WeWow on the Weekend (5/3/25)

Summary

Wow in the World: Episode Summary – "WeWow on the Weekend" (May 3, 2025)

Hosts: Mindy Thomas, Dennis, Guy Raz, and Reggie the Giant Pigeon

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1. Exciting Announcements and Live Events

The episode kicks off with Mindy Thomas sharing thrilling news about an upcoming live event in Seattle. She announces that she, along with Carlie Q, Dennis, Grandma GeForce, and Thomas Fingerling, will be hosting the "Bonkerballs Competition Game Show." This live event invites kids to transform their wildest and weirdest ideas into jaw-dropping inventions on stage.

• Mindy Thomas [00:00]: "Seattle. It's time to make it wow."

She encourages listeners to purchase tickets by visiting Tinkercast.com/events, highlighting the excitement and anticipation surrounding the event.

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2. Weekend Banter and Cake-Crafting Segment

Dennis takes the spotlight as he introduces the segment "Wee Wow on the Weekend," co-hosted by Reggie the Giant Pigeon. The lighthearted conversation revolves around Dennis's recent trip to Disneyland, which inadvertently led to Reggie receiving a Disneyland pin after Dennis was banned for disruptive behavior.

• Dennis [00:56]: "We wow on the weekend. Cause this is what we do on the weekend. Talking, laughing."

The discussion seamlessly transitions into their cooking segment, "Dishing it Up with Dennis and Reggie," where they decide to bake a cake based on listener suggestions. Faced with a plethora of cake ideas—ranging from chocolate and red velvet to cheesecake and rainbow cake—they creatively amalgamate ingredients using unconventional methods, such as adding old cold chocolate and crumbled toast.

• Dennis [06:45]: "It looks like a lot of people want the cake to be chocolate, which is perfect because I have an old mug of hot chocolate right here."

They humorously navigate the baking process, culminating in the use of the "Cakey Bake Junior" oven, a nostalgic nod to Dennis's childhood. Despite some hiccups, including the oven honking instead of dinging, the duo successfully tastes their unique cake creation.

• Dennis [07:25]: "It's working. I love you, Cakey Bake Junior."
• Dennis [26:01]: "I just need to ditch Guy Raz's tin of hair wax and use something else waxy to style my hair."

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3. Inside Tinkercast Studios: The Mystery of Dino Dandruff

Transitioning from their culinary adventures, Dennis introduces the "Inside Tinkercast Studios" segment. They revisit Season 2, Episode 37 of "Wow in the World," titled "The Dinosaur with Dandruff," aiming to uncover solutions for dandruff problems inspired by dinosaur studies.

• Dennis [09:17]: "This is the part where we revisit an episode of one of my favorite Tinkercast shows."

However, the segment takes an unexpected turn as Mindy delves into an in-depth discussion about the evolutionary link between dinosaurs and modern-day chickens, sparked by Reggie's persistent dandruff issues.

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4. The Dinosaur-Chicken Connection and the Science of Dandruff

Mindy engages Guy Raz in a playful yet informative debate about whether chickens are related to dinosaurs. She introduces the concept that modern birds, including chickens, share a common ancestor with prehistoric dinosaurs like the Tyrannosaurus Rex (T. Rex).

• Mindy [16:29]: "This fossilized feather belonged to a teeny tiny little crow-sized raptor that lived in prehistoric China 125 million years ago."

Guy Raz raises critical questions about the validity of this connection, leading to an enlightening exchange about paleontological findings. They discuss how scientists discovered collagen in a 68-million-year-old T. Rex leg bone, which matched collagen in modern chickens, reinforcing the evolutionary link.

• Mindy [17:02]: "They discovered that the collagen found in this prehistoric dinosaur was almost exactly like the collagen found in modern day chickens."

The conversation shifts to the discovery of feathered dinosaurs, noting that over the past two decades, numerous non-avian dinosaurs with feathers, or protofeathers, have been identified. These protofeathers likely resembled brightly colored fuzz, bridging the gap between scaly dinosaurs and modern birds.

• Guy Raz [18:31]: "Well, a group of paleontologists from North Carolina State University were studying a 68 million year old leg bone of a T. Rex when they found something very special."

