collapses in natural structures, like ice shelves!

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Welcome and Weekend Vibes

[03:25]

• Dennis, the host, returns with upbeat energy and a catchy “WeWow on the Weekend” song, setting a playful, friendly tone.
• Reggie the pigeon co-host is just back from vacation in Antarctica, sparking a chat about types of vacations and penguins.

2. Listener Questions & Silly Science

[05:53]

• Hot Dog Eating Contest ([06:07]):
  • Listener Ellie asks who would win a hot dog eating contest: Dennis or Reggie?
  • Dennis declares Reggie would win, explaining bird anatomy:
    • “You swallow it whole and use your gizzard to grind it up. Your gizzard, Reggie. It’s a little organ that you have in your body that I don’t have in mine. And it’s not fair. I want a gizzard.” – Dennis ([06:22])
  • Dennis prefers to savor his corn dog: “They have a je ne sais corn about them.”
• Dare to Listen ([07:18]):
  • Ethan challenges Dennis to listen to his own show, inducing a meta, comedic segment where Dennis listens to old WeWow episodes and almost breaks the space-time continuum in the process.

3. Featured Science Segment: “Ricequake” – A Tinkercast Revisit

[09:10] – [27:31]

• The show-within-a-show is a parody of Hollywood awards season:
  • Mindy and Guy Raz host the food-themed “Nom Nom Awards.”
  • Playful puns abound: Marinara red carpet, “A Star is Corn,” “Isle of Hot Dogs,” and “Spoonlight.”
• Main Science Focus: Real Research Behind “Ricequake”
  • The story revolves around a study by researchers at University of Sydney:
    • Scientists used puffed rice cereal (Rice Crunchies) in the lab to simulate porous natural materials, like ice shelves and natural dams.
    • When pressure and liquid were applied, entire layers of the rice cereal collapsed—this was termed a “ricequake.”
  • Memorable Edutainment:
    • “Rice Crunchies are also a porous material. And unlike dams or Antarctic ice shelves, they're small enough and cheap enough to bring into the lab.” – Guy Raz ([22:14])
    • Using cereal helps researchers model how natural dams or ice shelves may collapse under pressure.
    • “By adjusting their timescale from a few seconds to a few years, these researchers are hoping this model ... can be used to predict bigger collapses like the ones you were talking about.” – Guy Raz ([26:32])
  • The episode highlights how ordinary kitchen items can help answer big scientific questions.

4. Science Humor, Puns, and Award Show Banter

[13:19] – [25:04]

• The parody award show features nominees like:
  • Toast Busters: “Looks like we’ve got a Category 5 sourdough. Give it to the proton toaster. … There’s lactic acid everywhere!” – Dennis ([19:44])
  • Peter Pancakes: “Oh, but Peter, I don’t want to grow up and replace my chocolate with bananas and my maple syrup with organically sourced local honey.” – Mindy ([20:07])
  • Rice Quake wins the award; Snap, Crackle, and Pop accept on behalf of science.
• Notable Dialogue:
  • “It sounds like the real award here should go to science.” – Guy Raz ([26:53])
  • “That’s so cheesy, Guy Raz. It should have had a NOM nomination in tonight’s dairy category.” – Mindy ([26:59])

5. Wrapping Up and Listener Involvement

[27:31] – [29:18]

• Dennis imagines watching real ice shelves collapse while in a snowsuit, combining pretend play with science learning.
• Invitation for listeners to call in talents for an audio-based talent show: “...if your talent needs to be seen, you’ll just have to describe it.”
• Show ends with a playful goodbye song, encouraging ongoing curiosity and engagement.

