WeWow on the Weekend (7/6/25)

Summary

Podcast Title: Wow in the World
Episode: WeWow on the Weekend (07/06/25)
Release Date: July 6, 2025
Hosts: Dennis, Reggie, Mindy Thomas, and Guy Raz
Produced by: Tinkercast | Wondery

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Introduction to WeWow on the Weekend

The episode kicks off with Dennis and Reggie hosting the segment "WeWow on the Weekend," setting a playful and engaging tone for listeners. They introduce a new interactive segment designed to entertain and involve their audience.

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"What's in This Box?" Segment

Timestamp: [05:04] - [07:25]

Dennis unveils the new segment, "What's in This Box?" where he and Reggie explore the contents of a mysterious box found in the basement. This interactive game aims to spark curiosity and laughter among listeners.

• Key Highlights:
  • Box Contents: A dozen cans of baked beans evoke humorous speculation about their purpose, ranging from emergency supplies to preparations for an alien invasion.
  • Reggie's Invention: Reggie humorously claims to have invented the "Denniswich," a unique sandwich creation, showcasing his quirky personality.

Notable Quote:

Reggie: "I invented a sandwich. I call it the Denniswich... Now, the holes in the Swiss cheese kind of freak me out, so I fill them in with olive slices. But the olive slices also have holes in them, so I fill those holes with ketchup."
[06:26]

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Q&A Segment

Timestamp: [07:25] - [10:36]

Dennis and Reggie engage with their audience through a lively Q&A session, addressing various intriguing questions submitted by listeners.

• Featured Questions:

  1. Greta from New York City: "Who invented the sandwich?"

     • Reggie's Response: Introduces the humorous concept of the "Denniswich," blending creativity with culinary fun.

  2. Jack from Boulder, Colorado: "Why do we have dreams?"

     • Reggie speculates: Suggests dreams keep our sleep interesting, sharing a whimsical narrative about dreams involving pogo sticks and canine companions.

  3. Eric from Hinsdale, Illinois: "What's your favorite Wow in the World episode?"

     • Reggie's Answer: Jokes that his favorite episodes are the ones featuring himself, adding a lighthearted touch.

Notable Quote:

Reggie: "My favorite Wow in the World episode is any episode with me in it."
[08:55]

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Inside Tinkercast Studios: Revisiting "The Great Human vs. Rabbit Race"

Timestamp: [10:36] - [11:11]

Dennis introduces a special segment where the hosts revisit a favorite story from season one titled "The Great Human vs. Rabbit Race." This retrospective provides deeper insights and nostalgia for long-time listeners.

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Interactive Science Discussion: Human Gait Evolution

Timestamp: [11:14] - [19:31]

In a captivating dialogue, Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz delve into the evolutionary biology behind human walking patterns, contrasting them with other animals.

• Key Topics:

  • Usain Bolt vs. Rabbit Race: They hypothetically explore who would win a race between the renowned sprinter Usain Bolt and a rabbit, leading into a discussion about speed and biomechanics.

  • Human vs. Animal Gait:

    • Toe Landing vs. Heel Landing: Most animals land on their toes, which extends their leg length and enhances speed. In contrast, humans land on their heels, a trait that evolved to increase efficiency and stability.
    • James Weber's Study: An anthropologist from the University of Arizona, James Weber, investigates why humans prefer heel-first walking. His findings suggest that heel landing conserves energy and improves walking efficiency.

  • Practical Demonstration: Mindy attempts to walk toe-first, resulting in comedic mishaps, illustrating the practicality of heel-first gait in humans.

Notable Quotes:

Guy Raz: "He found that when humans land on their toes first, they use a lot more energy than if they land on their heels. And landing on our toes actually slows us humans down because of how hard the front part of our foot has to work to push our bodies forward."
[16:57]

Mindy Thomas: "After all that, it's obvious to me that unlike cats or dogs or even rabbits, we're much better off landing on our heels when we walk, because that's what gives us length, efficiency, and stability."
[19:17]

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Conclusion and Listener Engagement

Timestamp: [19:31] - [22:33]

The episode concludes with Reggie and Dennis wrapping up the show, encouraging listeners to engage through calls and sharing their own "Wee Wow" creations. They also promote exclusive content available through Wondery and provide information on how to stay connected with the Wow in the World community.

Notable Quote:

Mindy Thomas: "Thanks again for thinking, tinkering, 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."
[22:14]

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Key Takeaways and Insights

• Interactive Segments Enhance Engagement: The introduction of "What's in This Box?" and the Q&A segment fosters a sense of community and participation among listeners, making the podcast both informative and entertaining.

• Humor and Education Blend Seamlessly: Reggie's humorous anecdotes and creative inventions add levity to the educational content, ensuring that complex topics like evolutionary biology are accessible and enjoyable for younger audiences and their families.

