Wow in the World: WeWow on the Weekend (8/30/25)

Podcast: Wow in the World
Hosts: Mindy Thomas, Guy Raz
Date: August 30, 2025
Episode Theme:
A fun and science-filled weekend edition where Dennis and Reggie answer listener questions, revisit a classic episode about Saturn's empanada-shaped moon (Pan), and attempt a messy kitchen experiment.

Episode Overview

This episode of WeWow on the Weekend blends listener engagement, educational science facts, and comedic skits aimed at kids and their grown-ups. The hosts feature listener-submitted questions, revisit a classic segment about Saturn’s moon Pan, and wrap up with a playful cooking experiment. The show maintains its energetic, silly tone, while consistently sparking wonder about science and the universe.

1. Listener Hotline World Record and Call to Action

(00:13 – 01:36)

• Announcement: Mindy and Guy share exciting news: they’re close to setting a Guinness World Record for most submissions to a fact hotline.

  • Over 12,000 kids have called in with their "wows" so far.
  • They need 4,000 more participants to break the record.

• Engagement Request:

  • “If you haven’t called in to share your wow yet, we need over 4,000 of you to call us with your wow.” — Guy Raz (00:44)
  • “Tell your classmates, friends, and pigeons to call in with their wows and facts too!” — Mindy Thomas (01:06)
  • Call to action: 1-888-7-WOWWOW.

2. Dennis & Reggie’s Silly Q&A Segment

(02:40 – 05:56)

Dennis, with Reggie, answers printed listener questions in his usual zany style.

Key Questions:

• How many species of fish are there?

  • Dennis gives silly answers: “There’s tuna fish, goldfish, crackers, fish sticks, fish fingers... Go Fish... I think that’s all the fish there are.” (04:29)
  • Memorable moment: Dennis clearly misunderstands and jokes about snack food as fish species.

• Why are bagels so good?

  • “Because they’re round, Reggie. Think about it. All the best foods are round. Pizza, doughnuts, cookies… oranges. No, Reggie, those are spheres.” (04:47)
  • Plays with food shapes humor.

• Do you still have the Snoop Sash?

  • Recalls an in-show artifact, jokes about a misspelling that led to the “Biggest Poop” sash instead.
  • “No one wants a sash that says biggest poop, Reggie.” (05:28)
  • Reveals a Snoop & Seek robot from the series has it instead.

3. Classic Science Story: Saturn’s Empanada-Shaped Moon

(07:12 – 13:13)

Dennis introduces a favorite segment from the first season:
Episode 13 - “A Tasty Looking Moon”

a. Cloud Imagination & Moon Facts

• Mindy and Guy trade funny imaginings of clouds and space (07:16 – 07:37).
  • “I saw a dolphin being pushed in a baby stroller by a T. Rex... holding a latte.” — Mindy Thomas (07:18)
• Segue to Saturn’s moons.
  • Saturn has at least 62 moons, possibly up to 150.
  • “If the book Goodnight Moon was written about Saturn, it would be titled Goodnight … Moon, moon, moon, moon…” — Mindy and Reggie riff (08:30–08:43)

b. Pan: The Empanada Moon

• Guy explains Pan looks like an empanada, leading to a back-and-forth about what an empanada is.
  • “Empanadas are these little bread pockets filled with meat or cheese or vegetables… and they are amazing.” — Guy Raz (09:17)
• Mindy insists on a snack break, humorously staging eating empanadas on air (09:50).

c. Space Technology and Mythology

• Conversation about how scientists know about Pan:
  • Space probes, especially NASA’s Cassini, take detailed photos and send them back to Earth (10:13–11:15).
• Why is the moon called Pan?
  • Named after the Greek god Pan, the god of shepherds.
  • Introduces the concept of “shepherd moons”—moons that help keep planetary rings in place.
  • “Just as a shepherd makes sure that the sheep don’t get too far away… the shepherd moon is a moon that orbits a planet with rings… astronomers have compared these moons to shepherds.” — Guy Raz (12:25)

d. Humorous Wrap-Up

• Mindy jokes about herding empanadas into her belly (13:01).
• “Twelve empanadas a day keeps the doctor away, or something like that.” — Mindy Thomas (13:16)

4. Dennis & Reggie’s Lively Cooking Experiment

(13:22 – 14:59)

• Dennis attempts to make empanadas with whatever is around the studio:

  • Ends up “inventing” a cheese empanada from a half a bagel with cream cheese.
  • “Just gonna scrape off the cream cheese… Oh, right, the cream cheese I just scraped off the bagel a minute ago… Voila! …I guess you’re right. It’s just the same half bagel with cream cheese I started with.” — Dennis (14:36)

• End-of-show jingle and sign-off.

5. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Tell your classmates, friends, and pigeons to call in with their wows and facts too!” — Mindy Thomas (01:06)
• “All the best foods are round… No, Reggie, those are spheres.” — Dennis (04:50)
• “Saturn has at least 62 moons, and probably as many as 150.” — Guy Raz (08:19)
• “If the book Goodnight Moon was written about Saturn, it would be titled Goodnight moon, moon, moon…” — Mindy & Reggie (08:30–08:43)
• “Empanadas are these little bread pockets filled with meat or cheese or vegetables… and they are amazing.” — Guy Raz (09:17)
• “Twelve empanadas a day keeps the doctor away, or something like that.” — Mindy Thomas (13:16)
• Dennis’ failed empanada experiment: “I guess you’re right. It’s just the same half bagel with cream cheese I started with.” (14:46)

6. Timestamps of Important Segments

• Listener Hotline World Record & Call to Action: 00:13 – 01:36
• Dennis & Reggie’s Q&A: 02:40 – 05:56
• Saturn’s Empanada-Shaped Moon (Classic segment): 07:12 – 13:13
• Dennis’ Cooking Segment: 13:22 – 14:59

7. Overall Tone and Takeaway

Lighthearted, imaginative, and educational, the episode mixes scientific discovery with humor, encouraging kids to participate and marvel at the universe’s wonders—with plenty of food jokes and quirky banter. The revisited story about Saturn’s strange moon Pan delivers both real science and playful fun, in classic Wow in the World style.

For Kids and Grown-Ups:
Perfect for families seeking a science podcast that inspires curiosity, big laughs, and moments to say, “WOW!”