6. Family Shoutouts

[29:18] – [31:17]

• Mindy and Guy Raz read names of supporters and fans from around the world, expressing gratitude and fostering a sense of community.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “You swallow it whole and use your gizzard to grind it up. … Your gizzard, Reggie. … And it’s not fair. I want a gizzard.” – Dennis ([06:22])
• “Ethan dared us, Reggie. We have to do it.” – Dennis, on being dared to listen to his own show ([07:28])
• “It’s a Pop Tart with a peanut! Oh no. Come back.” – Mindy, joking about inventions ([11:45])
• “They have a je ne sais corn about them.” – Dennis, on corn dogs ([06:50])
• “By adjusting their timescale from a few seconds to a few years, these researchers are hoping this model … can be used to understand and predict bigger collapses like the ones you were talking about.” – Guy Raz ([26:32])
• “It sounds like the real award here should go to science.” – Guy Raz ([26:53])
• “That’s so cheesy, Guy Raz. It should have had a NOM nomination in tonight’s dairy category.” – Mindy ([26:59])

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Important Segments & Timestamps

• [03:25] – Weekend intro & Reggie returns from Antarctica
• [05:53] – Ellie’s Hot Dog Eating Contest Q&A
• [07:18] – Ethan dares Dennis to listen to WeWow
• [09:10] – Feature: “Ricequake” segment from Wow in the World
• [13:26] – On-air “Nom Nom Awards” food/award show parody begins
• [17:06] – More food puns, guests arrive at the ceremony
• [22:06] – Scientific explanation: Why use rice cereal to model natural structures?
• [25:19] – Details of the Ricequake experiment
• [27:31] – Segment ends; Dennis and Reggie react, show wrap-up
• [29:18] – Family shoutouts and credits

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Episode Takeaways

• The episode brilliantly melds imaginative storytelling with real-world science, demonstrating how even breakfast cereal can teach us about Earth's changing ice and water landscapes.
• Storytelling, puns, and listener involvement keep science accessible and fun—fueling family curiosity and discovery.
• The WeWow format breaks the wall between hosts and audience, inviting questions, dares, and talents from kids everywhere.

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Tone and Style

The episode is energetic, imaginative, and filled with humor, puns, and direct engagement with the family audience—true to the Wow in the World brand of mixing "laughter with learning, curiosity with innovation."

Transcript

[A]

Hey, Wowzer, fams. Mindy here. And before we start the show, guess what? The brand new season of two what's in a People who Wow Edition begins this Friday. Cue the confetti, Reg. In this Getting to Know youw game show, I'll be visited by some of the world's most fascinating people to get the wows and the what's of their lives. From cartoonist and graphic novelist Raina Telgemeier of the Smile series, to everyday extraordinary kids just like you. And that's not all. With this new season of two what's in a wow? There are now two ways to wow. What am I talking about? Well, first, you can listen to episodes right here in our wow. In the World podcast feed. Or. And this is a big or. Yeah, you're right, Reg. That doesn't have the same ring to it. Okay, now where was I? Oh, yeah. As always, you can listen to new episodes in your favorite podcast player, or you can watch these episodes with your eyeballs on YouTube. I know. I should comb my hair or something. We are so excited for you to listen and watch our new season of two once in a while, People who Wow Edition starting this Friday. So make sure you're subscribed to our podcast feed and our WowTube channel on YouTube so you don't miss out. That's two what's in a People who Wow Edition coming this Friday. But in the meantime, let's get back to the show. Hey, Grown Ups Mindy here. And do I have a wow for you. What if I told you that the best kids math program is actually inspired by comic books and it's about monsters? It's called Beast Academy. And the little monsters, like Grog, do the kind of math that gives kids curious enough to stop and think and figure things out for themselves. For example, Krog asked his Beast Academy math club, if our school has more than 366 kids in it, is it guaranteed that two of them will have exactly the same birthday? He proved that the answer is yes. Through problem solving.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

That's Beast Academy. Where kids build problem solving skills through interesting problems and puzzles. It's from the folks at Art of Problem Solving, the same people who train math champions. Grown ups. Head to beastacademy.com and use code BEASTWOW for 10% off the online program. Oh, and tell Grog Mindy says hi. Who's that walking through the woods? Wyatt's Yoshi, here to explore a world of curious creatures with you. Discovered a creature you haven't seen before. Why don't you get Yoshi to see what it tastes like? Hmm. Soapy. No wonder this creature blows giant bubbles so big they can carry you. You jump from one bubble to another and reach new areas. There are plenty more surprises to discover too. Bowser Jr. What are you doing out here? You can jump into adventure with Yoshi and The Mysterious Book. May 21, only on Nintendo Switch 2. Game Rated E for everyone.