• Evolutionary Insights into Human Behavior: The discussion on human gait provides listeners with a fascinating glimpse into how evolutionary traits shape our daily movements, emphasizing the interplay between biology and functionality.

• Community Building: Encouraging listeners to share their adventures and creations strengthens the bond between the hosts and the audience, fostering a collaborative and interactive environment.

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Final Thoughts

"WeWow on the Weekend" successfully blends humor, education, and interactive content to engage listeners of all ages. By addressing intriguing questions and exploring scientific concepts in an entertaining manner, Dennis, Reggie, Mindy, and Guy Raz create a dynamic and enriching listening experience that embodies the spirit of curiosity and wonder that "Wow in the World" is known for.

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. Hey Wowzer fams. It's Guy Raz and Mindy here and 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 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.

[Mindy]

Them and you can check and 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]

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[Reggie]

We wow on the weekend. Wee 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 Wee Wow on the Weekend. I'm your host, Dennis. And today we've got a very special. Reggie, quit making a nest out of my clean laundry because I just folded that. Fine, Mother just folded that. As I was saying, today is a very special day because. Because I came up with a new segment for the show I'm gonna call what's in this Box? I found a box down here in the basement and now I'm gonna find out what's in the box. Okay, so in this segment, I'm gonna go over there into the crawl space and dig out a random box from storage. Then I'm gonna open it up and we'll see what's in it. Doesn't this sound like fun? Yes, it does, Reggie. Okay, you stay here. I'm gonna go into. I just gotta duck under this wooden beam.

[Mindy]

Ow.

[Reggie]

Okay, I'm in. I'm just gonna grab a box here. Okay, I got one. Okay, got a box. Now let's open it and find out what's in it. Ready? What? What's in this box? It's a dozen cans of baked beans. What for? Oh, right. I bet mother put these in here in case the power went out. Or in the event of an alien invasion. Or maybe she found a coupon for baked beans. Wow. Okay, thanks for playing what's in the Box, everyone. Good idea. Let's answer some questions from my devoted listeners in the Q and A segment. The Q and A segment. Alright, let's just get the old answering machine pulled up here. Okay, here we go. Hi, you've reached Dennis from Wewow on the Weekend?

[Guy Raz]

That's me.

[Reggie]

Do you have a question? Well, I do, too. Lots of them. And who's gonna answer all my questions?

[Mindy]

You?

[Reggie]

Probably not, But I guess I can answer yours. Leave me a message.

[Mindy]

I'm Greta from New York City, and my question is, who invented the sandwich?

[Reggie]

Wow, that's a great question, Greta. I don't know who invented the sandwich, but I invented a sandwich. I call it the Denniswich. First, I start with two slices of cinnamon raisin bread, toasted. Then I add lettuce, avocado, and a slice of Swiss cheese. Now, the holes in the Swiss cheese kind of freak me out, so I fill them in with olive slices. But the olive slices also have holes in them, So I fill those holes with ketchup. Lastly, I add a handful of potato chips, close it up and. Hello, Dennis Witch. I know. We really gotta do a cooking segment soon. Next question.

[Mindy]

Hi, Dennis.

[Reggie]

My name is Jack, and I live in Boulder, Colorado.

[Mindy]

My question for you today is. Why do we have dreams? Bye.

[Reggie]

Whoa, Jack. Why do we have dreams? That's deep. Now, obviously, I'm not sure why we have dreams, but I think it's so that we can have something to do when we're asleep. Because, Reggie, when I'm asleep, I'm bored. And dreams keep it interesting. Although it would be nice if we got to pick what our dreams are, because I would not choose to do half the things I dream about. Like this one time, I dreamed that I was on pogo stick, which is already way too much work, even for Dream Dennis. But the pogo stick broke, so obviously I had to go buy a new one. But the store that sold them in the mall was closed. And the mall wasn't even the mall anymore. It was my middle school cafeteria. And we had to put all the lunch trays away. And I'm like, I can't put trays away. This cafeteria is full of dogs. So then I started to name the dogs. The first one was named Tricia. The second one I named Reggie. Wake up. How could you fall asleep while I'm talking about being asleep? What do you mean? Dreams are more fun to have than listen to. Oh, whatever. Next question.

[Mindy]

Hi, Dennis. It's me, Eric from Hinsdale, Illinois. I want to know what's your favorite wow in the World episode? Bye.

[Reggie]

Oh, Eric, great question. My favorite wow in the World episode is any episode with me in it. Exactly. Like Dennis and Reggie's Wild Ride. Or the Snoop and Seek Robot One. Or the Rise and Fall of Static Ma. I mean, am I in that one? I don't know if I'm in that one. It's a good episode, though. Oh, good idea, Reggie. We should get to today's episode. 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-WOW. Wow. I just might answer your question on WEWOW on the weekend. Okay, that takes care of that. Alright, 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 of my favorite Tinkercast shows. And this weekend, we're revisiting episodes from season of wow in the world. Today we're doing a story from episode four called the Great Human vs. Rabbit Race. Only just a moment ago, Eric asked me what my favorite episode of wow in the World is. And while my favorite is me, my other favorite are these episodes from season one. I know, Reggie. It's like I forgot all about them and now they're like new episodes except they're old. Right? Let's play the episod. Okay, here we go. And play.

