WeWow on the Weekend

Summary

Wow in the World: WeWow on the Weekend

Podcast: Wow in the World (Tinkercast)
Episode: WeWow on the Weekend
Date: May 3, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of “WeWow on the Weekend” is a science-packed, fun-centric mix of games, creative segments, and listener interaction with the always-enthusiastic Dennis and his co-host, Reggie. The core highlight is a relisten (“rewow”) to the “A Sunbrella for the Planet” episode from Season 3 of Wow in the World, where Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz explore a real-world scientific concept: can we cool Earth by creating a giant sunshade? Through energetic banter, imaginative skits, and relatable metaphors, the episode breaks down the science of geoengineering, specifically Harvard scientists’ plan to use calcium carbonate to reflect sunlight and help combat climate change.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Weekend WeWow Chit-chat and Listener Questions

Segment Start: 03:25

• Dennis welcomes listeners, introduces Reggie the pigeon, and shares updates about his goldfish, Goldiebob.
• Idea for inventing a new drink, “Dennis Punch,” which becomes a humorous cooking/mixing segment with a truly strange concoction (lemon-lime soda, Skaterade, grape-flavored tea, and smoothie) that turns out terrible. Lots of laughs ensue as Dennis tastes it.

Notable Quote:

“Okay, I’m going to rename Dennis Punch to Nobody drink this punch. It’s a bad, bad punch.”
— Dennis (07:03)

2. Inside Tinkercast Studios – A Sunbrella for the Planet

Segment Start: 07:13

• Scene Setting: The crew is at the beach on an extra-hot summer day.
• Sun Safety: Guy Raz’s over-the-top sun protection kit prompts a discussion differentiating “climate” (long-term atmospheric trends) from “weather” (short-term).
• Cause of Heat Waves:
  • Discuss how global warming (rising average temperatures) leads to climate change, which in turn causes more frequent and extreme weather events like heatwaves, hurricanes, and snowstorms.
  • Thomas Fingerling’s misconception (“If it means more beach days, sign me up for climate change!”) gets gently corrected.

Notable Quote:

“Weather is what happens in our atmosphere week to week. The climate, on the other hand, specifically refers to larger patterns in our atmosphere that occur over several decades.”
— Guy Raz (15:31)

3. The “Sunbrella” Science: Can We Throw Shade on Earth?

Segment Start: 18:02

• Core Idea:
  • Inspired by Guy Raz’s Japanese parasol, Mindy introduces Harvard scientists’ research into geoengineering: using reflective calcium carbonate released high into the atmosphere to reflect sunlight and cool the planet—a “giant parasol for Earth.”
  • The compound (also found in antacids and seashells) is chosen for its safety compared to other substances like sulfur or heavy metals.
• Nature’s Parasol:
  • Guy explains how volcanic eruptions can create short-term cooling by sending particles that reflect sunlight into the atmosphere (example: 1963 Indonesian volcano lowered global temperature by 0.7°F).
• Planned Experiment:
  • Harvard’s team will send a custom weather balloon 12 miles up to distribute calcium carbonate, theoretically reflecting some solar energy.

Notable Quotes:

“So, Mindy, how in the world are these scientists gonna use stomach medication to help cool down the planet?”
— Guy Raz (19:58)

“It’s a process called geosolar engineering, which is basically just a fancy way of saying altering the atmosphere.”
— Mindy Thomas (20:38)

4. The Limits of Geoengineering

Segment Start: 25:24

• Temporary Fixes: Mindy clarifies that while solar geoengineering might temporarily lower temperatures, it does not address the root causes of climate change—just buys more time.
• Metaphor:
  • “Think of it like putting tape over your leaky nose. It’s gonna hold your snot in for a while, but eventually you’re gonna have to get a new nose.” — Mindy Thomas (25:43)
• Importance of Solutions:
  • Guy summarizes the 2018 IPCC report: The world has a brief window (12 years from the report) to drastically reduce climate impact, and while sunshades might help, systemic changes are needed.

5. Listener Shout-outs & Sign-off

Segment Start: 29:13

• Special thanks to “Wowzers” and their families for supporting the show, with a fun roll-call of listener names from all over the world.
• Encouragement for listeners to send in questions for future episodes.

