WeWow on the Weekend (2/9/25)

Summary

Wow in the World - Episode Summary: "WeWow on the Weekend" (February 9, 2025)

Hosts: Dennis and Reggie

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1. Introduction and Special Event Announcement

The episode kicks off with Dennis enthusiastically announcing a special event: the Make It Wow Listening Party. Scheduled for Saturday, February 15 at 7 PM Eastern, this members-only live event will feature an exclusive, never-before-heard recording of the Make It Wow Live show from New York City last November. Dennis invites listeners to become members of the World Organization of Wowzers to gain access to this unique experience.

Notable Quote:

• Dennis [00:20]: “Introducing the Make It Wow listening party... All of our members will be there and we can all chat together as we listen to it. It'll be like reviewsies, but in real.”

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2. Q&A Segment: Engaging Listener Questions

Transitioning from the event announcement, Dennis and Reggie dive into the Q&A segment, addressing questions submitted by young listeners.

• Ellie from Ambler, Pennsylvania [04:03]: Presents a classic riddle, “Why did the chicken cross the road?”

  Discussion: Dennis and Reggie playfully debate the riddle's answer, with Reggie humorously suggesting alternatives like the chicken crossing to see the ice cream man. Ultimately, they conclude that eating spoons were likely invented before forks, considering the practicality of consuming soup without utensils.

  Notable Quote:

  • Dennis [05:11]: “Eating spoons came before the eating fork.”

• Arjun from Ohio [05:11]: Asks why the show airs on weekends and why Reggie collaborates with Dennis.

  Discussion: Dennis explains the scheduling strategy, emphasizing the uniqueness of a weekend show, and credits Reggie's technical expertise in managing the show's infrastructure.

• Q, a Five-Year-Old [06:16]: Questions the invention timeline of spoons versus forks.

  Outcome: The hosts engage in a fun exploration of utensil history, reinforcing critical thinking and curiosity among young listeners.

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3. Inside Tinkercast Studios: Revisiting "It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's a Flying Taxi"

In the Inside Tinkercast Studios segment, Dennis and Reggie revisit a previous episode from "Wow in the World" Season 1, Episode 14, titled "It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's a Flying Taxi."

Notable Quote:

• Dennis [08:59]: “Next up, Dubai. Walk to Dubai. Walk to Dubai.”

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4. Main Feature: The Advent of Flying Taxis in Dubai

The heart of the episode revolves around an exciting discussion about the introduction of flying taxi drones in Dubai. Drawing parallels to the futuristic vision portrayed in "The Jetsons," the hosts explore the technological advancements and societal implications of autonomous aerial transportation.

Key Points:

• Design and Technology:

  • Flying taxis resemble larger drones with eight propellers for stability.
  • Autonomous Navigation: Equipped with computers connected to satellites, allowing precise routing without pilots.

• Operational Aspects:

  • Initially limited routes to ensure safe landings.
  • Each taxi is monitored by a ground-based human operator to handle any anomalies.

• Practical Applications:

  • Potential to reduce ground traffic congestion.
  • Example of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai being a possible landing site for these taxis.

Notable Quotes:

• Reggie [12:07]: “Dubai will be the first place to have flying taxis.”
• Mindy [15:31]: “Wow, that's so cool. So how much would a ride cost on one of these flying drone taxis?”
• Reggie [15:37]: “These little drones will probably be able to drop you off high up in the sky...”

Humorous Interlude: Mindy humorously demonstrates her drone antics by attaching glitter and mayonnaise-filled balloons to her drone, playfully critiquing neighborly relations.

Notable Quote:

• Mindy [13:38]: “Mayonnaise in my eye. Glitter in the mayonnaise. The humanity who keeps doing this.”

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5. Reflections and Future Outlook

Concluding the main discussion, Dennis and Reggie reflect on the current state and future potential of flying taxis. They express excitement about the imminent arrival of this technology, while also humorously considering its immediate impacts.