[C]

Ah 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. 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. Clap clap me wow on the weekend. Cause this is what we do on the weekend. Hello and welcome to We Wow on the Weekend. I'm your host, Dennis, and that pigeon you hear in your ear is my co host, Reggie, right, who is in fact a pigeon. This is the show where we chit chat and answer questions from our fans and listen to Tinkercast podcasts. Hey, Reggie, I haven't seen you around lately. Where you been? On vacation. Wow, cool. Where'd you go on vacation, Reggie? Antarctica.

[A]

What?

[C]

Reggie, vacations are for being on the beach with sunglasses and big floppy hats, not for being called at the South Pole. Oh, this wasn't a beach vacation. It was an adventure vacation. Well, I forgot there are different types of vacations. So what did you do in Antarctica? You hung out with penguins? I love penguins. They're so cute. Yeah, I love how they waddle around and slide on their bellies and look like they're wearing little tuxedos. Did you wear a tuxedo and slide around on your belly like a penguin?

[A]

Aw.

[C]

You gave the penguins a ride on your back and flew them around because they can't fly even though they have wings. Reggie, that's so sweet, but I'm glad you're back because we have a show to do. That's right. We need to hear from our devoted listeners with a 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 WEWOW 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.

[A]

Hi, Dennis, my name is Ellie and I live in York, Pennsylvania.

[C]

Hi, Ellie.

[A]

My question is if you were to have a hot Dog eating contest. Who would win? Reggie or Dennis, if we were to

[C]

have a hot dog eating contest, who would win, Reggie or me? Good question, Ellie. Definitely Reggie would win. Because, Reggie, you eat a lot of hot dogs. Yes, you do. Whenever you go to New York City to visit your cousins, you end up eating a bunch of hot dogs off the sidewalk together. And you don't even really chew your food. You swallow it whole and use your gizzard to grind it up. Your gizzard, Reggie. It's a little organ that you have in your body that I don't have in mine. And it's not fair. I want a gizzard. So if we had a contest, you'd be gizzarding hot dogs one after the other, and I'd be chewing them all slow with my human mouth. Also, I don't really like hot dogs. No, I prefer fully cooked sausage, like bologna logs or a pig in a blanket. Oh, yeah, or a corn dog. I love corn dogs. They have a je ne sais corn about them. No, Reggie, I don't want to have a corn dog eating race. I want to savor my corn dog as I walk around the fair or a theme park. And then I want to ride the Ferris wheel. Next question.

[A]

This is Ethan.

[C]

Hi, Ethan.

[A]

Dennis, how come you never, ever have listened to an episode of Wee Wow on the weekend? I dare you to do a few episodes of listening to Wee Wow on the weekend.

[C]

Oh, great idea, Ethan. Of course it's a great idea, Reggie. Ethan dared us, Reggie. We have to do it. Okay, 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 doing Ethan's idea where we listen to Wee Wow on the weekend. Okay, let's see what we got. Hit it, Reggie. Huh? I guess we could sing a song. I've got a keyboard here.

[A]

Oh, wow.

[C]

Reggie. This is from the first episode of Wewo on the Weeknd.

[B]

Reggie.

[C]

Okay, let's fast forward and play. What's my superhero name gonna be? Oh, oh, oh. This is from last year. I remember this. That still has my name in it. It's not secret enough. This is fun. Let's go forward again. Mega. And play. And play. Uh, what's this? What's this? It's from right now. Reggie, quit talking. It's hurting my brain. It's gonna rip a hole in the space time continuum. I don't want to Be a paradox, Reggie.

[A]

Stop it.

[C]

Stop it, Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it.

[A]

Stop it. Stop.

[C]

That was close and weird. Ethan. That was a horrible idea.

[A]

Muah. Ha ha ha ha.

[C]

Oh, Ethan was pranking us. Good one, Ethan. Okay, now let's revisit an episode of one of my favorite Tinkercast shows, that's Not Wee Wow. On the weekend. And today we're listening to wow in the world. Season 3, episode 5015 called. And the winner is. Ricequake. Ricequake? What's a rice quake? Is it like when the ground shakes and opens up into a bottomless pit of rice cakes? Rice cakes, Reggie, you know, those little round discs that taste like packing peanuts? Okay, fine. Then what is a rice quake? Alright, well, just listen to the episode. Sheesh. Okay, here we go. And play.