Mindy humorously ties the scientific discussion back to Reggie's predicament with dandruff, suggesting that dandruff in both dinosaurs and chickens is more than just a grooming issue—it's a biological trait inherited from their ancestors.

• Guy Raz [19:19]: "You know what, Guy Raz, that just reminded me of something."

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5. The Fascinating Case of Dino Dandruff

Delving deeper, Mindy introduces a fossilized dinosaur feather containing what appears to be dandruff, suggesting that some dinosaurs shed skin in tiny flakes rather than all at once. This finding challenges previous notions and aligns dinosaurs more closely with modern birds in terms of skin shedding.

• Mindy [24:01]: "What this little piece of dandruff proves is that at least some dinosaurs, particularly the ones with feathers, shed their skin in teeny tiny little bits in the form of dandruff."

Guy Raz connects this to his own battle with dandruff, humorously contemplating switching from hair wax to earwax to solve his itching issues—highlighting the episode's blend of science and relatable humor.

• Guy Raz [25:52]: "And you say that if I stop using that hair wax, then the itching should stop."

The segment concludes with a playful twist as a "tiny T Rex" seemingly comes to life, leading to a humorous chase that wraps up the scientific exploration with laughter.

• Mindy [26:07]: "Tiny T Rex on the loose. Everyone run for your life."

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6. Closing Remarks and Listener Engagement

As the episode draws to a close, Dennis invites listeners to engage by leaving questions and participating in future shows. The hosts express gratitude to their audience, encouraging them to listen early and ad-free through Wondery platforms.

• Dennis [27:01]: "Thanks to all you listeners out there for tuning in to Wee Wow on the weekend."

Mindy and Guy Raz provide information on how to access additional content and participate in listener surveys, ensuring a continuous connection with their audience.

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Notable Quotes

• Mindy Thomas [00:00]: "Seattle. It's time to make it wow."
• Dennis [06:45]: "It looks like a lot of people want the cake to be chocolate, which is perfect because I have an old mug of hot chocolate right here."
• Mindy Thomas [16:29]: "This fossilized feather belonged to a teeny tiny little crow-sized raptor that lived in prehistoric China 125 million years ago."
• Guy Raz [25:52]: "And you say that if I stop using that hair wax, then the itching should stop."

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Key Takeaways

• Evolutionary Insights: The episode highlights the fascinating evolutionary link between dinosaurs and modern birds, particularly chickens, supported by scientific discoveries of collagen similarities and feathered dinosaur fossils.

• Relatable Humor: Through the characters' playful interactions and personal anecdotes, the discussion of dandruff and hair care becomes both entertaining and educational for listeners of all ages.

• Audience Engagement: The hosts actively involve their audience by incorporating listener suggestions into their segments and encouraging participation through calls and surveys.

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"WeWow on the Weekend" masterfully blends science, humor, and audience interaction, embodying the essence of "Wow in the World" by making complex topics accessible and enjoyable for both kids and their grown-ups.

Transcript

[Mindy]

Hey Wowzer fams. Mindy here. And before we start the show, I got some big news for you. Seattle. It's time to make it wow. That's right. This June, me and my friends Carlie Q, Dennis, Grandma GeForce and Thomas Fingerling are headed to Seattle for our live Bonkerballs competition game show where kids turn their wildest and weirdest ideas into jaw dropping inventions live on on stage. Tickets are on sale now. Visit Tinkercast.com events to get your tickets to make it wow near you once again. That's Tinkercast.com events. We can't wait to see you soon. But for now let's get back to the show.

[Dennis]

