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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.
Dennis
Hello, Wowzers. It's me, Dennis. And before we start the show this month for our new members, you can have Reggie in your pocket. No, Rezi, not for real. You're too huge. You can't fit in pockets. I'm talking about our exclusive VIP New member T shirt. Grown Ups. For a limited time only, new members to the World Organization of wowzers can get this T shirt featuring Reggie. Yeah, Reggie. See, it's a red shirt with a shirt pocket and your little head is poking out so it looks like you're in the pocket. Every membership helps support our podcasts and Tinkercast mission to spread WOW to families and Tinkers teachers around the world. That's right, Reggie. Our members also get birthday cards from Mindy and Guy, quarterly mailings from you, Reggie, and so much more grown ups. For access to this T shirt, visit Tinkercast.com membership and sign up your Wowzer today. That's Tinkercast.com membership. That's it. Now let's get back to my show. I mean I. Our show. I mean the show.
Narrator/Advertiser
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Dennis
Ah ah ah ah ah. We wow on the weekend. We 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. Clap clap. 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 that's my co host, Reggie. We're here in my mother's basement, chilling out, hanging loose and straight up. Just like vibing you know, vibing, Reggie. Vibing. It's slang so that the cool kids think I'm cool. Reggie. No, I'm cool. I mean, I'm cool. Okay, let's get rolling and answer some questions with a Q and A segment. Ahem, 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 WEW on the Weeknd. 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.
Children Callers
Hi, my name is Hazel and I live in St. Louis, Missouri.
Dennis
Oh, hi, Hazel.
Children Callers
I have a question for Dennis. Are there fires on other planets?
Dennis
Oh, good question, that. I have no idea what the answer might be. Reggie, do you know, are there fires on other planets or fires on moons, or fires on asteroids or comets? No. What do you mean no? There aren't fires on any other planets that we know of. Well, that's no fun. Well, what about the sun? Ah, right. That's not a planet. But it is on fire. Right. Plasma. Okay, this is getting too complicated. Next question.
Children Callers
Hey, Dennis, what's up? My name is Stefan and I'm from Seattle, Washington. My wow question is how do pianos work?
Dennis
Wow, great question, Stefan. I have no idea how pianos work because I don't have a piano. But I do have a keyboard which is very similar to a piano. And? And I wrote a song about how they work. And it goes a little something like this. Keyboards have no tree boards but they make chords just for me to sing. Yeah. Keyboards give me rewards that I put towards my bills and mortgage Keyboards, I decree boards are for free Boards and they make the best boys at keyboards and. Reggie. What? What? No, I have another 14 verses to go. Fine. But I'm playing you the whole song later and you can't leave until the end. Next question.
Children Callers
Hi, Dennis. My name is Juliana and I'm from Cincinnati, Ohio.
Dennis
Hi, Juliana.
Children Callers
I do not have a question, but I do have a riddle.
Dennis
Oh yes? Let's hear it.
Children Callers
We know seven is an odd number.
Dennis
Uh huh.
Children Callers
So how do we make seven in an even number without subtracting, adding, multiplying or dividing?
Dennis
Oh no, a math riddle. I'm not good at these. Okay. No adding, subtracting, multiplying or dividing. Are there any other math operations left? We can use exponentiation and square roots, Reggie. No, those are too advanced. Oh boy, this is a real toughie. Okay, Juliana, I give Up.
Children Callers
The answer is you take the S away.
Dennis
What? What S? Oh, the letter S. So then it spells even. I get it. But wait, isn't taking an S away technically subtraction? I said technically, Reggie. Next question.
Children Callers
Hi, Dennis. My name's Charlie and I'm nine years old and I'm from Barnevel, Wisconsin. My question is, what's your 38th favorite country?
Dennis
Wow, Charlie, great question. My 38th favorite country is Tajikistan because it's fun to say. Next question.
Children Callers
Hi, Dennis. This is Evan from California, and I have a riddle for you.
Dennis
Oh, boy. Two riddles in one day. What do you got, Evan?
Children Callers
Throw away the outside and cook the inside. Then eat the outside and throw away the inside. What is it?
Dennis
Oh, it's. It's. It's. Let's see. Um, it's a. Oh, yeah. It's like a food that comes in a package. Probably like pizza rolls. No, that's not right. Um, it's. Oh, yeah, good thinking. It's a banana. No, wait, you don't cook the inside banana bread.
