WeWow on the Weekend (5/25/25)

Summary

Wow in the World – Episode Summary: "WeWow on the Weekend" (Released May 25, 2025)

Hosted by Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz | Produced by Tinkercast | Distributed by Wondery

Welcome to a detailed summary of the "WeWow on the Weekend" episode from the beloved children's science podcast, Wow in the World. This episode blends interactive segments, comedic sketches, and insightful discussions, all aimed at inspiring young minds and their grown-ups. Below, you'll find a comprehensive breakdown of the episode's key points, notable quotes, and engaging content.

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1. Introduction and Summer Adventures (00:00 – 01:26)

Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz kick off the episode by celebrating the onset of summer, sparking ideas about road trips and eco-adventures.

• Mindy: "We've teamed up with our friends at Geocaching HQ, the Aspen Institute, and the Nature Conservancy to create Planet Wow. An epic geocaching eco-adventure that shares the wows of places on our earth and encourages curious kids like you to become the next generation of climate crusaders." (00:29)

• Guy Raz: "We've sent out Planet Wow trading cards to members of our world organization of Wowzers to plant in a geocache near them." (00:49)

Listeners are encouraged to participate in the Planet Wow adventure by finding or planting trading cards, fostering a sense of exploration and environmental stewardship.

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2. Introducing "WeWow on the Weekend" (01:47 – 07:32)

The episode transitions into a segment from another show within the Tinkercast family, "WeWow on the Weekend," hosted by Dennis Cha Cha Cha and his co-host Reggie the Giant Pigeon. This segment adds a playful and humorous dimension to the episode.

a. Reading Reviewsies (01:47 – 07:32)

Dennis and Reggie engage with listener feedback in their "Reading Reviewsies" segment, showcasing humorous and quirky reviews.

• Dennis: "This next reviewsy is titled ffccv... 'I love Wee Wow on the Weeknd. And it says you can have 1 million stars. Wow.'" (06:32)

• Reggie: "The more stars we have, the more star power we have. Get it?" (07:34)

This interaction highlights the lighthearted nature of the show, encouraging listener participation and enjoyment.

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3. Special Promotion: "Once Upon a Beat" (08:50 – 09:39)

Mindy and Guy take a brief moment to promote another Tinkercast collaboration, "Once Upon a Beat."

• Mindy: "Once Upon a Beat remixes fairy tales and fables as old as time, giving them a fresh spin with some rhythm and rhyme." (09:15)

• Guy Raz: "Once upon a Beat is where hip hop and Fairy tales meet, and you can listen to new episodes right now." (09:33)

This segment highlights the podcast's commitment to creative storytelling and partnerships that enhance the listening experience.

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4. Boring Television Network and Paint Drying World Championships (12:34 – 19:43)

A comedic advertisement segment introduces the Boring Television Network (BTN), featuring the Paint Drying World Championships.

• Dennis Cha Cha Cha: "What is it? ... Oh, wait, no, I said laughing twice." (01:47 – 02:00)

• Nigel Britwizzle (BTN): "Welcome back to the Paint Drying World Championships... This promises to be the most exciting wall-watching exhibition of the past decade." (12:34 – 14:24)

The hilarious portrayal of BTN satirizes monotonous content, setting the stage for a deeper discussion on boredom and creativity.

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5. Exploring Boredom and Creativity (14:33 – 30:02)

The episode delves into the neuroscience of boredom, examining how moments of disengagement can foster creative thinking.

a. Institute of Boredom Visit (14:33 – 22:03)

Mindy and Guy Raz visit the fictional Institute of Boredom, engaging with Tinkercast Staff and attending a lecture on a study about boredom's impact on creativity.

• Guy Raz: "Recent research has shown that boredom can be really useful when it comes to creative problem solving." (15:07)

• Nigel Britwizzle: "Since the dawn of time, man has periodically become uninterested and disengaged with the world around him." (23:07)

The institute showcases various mundane activities designed to induce boredom, serving as a backdrop for the scientific discussion.

b. Presentation on the Boredom-Creativity Study (22:03 – 30:02)

A detailed presentation covers a study conducted by the University of Lancashire on how boredom enhances creative output.