We wow on the weekend. We wow on the weekend. We wow on the weekend. Cause this is what we do on the weekend. Talking, laughing. Me and Reggie singing, laughing. And then we. Oh wait, no, I said laughing twice. Whatever. We wow on the weekend. Yeah, we wow on the weekend. We wow on the weekend. Cause this is what we do on the weekend. Hello and welcome to. Welcome to Wee Wow on the Weekend. I'm your host Dennis and that's my co host, Reggie the giant pigeon. This is the show where we hang out and chit chat and do whatever we feel like doing. Because it's the weekend. So Reggie, what should we do? We can do anything. What? Nothing. Reggie. Why nothing? You're tired from last weekend. What happened last weekend? Disneyland. Reggie, you went to the amusement park without me. Reggie, how could you go to Dizzyland, the dizziest place on earth without me? Alright, I have a lifetime ban from Disneyland for cutting in the line and going down the water slide backwards and barfing into no barf zone and heckling the mascots and filling up one of the teacups in the teacup ride with actual tea. Well, you still could have invited me. Now I have FOMO and I can't focus on the show and everything's ruined. What? Really? You brought me a present back from Disneyland? Reggie. What is it? What is it? What is it? What is it? Oh, it's a pin shaped like Dizzy Dingo. So cute. Okay, I forgive you. Yay, presents. Okay, let's get into our first segment of the day. Reading reviewsies. I'm reading reviewsies for me and for Uzies. We've got us some doozies. Read reviews, Zs. This is the part where I find reviews that people write to us on Spotify and Apple podcasts or whatever and print a bunch out and then. Oh Reggie, you've already printed a bunch out. Well look at you. What a prepared little pigeon. Sorry. Prepared humongous pigeon. Okay, let's see what we've got here. This first reviewsie comes to us from username. Chocolate, yellow, red velvet, black forest. Uh, Reggie, these aren't refusies. This is a list of cakes. What? This list of cakes is from the comment section. Oh, yeah. A couple months ago, I asked my devoted listeners to tell me what cake to make on Dishing it Up with Dennis. And then I forgot all about it. But here they are, the cake suggestions. Okay, forget about reading reviewsies. Today we're doing a cooking segment. Ahem. Dish it up on a dish. Anything that you wish. Take a bite. That's delish. Dishing it up with Dennis and Reggie. Okay, today we're making a cake, so let's take a look at this list. Our devoted listeners have suggested the following cakes. Ahem. Chocolate, black forest, red velvet. There's another vote for chocolate. A vote for cheesecake. Oh, wow. Triple layer chocolate cake, Rainbow cake, Triple layer fudge with espresso. Yikes, that's a lot of cakes. Which one should we make? Well, we can't do the espresso cake because I already had two cups of coffee this morning and I'm out of my single origin super special ultra rare espresso beans. But maybe we can do a few of these other cakes all mixed together. Okay, it looks like a lot of people want the cake to be chocolate, which is perfect because I have an old mug of hot chocolate right here. Now, Reggie, it's not hot, it's old, which means it's also cold. It's old cold chocolate. Okay, the next ingredient we need is flour. Oh, Reggie, give me your toast. Well, would you rather have toast or cake? That's right. Good choice. Okay, just going to crumble this into the hot chocolate, give it a little stir and. Ta da. Cake batter. Yeah, it's a little watery. So what? Okay, now let's get to the rainbow cake. How about we add some of these rainbow sprinkles? Fine. They're not so much sprinkles as they are jelly beans. Now, Reggie, we'll just tear them into tiny bits like this. See, sprinkles, those go into the batter. And finally, I think someone wanted a cheesecake and I just so happened to keep a slice of American cheese in my pocket at all times. Why? Because it feels smooth and it comforts me. It's my emotional support cheese. Just gotta unwrap it and put it on top there. Yeah. I don't know why you put Cheese on a cake. But anything for my devoted listeners. Okay, that is a good looking mug of stuff that should become a cake, right? And now it's time to bake. Let me go get my oven. I have been waiting, just waiting to get this thing back out. It's from my childhood. Mother bought it for me so I can bake my old birthday cakes. Aha. Here it is. Get ready to be impressed, Reggie. Ta da. It's the Cakey Bake junior. Yeah, check it out. Let me just turn it on. Cakey Bake. Cakey Bake.

[Mindy]

Cakey Bake Donut.

[Dennis]

And now we put our cake batter inside, then close it up and press this button.

[Mindy]

Yay.