Children Callers
Do you give up?
Dennis
Yeah, seven. I give up. What is it? What is it? Tell.
Children Callers
It's corn on the cob. You throw away the husk. Cook and eat the Kernod. And throw away the cob.
Mindy
Bye.
Dennis
Oh, corn on the cob. Of course. Well, I didn't guess it because I don't throw away the cob. I eat them. What? Reggie, you don't eat your cobs? Well, you're missing out. Lots of fiber in corn cobs. 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 Wee Wow on the weekend. Okay, that takes care of that. All right, what's next? What's next? Oh, yeah. Let's listen to an episode. Thanks, co host. Next up is a little segment I like to call Inside Tinkercast Studios. Ahem. Inside Tinkercast Studios. This is the part where we revisit an episode of one of my favorite Tinkerc. Cast shows. And today we're listening to wow in the World, Season 1, Episode 21 called A Case for the Giggles. Yeah, it's a story about why laughter is good for us. I know. I love laughing. Okay, fine. I'll hold my laughter until the end of the show. Let's play the episode. All right, here we go. And.
Mindy
Wow in the World. We'll be right back.
Dennis
Grown ups.
Mindy
This message is for you.
Dennis
That's it.
Mindy
Back to the show.
Dennis
Wow in the world.
Mindy
Okay, bye. I'll see you tomorrow. Hey, watch out for that pile of breakable stuff at the end of the driveway.
Dennis
Oh.
Mindy
Going inside. Hey. Hey. What in the world? Guy Raz. Guy Raz. What? Um. Hey, Guy Raz. What is going on in here?
Guy Raz
Oh, hey, Mindy. You caught me in the middle of my new morning exercise routine.
Mindy
This is not exercise. You're just standing here laughing to yourself like you've gone bonker balls. What in the. This is not funny, Guy Raz. It's getting weird.
Dennis
Uh, okay, well.
Guy Raz
Well, maybe this will help. Here, here. Come watch this video.
Children Callers
Video?
Mindy
Man, I've been trying to be all eyes up, screens down. Okay, what's the video about?
Guy Raz
Oh, it's a video of the laughing Yogi. His name is Ramesh Padni, and he lives in India, where he as the world's greatest laugh teacher.
Mindy
A laugh teacher, Guy Raz. Who needs to be taught how to laugh?
Guy Raz
Well, grumpy people, for one thing. Mindy.
Mindy
Well, I'm not grumpy, but I'm also not in a laughing mood because I came over here to tell you about this serious science story that I learned, and you're just acting like life is one big joke, laughing and giggling all over the place. I don't even know what's going on anymore.
Guy Raz
Well, Mindy, let's make a bet.
Mindy
You want to make a bet?
Guy Raz
Yeah, a bet. I will bet you that this video of Yogi Ramesh Padney will make you laugh within 30 seconds. And, Mindy, if I'm wrong, I will fill up your swimming pool with gummy bears.
Mindy
Okay, first of all, that's not a swimming pool. That's a tunnel that I'm digging to China. But second of all, I'm intrigued. What happens if I lose?
Guy Raz
Well, if this video makes you laugh, you have to clean up my cat Alice's litter box for a whole.
Mindy
That's a li. Oh, man, I've been using that as a tiny sandbox. You mean she poops in there?
Guy Raz
Well, so what do you say? You want to shake on it?
Mindy
Your video of some guy trying to get me to laugh on command. Good luck with that, Guy Raz.
Guy Raz
You sure about that?
Mindy
I am so sure I'll win this bet that I've already sent out a telegram to all of the gummy bears in the world instructing them to march toward my house.
Guy Raz
Well, then it's a bet. You ready?
Mindy
Lay it on me.
Guy Raz
Okay. Okay. So here goes. Here is Yogi Ramesh Padney doing his laughing exercises.
Dennis
Laughing exercise for the Heart and mind. Very easy. And I am happy I am the next. I'm happy I am the best. I'm happy I am the next. Now you can do full laughter.
Guy Raz
Mindy, if we don't stop laughing, we're.
Mindy
Gonna be able to get on with our lives. Okay?
Dennis
Phew.
Guy Raz
Mindy. Mindy, we just experienced a phenomenon known as contagion.
Mindy
Contagion? Wait, contagion? Everyone, quick, cover your mouths. Put on your germ mask.
Guy Raz
Mindy.
Dennis
Mindy, don't worry.