• Guy Raz: "The participants of this study, after writing out phone number after phone number after phone number, were asked to list off different uses for a cup." (25:11 – 25:19)

• Mindy: "The group of people who were the most bored out of anyone performed better on the creativity test than anyone else." (27:35 – 27:46)

Key Insights:

• Passive Boredom: Engaging in tedious tasks leads to daydreaming, which stimulates divergent thinking and creativity.

• Divergent Thinking: The ability to generate multiple ideas or solutions from a single starting point is enhanced during periods of boredom.

• Mindy: "So, when most of us get bored, we start to daydream and that allows our minds to open up to creative thinking and ideas." (29:10 – 29:19)

This section underscores the podcast's commitment to blending entertainment with educational content, offering valuable insights into human cognition.

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6. Conclusion and Takeaways (30:02 – End)

The episode wraps up with Mindy and Guy Raz reflecting on the importance of boredom in fostering creativity.

• Mindy: "I would have rather been doing anything else, but I had no idea that all those days I spent just bumming around the house, bored out of my bonker balls. I was actually filling up my brain tank with creative juices." (28:27 – 28:45)

• Guy Raz: "Yeah, yeah... just ask any kid, Mindy. If you leave them alone for a long time, they'll come up with some pretty creative ways to keep themselves entertained." (29:21 – 29:31)

Final Thoughts:

• Embracing boredom can lead to unexpected creative breakthroughs.
• Encouraging moments of disengagement can be beneficial for mental processes and problem-solving skills.

The episode concludes with a playful segue back to Dennis Cha Cha Cha and Reggie's segment, maintaining the episode's upbeat and engaging tone.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Mindy Thomas: "We've teamed up with our friends at Geocaching HQ... to create Planet Wow." (00:29)

• Guy Raz: "Boredom can actually be really good for you." (14:35)

• Mindy Thomas: "They were better at divergent thinking." (25:49)

• Guy Raz: "The opening day at ib The Institute of Boredom." (16:31)

• Mindy Thomas: "I had no idea that all those days I spent just bumming around the house... I was actually filling up my brain tank with creative juices." (28:27)

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Final Thoughts

This episode of Wow in the World masterfully intertwines humor, interactive segments, and scientific exploration to engage its young audience and their families. By featuring "WeWow on the Weekend," the podcast offers a refreshing variety, while the deep dive into the benefits of boredom provides valuable educational content. Listeners are left with an appreciation for the unexpected ways our minds work and the importance of allowing space for creativity to flourish.

For more adventures and insightful episodes, tune in to Wow in the World every Monday and explore the wonders of science, technology, and innovation with Mindy and Guy!

Transcript

[Mindy]

Hey, Wowzer fams Mindy and Guy Raz here. And before we start the show, it's almost summertime and you know what that means.

[Guy Raz]

It's almost time for my annual summer rewatch of the 26 hour long docuseries on the history of whales.

[Mindy]

Uh, sure, Guy Raz, but I was actually thinking about summer road trips.

[Guy Raz]

Oh, that's right. Wowzers. If your family has some summer road trips coming up, take a pit stop to find some wow.

[Mindy]

We've teamed up with our friends at Geocaching hq, the Aspen Institute and the Nature Conservancy to create Planet Wow. An epic geocaching eco adventure that shares the wows of places on our earth and encourages curious kids like you to become the next generation of climate crusaders.

[Guy Raz]

We've sent out Planet Wow trading cards to members of our world organization of Wowzers to plant in a geocache near them.

[Mindy]

And you can check see if one of those cards are in a geocache near [e-mail] planetwow there you can also find the location of our official Planet Wow. Geocaches.

[Guy Raz]

And if there aren't any trading cards nearby your route, print yours at home and plant them in a geocache along the ride. We have printable cards available on our website, Tinkercast.com PlanetWow we can't wait to.

[Mindy]

Hear what you find on your eco adventures this summer. Leave us a video or audio message about places in your world that wow you for a chance to be featured on an upcoming episode of wow. In the World. That's it. And now let's get back to the show.