[A]

Wee wow will be right back.

[C]

Grown ups.

[A]

This message is for you yellow grownups.

[C]

Jett Anderson here from Tinkercast. I got a question for you. How does your household manage to keep track of everything? I mean, really. I want to know. Because after a day of producing another episode of wow. In the World and keeping track of all the crazy characters, the voices, I then have to keep track of all the crazy characters at home. That is why I can't wait to get a Skylight calendar. It's an all in one digital smart calendar that syncs with Google Calendar, Outlook and more. And it gives you and your kids the perfect customized view of everyone's events, chores, and to dos so that nothing slips through the cracks. Families are better when they're working together. Right now, Skylight is offering our listeners $30 off their 15 inch calendars by going to myskylight.com wowintheworld go to myskylight.com wowIntheWor for $30 off your 15 inch calendar. That's my S K Y L I g h t.com wowintheworld that's it.

[A]

Now back to the show.

[C]

Rolling on two. Can we get a level check on Mr. Raz, please?

[B]

Ha. This is so exciting, Mindy.

[A]

I know. The last time I saw this many cameras in one room was when I held that press conference for my latest invention last week. What I'm unveiling today is not a revolutionary new form of renewable energy like I had told you, but I think you'll find it just as impressive. Ladies and gentlemen, introducing the Pop Tart party.

[C]

Peanut. Oh no. Come back.

[A]

You don't understand. It's a pop Tart with a. Mindy,

[B]

I still can't believe that one of those reporters actually worked for the all you can eat network. And they asked you to host the television broadcast of this year's nom nom awards.

[A]

And I can't believe you agreed to host it with me.

[B]

Are you kidding me? Mindy? I love the nom nom awards. I watch it every year.

[A]

The glitz, the mountains, and mountains of free food. Don't mind if I do.

[B]

Mindy, don't. Hey there.

[C]

You must be Mindy.

[A]

Hmm, that's what they call me.

[C]

And you must be Py raz.

[B]

Actually, it's guy raz.

[C]

What? Oh, no. Did we get the wrong person, Karen? Was it supposed to be py raz or guy raz? Guy raz.

[B]

Well, there goes the food theme.

[C]

All right, well, sorry about that, Guy raz.

[A]

Uh, no need to apologize.

[C]

Okay, then. We're about ready to start here. Just need to get you mic'd up.

[A]

Oh, my old neighbor was named mic'd up.

[B]

What?

[A]

Nothing.

[C]

Ha ha. Save it for the show, Mindy. All right, here are your microphones. And could we get a level from you, please, Guy?

[B]

Oh, sure. Ahem. Hello, I'm guy raz, and on the show today. Okay, that's great. Thanks.

[A]

Do you need me to do a few lines too? Cause it's raining taco.

[C]

No, that's fine. All right, everyone, are we ready to rol? Okay, Mindy, Guy, good luck.

[B]

Remember, Mindy, big smiles.

[A]

My teeth are literally covered in cheese.

[B]

What?

[A]

Cheese.

[C]

Okay, we're live in 3, 2, 1.

[B]

Coming to you live from the all you can eat buffet across the street

[C]

from the dolby theater here in Hollywood,

[B]

California, it's the annual nom nom awards

[C]

with your host, Guy raz and Mindy.

[A]

Hello and welcome. It's great to be here with you on such a magical and delicious night. I'm Mindy.

[B]

And I'm guy raz. And tonight we'll be celebrating, paying tribute to and drooling over some of the biggest names in the culinary arts.

[A]

Oh, and look, guy raz. I think I see some of the nom nom nominees Coming down the marinara red carpet right now.

[B]

That's right, Mindy. I think I see some of the kernels from a star is corn.

[A]

Oh, and look, here come the wieners from the isle of hot dogs. Excuse me. Excuse me, sir. Excuse me, sir, what are you wearing tonight?

[C]

It's a bun from kroger's, and I

[B]

spilled some mustard on it.