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Memorable Moments & Humor

• Dennis’s “Dennis Punch” Mix-up: Hilarious kitchen chemistry, demonstrating experimentation sometimes has yucky (but funny) results (06:51-07:03).
• Kid-friendly Definitions: Clear explanation distinguishing climate from weather, and how geoengineering works, using playful, relatable language.
• Thomas Fingerling’s Antics: Surfboard confusion, snack quirks, and offbeat jokes keep the scientific content light and accessible.
• Recurring Gags: “Throwing shade” as both an insult on a fake TV show and a literal umbrella for the planet.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment | Description | |---------|-----------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:25 | Weekend Intro & Dennis’s Drink | Dennis and Reggie, Goldiebob, making “Dennis Punch” | | 07:13 | Inside Tinkercast Studios | Start of “A Sunbrella for the Planet” episode re-listen | | 15:02 | Climate vs. Weather Explanation | Guy Raz breaks down difference between “climate” and “weather” | | 18:02 | Parasol Inspiration | The leap from parasols to Earth-sized sunshades, concept explained | | 20:38 | Geoengineering Defined | Explanation of “geosolar engineering” and brief on planned experiment | | 25:24 | Temporary Nature of Geoengineering | Mindy’s nose-tape metaphor for temporary fixes, shortfalls of geoengineering | | 26:12 | IPCC and Climate Action Urgency | Guy Raz relays the IPCC’s urgent call for real climate solutions | | 29:13 | Listener Shout-outs | Roll call for episode supporters and encouragement to interact |

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Tone & Atmosphere

• The episode maintains Wow in the World’s signature style: energetic, humorous, and always child/family-friendly.
• Science concepts are woven into banter, jokes, and skits so learning feels like play.
• Listeners are encouraged to wonder, question, and explore — and to delight in “wow moments” both big and small.

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Notable Quotes

• “Our climate is a very delicate thing. And if we let the temperature of the planet increase by even one and a half degrees, it could throw our whole weather system out of whack.”
  — Guy Raz (17:23)

• “Geo-solar engineering, huh? … Humans purposely altering the atmosphere to try and lower the global temperature.”
  — Guy Raz (20:48)

• “But. And this is a big but… this is not a solution to climate change.”
  — Mindy Thomas (25:24)

• “Think of it like putting tape over your leaky nose. … It’s gonna hold your snot in for a while, but eventually you’re gonna have to get a new nose.”
  — Mindy Thomas (25:43)

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Takeaways for WOWzers

• Geoengineering is a creative, but temporary, scientific idea for cooling the planet—reflecting sunlight with safe, reflective particles, like calcium carbonate.
• Real change will need everyone’s help and more permanent solutions, from governments to individual Wowzers.
• Asking questions, experimenting (even with wild recipes!), and never stopping your curiosity is essential in both science and life.

If you missed this episode, listen for a science “wow,” plenty of laughs, and a boost to your weekend wonder!

Transcript

[Mindy Thomas]

Hey, Wowzer, fams. Mindy here. And before we start the show, guess what? The brand new season of two what's in a People who Wow Edition begins this Friday. Cue the confetti, Reg. In this Getting to Know youw game show, I'll be visited by some of the world's most fascinating people to get the wows and the what's of their lives. From cartoonist and graphic novelist Raina Telgemeier of the Smile series, to everyday extraordinary kids just like you. And that's not all. With this new season of two what's in a wow? There are now two ways to wow. What am I talking about? Well, first, you can listen to episodes right here in our wow. In the World podcast feed. Or. And this is a big or. Yeah, you're right, Reg. That doesn't have the same ring to it. Okay, now where was I? Oh, yeah. As always, you can listen to new episodes in your favorite podcast player, or you can watch these episodes with your eyeballs on YouTube. I know. I should comb my hair or something. We are so excited for you to listen and watch our new season of two once in a while, People who Wow Edition starting this Friday. So make sure you're subscribed to our podcast feed and our WowTube channel on YouTube so you don't miss out. That's two what's in a People who Wow Edition coming this Friday. But in the meantime, let's get back to the show. Hey, Grown Ups Mindy here. And do I have a wow for you. What if I told you that the best kids math program is actually inspired by comic books and it's about monsters? It's called Beast Academy. And the little monsters, like Grog, do the kind of math that gives kids curious enough to stop and think and figure things out for themselves. For example, Krog asked his Beast Academy math club, if our school has more than 366 kids in it, is it guaranteed that two of them will have exactly the same birthday? He proved that the answer is yes. Through problem solving.

[Guy Raz]

Wow.

[Mindy Thomas]

That's Beast Academy. Where kids build problem solving skills through interesting problems and puzzles. It's from the folks at Art of Problem Solving, the same people who train math champions. Grown ups. Head to beastacademy.com and use code BEASTWOW for 10% off the online program. Oh, and tell Grog Mindy says hi.