[Dennis]

It's working. I love you, Cakey Bake Junior. When our delicious cake is done, Cakey Bake Junior will go ding. What? Honk. It's supposed to go ding. What's a honk mean? Reggie, a honk does not mean it's a bad cake. Well, let's find out. Come here, my sweet confection. Ooh, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot. Okay, time to taste. Let me just get in. Get this spoon. Mmm. Oh, sounds delicious. Yeah, that's really good. I'm just gonna spit it out real quick, though. Wow. Thanks for all your cake suggestions, listeners. And thank you, Cakeybake junior. Stop honking. Okay, let's move on to a little segment I like to call Inside Tinkercast Studios. Ahem. Inside Tinkercast Studios. This is the part where we revisit an episode of one of my favorite Tinkercast shows. And today we're listening to wow. In the World, Season 2, Episode 37 called the Dinosaur with dandruff. Oh, no. Dandruff. Reggie, I have a terrible secret. I have dandruff. No. I know it's not a big deal, but my scalp gets all itchy and flaky, see? Oh, got it all over the cake. Well, I hope there's an answer to my dandruff problems in this episode. I need to get rid of it. Okay, here we go. And play.

[Mindy]

Wee. Wow. We'll be right back, grown ups. This message is for you. That's it. Now back to the show. What in the world? Okay, a little tuna, few sardines on there. Hmm. What else do I need? Ooh, maybe a little jelly to keep it all together. It's open. Now, where did I put the sprinkles? Oh, hey, guy. Raz. Hey, you. What?

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, what is going on here? Um, it smells like a fish market in here.

[Mindy]

Oh, I'm just about to go feed my Rex.

[Guy Raz]

Your Rex?

[Mindy]

Yeah, my T. Rex.

[Guy Raz]

T. Rex. Mindy, what are you talking about?

[Mindy]

My T. Rex, Guy Raz. As in Tyrannosaurus Rex. T. Rex. Looks like somebody needs to brush up on their dinosaurs.

[Guy Raz]

I know what a T. Rex is, Mindy.

[Mindy]

Then why are you pretending like you don't?

[Guy Raz]

What?

[Mindy]

Anywho, what's going on?

[Guy Raz]

Oh, nothing much really. I just wanted to see what you were up to.

[Mindy]

What I'm up to is wondering what you're doing scratching your nog so much. Cut it out before you've got nothing left.

[Guy Raz]

Oh, oh, sorry about that, Mindy. I don't know what's gotten into me. Ever since I started using this new hair wax last week, my head has been itching non stop.

[Mindy]

Well, your hair does look a little more slick than usual. Even if you do mess it up every five seconds with your scratching. Guy Raz, you gotta stop.

[Guy Raz]

I can't help it, okay?

[Mindy]

I got an idea. Here, why don't you just put on this awesome hat?

[Guy Raz]

It says cheeseburgers in paradise.

[Mindy]

Forget all about that itchy little nog of yours, come out and help me feed the big guy.

[Guy Raz]

Feed who?

[Mindy]

Rex. My T. Rex, Guy Raz. T. Rexes have very serious appetites.

[Guy Raz]

Uh, sure. Let me just put this hat on. Ah, it's a little small for me. Mindy, is this hat made for one of those stuff a bears?

[Mindy]

Uh huh. Okay, I need you to hold this bag of food. Okay, I'll follow behind you with this one.

[Guy Raz]

Wait a minute. What's in this bag, Mindy? Organic corn seed mix.

[Mindy]

Yep, a T. Rex's favorite meal.

[Guy Raz]

Wait, so if this is for your pet T. Rex, Mindy, then what's with this big old bucket of fish?

[Mindy]

Oh yeah, that. I just got a little hungry. Come on, Guy Raz, this way.

[Guy Raz]

Coming. Whoa. Mindy, these walls must be like 20ft tall.

[Mindy]

Well, yeah, they're supposed to hold in T. Rexes. Huh. Now I need you to stand back while I open the Cooper.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, Are you sure this is a good idea?

[Mindy]

How else are we supposed to feed them?

[Guy Raz]

Well, vocal identification required.

[Mindy]

It's raining tacos. Voice confirmed. Tacos? Don't even know why. Just open your mouth.

[Dennis]

Whatever. Oh.

[Mindy]

Hey, look, it worked.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, I'm not sure about this.

[Mindy]

Oh, come on, Guy Raz. It's just a T. Rex. Here, Rexy, Rexy, Rexy, Rexy, Rexy. Here, Rexy, Rexy, I got some food for you. Num num num.

[Guy Raz]

Don't call for it, Mindy.

