Wow in the World – WeWow on the Weekend (March 21, 2026)

Podcast: Wow in the World
Host: Dennis (and co-host Reggie the giant pigeon) Notable Guests: Mindy Thomas, Guy Raz
Feature Segment: "Operation Earth: How to Be Cool to a Planet that's Hot" (from Wow in the World Season 2, Ep. 18)

Episode Overview

This episode of WeWow on the Weekend is a fun, interactive, and science-packed experience hosted by Dennis and his sidekick Reggie. The main theme centers around battling climate change and understanding the importance of greenhouse gases, inspired by the relisten to “Operation Earth: How to Be Cool to a Planet that's Hot” with Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz. Alongside listener interactions, reviews, and classic goofy antics, this family-friendly episode cleverly blends humor, imagination, and science into a memorable lesson on Earth's warming, what caused it in the past and present, and what we can do to be Earth's climate heroes.

Key Segments, Discussions, and Insights

1. March Gladness & Listener Engagement

• [00:01] Dennis’s "March Gladness":

  • A spoof on “March Madness,” Dennis runs through the things that made him happiest this month, with his new haircut being the winner.
  • Encourages listeners to download their own “March Gladness” brackets at tinkercast.com/march.

• [03:21] Reading "Reviewsies":

  • Dennis reads listeners’ reviews—funny, quirky, and affectionate.
  • Notable Listener Review (Crazy Horse34):
    • "But Dennis, Reggie is way better than you and you talk way too much."
      — [03:35] Dennis humorously admits some truth:
      • "Okay, yes, mother does call me a chatterbox. And yes, Guy Raz said I need to practice active listening."
  • Discussion about Squishmallows, with Dennis blending them with marshmallows in a classic mix-up.
  • Introduction of “Baby Dennis,” a silly character who claims to ride a stick horse named Buttercup Thunder, leading to a chaotic visual gag of horse "droppings" made of chocolate chips.

2. Inside Tinkercast Studios — Listening to "Operation Earth"

• [08:15] Dennis sets the stage for the science story:
  • Preps audience for a relisten to a favorite episode about greenhouse gases and global warming, starring Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz.

The Science Story: "Operation Earth: How to Be Cool to a Planet that's Hot"

Starring: Mindy Thomas & Guy Raz

• [11:33] Setting: In Guy Raz’s Greenhouse

  • Mindy bursts in after a time-travel lunch with Marie Curie, setting a playful, time-bending tone.
  • Greenhouse metaphor introduced:
    • "The glass sides of the greenhouse keep the heat from getting out as well."
      —Guy Raz [14:25]
  • Mindy gets cozy by "absorbing vitamins through the dirt," adding comic relief.

• [15:48] Big Science Question

  • Introduction of a major study:
    • By 2100, Earth could be as hot as it was 50 million years ago—86°F on average (vs. 62°F in July 2017).
    • "Crocodiles were swimming in the Arctic and there were palm trees in Alaska." —Guy Raz [18:24]

• [19:25] Greenhouse Gases Explained

  • Metaphor: Greenhouse gases form a see-through wall like the glass in the greenhouse, trapping more and more heat.
  • "All those greenhouse gases act like those glass panels in my greenhouse, keeping all of the heat close to the Earth." —Guy Raz [19:47]

• [20:25] Time Travel to the Past

  • Mindy and Guy Raz head 50 million years back to understand Earth’s hot past, in pursuit of a literal time machine key lost among miniature “pocket horses” (Hyracotherium).

• [22:30] Field Science and Ancient Animals

  • Encounter with tiny ancient horse ancestors, who almost eat the candy cane–key to the time machine.
  • Mindy “cowgirl” moment:
    • "Well, howdy there, little critters." —Mindy [25:23]
    • "Yee haw, little horse doggies. Now run away." —Mindy [25:36]

• [26:08] How Did Ancient Earth Get So Hot?

  • Natural causes: Volcanoes released massive amounts of CO2; no human activity needed.
  • Over millions of years, rocks break down, form dirt, which absorbs CO2, and plants grow, speeding up cooling.
  • Reggie (the environmental science student) phones in to explain dirt and rock weathering:
    • "Those tiny pieces of rock became dirt... and that process started to remove the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere." —Reggie via Mindy [28:28]

• [29:02] Why Can't Nature Fix Today’s Warming?