[Yoshi (Nintendo Character)]

Who's that walking through the woods? Wyatt's Yoshi, here to explore a world of curious creatures with you. Discovered a creature you haven't seen before. Why don't you get Yoshi to see what it tastes like? Hmm.

[Mindy Thomas]

Soapy.

[Yoshi (Nintendo Character)]

No wonder this creature blows giant bubbles so big they can carry you. You jump from one bubble to another and reach new areas. There are plenty more surprises to discover, too. Bowser Jr. What are you doing out here? You can jump into adventure with Yoshi and The Mysterious Book. May 21, only on Nintendo Switch 2. Game Rated E for everyone.

[Dennis]

Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah. We wow on the weekend. We wow on the weekend. We wow on the weekend.

[Mindy Thomas]

We.

[Dennis]

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 We Wow on the Weekend. I'm your host, Dennis, and that's Reggie, my co host. This is the show where we chit chat and answer questions from our fans and listen to Tinkercast podcasts. Hey, Reggie, check out all the stuff I got for Goldiebob, the goldfish's goldfish bowl. Look, I got her a water filter so her bowl stays nice and clean. And some cool, groovy, colorful pebbles. And I even got her a little pirate ship. Yeah, look at her in there. She's a little buccaneer. Captain Goldy Bob, setting sail on the seven seas. Or in the seven seas, I guess. Okay, fine. In the one sea that's not really a sea because it's a fishbowl. Reggie, we're using our imaginations. Hey, goldiebab. Say a yay. Wow, all this fishbowl talk is making me thirsty. No, I'm not gonna drink the fish water, Reggie. That's Goldie Bob's water. I feel thirsty for a new drink that I wanna invent. That's right. It's time for a cooking segment.

[Guy Raz]

Ahem.

[Dennis]

Dish it up on a dish. Anything that you wish. Take a bite. That's delish. Dishing it up with Dennis and Reggie. Today on Dishing It Up With Dennis, we're gonna be making a never been drank before refreshing beverage that will quench. First, let's start with this glass that has a little bit of lemon lime soda left in it, Right? The soda's been in there for a while, so there's no more bubbles left in it. Next, I'll add in some of this razz. Cherry Skaterade. Yeah, it's a sports drink for when I'm rollerblading. It has electrolytes. And now I'LL take the tea bag from my mug of tea and give my drink an Earl Grape infusion. No, Reggie, not Earl Grey. Earl grape. It's grape flavored tea. It's not gross. It's grape. Then lastly, I'll top it off with some of this chocolate banana peanut butter smoothie I had for breakfast. Yeah, it's a little warm and melted, but it's still good. Okay, there we go. Oops, I spilled a little. Reggie. I know. I need to clean up down here. Sheesh, Louis. Alright, give that a stir. And now all we need is a straw. No, not that one. We need a crazy straw with the loop de loops. Yeah, like that one. Perfect. And there. I call this drink Dennis Punch. Want the first sip of Dennis Punch, Reggie? No.

[Judd Anderson]

Are you sure?

[Dennis]

Okay, suit yourself. I'll try the Dennis Punch. Mmm.

[Thomas Fingerling]

No.

[Dennis]

It tastes horrible. How is that possible? All of the ingredients taste good on their own. Why do they taste so nasty when I mix them all together? Oh, you're right. Maybe the next sip will taste better. No, it didn't taste any better. Okay, I'm going to rename Dennis Punch to Nobody drink this punch. It's a bad, bad punch. Okay, 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 today we're listening to wow in the World, Season 3, Episode 24 called A Sunbrella for the Planet. Oh, this was the one where it was really, really hot out and we all went to the beach. Yeah, I love the beach too. As long as I don't get wet or get sand on me or touch any kind of seaweed or get pinched by a crab or get my sandwich stolen by seagull or get. Right, right, right, right, right. Let's just listen to the episode. Okay, here we go. And play.

[Mindy Thomas]

Wee. Wow. Will be right back.

[Dennis]

Grown ups.

[Mindy Thomas]

This message is for you yellow grownups.