[A]

Well. Ooh la la. Smells delicious. Good luck at the awards tonight.

[B]

Thanks. Now, Mindy, we shouldn't forget There are a lot of important awards up for grabs tonight.

[A]

That's right, Guy Raz. How about the Nom Nom Award for Best snack?

[B]

Outstanding Performance in a Salad or rice dish?

[A]

Best Supporting Actor in a casserole.

[B]

But, folks, none draw quite as much attention as the coveted Adapted Screenplay from a Breakfast Food award.

[A]

Oh, yes. Spoonlight took it home a few years ago, and I gotta say, ever since, I must think about that cereal bowl every week.

[B]

Well, Mindy, that's the first award up for grabs tonight, and I think we could be in for a few surprises.

[A]

Oh, it wouldn't be the Nom Nom Awards without a few surprises.

[B]

You got that right.

[A]

And we'll be right back with more from the marinara red carpet right after this commercial break.

[C]

And we're clear.

[B]

This week at the knuckle hut, get

[C]

50% off your food when you crack all 10 of your fingers at the front counter.

[B]

Phew, what a rush, Mindy. I forgot how fun being on TV was.

[A]

Oh, yeah. Whatever happened to your paleolithic cooking show?

[B]

Oh, well, we got replaced by a flashy new mesolithic cooking show.

[A]

Ugh. It always goes that way.

[B]

But I'm super excited about these awards, Mindy. I've actually been doing a lot of research into this year's nominees, and I think I've got a few predictions.

[A]

A few predictions?

[B]

That's right. You know that category that we were talking about just before the commercial break?

[A]

Yeah. Best screenplay adapted from a breakfast food.

[B]

Yeah. Well, one of the nominees from that category is based on an actual scientific study by researchers Itay Einav and Francois Gillard from the University of Sydney in Australia.

[A]

Whoa. Which nominee is it?

[B]

Ricequake?

[A]

Oh, the one featuring Snap, Crackle and pop?

[B]

The very same.

[A]

Oh. So what was the study about?

[B]

Well, Mindy, coming back in five. Oh, I'll tell you during the next break. But yeah, one. Hello, and welcome back to this year's Nom Nom Awards.

[A]

I'm Mindy.

[B]

And I'm Guy Razzi. I mean, Guy Raz. We're out here in sunny Southern California, right across the road from the Dolby Theater, Reporting live from the marinara carpet as the last of the Nom Nom nominees make their way into the buffet hall. Ooh, I think I see Christian Kale over there.

[A]

Christian Kale is Nom nominated for three Nomis tonight.

[B]

Oh, oh, and look, there's the tomatoes from Roma.

[A]

Ooh, so delicious. So vogue.

[B]

You know, Mindy, it's so great to see some foreign foods making it into the awards this year.

[A]

I Know, and speaking of foreign foods, Guy Raz, here comes the tortillas from if Beale Street Could Taco.

[B]

And with that final pun, it looks like we may be ready to start the award ceremony.

[A]

Coming up after the break, all the awards you've been waiting for. Live from the buffet hall.

[B]

Don't go anywhere. We'll be right back. And we are clear.

[C]

Ah.

[A]

So, Guy Raz, what was the scientific study that the nominee Ricequake was based on about?

[B]

Oh, yeah, right. So these two researchers from the University of Sydney wanted to see how porous material acted when exposed to liquid and put under pressure.

[A]

And a porous material is a material that has tiny cracks or holes in it, Right?

[B]

Exactly. It's a type of material that isn't completely solid.

[A]

So like a sponge.

[B]

Right. So these researchers wanted to see how these sort of materials held up when soaked in a liquid and put under pressure.

[A]

Okay, got it. So then how did this scientific study inspired the non stop action adventure disaster thriller Ricequake?

[B]

Well, Mindy.

[C]

And we're back and forth every time. Two, one.

[A]

Welcome back to this year's Nom Nom Awards.

[B]

The marinara carpet is done and dusted and we are ready to give out some awards.

[A]

Up first, the coveted adapted screenplay from a breakfast cereal award.

[B]

Let's go live now to the buffet floor.

[C]

And here to announce the nominees for best adapted screenplay from a breakfast food

[B]

is self proclaimed foodie Oscar chow.