[Dennis Cha Cha Cha]

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. We wow on the weekend. Yeah, we wow on the weekend. 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 Cha Cha Cha. And this is my co host, Reggie the Giant pigeon. Scooby Dee Doo. Yeah. This is the show where we chit chat, skit skat, kit kat knickknack. Reggie. What? I was just trying something. Well, you know I love musicals. I just thought I'd bring some razzle dazzle to the show. Corny. How dare you. It's not fair. I was born for the stage. What's that, Reggie? I'm being dramat. Aw, thank you. That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said about me. Okay, let's get into our first segment, reading reviewsies. I'm reading reviewsies for me and for you. Z's. We've got us some doozies, so let's read reviews. Z's. This is the part where people write us comments on Apple podcasts or Spotify or whatever, and I print a bunch out and I read them aloud. This first review, Z, comes from username dial7now. Reggie. The username is dial7. Reggie. Stop it. Stop dialing 7 on the phone. It's just a name, okay? And the number of stars they give us is five. Yay. Five stars. And the title says beans. Huh? And the message says, I like beans. Beans are cool. Okay, well, dial seven. I agree. Beans are cool and they're the musical fruit. What do you mean? They're not a fruit legume. Beans can't be the musical legume, Reggie. It ruins the rhyme. The rhyme, Reggie, the rhyme. The one that goes beans, beans, the magical fruit. The more you eat, the more you toot. The more you toot, the better you feel. So eat your beans for every meal. And I do not a day goes by that I don't have a side of beans with my meals. Yes, especially with my morning porridge. What's a bowl of porridge without beans? Oop, sorry. I had a lot of porridge this morning for breakfast. Oops, sorry, sorry, sorry. Next reviewsie. This next reviewsy comes from username Teganbee. The title says, the best. Hooray, we're the best. And the number of stars is five. Yay. We're the best again. And the message says, I think this podcast is great, but you never talk about pigeons. Besides, Reggie, Frowny face. Emojis. Thumbs down emojis. Feather emojis. Well, I'm sorry, Tegan B. Reggie's the only pigeon I know on a first name basis. Don't you dare agree with Tegan Bee. Reggie, you don't talk about pigeons either. Well, fine. Then let's try a new segment called pigeon talk. Talking bout pigeons and singing bout pigeons and thinking bout pigeons. It's pigeon talk. All right, hit it, Reggie. Yeah, Your cousin Curly. Oh, your cousin Shirley. Oh, wow. Iridescent neck plumage. Cool. And then what? She was pigeonholed and pigeon toed. So that's why they call them pigeon peas. Wow. Well, there you go, Tegan Bee. Hope that satisfies your craving for pigeon talk. Next reviewsy. This next reviewsy is from username GG U T Y J G T. Uh, Reggie, how do you pronounce this? Do you think they maybe fell asleep on their keyboard when writing their username? Okay, well, anyway, this review is titled ffccv. Uh. Oh no. Maybe they did fall asleep. Reggie, we gotta wake em up with loud noises. Obviously. Go see what's in my musical instrument pile over there. No, not that. It's not loud enough. No, louder, Reggie. This has to get all the way through the Internet. Oh, a cowbell. Perfect. And I'll switch to the drum setting on my keyboard. Okay, ready? Go. Wake up. Wake up. Okay, let's see if it worked. It did. The message says I love Wee Wow on the Weeknd. And it says you can have 1 million stars. Wow.

[Mindy]

Yay.

[Dennis Cha Cha Cha]

We did it. Okay, that's enough reviewsies for now. Thanks for all your reviewsies, listeners. Keep em coming. If you leave a comment on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, I just might read it on WeWow on the Weeknd. Five stars or more, please. Big Oz. Reggie. The more stars we have, the more star power we have. Get it? Whatever. 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 three, episode 11 called Bored out of youf Bonker Balls. Why having nothing to do can be good for you, Huh? I don't know, Reggie. This one sounds kind of boring. Well, should we skip it and do something else instead? I don't know. We could bang that cowbell some more and I think there's a gong around here somewhere. But that would not be boring. Oh, annoying. Yeah, probably. Okay, fine. We'll do the non annoying thing and play the episode this time. Okay, here we go. And play.

[Mindy]

Wee Wow will be right back. Grown Ups, this message is for you. Hey, grown Ups, it's Mindy and Guy Raz from wow in the World. And guess what?

[Guy Raz]

What's the good news, Mindy?

[Mindy]

Once Upon a Beat is back with brand new episodes.

[Guy Raz]

Oh, I love that podcast.