[Judd Anderson]

Judd Anderson here from Tinkercast. I got a question for you. How does your household manage to keep track of everything? I mean, really, I want to know because after a day of producing another episode of wow in the World and keeping track of all the crazy characters, the voices, I then have to keep track of all the crazy characters at home. That is why I can't wait to get a Skylight calendar. It's an all in one digital smart calendar that syncs with Google Calendar, Outlook and more. And it gives you and your kids the perfect customized view of everyone's events, chores, and to dos so that nothing slips through the cracks. Families are better when they're working together. Right now, Skylight is offering our listeners $30 off their 15 inch calendars by going to myskylight.com wowintheworld go to myskylight.com wowIntheWor for $30 off your 15 inch calendar. That's my S K Y L I g h t.com Wowintheworld that's it.

[Mindy Thomas]

Now back to the show, Wowintheworld.

[Thomas Fingerling]

You're listening to Bongo and the Toot in the Morning on Womble fm. Wobbling your way through the work week.

[Dennis]

Whoa. I tell you what, folks, it's a hot one out here today.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Yeah, totally. I saw kid try to cool off

[Judd Anderson]

his hot pocket by sticking it in lava.

[Dennis]

Ouch. I just saw a chicken lay an omelette.

[Mindy Thomas]

Ha ha.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Oh, but seriously, folks, stay safe out there. Find some shade, drink plenty of water.

[Dennis]

Yeah. Cause hydration is cool.

[Mindy Thomas]

Wee, wee, wee.

[Judd Anderson]

Yeah, okay, don't go anywhere, folks. All your favorite summer tunes coming up right after these messages.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Summer heat got you down? Well, then head on over to the spit, take restaurant, moist, bitter, and mow.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, you really picked a hot day to go to the beach. I'm sweating through my elbow patches. Ugh.

[Mindy Thomas]

Still can't believe you were able to get a full body tweed swimsuit tailor made, man.

[Guy Raz]

Does this ice cream truck of yours have air conditioning? I'm gonna need to turn it on.

[Mindy Thomas]

It is on.

[Guy Raz]

It is?

[Dennis]

Uh huh.

[Mindy Thomas]

See, Check out the dial on the dashboard, Mindy.

[Guy Raz]

This is set to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

[Mindy Thomas]

And Mindy, why in the wow do

[Guy Raz]

you have the heater?

[Mindy Thomas]

Because I wanted to set it to a temperature that would help us to get in the mood for the beach.

[Guy Raz]

Well, I'm gonna have to bring this down to a comfortable and climate friendly 77 degrees Fahrenheit or 25 degrees Celsius.

[Mindy Thomas]

But careful, the button's only held on by gum.

[Guy Raz]

Ah, so much better.

[Mindy Thomas]

We're here. Come on, let's get out before everyone else eats all the sand.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, my door isn't opening.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, yeah, sorry. Here, I can help you with that.

[Dennis]

Ugh.

[Mindy Thomas]

See, I had to re jig up this door after I converted this ice cream truck into a food truck. And then I had to turn the food truck into a portable ball pit truck. And then I had to turn the ball pit back into the ice cream truck and.

[Dennis]

Ah.

[Mindy Thomas]

Ah. Man, it's not working.

[Guy Raz]

So how do I get out well,

[Mindy Thomas]

like,

[Guy Raz]

How do you do that every day, Mindy?

[Mindy Thomas]

Steel toed flip flops. Now let's go hit the beach.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, it must be 100 degrees out here. I'm gonna need my parasol. Hold on one sec.

[Mindy Thomas]

All right, let me just grab the steering wheel. There we go.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, did you just pull the steering wheel off the door dashboard of your ice cream truck?

[Dennis]

Uh huh.

[Guy Raz]

Why in the world would you do that?

[Mindy Thomas]

So nobody drives away with the truck. Now come on, let's kick. It must be like a billion degrees out here.

[Guy Raz]

Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk. This beach is packed, Mindy.

[Mindy Thomas]

Tell me about it. Looks like the whole neighborhood is here. Hey, look, there's Thomas Fingerling.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Cowabunga. Scope out that epic surf, bro. Toss me my boy. I'm gonna hit the lip and then just hang 10.

[Guy Raz]

Hey, and look, there's grandma G Force.

[Mindy Thomas]

Hang 10. Fingerling, you'd be lucky if you could still hang five.

[Thomas Fingerling]

No way, dude. I could never hang five.

[Mindy Thomas]

And is that Dennis?

[Dennis]

Hey, Mindy. Hi, guy. Check it out. I got a new full body nylon blend swim master bathing suit.

[Mindy Thomas]

Yep, that's Dennis all right. Whoa.

[Dennis]

I'm fully protected from the sun's harmful rays. The hydrophobic material is as slippery as a dolphin's nose.

[Mindy Thomas]

What is he talking about?