[Mindy]

Rexy is not an it, it's a he. And second of all, who's that? Oh, that's probably him. Rexy. Who wants some corn kernels? Come on out. I know you're hungry. Here he comes. Guy. Raz, my big.

[Guy Raz]

Oh, chicken.

[Mindy]

Hey there, Rexy. Who's a good little dinosaur? You are. Yes, you are. Do you want some food?

[Dennis]

You got a hungry little. Wait, wait.

[Guy Raz]

This is Rexy? Where's your pet T. Rex you were talking about?

[Mindy]

Oh, well, this is him. Aren't you, buddy? Aren't you just a little, teeny, tiny T. Rex?

[Dennis]

Aren't you a little baby T. Rex?

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, I hate to burst your bubble here, but that is clearly a chicken.

[Mindy]

Ok, well, maybe technically speaking he's a chicken, but he comes from a proud dinosaur dynasty guy.

[Guy Raz]

Dinosaur dynasty? What do you mean?

[Mindy]

What I mean is that even though Rexy here might not technically be a Tyrannosaurus Rex, Rexy's great great great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great great great great great great grandparents very well could have been.

[Guy Raz]

Ah, of course. So what you're saying is that chickens like Rexy here evolved from dinosaurs like the Tyrannosau.

[Mindy]

And in the same way that we humans began to evolve from other primates millions and millions of years ago.

[Guy Raz]

Well, I can understand how humans are related to other primates. I mean, we kind of look similar. We have similar facial structures, similar hands, and a pretty similar sense of humor. Hey, hey. It's so great to be here tonight. Flew in this morning and boy, are my arms tired. So why do monkeys like bananas? Because they're so appealing. But a chicken and a T. Rex? Mindy, I can't think of two animals more different. So what makes you think these two animals are actually related?

[Mindy]

I feel it in my bones.

[Guy Raz]

Huh.

[Mindy]

Or maybe I should say that Rexy here feels it in his bones.

[Guy Raz]

Hmm. What do you mean?

[Mindy]

His great great great great grandpappy was a T. Rex. It's all in his bones.

[Guy Raz]

In Rexy's bones?

[Mindy]

Yeah. So a group of paleontologists, which are.

[Guy Raz]

The people who do study dinosaurs and other prehistoric life.

[Mindy]

That's right. A group of paleontologists from North Carolina State University were studying a 68 million year old leg bone of a T. Rex when they found something very special.

[Guy Raz]

What?

[Mindy]

Wait for it. Collagen.

[Guy Raz]

Collagen? You mean the stuff that's in our bones? The stuff that makes our bones slightly flexible?

[Mindy]

The very same stuff.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, so what's so special about collagen?

[Mindy]

Well, they were able to take this little bit of dino collagen that they found and then run it through a database where they could compare it to a whole bunch of other living animals.

[Guy Raz]

And?

[Mindy]

And they found a match.

[Guy Raz]

The modern date chicken.

[Mindy]

Winner, winner, chicken dinner. They discovered that the collagen found in this prehistoric dinosaur was almost exactly like the collagen found in modern day chickens. Like Rexy here.

[Guy Raz]

Wow.

[Mindy]

But it's not just chickens and T. Rexes that share something in common.

[Guy Raz]

It isn't?

[Mindy]

Nope. Scientists now think that all modern day birds are in some way related. Related to prehistoric dinosaurs.

[Guy Raz]

Huh? You know, now that I think about it, Mindy, there are a lot more similarities between birds and dinosaurs than I thought.

[Mindy]

Yeah. So what do you think?

[Guy Raz]

Well, for one, they both have a ferocious appetite. And for two, they're both covered in feathers.

[Mindy]

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold the phone, Guy Raz. Dinosaurs with feathers?

[Guy Raz]

That's right, Mindy.

[Mindy]

I thought the dinosaurs were all scaly and thick skinned like Grandma G Force's pet alligator. Ripples. Come on now, Ripples. Get in the tub and show Mama that bell. Time for your powders. I'm gonna wax you up.

[Dennis]

What?

[Mindy]

You want to wrestle?

[Guy Raz]

Well, there definitely were dinosaurs that were scaly, Mindy. But more and more feathered dinosaurs are being discovered every day.

[Mindy]

Really?

[Guy Raz]

Yeah. Over the past 20 years or so, 30 species of non avian or non flying dinosaurs have been found with feathers.