[Mindy]

We here at Tinkercast have partnered with our friends at Wondery to bring your family new episodes of Once Upon a Beat.

[Guy Raz]

Once Upon a Beat remixes fairy tales and fables as old as time, giving them a fresh spin with some rhythm and rhyme.

[Mindy]

This podcast is hosted by the amazing DJ Fuchs and features original hip hop songs from Grammy Award winning artist, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo.

[Guy Raz]

Once upon a Beat is where hip hop and Fairy tales meet, and you can listen to new episodes right now.

[Mindy]

Follow Once Upon a Beat on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to Once Upon a Beat, early and at first free right now by joining Wondery in the Wondery app in Apple Podcasts. That's it. Now back to the show.

[Dennis Cha Cha Cha]

What in the world?

[Guy Raz]

Okay, let's see here. Five five, five, five, five five.

[Mindy]

Five.

[Guy Raz]

Uh, hello?

[Dennis Cha Cha Cha]

Hello?

[Guy Raz]

Oh, hi. Yeah, I wanted to purchase the BTN package, please. Oh, yeah, sure. I've got my credit card right here.

[Dennis Cha Cha Cha]

Ugh.

[Guy Raz]

Why is it so sticky? Ugh. Is this maple syrup? Mindy? Yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah, I'm still here. So sorry. So the name on the card is Guy Raz.

[Mindy]

Mindy.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy. No, no, sorry. The name on the card isn't Mindy. It's Guy Razzie. I mean. I mean, Guy Raz. The name on the card is Guy Raz. Oh, okay. Okay, great. Thanks so much.

[Mindy]

Gotta say, Guy Raz, it's a little rude for you to be on the phone when I burst through your door uninvited.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, what are you doing here?

[Mindy]

Well, I heard you loudly sighing from next door, and I thought you might have found the sea monkeys I left in your toilet.

[Guy Raz]

What?

[Mindy]

Nothing. Just don't flush.

[Guy Raz]

No, no, Mindy, I wasn't trying to be rude. I was on the phone trying to order a subscription to the btn, and then I found this.

[Mindy]

Mmm. Yum.

[Guy Raz]

What? Mindy, what is my credit card doing covered in maple syrup?

[Mindy]

Okay, well, technically, it's maple flavored syrup.

[Guy Raz]

Huh.

[Mindy]

Way stickier than the real stuff. So what did you need my pancake syrup applicator for?

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, this is my credit card. It's not a pancake syrup applicator.

[Mindy]

Hmm, that's funny. Cause it sure looks like one with all that maple flavored syrup dripping off of it.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, this is my credit card, and I was using it to buy a subscription to the btn.

[Mindy]

The btn? Oh, the Bears and Teddy Network. Oh, man, I love that one. They have this one show on there called Bear Devil, where these bears, they just.

[Guy Raz]

No, no, Mindy, I am not talking about the Bears and Teddy Network. I'm talking about the Boring Television Network.

[Mindy]

Uh, the Boring Television Network.

[Guy Raz]

Oh, yeah, it's got all the classics. Check it out. It should be connected right now. Great. Here we go.

[Reggie the Giant Pigeon]

And now, here is the news, delivered to you, as always by a British man in a monotone voice.

[Nigel Britwizzle]

Hello, I'm Nigel Britwizzle, and here are today's sports headlines. In Newcastle, the flighting flompers flumped the Southwell swandlers 32 farthing to 21 blongers.

[Dennis Cha Cha Cha]

Ugh, it's so boring.

[Mindy]

Make it stop. Make it stop.

[Guy Raz]

Oh, and then there's the music channel.

[Roger Bord O]

Coming up later on Billboard Music, a bass guitarist practicing scales for seven hours. But first, an interview with minimalist ambient musician Tired sloth.

[Guy Raz]

I'm so excited.

[Mindy]

Nope.

[Guy Raz]

Aw.

[Nigel Britwizzle]

Welcome back to the Paint Drying World Championships.

[Mindy]

Paint Drying World Championship Championships?

[Guy Raz]

Oh, yeah, keep it on this one, Mindy. This is the whole reason I bought the channel subscription in the first place.

[Mindy]

What is it?

[Guy Raz]

It's the World Championship of paint drying.