[Dennis]

Nothing can stop me. Except for maybe a jellyfish or a shark or seaweed. Or a wayward vessel.

[Mindy Thomas]

Ooh, thanks, Dennis.

[Guy Raz]

Boy, all we're missing is Reggie. Reggie, what are you doing here? I thought you were meeting your friends in the park.

[Mindy Thomas]

He says that the bird bath was too crowded. Okay, Reg, see you later. All right, let's see here. Oh, this looks like a good place to set up.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, well, let me just set up the parasol here.

[Mindy Thomas]

Okie doke.

[Guy Raz]

Stand back, Mindy. Three, two, one. Wow. There we go. Okay, let me just get out my beach bag. Okay, let's. What do we have here? I got some beach towels, some sunscreen, SPF 350, UV protective sombrero, microscope, microscope, kale chips, some caviar for you, Mindy.

[Mindy Thomas]

Aw, you remembered.

[Guy Raz]

Yep.

[Mindy Thomas]

Did you bring the bun so I could make a caviar sandwich?

[Guy Raz]

Here you go.

[Mindy Thomas]

Thank you very much.

[Guy Raz]

Sunglasses, sun gloves, zinc cream, sun neck protector guy.

[Mindy Thomas]

Raz, do you think that maybe you're just taking this whole sun safe thing just a teensy bit too far?

[Guy Raz]

Oh, oh, no. There's no such thing as being too sun safe, Mindy. Now pass me my sunderwear.

[Mindy Thomas]

Ah, I don't want to handle your sunwear, Guy. Raz. Is there anything in this sun safety bag of yours that's actually gonna help us with this heat?

[Guy Raz]

Well, I'm afraid not, Mindy. And with the changing climate, these heat waves are just going to become much more common.

[Mindy Thomas]

You mean because of global warming?

[Guy Raz]

Well, technically, Mindy, many scientists prefer the term climate change nowadays because although the global temperature is rising, overall this increase in temperature is messing with the planet's climate.

[Mindy Thomas]

And just to be clear, climate is mess, not the same thing as weather, right?

[Guy Raz]

That's right. Weather is what happens in our atmosphere week to week. The climate, on the other hand, specifically refers to larger patterns in our atmosphere that occur over several decades.

[Mindy Thomas]

Ah, so when we say climate change, we mean that long term, the atmosphere is changing because of the higher temperatures.

[Guy Raz]

Exactly. And a changing climate means more extreme weather. Like this heat wave.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Dang.

[Dennis]

Waa.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Whoa. Gnarly.

[Guy Raz]

Thomas Fingerling.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Sup?

[Guy Raz]

Is that an ironing board?

[Thomas Fingerling]

Oh, well, depends on how you look at it, I guess.

[Guy Raz]

Well, why did you bring an ironing board to the beach?

[Thomas Fingerling]

Whoa, don't be so aggro, dude. This is just my fun board. I use it for new school and the party waves, you dig? You newbies gonna drop in? It's tubular out there. Well.

[Guy Raz]

Well, actually, Mindy and I were just discussing how this heat wave may in fact be the result of climate change.

[Thomas Fingerling]

The heat wave is from climate change? Well, if it means more beach days, sign me up for climate change.

[Mindy Thomas]

Sorry, Thomas Fingerling, but that is not how climate change works.

[Thomas Fingerling]

It isn't?

[Guy Raz]

No. Just because it's warmer here doesn't mean it's a perfect beach day everywhere on the planet.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Oh, but I thought it was global warming.

[Mindy Thomas]

Well, technically, yes, but now some scientists are preferring the term climate change because the increasing temperature of the planet is actually changing our climate.

[Guy Raz]

Which may mean more heat waves like this one here.

[Mindy Thomas]

Or it could mean more hurricanes or more extreme snowstorms.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Snowstorms? I don't think my fun board will make a through that gnarly Pow.

[Mindy Thomas]

Pow.

[Guy Raz]

The fact is, our climate is a very delicate thing. And if we let the temperature of the planet increase by even one and a half degrees, it could throw our whole weather system out of whack.

[Dennis]

Out of whack?

[Thomas Fingerling]

That's the name of mine and G Force's hip hop album. Wanna buy a Gabby?

[Dennis]

Huh?

[Thomas Fingerling]

Never mind. It's too cool for you Quimbys. Mind if I set up my bean bag here in your shade? I can feel the top of my head frying.

[Guy Raz]

Of course. Thomas Fingerling, come take A seat?