  • Earth's cooling mechanism can’t keep pace now—“the warming turtle is on a rocket-powered skateboard.” —Guy Raz [30:39]
  • We need to either “speed up the cooling turtle or slow down the warming turtle.”

• [31:07] What We Can Do

  • Simple actions: walk or bike, reduce trash, switch to LED light bulbs, and compost food waste.
  • Composting highlighted:
    • "The average American family produces 20 pounds of food waste every month..." —Guy Raz [31:25]
    • Composting brings less waste, less methane, and helps the Earth.

• [33:47] Visiting the Future (Year 2100)

  • Mindy returns from the future and describes meeting “two famous inventors” who’d found a new, carbon-free energy source.
  • "They were famous because they had worked together to invent a new way to create energy... a kind of energy that didn't add any more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere." —Mindy [34:01]
  • Future teases fun inventions like “electric skateboards for cats!”

3. Reflective, Interactive Wrap-Up

• [34:41] Dennis and Reggie’s Call to Action

  • Dreaming of being the “climate heroes” Mindy met in the future.
  • "What if we're the climate heroes she met? Well, if we create a new energy source, we could be." —Dennis [34:41]
  • Encourages listeners to leave their questions and stay engaged (1-888-7-WOW WOW).

• [35:34] Memorable Goodbye Song

  • Dennis improvises about inventing renewable energy “to save the earth from greenhouse gases and power all the little kitty cat skateboards.” [35:34]

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On talking too much:
  • “This is a talk show and talking way too much is the only way it gets made.” —Dennis [03:35]
• Greenhouse analogy:
  • “All those greenhouse gases act like those glass panels in my greenhouse, keeping all the heat close to the Earth.” —Guy Raz [19:47]
• Nature’s slow fix:
  • “The Earth's cool down process and warm up process are like two turtles in a race.” —Guy Raz [30:05]
  • “Now with greenhouse gases, it's like we put the global warming turtle on a rocket-powered skateboard or something.” —Guy Raz [30:39]
• Small actions matter:
  • “We can help do this by doing things like walking or riding a bike instead of driving a car.” —Mindy [30:48]
  • “One of the best things we can do is to compost our food waste.” —Guy Raz [31:07]
• Future hope:
  • “Our climate change heroes are really out there, Mindy… and they may not even know it yet.” —Guy Raz [34:29]
• Dennis’s closing rally:
  • “I need to go and create a renewable energy source to save the earth from greenhouse gases and power all the little kitty cat skateboards.” —Dennis [35:34]

Key Takeaways

• Climate science for kids: Greenhouse gases trap heat, causing global warming—both naturally (volcanoes, CO2) and due to modern human activities. Action is needed because today’s warming is happening too quickly for nature to keep up.
• Hopeful future: Kids (and listeners) can be climate heroes by understanding science and making everyday eco-friendly choices, echoing the comic-yet-earnest promise that anyone could help invent the future.
• Humor and imagination: Engaging metaphors (turtles racing, time-travel keys, “pocket horses”), songs, and jokes keep the science accessible and the learning memorable.

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:01 – March Gladness & show open
• 03:21 – Listener “Reviewsies”
• 08:15 – “Inside Tinkercast Studios” intro
• 11:33 – Start of "Operation Earth" feature segment
• 14:25 – Greenhouse analogy explained
• 17:01 – Global temperatures: past vs. now
• 18:24 – Crocodiles in the Arctic and palm trees in Alaska
• 19:25 – Greenhouse gases and global warming analogy
• 22:30 – Arriving 50 million years in the past
• 25:00 – Key eaten by ancient horses scene
• 28:28 – Role of dirt/plants in cooling Earth
• 30:05 – Turtle race analogy for Earth's warming and cooling
• 31:07 – Solutions: reduce, reuse, recycle, composting
• 33:47 – Vision of the year 2100 and climate heroes
• 34:41 – Dennis’s reflections and call to listeners
• 35:34 – Goodbye song and show close

Final Thoughts

This WeWow on the Weekend episode brings science and eco-action to life through unflagging humor, relatable metaphors, and genuinely actionable advice. Whether you’re a “Wowzer” kid or a grown-up listener, it’s a reminder that we can all help shape a better, cooler future for Earth—perhaps even as “climate heroes” ourselves.