[Mindy]

My favorite team is playing your favorite paint drying team?

[Guy Raz]

Yeah, the La Boars.

[Mindy]

The La Boars? Huh? Oh yeah, you mean Boars like the pigs. I got it.

[Guy Raz]

Yeah. They're going up against their arch rivals.

[Mindy]

The Kansas City Sleepers.

[Guy Raz]

Yeah, they're the underdogs.

[Mindy]

I thought they were the Sleepers.

[Guy Raz]

What?

[Mindy]

Never mind.

[Dennis Cha Cha Cha]

Oh, oh, wait.

[Guy Raz]

It's about to start.

[Nigel Britwizzle]

The team captains shake hands and return to their opposing sides of freshly painted arena. This promises to be the most exciting wall watching exhibition of the past decade.

[Mindy]

What in the wow are they doing?

[Guy Raz]

They're watching paint dry. The last team to fall asleep from boredom wins.

[Mindy]

Uh huh.

[Nigel Britwizzle]

And they're off. Look at that concentration. Back straight, eyes unblinking. Very, very strong start from the LA Boars.

[Mindy]

Wait a minute, Guy. Raz. I don't get it. Why would anyone want to be bored?

[Guy Raz]

Well, Mindy, it turns out that being bored can actually be really good for you.

[Mindy]

Yeah, like putting vegetables and brownies. Good for you. Because if that's the case, I think I'm gonna take a pass on the old paint Drying World Championships.

[Guy Raz]

No, really, Mindy. Recent research has shown that boredom can be really useful when it comes to creative problem solving.

[Nigel Britwizzle]

And that signals the end of the first round. Don't go anywhere. We'll be right back after these messages.

[Roger Bord O]

Do you have an interest in the uninteresting? Are you curious about the incurious?

[Mindy]

What?

[Roger Bord O]

Then maybe you should come visit us at IB The Institute of Boredom.

[Mindy]

The Institute of Boredom.

[Roger Bord O]

Ever since inventing TV static in 1953, we've become the world leaders in boredom, apathy and monotonous research. So if you like watching paint dry, cheering a snail race, or staring at a pot of water slowly coming to a boil, visit us at our grand opening today from 11am to 4pm wow.

[Guy Raz]

Excuse me.

[Nigel Britwizzle]

And we're back once again at the World Championships of Paint drying.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy. Mindy, did you hear that?

[Dennis Cha Cha Cha]

What?

[Mindy]

Yeah, I had no idea the TV static was an American invention.

[Guy Raz]

No, Mindy. The opening day at ib The Institute of Boredom.

[Mindy]

Oh, yeah, it sounds, you know, sounds really boring.

[Guy Raz]

Oh no, Mindy, it's anything but.

[Mindy]

You said.

[Guy Raz]

But the Institute of Boredom is the place that ran those studies I was telling you about earlier.

[Mindy]

You mean the ones that said that boredom could help with creative problem solving?

[Guy Raz]

The very same ones.

[Mindy]

Oh, okay. Well, what did they find?

[Guy Raz]

Well, why don't we find out? I mean, their opening day is today. I think we should still be able to make it there on time. Let me just check. Hey, Zoodle.

[Mindy]

Oh boy.

[Guy Raz]

What time is it now?

[Mindy]

The time is currently 4:30.

[Guy Raz]

See mindy.

[Mindy]

Am inviention Laos. Guy Raz, it's 1:30.

[Guy Raz]

How did you know?

[Mindy]

Well, I mean, there's an actual clock on the wall behind you.

[Guy Raz]

Oh yeah.

[Mindy]

You know what that means, right?

[Guy Raz]

Maybe it's time for me to dumb down my smart home.

[Mindy]

Yes, but it also means that the grand opening is still going on. We could probably still check it out if we hurry.

[Guy Raz]

I was just thinking the same thing, Mindy.

[Nigel Britwizzle]

Oh, and I believe I may have just witnessed one of the Kansas City sleepers blink. This does not bode well for them.

[Mindy]

Before we go, did you want to record the paint Drying World Championship so you can watch it when we get back or.

[Guy Raz]

Nah, I should be fine. You know, these games usually run for, you know, three or four days.

[Mindy]

Three or four days, man. What's next? The Grass Growing World Championships.

