WeWow on the Weekend (7/13/25)

Summary

WeWow on the Weekend: Exploring the Science of Animal Poop

Episode: WeWow on the Weekend
Release Date: July 13, 2025
Hosts: Dennis & Reggie
Podcast: Wow in the World by Tinkercast | Wondery

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Introduction to WeWow on the Weekend

The episode kicks off with Dennis and his sidekick Reggie welcoming listeners to "WeWow on the Weekend," setting a playful and engaging tone for the show. Their light-hearted banter lays the foundation for an episode filled with curiosity, humor, and scientific exploration.

Q&A Segment: Listener Questions and Riddles

Dennis opens the floor to questions from young listeners, fostering an interactive and community-driven atmosphere.

• Lucy from Venice, California [05:37]:
  Riddle: "One night, a king and a queen walked into a castle. No one was in there. It was completely empty. Who else was in the castle with the king and the queen?"
  Dennis's Initial Guess: "A mouse or something."
  Answer Revealed by Lucy: "The night."
  Dennis's Reflection: "One night, like a knight in shining armor. Wow, that was a good one. And I almost had it."

• Claire from Georgia [07:18]:
  Question: "How did you and Reggie meet?"
  Dennis's Answer: Recalling a previous episode, "An Elevator to the Stars," where Guy Raz and Reggie attend the Elevates concert, highlighting the hosts' interconnected stories.

• June's Joke Inquiry [08:07]:
  Question: "What is the funniest joke you've learned in your whole entire life? And why?"
  Dennis's Response:
  Dennis shares a complex joke involving an elephant, a giraffe, and a chameleon at an airport, demonstrating his spontaneous and humorous storytelling style.

Notable Quote:
"I almost had it. Next question or riddle?" — Dennis [07:08]

Inside Tinkercast Studios: Revisiting "Velocity of Poop"

In this segment, Dennis and Reggie revisit a story from the first season titled "The Velocity of Poop." The hosts express their amusement and slight apprehension about discussing such a "gross but fascinating" topic, setting the stage for an in-depth scientific conversation.

Notable Quote:
"Ew. Is this a gross one? Well, did Guy Raz think it was gross?" — Reggie [09:00]

Main Discussion: The Science of Animal Poop

Dennis and Reggie delve into a detailed discussion about a scientific study conducted by researchers David Hu and Patricia Yang from the Georgia Institute of Technology. The conversation revolves around the peculiarities of animal excretion and its broader scientific implications.

• Recreating the Experiment [12:45 - 16:28]:
  Guy Raz and Mindy Thomas engage in a humorous reenactment of the researchers timing how fast different mammals poop. They discuss the methodology, including videotaping 34 different mammals at the Atlanta Zoo, and explore fascinating findings such as larger animals pooping faster than smaller ones.

  Notable Quote:
  "They found out that bigger animals poop faster than smaller animals. Okay, so an elephant, for example, takes about five seconds to poop, but a dog can take up to 20 seconds to poop." — Guy Raz [17:39]

• Historical Context and Modern Relevance [15:17 - 19:26]:
  The hosts touch upon ancient practices like scatomancy, where doctors examined poop to diagnose illnesses. They bridge this historical context to modern science, explaining how understanding the mechanics of excretion can lead to medical advancements, such as new treatments for digestive issues.

  Notable Quote:
  "This research might lead to new medicines that could make life a little more comfortable for lots of people who have pain when they go to the bathroom. And that could be an incredibly important invention." — Guy Raz [19:13]

• The IG Nobel Prize [19:30 - 20:21]:
  Guy Raz shares that David Hu won the IG Nobel Prize in 2015 for studying how fast mammals go pee, highlighting the intersection of humor and scientific discovery.

  Notable Quote:
  "I thought science had to be serious. There's laughing allowed in science." — Mindy Thomas [19:50]

Conclusion and Closing Remarks

As the episode wraps up, Dennis humorously recounts the chaos of the animal poop experiment, blending humor with scientific insight. The hosts encourage listeners to engage further by submitting questions and participating in creative challenges, maintaining an interactive and educational community spirit.

