WeWow on the Weekend

Summary

Wow in the World: WeWow on the Weekend

Date: March 7, 2026
Hosts: Mindy Thomas, Guy Raz, Dennis (host of the Weekend show), Reggie (giant pigeon co-host)

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Episode Overview

This episode of WeWow on the Weekend is a delightful, science-packed adventure featuring a mix of fun, listener questions, and an immersive relisten to a classic Wow in the World episode, "Bang: Where’d the Universe Come From?" The show launches with host Dennis' contagious enthusiasm, his new pet goldfish, and a Q&A with real kid callers, followed by Mindy and Guy Raz's humorous, imaginative, and accessible dive into the origins of the universe via the Big Bang.

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Segment 1: Weekend Kickoff & Listener Q&A

[01:04 – 07:47]

Key Points & Insights

• Dennis introduces his new pet goldfish and playfully struggles to name it, inviting listeners to suggest names.

  “Let us know if you have any ideas of what to name this fish because Reggie and I are stumped.” —Dennis [02:26]

• Q&A Segment:

  • Why do penguins have wings but they don’t fly?

    • Dennis explains penguins "fly through the water" and compares it to flying fish “swimming through the air.”

    “Some birds, like penguins, fly through the water. And some fish, like the flying fish, swim through the air. Oh, Reggie, is water just thick air?” —Dennis [04:40]

  • Do you like spiders?

    • Dennis insists he loves spiders, sings a silly song about them, and clarifies that spiders aren’t bugs but arachnids.

    "Spiders are the best. Reggie. No, I don’t like bugs. Spiders aren’t bugs. They’re arachnids." —Dennis [04:53]

  • Do you like playing in the snow?

    • In classic Dennis fashion, he initially says no, listing all the indoor things he prefers, then changes his mind after a humorous back-and-forth.

    “I’m what they call an indoorsman. I prefer the warmth and coziness of a couch... Okay, maybe I like going outside and playing in the snow, but only so I can come inside and get warm.” —Dennis [05:47]

Notable Moment

• The goldfish naming debacle and Dennis’ earnest encouragement for kid participation underscores the community and playful spirit central to WeWow on the Weekend.

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Segment 2: Inside Tinkercast Studios – "Bang: Where’d the Universe Come From?"

[10:00 – 36:14]

Setup

Before diving in, Dennis and Reggie set the stage for relistening to Season 2, Episode 10 of Wow in the World, where Mindy and Guy Raz explore the science of the Big Bang and the universe’s beginnings.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Star-Gazing and Cosmic Curiosity

[10:00 – 13:23]

• Guy Raz is star-gazing when Mindy interrupts with her pots and pans choir.
• The conversation shifts to the biggest scientific question: How did the universe begin?

“How did all of us humans get here?... How did the sun and our solar system and all the stars and planets in the sky get here?” —Guy Raz [13:02]

Explaining the Universe’s Origins

[13:23 – 16:26]

• Guy Raz lays out the foundation for cosmology: the study of the universe’s origins.
• Mindy and Guy humorously discuss being “time travelers” merely by looking at distant stars, since observing the night sky is seeing light from the past.
• Key Science Fact:
  • Light from Proxima Centauri (the sun’s closest star neighbor) takes 4.2 years to reach Earth, so we see it as it was over four years ago.

“Mindy, just by looking up at that star, Proxima Centauri, you are seeing the past. You are looking at history happen right before your eyes.” —Guy Raz [18:12]

The Big Bang Adventure

[20:19 – 25:03]

• Mindy and Guy Raz "travel" back in time using a (fictional) time machine to witness the birth of the universe—the Big Bang, 13.8 billion years ago.
• They land in “the middle of nothing,” emphasizing that before the universe, there was simply... nothing.
• The show clearly explains that the Big Bang wasn’t a typical “explosion,” but an expansion of intense energy that formed everything.

“There was probably no single moment when everything just exploded. The truth is, no one really knows how it all happened.” —Guy Raz [24:02]

Trampolines, Gravitational Waves, and Ripples in Space

[26:22 – 30:59]

• Guy Raz uses a trampoline analogy (with Mindy’s eager help) to explain gravitational waves as theorized by Einstein.
• When massive things happen in space (like two neutron stars colliding), they create ripples that travel through the universe—just like how a bowling ball on a trampoline moves a baseball at the edge.