Notable Quote:

• Mindy [11:11]: “You're about to make my wildest dreams come true.”

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6. Conclusion and Call to Action

The episode wraps up with the hosts encouraging listeners to join Wondery Plus for early and ad-free access, participate in community challenges, and engage with the podcast through various platforms.

Notable Quote:

• Mindy [19:13]: “Thanks for thinking tinkering, experimenting and experimenting, exploring with us this week.”

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Final Thoughts

"WeWow on the Weekend" delivers an engaging mix of listener interaction, insightful discussions on futuristic technology, and lighthearted humor. By exploring the practicalities and excitement surrounding flying taxis in Dubai, Dennis and Reggie inspire young minds to ponder the possibilities of innovation while maintaining the show's signature playful tone.

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Credits:

• Writers: Ruth Morrison and Jed Anderson
• Production: Henry Moskal and Marian Lazotti
• Music: Tyler Thol

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This summary captures the essence of the "WeWow on the Weekend" episode, highlighting key discussions, notable quotes, and the overall engaging atmosphere fostered by the hosts.

Transcript

[Dennis]

Hello Wowzers. It's me, Dennis. And before we start the show, I wanted to invite you to a special spectacular super secret event. Okay, fine Reggie, maybe it isn't a super secret anymore, but can I get a drum roll anyway?

[Reggie]

Thank you.

[Dennis]

Ahem. Introducing the Make It Wow listening party. That's right. On Saturday, February15 at 7pm Eastern, I will be hosting the second ever members only live listening party. And this time we'll be listening to the never heard before recorded performance of the Make It Wow. Live show in New York City from last November. Isn't that cool? Yes, Reggie. All of our members will be there and we can all chat together as we listen to it. It'll be like reviewsies, but in real. If you want to join the party grown ups, you can sign up to become a member of the world organization of Wowzers. Today. Just visit Tinkercast.com membership. That's Tinkercast.com membership. Every membership helps support our podcasts and Tinkercast mission to spread WOW to families and teachers around the world. That's right, Reggie. Our members also get birthday cards from Mindy and Guy, quarterly mailings from you Reggie. And so much more members. We'll see you there on Saturday, February 15th. Just go to tinkercast.comevents to get the secret password to join my live stream at 7pm Eastern. That's it. Now let's get back to my show. I mean our show. I mean the show. 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. Clap clap. We 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's my co host, Reggie. Hey Reggie, guess what I found. No, guess again. No, it's my old karaoke machine. Yeah, it was under a bunch of old yearbooks in Fossilized Hollow. I think it still works. Let's find out. Here we go.

[Reggie]

And.

[Dennis]

Okay, okay, I got it, I got it. What'd you take me to? Why don't you take me to. Why don't you take. Aw man. Oh, you're right. We better keep the show rolling. Lets answer some questions with a Q and A segment. 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 going to answer all my questions? You? Probably not. But I guess I can answer yours. Leave me a message.

[Ellie]

Hi, Dennis, my name is Ellie and I live in Ambler, Pennsylvania. I don't have a question, but I have a riddle.

[Dennis]

Oh, yay. I love riddles. Let's hear it, Ellie.

[Ellie]

Why did the chicken cross the road?

[Dennis]

Wait, I've heard this riddle before. It's a joke riddle, right? Why'd the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side. No, Reggie, that's how the joke goes. I know. Ellie said it was a riddle. All right, Mr. Smarty Pigeon, why do you think the chicken crossed the road? Uh huh. Uh huh. Okay. You think the chicken crossed the road to get to the ice cream man. But the ice cream man was out of ice cream for the day. Reggie. I don't think that's what Ellie was going for. But let's play the answer. Okay, Ellie. Why did the chicken cross the road?

[Ellie]

So he was trying to get to the ice cream man because the ice cream man was too fat for him.

[Mindy]

Bye.

[Ellie]

Love your show.