[Mindy Thomas]

Yeah, there's plenty of room.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Oh, thank goodness. Say, this is a cool little umbrella you got here, Mr. Razzie.

[Guy Raz]

Well, actually, it's not an umbrella. It's a parasol. This one is actually really super special to me. It's based on a design from the Edo period in Japan. It's super handy on hot days like this.

[Dennis]

Here, look.

[Guy Raz]

Hot, cool. Hot, cool. If only it was this easy to cool down the planet.

[Mindy Thomas]

Uh, say that again.

[Guy Raz]

It's based off a design from the Edo period in Japan.

[Mindy Thomas]

No, no, the other thing you said right after that.

[Guy Raz]

Oh, if only it was this easy to cool down the planet.

[Mindy Thomas]

Yes.

[Guy Raz]

Well, what about it, Mindy?

[Mindy Thomas]

Well, maybe it is.

[Guy Raz]

What are you talking about?

[Mindy Thomas]

I'm talking about throwing shade.

[Guy Raz]

Throwing shade? You mean that new TV show where two people sit down and insult each other in front of a live studio audience?

[Thomas Fingerling]

I said your fashion sense is little more than that of a wiffle waffling saddle goose.

[Dennis]

Why would you say that? Ah, let's throw chairs.

[Mindy Thomas]

I'm not talking about the TV show Throwing shade, Guy Raz. I'm talking about the Olympic event where you hurl umbrellas like javelins.

[Guy Raz]

Really?

[Mindy Thomas]

No, I'm talking about a brand new research project from Harvard University where these scientists plan to basically create a great big parasol for the Earth.

[Guy Raz]

Wow, for real?

[Mindy Thomas]

Yeah. But instead of using fabric like your parasol here, these scientists are going to be using ant acid to help control the temperatures down here on Earth.

[Guy Raz]

Antacid? You mean like the kind of medicine you might take if you have an upset tummy?

[Mindy Thomas]

Yep, same stuff.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Oh, yeah, that's what I use to control my toots.

[Mindy Thomas]

Gesundheit.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Pardon.

[Guy Raz]

So, Mindy, how in the world are these scientists gonna use stomach medication to help cool down the planet?

[Mindy Thomas]

Well, Guy Raz, the technical name for this stomach medication is calcium carbonate, and it's the same stuff found in snail shells and limestone. And what these scientists are hoping to do is to release particles of this shiny and reflective chemical into our atmosphere to reflect some of the sunlight back out into space and bring temperatures under control here on Earth.

[Guy Raz]

Kind of like how this parasol is blocking out some of the sunlight on us and keeping us cool.

[Mindy Thomas]

Exact oritos. It's a process called geosolar engineering, which is basically just a fancy way of saying altering the atmosphere.

[Guy Raz]

Geosolar engineering, huh? I think I've heard about this before, Mindy.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Guy Raz]

What you're talking about is humans purposely altering the atmosphere to try and lower the global temperature.

[Mindy Thomas]

Uh, huh?

[Guy Raz]

But you know, this. This kind of geosolar engineering happens from time to time in the natural world.

[Mindy Thomas]

It does?

[Guy Raz]

Yeah. Especially after volcanic eruptions.

[Mindy Thomas]

Volcanic eruptions?

[Guy Raz]

Yeah. After a volcano erupts, it spews tons and tons of dirt and sulfur way up into our atmosphere and it blocks out the sunlight and creates a sort of giant parasol around the planet.

[Mindy Thomas]

Just like what these scientists are trying to do.

[Guy Raz]

Exactly. In fact, there was a famous case of this. In 1963, a volcano in Indonesia erupted and it lowered the Earth's average temperature by 0.7 degrees Fahrenheit that year.

[Mindy Thomas]

Wow. Was it because the ash from the volcano threw shade over that part of the planet?

[Guy Raz]

Well, that's what the scientists concluded.

[Mindy Thomas]

Whoa. That's so. Wow.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Balloons here. Get your balloons here.

[Mindy Thomas]

I'm gonna get me some raccoons. Where's my pocketbook? Grandma G Force, where'd you come from? I've been here this whole time. You didn't recognize me on account of Fingerling made me into a sand mermaid. I got flippers. Huh? They don't work.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Oh, balloons. Here, get your balloons.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, I want one. Excuse me, sir.

[Dennis]

Sir?

[Thomas Fingerling]

Yes? Hello, ma'. Am. Hi.

[Mindy Thomas]

Yes, I would like one of your finest balloons, please.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Well, these are all the finest. I've got. Gas hopper cluster water, solar fire, observation, decoy weather. And if you're looking to spend the big bucks, I've got a hot air balloon back in my van.