Notable Quote:
"Thanks everyone for listening to this episode of Wee Wow on the weekend. Be sure to give our phone lines a call to ask me Dennis, a question." — Dennis [21:00]

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Key Takeaways

• Scientific Curiosity: The episode emphasizes the importance of curiosity in science, demonstrating how even the most unconventional topics can yield valuable insights.
• Humor in Learning: By blending humor with scientific discussion, the hosts make complex topics accessible and entertaining for young listeners.
• Historical and Modern Connections: Linking ancient practices with modern research showcases the evolution of scientific inquiry and its relevance today.
• Interactive Engagement: Encouraging listener participation through questions and challenges fosters a sense of community and continuous learning.

Conclusion

"WeWow on the Weekend" successfully combines humor, scientific exploration, and interactive elements to engage and educate its audience. By tackling a seemingly "gross" topic with enthusiasm and insight, Dennis and Reggie exemplify the podcast's mission to inspire curiosity and a sense of wonder in both kids and their grown-up listeners.

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Notable Contributors:
Written by Ruth Morrison and Jed Anderson. Original sound design and production by Henry Moskal and Marion, with help from Jed Anderson and Tyler Thol. Original music composed and performed by Tyler Thol.

Connect with Wow in the World:
Visit tinkercast.com to learn more about becoming an official member of the World Organization of Wowzers, upcoming events, and to shop for exclusive Wow in the World merchandise.

Transcript

[Guy Raz]

Grown Ups Wondery subscribers can listen to wow in the World early and ad free right now. Join Wondery in the Wondery app or Wondery Kids plus on Apple Podcasts.

[Mindy]

Hey Grown Ups Mindy here. And before we start the show, it's prime time. Oh, sorry, I meant prime day. And you know what that means. Wow in the world toys are 20% off. That's right. From July 8th through July 11th, you can get 20% off. Select wow in the World toys like the everlasting volcano or the ultimate high flying air rocket that toots. And while they may be 20% off for prime days, our toys are 100% full of WoW. Featuring exclusive audio from me and Guy Raz. Plus collectible STEM tools to help your Wowzers keep tinkering after playing, surprise the Wowzers in your world with a wow in the World stem toy today or on their birthday. Or at the unbirth day or a sunny day or a rainy day. Or maybe a windy day. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, they get it. Shop the wow [e-mail] toys that's tinkercast.com toys that's it. And now let's get back to the show.

[Unknown]

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[Dennis]

Ah, ah, ah. We wow on the weekend. Wee. Wow on the weekend. Wee 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. Uh, whatever. We wow on the weekend.

[Mindy]

Yeah.

[Dennis]

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, and that's Reggie, my sidekick. I mean, co host. I mean, what'd you get up to last night, Reggie? Really? And then what? Where'd a walrus learn how to dj? 50 frogs with glow sticks. Wow. What a wild night.

[Guy Raz]

Oh.

[Dennis]

Me, I stayed in, built a fort out of the couch cushions, wrote a gossip blog called Dennising, and made confetti. Yeah, I made confetti. Two whole bags. How? With a confetti maker, Reggie? What's a confetti maker, Reggie? Are we. Are we even friends? Ah, right, right, right, right, right. We should move on and answer some questions from my adoring fans. It's time for the Q and A segment. The Q and A segment. All right, let's just get the old answering machine pulled up here. Okay, Here we go. Hi, you've reached Dennis from We wow on the Weekend. That's me. Do you have a question? Well, I do too. Lots of them. And who's gonna answer all my questions? You? Probably not. But I guess I can answer yours. Leave me a message.

[Lucy]

Hi, Dennis. It's Lucy. I'm nine from Venice, California. I have a riddle for you. One night, a king and a queen walked into a castle. No one was in there. It was completely empty. Who else was in the castle with the king and the queen? I hope you can answer it.