[Mindy]

Wee. Wow. We'll be right back. Grownups, this message is for you.

[Reggie]

Summer's here and it's time for your kids to have fun in the sun. But it's also a great time to nurture growing minds. Million Bazillion, a podcast from Marketplace, teaches your kids about something that impacts all of us. Money. From a fun explainer on tariffs. Yes, it's possible to why some athletes make so much money. Million Bazillion tackles big questions with easy Listen to Million Bazillion all summer long. Available wherever you get your podcasts.

[Mindy]

That's it. Now back to the show.

[Reggie]

What in the world?

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, do you know the name of the fastest human on earth?

[Mindy]

Of course I do, Guy Raz. It's for.

[Guy Raz]

Can I give you a hint?

[Mindy]

No, I just thought it's on the tip of my face.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, it's okay.

[Mindy]

Just a little hint. Okay, just one tiny. But that's it.

[Guy Raz]

His name rhymes with.

[Mindy]

Rhymes. Rhymes. Leon Rhyme Volt.

[Guy Raz]

Usain Volt. I think you mean Usain Bolt.

[Mindy]

Nope, I'm talking about Usain Volt. He's the guy that races to my house every time the electricity goes out. Why? Do you know him too?

[Guy Raz]

Well? I'm actually referring to Usain Bolt, the fastest human on earth. You know, the guy who ran the hundred meter dash in 9.58 seconds. And the 200 meter dash in 19.19 seconds and faster than any other human in recorded history.

[Mindy]

Yeah, but can he do a one headed cartwheel? Uh, Guy Raz, I know who you're talking about. Why didn't you just say that in the first place?

[Guy Raz]

Well, Mindy, say Usain Bolt decided to have a race against, let's say, a rabbit. Right. And let's say that if you predicted or correctly guessed the winner of the race, you got a giant ice cream sundae with caramel sauce and four cherries. Would you make that bet, Guy Raz?

[Mindy]

I would ra Usain Bolt and that rabbit if it meant getting to that ice cream sundae first. So take that as a big yes, I would make that bet.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, Mindy, so the big question of course is who would win that race? Usain Bolt, the fastest human ever to walk planet Earth, the man who won eight Olympic gold medals, or the teeny tiny itsy bitsy little rabbit?

[Mindy]

Well, I may just bust out my own personalized ice cream shovel, Guy Raz. Because I have a feeling I'll be need when Usain Bolt leaves that rabbit in the dust.

[Guy Raz]

So you're betting on Usain Bolt, the fastest human ever to run on planet.

[Mindy]

Earth, beating the rabbit 100%.

[Guy Raz]

Well, what if I told you, Mindy, that you might have to give that ice cream sundae to the rabbit?

[Mindy]

You'd never. Well, Guy Raz, Usain Bolt has way longer legs than any rabbit. How could I possibly lose this bet?

[Guy Raz]

Because, Mind, between a rabbit and Usain Bolt, the fastest human to ever run on Earth, the rabbit would actually beat Usain Bolt so bad it would probably have enough time to make a carrot casserole and do the dishes by the time Usain Bolt had completed the race.

[Mindy]

Wow, that's impressive. I had no idea that rabbits knew how to cook.

[Guy Raz]

They don't. I was just trying to illustrate how much faster a rabbit runs than a human.

[Mindy]

Oh, got it. Okay, so now that we've got that, why exactly are we talking about carrot casserole and Usain Bolt? Where is this going, Guy Raz?

[Guy Raz]

Oh, yeah, I almost forgot why I'm telling you this story, Mindy. Well, one of the advantages most four legged creatures have is that they walk or run in a very particular way.

[Mindy]

And what way is that?

[Guy Raz]

Well, Mindy, almost all animals, when they walk or run, they land on their toes. And that is very different from us humans. Here, here, let me show you.

[Mindy]

Aw, are we going on a hike?

[Guy Raz]

Okay, so stand up.

[Mindy]

Okay, I'm coming. Hold on, I've been sitting in this laundry basket for an hour, and I.

[Guy Raz]

Just gotta stretch it out. Okay, and let's just walk down the hall. Are you ready, Mindy?

[Mindy]

Yep, I'm ready. Let's do it, Guy Raz. Okay.

[Guy Raz]

Left, right, left, left, right. See how our heel touches the ground before our toes do?