[Mindy Thomas]

Hmm. I will take one weather balloon, please and thank you. That's the type of balloon that they're planning to use to spread the calcium carbonate into our atmosphere to make that giant chemical parasol.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Okey dokey. Here you go. One eight foot diameter weather balloon. It's filled with helium, so if you let it go, you're probably not going to see it again.

[Mindy Thomas]

Whoops. I let it go. Sorry.

[Thomas Fingerling]

Okay, here's another one. Make sure to hold tight this time.

[Dennis]

Will that be all?

[Mindy Thomas]

No, actually, that's not all. You. You wouldn't happen to have a couple of pounds of calcium carbonate on you, would you?

[Thomas Fingerling]

Nope. Sorry. Just sold my last bucketful to that lady down there.

[Mindy Thomas]

This ain't no sherbert. Are you licking fingerling?

[Thomas Fingerling]

No way, dude.

[Mindy Thomas]

Ooh, is she eating the calcium carbonate?

[Guy Raz]

Grandma G Force, don't eat the calcium carbonate.

[Mindy Thomas]

Yeah, don't eat it. I'll do what I want.

[Thomas Fingerling]

That's true. She does.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, so what does this balloon have to do with climate change? Mindy.

[Mindy Thomas]

What? Oh, right, yeah. So those scientists from Harvard University are going to get that calcium carbonate up into the atmosphere With a weather balloon? Well, with a custom made weather balloon. So it might look a little different from this one.

[Guy Raz]

Right, right. So how would it work?

[Mindy Thomas]

Okay, so later this year, these scientists plan to send this specialized weather balloon 12 miles up into our atmosphere, where it would then use a propeller to stir the calcium carbonate into clouds, which

[Guy Raz]

hopefully will then reflect some sunlight back

[Mindy Thomas]

out into space and cool the planet.

[Guy Raz]

Right, so why calcium carbonate, Mindy? I mean, I know it's super reflective, but why not something else?

[Mindy Thomas]

Well, I mean, you can't just go around putting anything you want into the atmosphere.

[Guy Raz]

That is true. I mean, putting too much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is what got us into this climate change conundrum in the first place.

[Mindy Thomas]

Right, so these scientists did a bunch of testing with a bunch of different chemicals and found that heavy metals like chlorine, for example, would be bad and toxic for the environment.

[Guy Raz]

And what about sulfur? Because that's the primary chemical that's found in all those volcanic eruptions.

[Mindy Thomas]

Well, they tested that, too, and found that calcium carbonate is even less harmful than that. And it could even help heal some of the damage that has already been done.

[Guy Raz]

That's amazing.

[Mindy Thomas]

But. And this is a big but, I get it. This is not a solution to climate change.

[Thomas Fingerling]

But.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, I thought you said this was gonna reduce temperatures here on Earth.

[Mindy Thomas]

Well, that's the idea, but it won't last forever.

[Guy Raz]

So this is just a temporary plan?

[Mindy Thomas]

Exactly. Think of it like putting tape over your leaky nose. It's gonna hold your snot in for a while, but eventually you're gonna have to get a new nose. But if this works, it will dolphinitely buy us some more time.

[Guy Raz]

And boy, do we need all the time we can get. By the way, did you ever read that IPCC report I sent you?

[Mindy Thomas]

Uh, the ICUPP report?

[Guy Raz]

No, Mindy. The IPCC. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, right, the IC MEPP report. Ah, yes. No, I did not see that. What did it say?

[Guy Raz]

The ipcc, or Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, is a group of scientists from all over the world who've gotten together to try and figure out how we can stop and hopefully reverse climate change.

[Mindy Thomas]

And what did they figure out?

[Guy Raz]

Well, in a report they released in 2018, they said that we have just 12 years to turn this ship around and start reducing our impact on the climate.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, man. So even though solar geoengineering might not be a permanent solution to climate change, it could help buy us some more time to figure out how to do that.

[Guy Raz]

Well, that's the idea.

[Dennis]

Incoming.

[Thomas Fingerling]

It's raining volleyballs. Climate change is here.

[Guy Raz]

Mr. Fingerling, are you all right?

[Thomas Fingerling]

Oh, yeah, sorry. I just had a bad dream is all. Now who's hitting volleyballs at my noggin?

[Dennis]

Reggie did it.

[Mindy Thomas]

Dennis.

[Dennis]

Mindy, guy, little help.