[Dennis]

Oh, a riddle. I love riddles. Okay. One night, a king and a queen walked into an empty castle. But there was someone else in there. But also, no one was in there. Huh? Oh. Oh, I know. It's. It's. It's no Wait, no, nevermind. Um. This is hard. Okay, Dennis, you can do this. Just be logical. Think back. What did Lucy say exactly? Okay, I pushed the button, there was a beep, and then. Hi, Dennis, it's Lucy from Venice, California. I have a riddle for you. And then she said. Reggie, be quiet. I'm trying to remember what Lucy said after. Hi, Dennis. Well, Lucy said my name, and then I got distracted because my name is so melodious. All right. One night, a king and a queen walked into an empty castle with no one else in there. Who else was in there? Um, I don't know. A mouse or something.

[Lucy]

And the answer is the night.

[Dennis]

Huh?

[Lucy]

Don't you get it? One night, a king and a queen walked into a castle. Bye.

[Dennis]

One night, like a knight in shining armor. Wow, that was a good one. And I almost had it. Next question or riddle?

[Lucy]

Hey, Dennis, my name is Claire, I live in Georgia, and I am 11 years old. My question is, how did you and Reggie meet? Thanks. Bye.

[Dennis]

How did me and Reggie meet? Wow. Thanks for your question, Claire. Reggie. Do you remember how we met, Reggie? No, I met you way before that. Yeah.

[Guy Raz]

Huh.

[Dennis]

Remember? It was season three, episode three, An Elevator to the Stars. I saw you from my driveway. You were gonna fly Mindy and Guy Raz to the Elevates concert.

[Guy Raz]

Yeah.

[Dennis]

Now you remember. I was very concerned for your safety. And I told you I was a card carrying member of an activist group for imaginary animal rights. Yeah, that was a good episode. Next question.

[Lucy]

Hi, Dennis, my name is June and I have a question for you. What is the funniest joke you've learned in your whole entire life? And why? Say hi to Reggie for me.

[Mindy]

Bye.

[Dennis]

Wow, June. The funniest joke of my whole entire life. Oh, yeah, Reggie. June says hi. Okay, funniest joke. Funniest joke. Oh, I know. This is a good one. Okay, so an elephant, a giraffe and a lizard get on an airplane and they. Oh, wait, no, it's not an airplane. It was a helicopter. Or actually, no, they were on an airplane because they were at the airport. And then the lizard said. Oh, wait, no. Was it a chameleon or a lizard? Are chameleons lizards? Whatever. It was definitely a chameleon because the punchline is that it changes color. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Pretend I didn't say that. Okay, so the giraffe, the elephant and the chameleon are going through security at the airport. And the security guard tells the elephant to take off her hat. I forgot to say that the elephant is wearing a hat. Okay, and then. Hang on, Reggie, I'm trying to remember the next part. And then. Oh, I remember. And then the chameleon says, I've been here the whole time. That's a good one. 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-WWOW. 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. Inside Tinkercast Studios. This is the part where we revisit an episode of one favorite Tinkercast shows. And this weekend, we're revisiting episodes from the very first season of wow. In the world. Today we're doing a story from episode seven called the Velocity of Poop. Reggie. Ew. Is this a gross one? Well, did Guy Raz think it was gross? Oh, he didn't. Okay, I'll give it a shot. Here we go. And plank.

[Mindy]

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

[Unknown]

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[Mindy]

That'S it. Now back to the show.

[Dennis]

What in the world?

[Guy Raz]

Animals, take your starting position at the gate.

[Mindy]

Hey, Guy Raz, come over here. It looks like there's a race race about to happen.

[Guy Raz]

Hey, Mindy. Yeah, I'm the official timekeeper.

[Mindy]

Wait, is that an elephant and a tiger at the starting line? What is this?