[Mindy]

Just like birds.

[Guy Raz]

Some of them, yes. But there are other dinosaurs who have very fine, very small feathers called protofeathers.

[Mindy]

Loco sweaters.

[Guy Raz]

Protofeathers. Scientists believe that these sorts of feathers would have looked like brightly colored fuzz that would have covered the dinosaur's entire body.

[Mindy]

Dino fuzz. Hey, why don't you have any dino fuzz, Rexy?

[Guy Raz]

Hmm.

[Mindy]

Yeah, it's a good point.

[Guy Raz]

Mike. Itchy head. It's driving me nuts.

[Mindy]

You know what, Guy Raz, that just reminded me of something.

[Guy Raz]

What?

[Mindy]

I think I know what's got your noggin in need of a scratchin'come.

[Dennis]

Here.

[Mindy]

Let me see that little coconut cabeza of yours.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, Mindy, fine. Let me just take my glasses off here. There you go. Whoa.

[Mindy]

You only have two eyes. Huh? Okay, let me just inspect here. Yes, yep, just as I suspected.

[Guy Raz]

What is it, Mindy?

[Mindy]

Well, it's this. Shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, why were you shaking my head like that? I'm not a. Whoa. What is that? It looks like a small Pile of snow.

[Mindy]

Uh, that's not snow, my friend. It's dandruff.

[Guy Raz]

Dandruff? Ugh, gross.

[Dennis]

Shh.

[Mindy]

The dandruff can hear you, Guy Raz. It's not gross. It's just little pieces of dead skin in your hair.

[Guy Raz]

What was all that dandruff doing in my hair, Mindy?

[Mindy]

Well, it's probably got something to do with that new hair wax you've been putting through those luscious locks of yours.

[Guy Raz]

My hair wax? Well, it just keeps my hair neat and tidy.

[Mindy]

Yeah, but have you checked the label? Says right here. May cause radical mohawks and wicked dandruff.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, where did you get a canister of my hair wax from?

[Mindy]

Oh, no, this isn't yours. This is Rexy's. You guys just use the same kind?

[Guy Raz]

You put hair wax on your chicken?

[Mindy]

Of course I put hair wax on my chicken, Guy Raz. How else do you think he'd be able to maintain that slick and dapper look of his?

[Guy Raz]

Wait a minute. Do chickens. Chickens get dandruff, too?

[Mindy]

Not only do chickens get dandruff, Guy Raz, but so did their ancestors.

[Guy Raz]

You mean.

[Mindy]

Yep. I'm talking about dino dandruff.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, so I can guess how you found out that Rexy had dandruff. I'm guessing you just picked him up.

[Mindy]

And gently shook him out.

[Guy Raz]

Yeah, but how do you know that his ancestors had dandruff? Oh, well, wait a minute. Did you use the time machine to go back in time and ruffle up some dinosaurs?

[Mindy]

Guy Raz, do I look like the type of person who would go back in time and ruffle up dinosaurs? Uh, don't answer that.

[Guy Raz]

Then how'd you find out?

[Mindy]

Well, my friend, the answer lies in this.

[Guy Raz]

A half chewed piece of gum, a gumdrop button, and three AAA batteries.

[Mindy]

Oh, sorry, wrong pocket. Take two. This.

[Dennis]

Whoa.

[Guy Raz]

What is that?

[Mindy]

This, Guy Raz, is a fossilized dinosaur feather.

[Dennis]

Oh, cool.

[Guy Raz]

And just so we're clear, fossilization is what happens when a living organism like a plant or an animal, gets frozen or encased in something like tar or quicksand when it dies.

[Mindy]

Yeah, and that process protects it from the elements and stops the from decaying or rotting.

[Dennis]

Right.

[Guy Raz]

So where did you get a fossilized dino feather from, Mindy?

[Mindy]

Oh, it came free in my box of dandrufflakes.

[Guy Raz]

Huh.

[Mindy]

Cereal.

[Dennis]

Really?

[Mindy]

No, not really. My friend Maria McNamara from the University of College Cork loaned it to me.

[Guy Raz]

Ah.

[Dennis]

Huh.

[Guy Raz]

And where did she get it from?

[Mindy]

She got it from China.