[Dennis]

Wow, you got really close, Reggie, but you were still wrong. Next question.

[Ellie]

Hi, Dennis. This is Arjun. I live in Ohio. My question is, why do you start rewell on the weekends? And why is Reggie working with you too?

[Dennis]

Good question, Arjun. I started Wee Wow on the weekend because wow in the World posts on Mondays. Who in wow posts on Wednesdays. How to Be an Earthling posts on Thursdays and 2. What's in a wow posts on Fridays. And no one was posting a show on the weekend for the weekend. About the weekend. Yeah. So I decided I would do it. Wew on the Weeknd, baby. What? Oh, yeah. Tuesday. No one's posting on Tuesday. Huh? Yeah. Wew on Tuesdays doesn't sound very good. Weewow on the weekend is way better. And I'm working with Reggie because he knows how to set up the microphone and the website and the RSS feed. What's that? Actually, you know what? I don't want to know. Next question.

[Ellie]

My name is Q and I'm five years old. Which one was invented first, the spoon or the fork?

[Dennis]

Great question, Q. I've never thought about that before. Sometimes I forget things need to be invented in the first place. Forks and spoons have always just been here in the drawer, you know? And now that I think about it, there are forks and spoons for eating with. And there are forks and Spoons for cooking with. Right. I don't eat with those really big spoons and forks used for cooking. I eat with the littler ones. Which ones of those came first? The big ones or the little ones? Alright, I bet the big cooking forks and spoons came first because first you cook the food and then you eat it. Also, what counts as a cooking fork? Like, what about the stick? I used to cook marshmallows over the campfire. Is that a fork? Because pointy sticks were invented a long time ago. Oh yeah. My fingers kinda do look like little forks. I suppose I don't really need a fork to eat most things like spaghetti. So maybe spoons were invented first because it's really hard to eat soup with your hands. Yeah, that's my final answer. Eating spoons came before the eating fork. 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. 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. This weekend we're listening to a story from wow. In the world. Season 1, episode 14 called It's a bird, It's a plane, It's a flying taxi. Yeah, that title is an old superhero reference. Oh, I don't remember. Uh, super dude. No, no, no, no. Super manager. No. Superman Fred. Yeah, yeah, that sounds right. Supermanafred. Now, Reggie, this episode is not about superheroes. It's about flying cars. I know. In Dubai. I know. We should go to Dubai someday. Okay, let's play the episode. All right, There we go. And play.

[Mindy]

Wee wow will be right back. Grown ups, this message is for you.

[Ellie]

That's it. Now back to the show.

[Dennis]

What in the world?

[Reggie]

Hey, Mindy, do you remember that show, the Jetsons?

[Mindy]

Oh, yeah, I know the Jetsons. It was that cartoon from the past that took place in the future and basically predicted most of what we have today.

[Dennis]

Right?

[Reggie]

You remember, Meet George Jetson.

[Mindy]

His boy Elroy. I don't know the rest of it.

[Reggie]

And Mindy, for kids who haven't heard of it, the Jetsons was a cartoon that a lot of your parents probably watched. It was about a family living in the future. They had a robot made.

[Mindy]

Oh, Rosie.

[Reggie]

And the. What's the coolest thing they had, Mindy?

[Mindy]

A dog treadmill. Uh, no, that is not the flying car.

[Reggie]

Yep. And, Mindy, back when the Jetsons was on TV, a lot of people thought that by the year 2017, we'd all be flying to work and to school in our flying cars.

[Mindy]

But alas, we're still stuck here in traffic on the ground, because I don't even know why.

[Reggie]

Because it would be pretty dangerous, right? I mean. I mean, could you imagine flying cars flying all around, all over the place? I mean, that would not be safe, right?

[Mindy]

No, it would definitely not be safe. It would be awesome. I mean, just imagine it, Guy Raz. No speed limits, no red lights, no stop signs. People could just fly around like maniacs. Unbridled wild skies and.

