Wow in the World: WeWow on the Weekend

Hosts: Mindy Thomas, Guy Raz, Reggie
Date: February 21, 2026
Episode: WeWow on the Weekend

Overview:

This energetic, laughter-filled episode of WeWow on the Weekend brings science front and center, blending listener Q&A, playful banter, and an exploration of one of the most mind-blowing topics in genetics: gene editing! After fielding kid listeners’ questions, hosts Mindy and Reggie cue up a relisten of the classic “Homegrown Genome” episode, where Mindy and Guy Raz use fun analogies and storytelling to make complex science about genomes and gene editing both accessible and wildly entertaining for kids and families.

Episode Sections & Key Insights

I. WeWow Q&A Segment

(01:37 - 05:45)

Questions from Curious Kids:

• Why do butterflies start as caterpillars?

  • Mindy explains the metamorphosis process with flair, calling the transformation a "glow up" and likening caterpillars pre-chrysalis to "little wormy things...not too special" before becoming butterflies:

    “Everybody loves a transformation. It’s like magic. And then everyone’s like, wow, did you see that butterfly who used to look like a green bean with legs?” (03:05, Mindy)

• Who chooses the rainbow’s colors?

  • Playful discussion transitions to science:

    “The colors in a real rainbow come from refracted light and reflection and dispersion and physics and science.” (04:47, Reggie)

  • Mindy admits, “If you're drawing a rainbow, you can choose whatever colors you want!” (05:06, Mindy)

• Can you play the guitar?

  • Mindy attempts “Row, Row, Row Your Boat,” but is upstaged by Reggie’s unexpected guitar prowess.

    “Reggie, what? It sounds horrible. Fine, then you do better...Wow, Reggie, you really are good.” (05:18, Mindy)

  • Humorous rivalry and teamwork shine.

II. Inside Tinkercast Studios: Homegrown Genome (Season 2, Episode 9)

(09:04 – 26:45)

A. What Is a Genome? Setting Straight the “Genes” Confusion

• Mindy’s “Party Pants Pocket Pizzazzer” invention humorously confuses “genes” (DNA) with “jeans” (pants) (10:07).
• Guy Raz clarifies:

  “Genes, as in genomes, as in the DNA, as in the code of life, as in the stuff that makes you you and me, me.” (10:58, Guy Raz)

• DNA basics explained:

  “If genes are the instruction manual for the body, then DNA are the letters and words on the page of that instruction manual.” (11:50, Guy Raz)

B. DNA: Building Blocks of Life

• Four chemical “letters” (A, G, C, T) make the code; 3.2 billion base pairs in the human genome:

  “If you printed out every single letter that makes up one human being's genetic code, it would be 3.2 billion letters of DNA...like 800 dictionaries worth of letters.” (12:37–12:48, Guy Raz & Mindy)

C. All About Gene Editing and CRISPR

• Mindy and Guy introduce CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) in a fun, accessible way:

  “CRISPR makes it easy to move genes around in any living thing. So living things like bacteria and, of course, humans.” (16:31, Mindy) “With CRISPR technology, you could go into the human body, find the chain of letters that causes a disease or a genetic disorder, and then just cut out those letters or replace them with the right letters.” (16:44, Guy Raz)

• Emphasize hope for genetic medicinal breakthroughs:

  “Scientists have already shown that it can be done in the lab working on human cells.” (18:17, Mindy)

D. Saving and Changing the World With Genetics

• Gene editing could address genetic diseases (e.g., cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, Huntington’s disease) and potentially eradicate them before birth:

  “If CRISPR technology works, scientists could fix these genetic disorders even before the baby was born.” (18:04, Guy Raz)

• Mindy and Guy soar into sci-fi territory with the possibility of de-extincting woolly mammoths by combining their DNA with elephants:

  “There are scientists who believe that we could take some of the DNA from these woolly mammoths and combine it with DNA from modern elephants and possibly bring these gentle giants back to life.” (20:44, Guy Raz)

• “Woolly elephants” could help prevent permafrost melt and climate change:

  “These big woolly mammoths could, in theory, help slow down the permafrost melting by using their huge legs to push down on the snow and compact it and keep it frozen.” (23:51, Guy Raz)

• Real-world gene editing could engineer mosquitoes that can’t carry malaria—potentially ending the disease:

  “The mosquitoes that were born with the ability to fight off or resist the malaria virus also pass that genetic trait or characteristic to their babies.” (24:49, Guy Raz)
  “We could see the end of malaria, one of the deadliest diseases on our planet, and it could happen within our lifetime.” (25:16, Mindy)

III. Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Reggie gets existential about pockets:

  “I want so many pockets that my pockets have pockets. Or maybe one big pocket.” (26:18, Reggie)

• Mindy’s classic “Mevi’s” joke about gene-edited jeans:

  “I could just edit my Levi’s into Mevi’s.” (14:25, Mindy)

• Landing the time machine softly:

  “I’m glad I glued all my old stuffed animals to the walls...made for a softer landing.” (19:46, Mindy)

IV. Episode Wrap-Up

(26:45 - end)

• Reggie encourages more listener questions—reminder of the show’s interactive, participatory approach:

  “If you have a question for me, call and leave me a message...I just might answer your question on Wee Wow on the weekend.” (26:45, Reggie)

• Show closes with an original, silly goodbye song celebrating pockets and the fun spirit of the podcast.

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|---------| | 01:37 | Listener Q&A (butterflies, rainbows, guitar) | | 06:54 | Transition to "Homegrown Genome" relisten (ads skipped) | | 09:04 | Start of Homegrown Genome episode | | 10:07 | Genes vs. jeans joke; introduction to DNA/genomes | | 12:37 | DNA code magnitude (3.2 billion letters) | | 15:08 | Introduction to CRISPR | | 16:31 | How CRISPR works (gene editing analogy) | | 18:04 | Gene therapy for diseases (cystic fibrosis, etc.) | | 19:20 | Time machine, woolly mammoths, de-extinction | | 23:51 | Woolly mammoths fighting climate change | | 24:49 | Gene-edited mosquitoes and eradicating malaria | | 26:45 | Back to Reggie, wrap up/invitation for listener questions | | 26:53 | Goodbye song and episode close |

Takeaways

• Science is amazing, and so much fun—complex topics like DNA and CRISPR become accessible and hilarious in the hands of Mindy, Guy Raz, and Reggie.
• Gene editing holds exciting potential: from treating diseases to reviving extinct animals, future Wowzers could live in a drastically different—and healthier—world.
• Listener participation and curiosity are celebrated, making kids feel smart, valued, and inspired.

Notable Quotes

• “Everybody loves a transformation. It’s like magic.” (03:05, Mindy)
• “Genes, as in genomes, as in the DNA, as in the code of life, as in the stuff that makes you you and me, me.” (10:58, Guy Raz)
• “If you printed out every single letter that makes up one human being's genetic code, it would be 3.2 billion letters...like 800 dictionaries worth of letters.” (12:48, Mindy)
• “CRISPR makes it easy to move genes around in any living thing.” (16:31, Mindy)
• “We could see the end of malaria, one of the deadliest diseases on our planet, and it could happen within our lifetime.” (25:16, Mindy)
• “I want so many pockets, that my pockets have pockets.” (26:18, Reggie)

In short:
This episode blends science, humor, and heart—making mind-bending genetics both understandable and exciting for curious kids and grownups alike!