“Precisely, Mindy, precisely. This is exactly what the famed physicist Albert Einstein was talking about." —Guy Raz [27:39]

• Scientists on Earth actually detected a gravitational wave on August 17, 2017, from a collision that happened 130 million years ago!

Cosmic Gold Rush and the Joy (and Limits) of Scientific Discoveries

[31:21 – 35:43]

• The cosmic collision released the energy of 10 billion suns and created an estimated 1,000 trillion tons of gold!
• Mindy calculates the value, prompting Guy Raz to warn her about overwhelming her calculator. The comic exchange blends real science with playful fantasy.
• The narrative circles back to how such discoveries help astronomers get closer to understanding the universe’s beginning.

“This discovery has helped astrophysicists get one step closer to understanding just how our universe was created.” —Guy Raz [33:40]

• The episode closes with Mindy’s ridiculous, pots-and-pans-based “Sweet Supernova Sonata” as a lullaby.

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Segment 3: Wrap-up & Community

[36:26 – 37:42]

• Dennis reflects on the origins of both the universe and WeWow on the Weekend, inviting kids once more to send in goldfish name ideas.
• Encourages listener engagement for future Q&A and closes with the whimsical “goodbye song.”

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Episode Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:04 – Show begins with Dennis & Reggie, goldfish introduction
• 02:26 – Fish naming challenge & call for listener input
• 03:51 – 06:39 – Listener Q&A: penguins, spiders, and snow
• 10:00 – 36:14 – "Bang: Where’d the Universe Come From?" full relisten:
  • 13:02 – Question: “How did we get here?”
  • 18:12 – Looking at stars = looking into the past
  • 20:19 – Time travel to the Big Bang
  • 26:22 – Trampoline analogy for gravitational waves
  • 31:21 – Gamma ray burst & the cosmic gold rush
• 36:26 – Dennis’ conclusion, reflection, and listener call-to-action

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Notable Quotes and Moments

• “Some birds, like penguins, fly through the water. And some fish, like the flying fish, swim through the air. Oh, Reggie, is water just thick air?”
  —Dennis [04:40]

• “Mindy, just by looking up at that star, Proxima Centauri, you are seeing the past. You are looking at history happen right before your eyes.”
  —Guy Raz [18:12]

• “This discovery has helped astrophysicists get one step closer to understanding just how our universe was created.”
  —Guy Raz [33:40]

• “That explosion created 1,000 trillion tons of gold.”
  —Guy Raz [34:24]

• “I need to go and contemplate the fabric of existence. And name this goldfish.”
  —Dennis [37:38]

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Tone and Language

Upbeat, zany, endlessly curious, and densely packed with scientific wonder, this episode captures the signature energy of the Wow in the World universe. Mindy and Guy Raz keep things silly, vibrant, and imaginative, making even the deepest mysteries of cosmology accessible and funny. Dennis' segments on the weekend show add an extra layer of listener community and playful interactivity.

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Summary Takeaway

This episode succeeds at making complex science joyful and interactive for families, tying together big cosmic questions, real kid curiosity, and community participation. From the birth of the universe to naming Dennis’s goldfish, listeners are invited to connect, wonder, and laugh—a true celebration of the “wow” in our world!

Transcript

[A]

Hey, Wowzer fams. Mindy and Guy Raz here. And before we start the show, we've got a little surprise for you. Reggie, cue the fanfare.

[B]

Starting this week, we've got brand new episodes of wow in the World.

[A]

Yep, that's right. Starting right here on our wow in the World podcast feed. And also our YouTube channel, WowTube. You can watch [e-mail].

[B]

well, what are we waiting for? Let's get back to the show.

[C]

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.

[A]

Wee.

[C]

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 my co host, Reggie the giant pigeon. This is the show where we hang out and chit chat and listen to episodes of Tinkercast podcasts and hey, Reggie Channel. Guess what? I got a pet goldfish. Isn't that exciting? Yeah, Mother said I'm finally responsible enough for a pet. So I got a goldfish.

[A]

See?

[C]

I know. Look at its scales. Aren't they so shiny and cool? No, I haven't named it yet. What kind of name should I pick?

[B]

Huh?

[C]

How about Reggie? Oh, yeah, that's your name. How about Dennis? Oh, right. That's my name. Um, maybe we should just ask the fish what its name is. Excuse me?

[A]

Fish.

[C]

Fishy Fish. Fish. What's your name? Huh? How do you spell that? Alright, that didn't help. Use it in a sentence

[B]

now.