[Dennis]

Oh.

[Reggie]

Yep. And so the dream of flying cars was really just that. A dream.

[Mindy]

But if it's a dream, it could still happen, right?

[Reggie]

Mindy, you said the magic word, the D word. Dream. And a dream is like an engine inside your body, except it powers ideas. And guess what, Mindy?

[Mindy]

You're about to make my wildest dreams come true.

[Dennis]

I promise.

[Mindy]

Okay, you're gonna a lot of supplies for this, but good news, I've been keeping a list. Well, all right, we're gonna need 45 turkey basters, 200 AAA batteries, a pig that can lay eggs, and maybe that's not what you.

[Reggie]

Well, Mindy, the dream of flying cars is about to become a reality, and it will start this summer.

[Dennis]

What?

[Mindy]

You're telling me that flying cars are coming?

[Reggie]

Well, everybody duck for your lives.

[Mindy]

Kind of freaking out, Guy Raz.

[Reggie]

You should be okay, Mindy. I mean, they are coming. And this summer in the city of Dubai, which is a small little city on the Arabian Peninsula.

[Mindy]

Oh, yeah. Dubai is known for having the largest, tallest, and biggest of a lot of things. So what's next?

[Reggie]

Dubai will be the first place to have flying taxis.

[Dennis]

What?

[Mindy]

So you're saying that just like in the Jetsons, people will be able to fly from their house to their. To their friend's house or to a restaurant or to school?

[Reggie]

Well, eventually, yes. But this summer, when the flying taxis are ready for customers, they will only go to a few places, and that's because they will be programmed to fly to just those spots where they can land safely.

[Mindy]

So how will this work?

[Reggie]

Well, Mindy, you've heard of drones, right?

[Mindy]

Oh, yeah, I have a drone, Guy Raz. It's like a little remote control powered robot, and I use it to drop glitter and mayonnaise on my neighbors when they forget to invite me to their barbecues. Here, watch this. So the first thing I do is I take one balloon and I dump a bunch of glitter inside of it until the whole thing is full of glitter. Okay, now hand me that other balloon over there. Now, I take this other balloon, and I shove a bunch of mayonnaise inside of it. Then I'm going to attach both of these balloons to the bottom of my drone and then get my remote control over here. All right, power this thing up. And there it goes. It's going up, up, up. Oh, look, my neighbors are having a barbecue, and they forgot to invite me. Let's see if we can get this mayonnaise to drop on their hamburger buns. Am I right? All right, here we go. Ready?

[Dennis]

Bombs away. Mayonnaise in my eye. Glitter in the mayonnaise. The humanity who keeps doing this.

[Mindy]

Ah, listen to them squealing with glee. Just a little neighborhood joke we have. That's only fun as long as I'm the only one with the drone and they can't get me back.

[Reggie]

That's right. Drones are now much, much, much more common and much easier to make. And these flying taxis are basically bigger versions of the small drones that you can buy in a toy store or a hobby shop.

[Mindy]

So what do these flying taxi drones look like?

[Reggie]

The flying taxi looks a little like a flying egg, except it has eight propellers to keep it steady and stable. And it doesn't have a pilot. It has just one seat inside, so it can only take one passenger at a time.

[Mindy]

Wait a minute. So if there's no pilot, then how does the drone know where to go?

[Reggie]

Well, by using very sophisticated technology. Inside the drone taxi, there's a computer that is connected to satellites floating up in space. And these satellites are able to sen to the drone taxis to tell them exactly where to fly. It's a little bit like using a navigation app. Like, you know, Mindy, when you use Google Maps or Waze on your phone, you know those apps that give you directions?

[Mindy]

Oh, yeah, I use them all the time to help me get lost.