[Mindy]

Oh, yeah, I get it. There it goes again. My heel touches the ground as my other foot starts to lift off and swing forward. And then the next thing I know. Guy Raz, I could do this all day. I'm walking, walking like the wind.

[Guy Raz]

But, but.

[Reggie]

But watch out.

[Guy Raz]

Me. You want to hit the drum set? I set up a D of the hallway. Uh, are you okay?

[Mindy]

Yeah, never been better.

[Guy Raz]

Uh, okay. Where were we?

[Mindy]

Ooh, I believe we were at left, right, left, right.

[Guy Raz]

Oh, yeah. Well, you might be wondering why we humans, when we walk, why we land on our heels rather than our toes like most other animals.

[Mindy]

Guy Raz, are you trying to get me to ask why we land on our heels rather than our toes, like other animals?

[Guy Raz]

Uh, yeah. And in fact, an anthropologist by the name of James Weber from the University of Arizona was wondering the same thing, because, Mindy, he likes to run, and he uses those barefoot running shoes when he goes out for his morning jog.

[Mindy]

Oh, I've seen those. They make your toes look like foot fingers and your feet look like leg hands.

[Guy Raz]

Yeah, yeah, sort of. Anyway, he noticed that when he runs in those shoes, he tends to land on his toes, but when he walks in those very same shoes, he tends to land on his heels. And, Mindy, this didn't seem to make sense to Dr. Weber, because one of the reasons animals land on their toes first rather than their heels is because it actually extends or stretches the length of their foot. In other words, it makes their legs longer.

[Mindy]

Yeah, but, Guy Raz, wouldn't it also make our legs longer? I mean, my toes are pretty far away.

[Reggie]

Hey.

[Mindy]

Hello down there.

[Guy Raz]

Well, Mindy, you would think so, but actually, in humans, it has the opposite effect. What James Webber discovered is that when we humans land on our heels, it actually makes our legs longer than if we were to land on our toes. It's a trick of evolution, because a long, long, long time ago, our human ancestors probably stood on their toes. But over time, their bodies evolved or changed. And eventually, over millions of years, their feet got smaller and their heels dropped to the ground. So by the time we humans, or Homo sapiens appeared here on Earth, our bodies were designed to allow for our heels to touch the ground before our toes do.

[Reggie]

Wow.

[Mindy]

So how is he able to investigate this?

[Guy Raz]

Well, Mindy at the University of Arizona asked two groups of humans to help him with his experiment. And with the first group, he asked them to walk normally.

[Mindy]

Okay. And so what did he do with the second group?

[Guy Raz]

With the second group, he asked them to walk on their toes. And guess what?

[Reggie]

What?

[Guy Raz]

He found that when humans land on their toes first, they use a lot more energy than if they land on their. And landing on our toes actually slows us humans down because of how hard the front part of our foot has to work to push our bodies forward. Here, let's try this. But this time, please watch out for the drums.

[Reggie]

Okay.

[Mindy]

Not making any promises.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, you ready?

[Mindy]

Yep.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, let's go.

[Mindy]

All right, here goes nothing. Toes out. Landing on the floor first. Left, right, left. I'm losing my balance. I'm losing it. And, uh.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy?

[Mindy]

I'm okay.

[Guy Raz]

Uh, are you sure?

[Reggie]

Ugh.

[Mindy]

Never been better.

[Guy Raz]

Okay. Okay, great. Well, now you understand why it makes sense that we humans. Humans. Land on our heels rather than our toes.

[Mindy]

Yeah. After all that, it's obvious to me that unlike cats or dogs or even rabbits, we're much better off landing on our heels when we walk, because that's what gives us length, efficiency, and stability.

[Guy Raz]

And that seems to be James Webber's conclusion as well.

[Mindy]

Now let's walk heel to toe to the ice cream truck and get that giant sundae you owe me.

[Reggie]

Reggie. We should have a race like that rabbit in Usain Bolt. Nuh. I would win. No, Me. Fine. You're on. Let me just wrap this up, and then we're going outside and having a race. Thanks, everyone, for listening to this episode of We Wow on the Weekend. Be sure to give our phone lines a call and ask me, Dennis, a question. The number is 1-888-7-WOW. WOW. That's 1-888-7-NWOW. WOW. I just might answer your question on Wee Wow on the weekend. Okay, you ready? Great. Let's go. Reggie. No way. You are going down. I am so fast. Yeah. Huh. One time, mother timed me, and I was like. And then she was all like, whoa. And I was all like, I know. And she was all like.

[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 Music.

[Mindy]

And before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short [e-mail]. 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 Lozano with help from Jed Anderson and Tyler Thol. Original music for We Wow on the Weeknd is composed and performed by Tyler Thull.

[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 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 bestselling book series wow in the Wild.

[Mindy]

Thanks again for thinking, tinkering, 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.

[Reggie]

Wow In the World.

[Mindy]

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