[C]

Oh, wow. This all looks so good. I don't know how to choose. Excuse me, I just want to get in here and. Huh? Oh, we're live. Hey there, folks, and welcome to the buffet floor. A place where all of the your food dreams come true. And also a place where the stuffed chicken wings run out. Okay, the nominees for best adapted screenplay from a breakfast are. Toast Busters. Looks like we've got a Category 5 sourdough. Give it to the proton toaster.

[B]

I can't.

[C]

There's lactic acid everywhere. Pirates of the carabaked bian.

[A]

ARR.

[C]

Oh, you're. Ooh. Peter pancakes. Oh, but Peter, I don't want to

[A]

grow up and replace my chocolate with bananas and my maple syrup with organically sourced local honey.

[B]

Right you are. When we shan't ever grow up. Here, use this bacon to make a

[C]

smiley face on your pancake and rice quake. Ah, the whole darn bowl of puffed rice cereal is about to collapse.

[A]

Looks like this mission just got a little rice risky.

[C]

And the winner is. Coming up right after these messages.

[B]

And we're clear.

[A]

Why do they always do that?

[B]

Well, it's all about suspense, Mindy.

[A]

Okay, well, while I hold my breath, why don't you tell me about that Rice Crunchies study from Australia?

[C]

Oh.

[B]

Oh, right. Well, as I was saying, these researchers wanted to see how these porous materials reacted when they interacted with fluids.

[A]

Like when I pour milk on my breakfast cereal and it all goes soggy.

[B]

Yeah, kind of.

[A]

Okay, but why? I mean, don't get me wrong, I've done countless experiments on my breakfast burritos. But why do these researchers care about the sogginess of their rice Crunchies?

[B]

Because, as it turns out, Mindy, many naturally occurring dams and even some ice shelves like the. The ones around Antarctica, are made out of porous materials.

[A]

Porous materials like Rice Crunchies, huh? And just to be clear, a dam is a structure made out of rocks or stones that helps to stop the flow of water in a river, right?

[B]

Correct, Amando. Some of them form naturally, and others are man made in order to collect drinking water or even to produce electricity.

[A]

And so where do the Rice Crunchies come in and all this?

[B]

Mindy, where did you get that bowl of Rice Crunchies from?

[A]

There's a bunch of free food over there with my name on it.

[B]

Well, well, Mindy, as it turns out, Rice Crunchies are also a porous material. And unlike dams or Antarctic ice shelves, they're small enough and cheap enough to bring into the lab.

[A]

So these researchers were using these rice crunchies to simulate or model how these ice sheets and dams might react in the wild?

[B]

Correctamundo.

[A]

And so what did they find?

[C]

Well, back and forth.

[A]

Not again.

[B]

1. Welcome back to the annual Nom Nom Awards.

[A]

If you're just joining us, up for grabs is the coveted adapted screenplay from a breakfast food award.

[B]

The winner is just about to be announced, so let's head back down to the buffet hall.

[C]

Okay, here we go. And the winner of this year's Nom Nom Award for best adapted screenplay from a breakfast food is. Rice Quake.

[B]

This is the breakfast cereal's third Nom

[C]

Nom nomination, and its first win. Here to accept the award is Snap, Crackle, and Pop.

[B]

Oh, wow.

[C]

Wow, what an honor. What an honor to be Nom Nom nominated alongside some of these other breakfast foods.

[A]

I love you, pancakes.

[B]

First and foremost, we'd like to thank the Academy for their great taste in food.

[C]

Thanks to our parents for always making

[A]

sure we ate a healthy breakfast.

[B]

And of course, thank you to the scientists and researchers who did the study

[C]

that inspired our project.

[A]

Well, looks like that's our time.

[C]

This is such an honor.

[A]

Thank you all so much.

[C]

Coming up next day, live performance from

[B]

a star is corn.

[C]

And we find out which veggie dish we'll be taking home this year's golden carrot.

[B]

All that and more live from the

[C]

all you can eat buffet across the street from the Dolby theater here in Hollywood, California. And we're out.

[A]

Oh, man. I really thought Peter pancakes had this one in the bag this year.