[Reggie]

Well, they're supposed to tell you how to get to where you need to go. No, but the principle is the same, except that instead of telling a human to turn left or to turn right, the app tells a computer what to do. And that is also why these drones drones don't crash into anything, because they are programmed that way. But, Mindy, in case you are wondering, each and every drone taxi will be monitored by a human sitting at a computer on the ground just in case something goes wrong. Then the human can quickly reprogram the drone and send it to a safe place.

[Mindy]

Wow, that's so cool. So how much would a ride cost on one of these flying drone taxis?

[Reggie]

Well, the company that is offering this service isn't saying how much a ride will cost, but what we do know is that these little drones will probably be able to drop you off high up in the sky. So, for example, do you know where the tallest building in the world is located, Mindy?

[Mindy]

Same place known for having the biggest, longest, largest, tallest of things, I'd say. Dubai.

[Reggie]

Yeah, exactly. It's also in Dubai. It's called the Burj Khalifa, and it stands 2,722ft. That's about a half a mile, Mindy. And guess what, chicken butt.

[Mindy]

What?

[Reggie]

That little drone taxi will be able to fly as high as 11,000ft. So say you have a meeting on the top floor of the Burj Khalifa building. You might be able to get dropped off right at the top instead of at the bottom. And then having to take the elevator up.

[Mindy]

Oh, man, that sounds so awesome. And I can't wait to ride one. But why does Dubai get it first? They get all the cool stuff.

[Reggie]

Well, Mindy, it's because Dubai wants to become the most modern city in the world. So, for example, the city already has a metro train system that works without a conductor or a driver. But if this experiment does work in Dubai, Mindy, I have no doubt that we will all be traveling in little air taxis in a few years from now.

[Mindy]

But the future is tomorrow. We've got no time to wait. So, guy Raz, hop inside this balloon. I've already greased it up with some mayonnaise. I'm going to attach you to my drone and fly you overhead. Ready?

[Dennis]

Reggie, did you hear what I heard? No, Reggie, not that part. The part where Mindy flew her drone copter with mayonnaise and glitter over to her neighbor's house and glitter bomb them. Reggie, I think that was me. I know. I cannot believe that I, Dennis was in the first season of wow in the World. It's almost as cool as a flying taxi. Speaking of which, do we have flying taxis yet? We don't. Oh. But they're hoping to have them soon. Well, how soon? 20, 26. But, Reggie, I want to fly to the destination of my choice now. All right, I guess you are like a flying taxi. Can you give me a ride to the grocery store? 50 bucks, Reggie. I'll give you a ride on my back for 10 bucks. Oh, really? Sweet. Where to, pal? Okay, I gotcha. Yes sir. Right away, sir. Whack, whack, whack. No, Reggie, I can't take you to Dubai. That's too far. Ooh, $100. Well, why didn't you say so, sir? Next up, Dubai. Walk to Dubai. Walk to Dubai. Walk to Dubai.

[Mindy]

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

[Reggie]

Join Wondery in the Wondery app or on Wondery Kids 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. Thanks for joining us for this edition of Wewow on the weekend. Our show is written by Ruth Morrison and Jed Anderson. Original sound design and production is done by Henry Moskal and Marian Lazotti with help from Jed Anderson and Tyler Thol. Original music for WEWOW on the Weekend is composed and performed by Tyler Thol.

[Reggie]

Special thanks to Steph Sosa, Rebecca Caban and all of the other tinkerers at Tinkercast hq.

[Mindy]

There's still time to share your wee wow crafternoon challenges with us grown ups. You can upload pictures and videos of your projects to [e-mail] share or call us at 1-888-7-WWOW.

[Reggie]

Our website is tinkercast.com there you can learn more about becoming an official member of the World Organization of Wowzers, learn about upcoming events, shop our shop and pick up a copy of the latest edition of our number one New York Times best selling book series wow in the Wild.

[Mindy]

Thanks again for thinking tinkering, experimenting and experimenting, exploring with us this week. Meet us back here on Monday for Wow in the World and remember who wows we wow. Wow in the World was made by Tinkercast and sent to you by Wondery.