Guy Raz
There's nothing to worry about.
Mindy
Oh, nothing to worry about, Guy Raz, I happen to know that the dictionary definition of contagion is the communication or spread of a disease by a direct or indirect contact. I mean, did you even say, see the movie contagion? I did it.
Dennis
Too scary.
Guy Raz
But, Mindy, you're right.
Dennis
That.
Guy Raz
That is one definition of contagion. But there's also another one and a little less scary.
Mindy
Well, I'm not taking this mask off until you can convince me it's safe.
Guy Raz
Mindy, the contagion I'm talking about is also about the spread of something, and in this case, the spread of an emotion or a behavior or an action.
Mindy
Wait a minute. So you're saying that when you were laughing, it spread to me and made me laugh?
Guy Raz
Yes. Contagion. Laughter is one of those things humans do that spreads to other humans. It's contagious.
Mindy
Oh, so that explains why when I go to the movies, I always wind up laughing a lot more than when I watch a movie at home by myself.
Guy Raz
Right, because when you hear other people laughing around you like you do at the movies, it feels triggers something in your brain that makes you want to laugh too.
Mindy
Wait a minute. So there are other things that we humans do that are contagious, too? Like when we yawn. Okay, that's enough. How does it work?
Guy Raz
If you see someone else yawn, there's a good chance you will yawn as well.
Mindy
Pretty sure we just experienced that, Guy Raz. But you know what? That smiling might be contagious too.
Guy Raz
Yep. See my pearly whites?
Mindy
Ooh, you are smiling with teeth I didn't even know you had. But, yeah, your smile kind of makes me want to smile too.
Guy Raz
And amazingly, Mindy, when you see another person shiver from the cold, even if you see them through a window, like, you know, say, inside your warm house, just seeing someone else shiver can make you feel colder.
Mindy
Wow, that is some serious contagion.
Guy Raz
It's all called mirroring behavior.
Mindy
Okay, so like, when you look in a mirror and you See your own reflection. Or when you see someone laughing or yawning or shivering and your body wants to mirror their behavior or copy it.
Dennis
Yes.
Guy Raz
Isn't it incredible?
Mindy
Yeah, it really is.
Guy Raz
And even more amazing is that these behaviors, especially laughter, can spread from one person to the next to the next to the next, almost like a cold or the flu.
Mindy
Oh, all right. So this reminds me of this crazy video that I saw where all of these people were stuck together on a train, and then one person started laughing, and then another person started laughing, and another and another, until before you knew it, the entire train was laughing their brains out. I thought the whole thing was gonna fly off the rails.
Guy Raz
Yes. I love that video. It's hilarious. And, you know, Mindy, you know what? There's a cognitive neuroscientist from the University of London named Sophie Scott.
Mindy
Time out. A cognitive neuroscientist is a person who studies the brain and thinking.
Dennis
Time in.
Guy Raz
And Sophie, well, she's one of the world's experts on laughter. You know, why we do it and why it spreads. And what she does is she takes groups of people into her lab and, well, she asks them to laugh.
Mindy
What for? Science. This is my kind of experiment.
Guy Raz
And what she's trying to figure out is how our laughter spreads and how laughter affects us.
Mindy
Well, I know I always. I always feel a lot better after I laugh.
Guy Raz
Me too. And, Mindy, what's so cool is that when we laugh, our bodies release natural chemicals, happy chemicals called neurotransmitters with silly names like dopamine and serotonin.
Mindy
Sorry.
Guy Raz
And these neurotransmitters help keep us smiling and also focused.
Dennis
Ah.
Mindy
So now I'm starting to understand those weirdo laughter exercises you were doing, Guy Raz.
Guy Raz
Well, Mindy, I was inspired by some research that was done by a team of scientists at Georgia State University. And they wanted to find out if laughing while exercising could actually be even better for certain people than just exercising alone. And guess what, chicken noob. Well, Mindy.
Dennis
What?
Guy Raz
These scientists found that when people laugh and exercise together, not only do they get stronger and. But if they're older, it helps their memory.
Mindy
No way. How does that work?
Guy Raz
Well, Mindy, for six weeks, a group of older adults, so maybe even older than some grandparents, listening, exercised for 40 minutes. And during that time, they were told to laugh for up to 60 seconds 10 different times. And whatever exercise they were doing, they had to laugh while doing them.
Dennis
What?
Mindy
That's nuts. So what happened?