[B]

Well, Mindy, like I said before, rice quakes is based on a real life scientific experiment. And the academy always loves a true story.

[A]

That's true. So how does this study end?

[B]

Well, as I was saying, Mindy, these scientists were trying to see how porous materials like natural dams and ice shelves reacted to liquids and pressure.

[A]

Right. And in the lab, these scientists were using rice crunchies to simulate or model those porous materials.

[B]

Correct, Amando. Because, Mindy, even though your bowl of rice crunchies might not be as dramatic as a dam breaking or an ice shelf cracking, a bowl of cereal can actually fit in a lab and can actually be measured.

[A]

And then these researchers can take those measurements and use them to predict how dams or ice shelves might break under water pressure.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

So how did they measure this bowl of simulation cereal?

[B]

Well, unlike the bowl of cereal you have here, these scientists put the rice crunchies in a scientific tube.

[A]

So like a pipe or a hose?

[B]

Yeah. From the top of the tube, the scientists applied pressure onto the rice puffs, and then they injected. Injected liquid into the bottom.

[A]

Huh. And then.

[B]

Then pumped up the pressure until

[A]

rice quake.

[B]

That's right. The researchers found that whole layers of the rice puffs would collapse into themselves all at the same time. And they would make this very loud cracking sound.

[C]

Wow.

[B]

And then after repeating the same experiment a few more times, these researchers were able to predict exactly when these rice quakes were going to occur.

[A]

And so, by knowing how and when these rice quakes are going to happen in the cereal tube, these researchers can then predict when and how the same thing will happen with these natural dams and ice shelves out in the real world.

[B]

That's right. By adjusting their timescale from a few seconds to a few years, these researchers are hoping that this model or scientific estimate as to what is going to happen can be used to understand and predict bigger collapses like the ones you were talking about.

[A]

That's bonker balls, Guy Raz. No wonder ricequake won.

[B]

It sounds like the real award here should go to science.

[A]

That's so cheesy, Guy Raz. It should have had a NOM nomination in Tonight's dairy category.

[B]

Speaking of which, Mindy, I think the next award might be coming up.

[C]

Ooh.

[A]

What's up next?

[B]

Let me see here. Ah, Best action thriller based on a legume.

[A]

Oh, my money's on chili con carnage. Have you seen it?

[B]

I don't think I have yet. But I really love the Swiss chard family Robinson.

[A]

Mmm. I don't think I'd consider that one. An action action thriller.

[B]

We are back in 3, 2, 1.

[A]

Wow.

[C]

That was so cool. So scientists really studied how rice crunchies crunched under pressure to predict how ice shelves would crunch in places like Antarctica. Well, did you see anything like that when you were in Antarctica, Reggie? You did?

[A]

Wow.

[C]

I want to see, but I also don't want to get cold. No, Reggie, Dennis says don't like the cold. Maybe we could just watch some tube tube videos of ice shelves collapsing and wear snowsuits and pretend we're in Antarctica. I suppose we can watch some pigeon videos too. Okay, let's wrap up the show and go do that. Thanks to all you listeners out there for tuning in to WEE WOW on the weekend. If you have a question for me, call and leave me a message at 1-888-7-WOW-WOW. That's 1-888-7-WWOW Wow. I just might answer your question on Wewow on the weekend. And don't forget to call in with your super cool talents for the talent show. Yeah, we'll take all talents. Right. But it's just gonna be audio. So if your talent needs to be seen, you'll just have to describe it. Okay. Should we do the goodbye song? Here we go. That's the end of the show. I need to go and watch some videos on the Internet while dressed up like an Antarctic explorer. But I'll do another show tomorrow. But for now, that's the end of the show. Bye.

[B]

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

[A]

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

[B]

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

[A]

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

[B]

Elan from California. Emmett and Adler from Kansas. John, Katie, Ethan and Amelia from Pennsylvania. Nesla and Yaqub from Kuwait. Evelyn, Ramona and Tabitha from Nevada John

[A]

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

[B]

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

[A]

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

[B]

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

[A]

And happy birthday to Otis from Minnesota.

[B]

From the bottom of our hearts and

[A]

the tops of our brains, thank you.