[Guy Raz]

Yeah, yeah. Can you hold my jacket for a second? I gotta get the stopwatch ready. On your mark, get set, go. Manure. Muppet takes the lead, followed closely behind by Conservation of Feaking Manor. And here comes Uncle Rumpel passing like soiling with douchebag Horses are Wild following close behind. And I'll be your number to bring back the rage.

[Mindy]

Guy Raz. They're not moving. And I'm pretty sure that elephant just went poop.

[Guy Raz]

Let's see here. Five seconds.

[Mindy]

Yeah. So this race didn't appear to actually begin or move anywhere and. Oh, boy, that tiger just pooped. Oh, man. What is happening? Guy Raz, it stinks.

[Guy Raz]

Oh, no. Mindy, the race went exactly to plan.

[Mindy]

What are you talking about? The elephant just stood there and pooped.

[Guy Raz]

Yeah, I know. Wasn't that great?

[Mindy]

What? Guy Raz, have you gone bonker balls? You're standing here on a track with an elephant and a tiger, holding a stopwatch, you got a sweatband on your head, and neither one of these animals seem interested in running and. Whoa, boy, they just pooped again.

[Guy Raz]

Well, who said this was a running race?

[Mindy]

Mindy, what is happening?

[Guy Raz]

Well, I'm trying to recreate an experiment carried out by two researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology, David Hu and Patricia Yang.

[Mindy]

Right, so let me just make sure I got this straight. You are standing on this running track, holding a stopwatch, watching an elephant and a tiger poop in the name of science?

[Guy Raz]

Well, probably not exactly like this, Mindy, but yeah. These two scientists basically timed how fast certain animals poop.

[Mindy]

Okay, so you're telling me that two scientists from one of the finest universities in the world timed how fast animals poop?

[Guy Raz]

Yeah, that's exactly what I'm telling you, Mindy.

[Mindy]

Oh, boy, there they go again. Guy Raz. Why would they do that? I wouldn't even do something that crazy.

[Guy Raz]

Well, Mindy, it has to. This has to do with something called scatomancy or copromancy.

[Mindy]

Scatter. Copra.

[Dennis]

What?

[Guy Raz]

Well, these were methods used by ancient doctors a long, long, long time ago in places like China, ancient Greece, Egypt and Rome.

[Mindy]

Okay, and this has what to do with animal poop?

[Guy Raz]

Well, actually a lot, Mindy. In ancient times, if you were sick, doctors would examine your. They would look at the size and the shape and the color and try and figure out if they could identify clues that would help them understand why you were sick.

[Mindy]

Uh, hold the phone, Guy Raz. I've got some science business to take care of. I'll be right back.

[Dennis]

Occupied.

[Mindy]

Sorry, I'm back. My science lavatory was occupied. So you're saying, Guy Raz, that we can find out all of that stuff just by examining our poop? Which I would never, ever actually do, by the way.

[Guy Raz]

Well, yeah. And in fact, Mindy, even modern day doctors sometimes do the same thing. Because our poop is simply what our body produces from our food after it takes in the vitamins and nutrients from the food.

[Mindy]

Okay, so let me just make sure I've got this straight. These two researchers, David Hu and Patricia Yang, did this experiment just to find out if these animals were healthy?

[Guy Raz]

Well, in this case, not exactly. They were actually more interested in finding out how fast different mammals poop.

[Mindy]

Oh, now this is getting interesting.

[Guy Raz]

And, Mindy, what they wanted to find out is why poop comes out in different shapes and sizes in different mammals, including us humans.

[Mindy]

Wow. Yeah, I'm still having trouble wrapping my brain around this. So what did they do?

[Guy Raz]

What they did was they videotaped 34 different mammals at the Atlanta Zoo. So elephants, lions, gorillas, bears. And then they watched videos of the animals pooping.

[Dennis]

Ah.

[Mindy]

Well, I guess science does happen in all kinds of ways. So what did they find out?

[Guy Raz]

Well, the first thing they found out was about poop size and the size of the animals. So the bigger the animal, the bigger the poop? Yes. Which sounds kind of obvious, right?