Guy Raz
Well, laughter forces the muscles in your body to strengthen and relax. Strengthen and relax. And by repeating this, the researchers found that it actually helped this group of older adults become healthier.
Mindy
Wait, so this worked like they were healthier and stronger afterwards?
Guy Raz
Yes, and not only stronger, but the researchers found that the laughter helped this group remember things longer and stay happier. And the most interesting thing, Mindy, is that it didn't matter if it was real laughter or fake laughter. Our bodies can't really tell the difference. So all laughter is good.
Mindy
Wait, so they were just tricking their bodies into laughing?
Dennis
Yes.
Guy Raz
And the more they laughed, the more others around them laughed.
Mindy
Contagion.
Dennis
Yes.
Mindy
Oh, boy. Here we go again. Guy Raz, I am not gonna fall for it. No, I know what you're trying to do. I know that I lost the bet and I'm gonna have to clean your cat Alice's litter box, but I will not start laughing just because you're trying to beep.
Dennis
I can't hold it in anymore.
Mindy
Oh, boy.
Dennis
Ronnie, help. I can't stop. Weren't you listening? It's contagion. Hurry, hurry. Say something. Sa. Oh, that is sad. Oh, Reggie. No, it's okay. It's okay. I needed to stop laughing. Thank you. Well, yeah, now I'm too sad. Okay, we gotta balance back out and get a little happier than this. Um huh. Oh, good idea. Let's go out in the backyard and give new names to all my azaleas. Okay, let's think of some names quick. How about Francis? Well, what's your favorite name? No, your favorite name can't be Reggie because that's your name. And I don't want you getting confused when I water the garden in the.
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 on Apple Podcasts prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music.
Mindy
And before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out out a short survey@wondery.com survey. Thanks for joining us for this edition of WEW 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 wewow on the Weeknd 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 us@tinkercast.com share or call us at 1-888-7www. Wow.
Guy Raz
Our website is tinkercast.com there you can learn more about becoming an official member of the 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.
Dennis
Wow in the World. Wow in the World. Wow in the World. Wow in the World. Wow in the World.
Mindy
Wow in the World was made by Tinkercast and sent to you by Wondery.
Date: September 21, 2025
Hosts: Dennis (with Reggie), Mindy Thomas, and Guy Raz
Episode Theme:
A weekend edition focused on fun Q&A from kids, science riddles, and a classic segment about the science of laughter. The show encourages curiosity, learning through humor, and exploring how emotions like laughter can be contagious and beneficial for our health.
This “WeWow on the Weekend” episode combines lively kid questions, playful riddles, and a revisit of a favorite "Wow in the World" episode. Host Dennis, with his feathered sidekick Reggie, answers calls from young listeners—fielding science mysteries and riddles—before turning things over to Mindy and Guy for an entertaining exploration of why laughter spreads so easily and does us good.
(02:25–09:14)
(09:14–20:43)
Mindy and Guy Raz star in a re-broadcast from "Wow in the World" exploring the science of laughter.
Story Kickoff:
The Science of Laughter and Contagion:
Expert Insights:
Physical & Cognitive Benefits:
Laughter Is Unstoppable:
| Timestamp | Segment/Quote | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:25 | Dennis introduces weekend Q&A | | 04:10 | Are there fires on other planets? | | 04:52 | How do pianos work (leads to a funny song) | | 05:52 | "Seven" math riddle | | 06:54 | 38th favorite country: Tajikistan | | 07:22 | "Corn on the cob" riddle | | 09:14 | "Inside Tinkercast Studios" segment begins | | 11:09 | Mindy and Guy’s bet about laughing | | 13:07 | "We just experienced a phenomenon known as contagion." | | 14:10 | "Laughter is contagious." | | 15:37 | Mirroring behaviors: yawning, shivering, smiling | | 17:08 | Laughter releases happy chemicals | | 18:43 | Laughter makes people stronger, improves memory & mood | | 19:13 | "Oh boy. Here we go again. Guy Raz, I am not gonna fall for it." |
This playful episode of “WeWow on the Weekend” mixes lighthearted Q&A fun with an insightful science rewind about why laughter is good for us and how emotions—like laughter—can be as contagious as any cold. With Dennis and Reggie’s banter and the scientific silliness of Mindy and Guy Raz, the show delivers an engaging message: curiosity—and laughter—are two of the best things you can share with others!
For more episodes and resources, visit: tinkercast.com