Wow in the World – WeWow on the Weekend (8/17/25)

Hosts: Dennis, Reggie, Mindy Thomas, Guy Raz
Release date: August 17, 2025

Episode Theme & Purpose

This WeWow on the Weekend episode brings listeners a science-filled, silly Saturday as Dennis and Reggie host from the “basement studio” and revisit an early “Wow in the World” classic: Episode 9, "Tooting Cows and Crickets for Breakfast." The show explores the surprising impact cows have on the planet through their methane emissions, and considers whether bugs could be the protein-packed food of the future. Laughter, jokes, and wacky cooking experiments abound, making science accessible—and hilarious—for kids and their grown-ups.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Weekend Kickoff & Cooking Chaos

[02:57–07:50]

• Dennis and Reggie open with singing, banter, and plans for a new “cooking segment.”
  • Dennis decides to invent "Dishing it up with Dennis"—a spontaneous cooking show.
  • Lacking eggs for a frittata, Dennis improvises with strawberry yogurt, Halloween candy, and a cheese doodle found in the couch.
  • The resulting snack is declared inedible with dramatic flair:

    “Oh, no, it's terrible. Where did I go wrong? Reggie, quick, get me my emotional support juice box.” – Dennis (06:58)

2. Inside Tinkercast Studios: Revisiting the Classic “Tooting Cows and Crickets for Breakfast”

[07:59–14:22]

• Dennis introduces a throwback episode exploring cows and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Mindy and Guy Raz take center stage with playful banter and cow facts:
  • Fun Cow Facts:
    “Did you know that a cow drinks a bathtub's worth of water every single day?” – Mindy (08:15) “A cow can walk up the stairs, but it can't walk back down the stairs.” – Mindy (08:25)
  • Main Science Focus:
    Mindy introduces the idea that cows produce methane—a major greenhouse gas—every time they burp or toot, contributing significantly to atmospheric warming.
  • Memorable Exchange:
    “Every time a cow toots, the earth freaks out a little bit.” – Mindy (08:59) “You mean the amount of methane they produce...has a negative impact on the Earth due to the level of greenhouse gas emissions, right?” – Guy Raz (09:05)
• Visualizing Methane Output:
  • Mindy claims to have collected cow toots in milk jugs—all from her “cow pal Yarl.”

    “What you're looking at here is 50 gallons of grade A cow toots, all produced exclusively by my cow pal Yarl over here. Oh man, he's a prize winning tutor.” – Mindy (10:05)

• Bigger Environmental Picture:
  • Mindy and Guy discuss other sources of greenhouse gases, including burning coal, driving cars, and trash disposal.
  • Practical Solutions Suggested:
    • Turning off electronics, using energy-saving bulbs, reusing stuff, reducing heating/cooling, planting gardens.

    “There are lots of little ways that we can help. And some of those start in our very own homes.” – Mindy (11:44)

• Bugs for Breakfast?!
  • Mindy unveils a fresh idea from scientific research—eating insects and imitation meat could help reduce reliance on cows, and thus cut methane emissions.

    “All we have to do is eat bugs.” – Mindy (12:12) “So one of the reasons there are so many cows tooting up the atmosphere is because we humans depend on them so much for food and for milk.” – Mindy (12:25)

  • University of Edinburgh research suggests replacing half of beef consumption with insects or lab-grown/plant-based meat would help the planet.

    “Researchers discovered that insects and imitation meat are actually the best kinds of meat when it comes to how it affects our planet.” – Mindy (13:12)

  • Guy Raz voices comic reluctance:

    “There’s a lot I would do for science, but eat bugs?” – Guy Raz (12:21)

  • Mindy clarifies:

    “If we all pitched in to make little changes in the way we eat… we could help the Earth and save it from the hordes of greenhouse gas emitting cows.” – Mindy (14:03)

  • Segment ends with a playful call:

    “Now pork over that bag of cheesy cockroach doodles, Guy Raz, it's time to rescue this planet.” – Mindy (14:09)

3. Post-Episode Reflection and Insect Eating

[14:22–15:40]

• Dennis recaps that eating insects isn’t so odd—especially as Mindy later opens a cricket burger food truck in a future season.
  • “Oh yeah, I want to try a chocolate covered cricket. But if I don’t like it, I’m going right back to my diet of cheese doodles and iceberg lettuce. The two food groups.” – Dennis (14:52)
  • Brief discussion on various edible insects (crickets, ants, mealworms, even scorpions – minus the stinger).

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• Dennis invents cooking on the fly:
  “The couch is basically a pantry.” – Dennis (06:22)
• Methane cow math:
  “When you’re dealing with something like almost 50 gallons of methane gas per cow per day, that’s a lot of toots and burps.” – Mindy (09:32)
• On bugs as food:
  “It's not the craziest idea to start thinking of insects as a regular part of our breakfast, lunch and dinner.” – Mindy (13:32)
• Science takeaway for listeners:
  “If we all pitched in to make little changes in the way we eat… we could help the Earth and save it from the hordes of greenhouse gas emitting cows.” – Mindy (14:03)
• Listener engagement: “Remember, if you want to ask me a question or tell me a joke or a riddle or a haiku, leave me a message at 1-888-7-WOW-WOW!” – Dennis (15:17)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment | |-----------|------------------------------------------------| | 02:57 | Dennis & Reggie’s weekend kickoff | | 03:42 | “Dishing it up with Dennis” disastrous frittata | | 07:59 | Inside Tinkercast Studios segment starts | | 08:03 | "Tooting Cows and Crickets for Breakfast" intro | | 09:05 | Cow methane and greenhouse gases explained | | 12:12 | Mindy: Eating insects to help the planet | | 14:09 | "Cheesy cockroach doodles" & solutions summary | | 14:22 | Dennis’ post-episode wrap-up | | 15:17 | Listener call-in instructions |

Episode Tone & Style

The episode is bursting with playful energy, puns, and the signature banter of the Wow in the World crew. Educational science facts are woven seamlessly into jokes and skits—making climate science, methane, and alternative protein sources both accessible and laugh-out-loud funny for kids and their grown-ups alike. The show encourages curiosity, a willingness to experiment (even in the kitchen!), and small changes to help the planet.