[Nigel Britwizzle]

Up next, the Grass growing World Championships as the Winnipeg wait lists take on the Toronto software updates.

[Guy Raz]

Oh, okay, let's go.

[Mindy]

Yes, Reggie. Hey Reg, think you could drop us off at the new Institute of Boredom? Yeah, I think it's right by there.

[Guy Raz]

Right next to what, Mindy?

[Mindy]

Oh, the dry cleaners. He's got some clothes to pick up.

[Guy Raz]

Uh, but Mindy, um, um, Reggie doesn't wear any clothing.

[Mindy]

I never said they were his clothes. Guy Raz, he's helping out Thomas Fingerling.

[Guy Raz]

Aw, what a stand up bird. Good for you, Reg.

[Mindy]

Okay. Come on, Guy Raz, hop on.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, I'm ready.

[Mindy]

Good, because here we.

[Guy Raz]

Think I'd be used to those landings by now.

[Mindy]

Thanks, Reg.

[Dennis Cha Cha Cha]

Yep.

[Mindy]

The dry cleaners is just over there.

[Guy Raz]

All right, Mindy, I think the Institute of Boredom is just across the road over there. Let's just wait for this last car to pass and cross.

[Mindy]

Crossing. Crossing. Crossing. Crossing. Hey, Guy Raz.

[Dennis Cha Cha Cha]

Yeah?

[Mindy]

Why did the Guy Raz cross the Road.

[Guy Raz]

Oh, Mindy.

[Mindy]

To get to the Institute of Boredom's grand opening. Look, there it is.

[Dennis Cha Cha Cha]

Wow. Wow.

[Guy Raz]

Mandy, get a load of this place. It's massive.

[Mindy]

And so boring.

[Guy Raz]

Impressively boring.

[Mindy]

Yeah. Look at this place. No trees, no flourish. Just a nondescript gray rectangle concrete building. Oh, is that. Is that a sculpture of the institute's.

[Guy Raz]

Founder, Roger Bord O, inventor of TV static and purveyor of fine waiting rooms?

[Mindy]

Huh. Sounds like a real hoot. Well, come on, Guy Raz, let's go inside.

[Tinkercast Staff]

Hello, and welcome to the Institute of Boredom. Are you being helped at all?

[Guy Raz]

No, we just arrived. It's a lovely place you have here.

[Tinkercast Staff]

Yeah, it's super boring. Can I uninterest you in some of the activities we have going on today?

[Guy Raz]

Sure. Super.

[Tinkercast Staff]

Just over there by the front yawn.

[Guy Raz]

I'm sorry, did you say the front lawn?

[Tinkercast Staff]

No, I said the front yawn. It's a concrete patch in the front of the library that's dedicated to yawning. It's super boring. Anywho, over by the front yawn, we have the sign up for our regional varsity board game team. Ooh, and over in the long winded movies with no robots or explosions building, we have a special PowerPoint presentation on PowerPoint presentations.

[Guy Raz]

Oh, oh, no thanks. I can't have PowerPoints after midday. They keep me up all night ruminating. Oh, wow, that's really boring.

[Tinkercast Staff]

Well, then, in about three minutes, inside our state of the art homework memorial lecture hall, we have a speaker presentation on some of the scientific studies we're currently conducting here at the Institute.

[Mindy]

We love scientific studies.

[Guy Raz]

Seriously, it seems like it's all we talk about sometimes.

[Tinkercast Staff]

Well, then all you need to do is head down this beige hallway, take a left at the room where the grown ups start telling stories about how hard it was back when they were your age. And then it's the third door on the right.

[Guy Raz]

Great, thanks. No problem.

[Tinkercast Staff]

Having uneventful.

[Guy Raz]

This is great, Mindy. Maybe they'll mention those studies that I was telling you about earlier.

[Mindy]

Oh, you mean the ones that said that boredom can actually help with creative problem solving? Yeah, I sure hope so. Otherwise, I'm just gonna hang out by that cheese board for the rest of the afternoon. Uh, oh, cheese board. I just got it.

[Reggie the Giant Pigeon]

So I said to Mabel, I said, back in my day, that would have cost us 20 shillings. Of course, we didn't have the word 20 back then.