[Mindy]

Yeah, I'd say that's pretty obvious.

[Guy Raz]

But here's another interesting thing these scientists observed.

[Mindy]

There's more?

[Dennis]

Yeah.

[Guy Raz]

They found out that bigger animals poop faster than smaller animals. Okay, so an elephant, for example, takes about five seconds to poop, but a dog can take up to 20 seconds to poop.

[Dennis]

Ow.

[Mindy]

Please tell me they were wearing nose plugs during this experiment.

[Guy Raz]

Well, as far as I understand, there were some stinky situations. But you said.

[Dennis]

But.

[Guy Raz]

But what they found is that most mammals take between five and 20 seconds to go poop.

[Mindy]

Wow. Okay, so this is gross and fascinating, but I have to ask Guy Raz, why is this even important?

[Guy Raz]

I'll get there, Mindy, but before I do that, can you guess why bigger animals poop out faster than smaller ones. Why does an elephant poop faster than a monkey?

[Mindy]

Because they're in a bigger hurry. Or maybe their poop's just so heavy it just falls out really fast.

[Guy Raz]

Well, actually, the scientists discovered that the bigger the animal, the more likely their poop is covered in a thicker layer of a slippery coating. And the smaller the animal, the thinner the layer of that slippery coating.

[Mindy]

So how is this information going to help make the world a better place, Guy Raz?

[Guy Raz]

Aha. Well, as you know, Mindy, science is about curiosity and discovery, and it doesn't always have to have a point. But in this case, David Hu's research might actually help people and other animals who have trouble going to the bathroom.

[Mindy]

Huh, that's interesting.

[Guy Raz]

Yeah, this research might lead to new medicines that could make life a little more comfortable for lots of people who have pain when they go to the bathroom. And that could be an incredibly important invention.

[Mindy]

Well, this is all starting to sound like a pooper duper idea.

[Guy Raz]

And it gets better, Mindy. In 2015, this scientist, David Hu, won a famous award known as the IG Nobel Prize for another study he wrote about.

[Mindy]

He won the Nobel Prize? The most famous prize in all of science. The same prize that Albert Einstein won?

[Guy Raz]

Well, actually, it was the IG Nobel Prize. It's an award given to a scientist whose research makes people laugh.

[Mindy]

I thought science had to be serious. There's laughing allowed in science. Okay, wait a minute. So what was the research?

[Guy Raz]

Well, he won that award for studying how fast mammals go pee.

[Mindy]

Of course he did. So what did he discover?

[Guy Raz]

Well, he discovered that on average, we mammals take about 20 seconds to empty out our bladders, which is where we store our pee inside our bodies.

[Mindy]

Oh, check it out. I think that elephant and tiger that you were observing on the racetrack might.

[Dennis]

Be a animals to your starting position who will prove to be number one at number one.

[Guy Raz]

On your mark, get set, go.

[Dennis]

If you know what I mean.

[Mindy]

They might be doing that pee experiment on their own.

[Guy Raz]

Ugh. I guess it's time to clean it up.

[Mindy]

Would you look at the time? Gotta run on it.

[Dennis]

Reggie, care to explain? You said it wasn't a gross one. Reggie, there was pooping and tooting and peeing. Yes, I know poop is important for science, but that's not the point. The point is now I have to go wash my ears out. Oh, well, thanks everyone for listening to this episode of Wee Wow. On the weekend, be sure to give our phone lines a call to ask me. Dennis, a question. The number is 1-888-7www-www that's 1-888-7www. I just might answer your question on wee wow on the Weekend. Reggie no, I told you already I have to go wash my ears out because I think there's animal toots stuck in there and I need to get it out. No Reggie, I'm not going to use shampoo.

[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 plus 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 Marion with help from Jed Anderson and Tyler Thol. Original music for WEWOW on the Weekend is composed and performed by Tyler Thol.

[Guy Raz]

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.

[Guy Raz]

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