[Guy Raz]

I don't suppose you guys want to play doubles? Mindy, do you want to play?

[Mindy Thomas]

I'm in.

[Thomas Fingerling]

I was a volleyball champ in 1932. Back then we called it Lofty Smash.

[Mindy Thomas]

What about teams of three? And we all use Dennis for the ball. Oh, ha ha, fine.

[Judd Anderson]

Teams of three.

[Dennis]

But we're playing by European standardized rules and I will be enforcing them. Now, when it comes to the utilization of the so called five in one system, Dennis, I think it goes without saying that we should only be allowed. Wow, that was so cool. I didn't remember all that stuff about using calcium carbonate to shade the planet. Because, Reggie, I was busy being really great at beach volleyball. I did not cheat. If anyone cheated, it was you. When you served the ball, your toe was over the line. What? I did not touch the net. Nuh, nuh, nuh. Okay, fine. I demand a rematch. Right, let's wrap up the show and then it is on. Reggie. Thanks to all you listeners out there for tuning in to Wee Wow on the weekend. If you have a question for me, call and leave me a message at 1-888-8-807-WOW WOW. That's 1-8887-WOW WOW. I just might answer your question on Wee Wow on the weekend. Okay, it's go time. Come on. Oh, your tail is so toast, Reggie. And don't forget the volleyball. And my sunscreen and my sunglasses and my full body swim master swimsuit. And my sand repelling pop up cabana.

[Guy Raz]

Before we get into the credits for today's episode, we want to give some special shout outs and say a huge thank you to some of the wowzers whose families are powering the WOW this year.

[Mindy Thomas]

We broke the names up into two batches and here is our first batch of names. We are so grateful for your support.

[Guy Raz]

Owen and Aubrey from California. Saman and Ryan from California. Orlean and Esther from New York. Ella from Singapore. Lacey elementary from North Carolina.

[Mindy Thomas]

Teddy, Silas and Emmett from Arizona. Jason from Texas. Eli and Nolan from Texas. Luke and Noel from North Carolina.

[Guy Raz]

Elan from California. Emmett and Adler from Kansas. John, Katie, Ethan and Amelia from Pennsylvania. Nejla and Yakub from Kuwait. Evelyn, Ramona and Tabitha from Nevada.

[Mindy Thomas]

John R. From Wisconsin. Emory and Isla from California. Caroline from Massachusetts. Ian and Declan from Washington Elena and Lucia from Maryland, Parker from Texas, Albert

[Guy Raz]

and Lulu from Brighton, England Hayden, Hazel and Allie from Pennsylvania Magnus from the District of Columbia William and Allie from

[Mindy Thomas]

Virginia Brendan, Jessica, David and Michael from Ohio Bailey, Macy and Hank from South Carolina James from Washington Peter, Teddy and Leo from Minnesota Paul from Rhode Island,

[Guy Raz]

Nuri from Washington, Violet and Will from California, Audrey and Ethan from Virginia, Alex H from Tennessee, James and Madison from

[Mindy Thomas]

Utah and happy birthday to Otis from Minnesota.

[Guy Raz]

From the bottom of our hearts and

[Mindy Thomas]

the tops of our brains, thank you.

[Dennis]

Thanks for joining us for this edition of wewow. Our show is written by Ruth Morrison and Jed Anderson. The role of Baby Dennis is played by Jed Anderson. Well then, who plays the role of Big Dennis? Cover your mind. Tee hee. Original sound design and production is done by Tyler Thole with contributions from Jed Anderson and Henry Moskal. Original music for Wee Wow is composed and performed by Tyler Thol. Special thanks to Jessica Bode, Rebecca Caban, Dr. Natasha Crandall, Kenny Curtis, Kristin Yang, Meredith Helpern, Ranzer, Thuy Mack, Jody Nussbaum, Ali Paxima, Guy Raz, Linda Rothenberg, Steph Sosa, Mindy Thomas, Anna Zagorski and all of the other tinkerers at Tinkercast HQ. Be sure to visit Tinkercast.com where you can become an official member of the World Organization of wowzers. Learn about upcoming events, shop our wow Shop, find our best selling books and learn about all the other amazing podcasts from Tinkercast. Thanks again for thinking, tinkering, experimenting and exploring with me this week. Be sure to check out episodes of wow in the world on Mondays 2 what's in a wow On Fridays? And We Wow on the weekend with Dennis on the weekends. And remember who Wows. I wow. Oh Baby Dennis. We wow all right. We wow. Wow.

[Mindy Thomas]

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