[Guy Raz]

All right, this must be the room with the grandparents telling back when I was your age story. So we turn right and 1, 2, 3. Ah, here we are. The homework Memorial lecture hall. It looks like it's about to start. Let's grab some chairs in the back.

[Mindy]

Roger that, buddy. Excuse me. Sorry. Coming through. Just trying to. To grab a seat here. Hi. Ooh, nice pencil case. I love the sparkles. Thank you. Sorry, just squeezing through. And there we are.

[Tinkercast Staff]

Shh.

[Reggie the Giant Pigeon]

Since the dawn of time, man has periodically become uninterested and disengaged with the world around him. But why is this? Well, we here at the Institute of Boredom are working around the clock to uncover exactly why this is and. And what potential benefits it might hold.

[Guy Raz]

Yes. I knew they'd cover this.

[Reggie the Giant Pigeon]

Over the past decade, we've conducted several experiments to answer these questions. And today we'll be looking at one of our most recent studies, a study conducted by our colleagues over at the University of Lancashire in the United Kingdom, conducted by researchers Sandy Mann and Rebecca Cadman.

[Guy Raz]

This is it, Mindy. This is the study that I was telling you about.

[Mindy]

So what was it about?

[Guy Raz]

Well, the experiment took place over two separate experiments, and in the first experiment.

[Reggie the Giant Pigeon]

A group of participants were asked to complete an incredibly boring task.

[Dennis Cha Cha Cha]

Oh.

[Mindy]

Oh, I know, I know. Pick me, pick me.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, I don't know if this is the kind of lecture where you can ask questions.

[Reggie the Giant Pigeon]

Uh, I'm sorry, is that a question?

[Mindy]

Um, yes. Sorry. Was it doing chores?

[Reggie the Giant Pigeon]

What?

[Mindy]

Was it doing chores? You know, the incredibly boring task you just mentioned?

[Dennis Cha Cha Cha]

What? No.

[Mindy]

Was it waiting to see the doctor?

[Reggie the Giant Pigeon]

No, no, no, no.

[Nigel Britwizzle]

It was too.

[Mindy]

Wait. Nope, I got it, I got it. Was it when the Internet gets really slow and you can't download any more cat pictures?

[Reggie the Giant Pigeon]

No, it was copying out phone numbers from a phone book.

[Mindy]

Well, yeah, I guess that is pretty boring.

[Reggie the Giant Pigeon]

In any case, as I was saying, these participants performed this boring task for 15 minutes before taking a creativity test.

[Mindy]

A creativity test?

[Guy Raz]

That's right, Mindy. The participants of this study, after writing out phone number after phone number after phone number, were asked to list off different uses for a cup.

[Mindy]

Different uses for a cup? Like the kind you drink out of?

[Guy Raz]

That's right. So, for example, you could use a cup for drinking.

[Mindy]

Yeah.

[Guy Raz]

But another person could say you could wear it as a hat.

[Mindy]

Or another might say you would string two cups together and use them as a phone.

[Guy Raz]

Exactly. Anyway, when they looked at the results of the group that had been performing the boring task beforehand, the researchers found that this boring group was able to come up with way more examples of things you could do with a cup than a different group that hadn't done boring stuff before.

[Mindy]

Ah, yes. So they were better at divergent thinking.

[Guy Raz]

Divergent what?

[Mindy]

Divergent thinking Guy Raz. It's the type of creative thinking you do when you're trying to come up with a bunch of ideas. I was always told I was a very divergent thinker. I think that's why I have so many crazy inventions.

[Guy Raz]

Right.

[Mindy]

Oh, that reminds me, I have to show you my new pancake syrup applicator when we get back.

[Guy Raz]

You already did, Mindy. That was my credit card.

[Reggie the Giant Pigeon]

But that was only part one of this two part experiment. So here comes part two.

[Guy Raz]

This is the best part. Okay, so in part two of the experiment, Mindy, the researchers created a third group to see what would happen if you got people really bored.

[Mindy]

Oh, man. More boring than writing out the entire phone book?

[Guy Raz]

Yeah. And this third group's task was to simply read the phone book. That's it?

[Mindy]

Yikes. That's more boring than listening to someone tell you about the dream they had the night before.