[Guy Raz]

Ah.

[Mindy]

And you'll never guess what she found on this fossilized dino feather.

[Guy Raz]

Dandruff?

[Mindy]

Yeah. How did you know?

[Guy Raz]

Well, it just kind of seemed like where the story was heading.

[Mindy]

Well, look at you with your deductive reasoning skills. Well, you're right. This fossilized feather belonged to a teeny tiny little crow sized raptor that lived in prehistoric China 125 million years ago.

[Guy Raz]

Whoa. 125 million years? That's like. Well, that's a really long time ago.

[Mindy]

It sure is. And you know what that means?

[Guy Raz]

What?

[Mindy]

That this dandruff on this fossil is, as far as we know, the oldest case of itchy head in existence.

[Guy Raz]

Whoa.

[Mindy]

But this little fleck of dino dandruff is way more than just another case of forgetting to use your shampoo.

[Guy Raz]

What do you mean?

[Mindy]

Well, dandruff is made up of dried up dead skin cells on your scalp.

[Dennis]

Oh, right, of course.

[Guy Raz]

It's how our body sheds our skin.

[Mindy]

Yeah. And so scientists thought for the longest time that dinosaurs shed all of their skin at once.

[Guy Raz]

Ha. Like a snake or a lizard.

[Mindy]

Right. But what this little piece of dandruff proves is that at least some dinosaurs, particularly the ones with feathers, shed their skin in teeny tiny little bits in.

[Guy Raz]

The form of dandruff.

[Mindy]

Exactoritos. And ever since my friend Dr. McNamara found this fossilized follicle, other researchers have found two more cases of dino dandruff.

[Guy Raz]

Which means it wasn't a one off fluke.

[Mindy]

Nope. And when they compared this ancient dandruff to modern day bird dandruff, they found that they were almost identical.

[Dennis]

Wow.

[Mindy]

Except for one thing.

[Guy Raz]

What was it, Mindy?

[Mindy]

Corneocyte.

[Guy Raz]

Corneocyte?

[Mindy]

Yep.

[Guy Raz]

Let me see here in my handy dandy reference guide. Corneocyte. Corneocyte. Corne. Corneocytes are a type of. Of fat that birds sweat out to try and cool down after flying.

[Mindy]

Yeah, and when a bird sweats that stuff out, it usually gets collected in the dandruff. But no corneocytes were found in the dino dandruff.

[Guy Raz]

Which means that although these dinosaurs had feathers, they probably didn't fly.

[Mindy]

Again with the deductive reasoning. That's exactly right, guy Raz.

[Guy Raz]

Haha. Well, I'm glad to know I'm not alone when it comes to my.

[Dennis]

Ugh.

[Guy Raz]

Itchy head. And you say that if I stop using that hair wax, then the itching should stop.

[Mindy]

Well, it did work for Rexy, didn't it, buddy? Rexy. Rexy. Uh oh.

[Guy Raz]

Uh oh. Wha. What's going on. Mindy.

[Mindy]

Tiny T Rex on the loose. Everyone run for your life.

[Dennis]

T. Rex. Well, someone should save that chicken. Oh, I get it now. No, not the thing about fossils, Reggie. The thing about hair wax. If I stop using Guy Raz's hair wax, I won't have dandruff anymore. I just need to ditch Guy Raz's tin of hair wax and use something else waxy to style my hair. Oh, I know. What about Earwax? Because it's free and I already have a bunch. Of course earwax will work just as good as hair wax. Reggie, they both have wax in the name. How different can they be? Okay, let's wrap this up so I can go style my hair.

[Guy Raz]

Ahem.

[Dennis]

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. I just might answer your question on Wee Wow on the weekend. Okay, should we do the goodbye song? Let's do it.

[Guy Raz]

Ahem.

[Dennis]

That's the end of the show. I need to go and collect all my earwax into a little jar and then use it to style my hair so I look super cool. But I'll do another show tomorrow. But for now, that's the end of the show. Eh.

[Mindy]

Eh.

[Dennis]

Bye.

[Mindy]

Grown ups. If you like wow in the world, you can listen early and ad free right now on Wondery.

[Guy Raz]

Join Wondery in the Wondery app or on Wondery Kids 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.