[Reggie the Giant Pigeon]

After the first two groups completed their boring tasks, they then, along with the control group, which, as we mentioned earlier, was the group that didn't do any boring tasks beforehand, all took the same divergent thinking test that was used in the first experiment, along with two more creative thinking tests just to make sure that the first time wasn't a fluke.

[Guy Raz]

And Mindy, guess what they found?

[Mindy]

What?

[Reggie the Giant Pigeon]

These researchers found that the most most.

[Mindy]

Bored group, the one that had only read the phone book, was able to.

[Reggie the Giant Pigeon]

Score better than the group that performed no boring tasks. And the phone book copying group when it came to the creative test.

[Mindy]

Okay, now let me get this straight. The group of people who were the most bored out of anyone performed better on the creativity test than anyone else?

[Guy Raz]

Uh huh.

[Mindy]

Which would suggest that the more bored.

[Guy Raz]

You are, the more creative your ideas become.

[Mindy]

Huh.

[Guy Raz]

All right, well, I think we've got the facts we need from here. Let's get out of here. I don't want to miss any more of the world championships.

[Mindy]

Okey doke.

[Guy Raz]

Just try not to make a. Bye, everyone.

[Mindy]

Sorry, we have to go now. There's a show on TV we gotta watch.

[Guy Raz]

Try not to make a scene.

[Mindy]

Excuse us.

[Guy Raz]

Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. Coming through.

[Dennis Cha Cha Cha]

Excuse me.

[Mindy]

Sorry.

[Roger Bord O]

Eddie.

[Mindy]

Excuse me.

[Guy Raz]

Phew.

[Mindy]

Well, that could have gone better.

[Guy Raz]

You can say that again.

[Mindy]

Well, that could have gone better.

[Guy Raz]

So what did you think of the talk, Mindy?

[Mindy]

Well, I would have rather been doing anything else, but I had no idea that all those days I spent just bumming around the house, bored out of my bonker balls. I was actually filling up my brain tank with creative juices.

[Guy Raz]

Right.

[Mindy]

But what I still can't figure out is why does being bored help me get my creativity on?

[Guy Raz]

Well, no one knows for sure, but those same researchers we just heard about, well, they think that it's something known as passive boredom.

[Mindy]

So like the boredom that these people went through during the experiment that put their minds into like a daydreaming mode?

[Guy Raz]

Exactly. When most of us get bored, we start to daydream and that allows our minds to open up to creative thinking and ideas.

[Mindy]

That's so. Wow.

[Guy Raz]

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, just ask any kid, Mindy. If you leave them alone for a long time, they'll come up with some pretty creative ways to keep themselves entertained.

[Mindy]

You don't have to tell me, Guy Raz. I was president of Imaginationland for three whole years when I was in third grade. Okay, now let me just text Reggie here to see if he can come pick us up. After all this talk about boredom and creativity. Think I will join you in watching that paint drying world championship, Guy Raz.

[Guy Raz]

Oh, really?

[Mindy]

Yeah. You know, I've been trying to think of a new design for the shrink wand and think the old imagination tank could use a little polishing.

[Guy Raz]

Fantastic. I'll get the kale chips ready.

[Mindy]

Alright, so is there anything I need to know before we start watching?

[Guy Raz]

Well, I would say the first thing you have to know is that the La Boars star players is Labore James. Now, he's probably the greatest of all time. I mean, there's some debate over it. You know, players from the 70s and 80s, but I mean, I'm talking really good at watching paint dry acrylics and oils and water.

[Dennis Cha Cha Cha]

Shrimp cocktails. What's going on? What? I didn't fall asleep. I was so listening to the episode. It was all about shrimp and how they like to get dressed up and go to fancy parties. Oh yeah, that might have been a dream. I guess I did fall asleep. Well, what was the episode about? I'm up. I'm up. Yeah, good idea. We should wrap up the show so I can go take an afternoon nap. Yes, another one. 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. Okay, let's go. So Reggie, what are you gonna do for the rest of the day? Sure, you can take a nap here. It'll be like a sleepover, but during the day. Oh yeah, what would that be called? A nap over. Yeah, that's even better.

[Mindy]

Grownups, if you like wow in the World, you can listen early and ad free right now on Wondery.

[Guy Raz]

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

[Mindy]

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

[Dennis Cha Cha Cha]

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

[Guy Raz]

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