[C]

I don't understand. Okay, we'll just come back to that later. It's time for our next segment, Reading Reviewsies. Ahem. I'm reading reviewsies for me and for yousies. Why Reggie? Let's ask the Wowzers. The Wowzers. Reggie, let's ask the Wowzers about fish names. We could get suggestions. Yeah, they can call in or write their ideas in the comments and we can look through them and. And find the perfect name. I know. It'll be like having a fishy fish name book. Wowzers. Let us know if you have any ideas of what to name this fish because Reggie and I are stumped. Okay, let's do a Q and A segment. Yes, I know we were doing reviewsies, but now I don't feel like it. Keep up, Reggie. The Q and A segment. All right, let's just get the old machine pulled up here. Okay. Here we go. Hi, you've reached Dennis from Wii wow. On the weekend. That's me. Do you have a question? Well, I do, too. Lots of them. And who's gonna answer all my questions?

[B]

You?

[C]

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

[A]

Hi, Dennis. My name is Heidi and I'm from.

[C]

Hi, Heidi.

[A]

My question is, why do penguins have wings but they don't fly?

[C]

Huh? Why do penguins have wings but they don't fly? That's a great question, Heidi. Well, actually, Reggie, penguins kind of fly through the water.

[A]

Yeah. Huh.

[C]

I once saw a video of penguins swimming underwater, and it kind of looked like they were flying underwater. And then I saw another video where. Where a fish jumped out of the water and was swimming through the air. So that's what I think. Some birds, like penguins, fly through the water. And some fish, like the flying fish, swim through the air. Oh, Reggie, is water just thick air? Oh, well, look into it. Next question.

[A]

Hi, my name is Ava and I'm from Oregon.

[C]

Hi, Ava.

[A]

And like Western roots. Why don't you like spiders so much?

[C]

What? Why don't I like spiders so much? I love spiders. Spiders are the best. Reggie. No, I don't like bugs. Spiders aren't bugs. They're arachnids.

[A]

Here.

[C]

I even wrote a little song about how much I love spiders. And it goes a little something like this. I love spiders. They are great. Bugs have six legs and spiders have eight. They also make really cool webs and stuff. And bugs are. And I don't really like them. Spiders, Spiders. I like your eyes and I like your smile. Spiders, Spiders. When I sit on my tuffet, you can sit down beside me. Next question.

[A]

My name is Cow.

[C]

Hey, cow, what you got?

[A]

I'm wondering if you like to go outside and play in the snow.

[C]

Do I like to go outside and play in the snow? Um, no, I do not. Because, Reggie, I'm what they call an indoorsman. I prefer the warmth and coziness of a couch or a chair or a fort made of pillow, willows and blankies. Besides, there's nothing to do outside in the snow. Okay, fine. You can build a snow fort. Okay, fine. And you can go sledding, I suppose, right? Or skiing or skating. Or have a snowball fight or make snow angels and spell out words with your footsteps. Or the snowman. But that's basically it. Oh, you're right. After you're done playing in the snow, you get to go inside for hot cocoa. I forgot about that part. Okay, maybe I like going outside and playing in the snow, but only so I can come inside and get warm. 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-WWOW. I just might answer your question on Wee Wow on the weekend alrigh. And let me know if you have any ideas of what to name this fish. Oh, good idea. I'll describe it. Um, it's little and orange and gold and has big eyes and it's super cute. Oh, it's looking at me. Do you think it's trying to tell me something? Yeah, probably not. Okay, let's move on to a little segment I like to call Inside Tinkercast Studios. Inside Tinkercast Studios. This is the part where we listen to an episode of one of my favorite Tinkercast podcasts. And today we're listening to season 2 episode 10 of wow in the World Called Bang. Where'd the universe come from? That's a good question, Reggie. Where did the universe come from? From the Universe Store. That doesn't sound right.

[B]

Oh, a university.

[C]

Yeah, that's probably it. Well, let's listen and find. Here we go. And play.

[A]

Wewow will be right back. Grown ups, this message is for you.

[B]

Hey grownups.

[C]

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[B]

Get IXL now and WOW in the world.

[C]

Listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com wow visit ixl.com wow to get the most effective learning program out there at the best price.

[A]

Hello, it's me, Carly Q. From who when wow. Mystery Edition and I have big news to share. I've learned a lot on my time traveling adventures over the years, like what to pack when you're traveling to Victorian England or the must try foods when you're visiting the Viking age. Spoiler alert. The food is pretty good, but they don't have pie yet, which is a bummer I can't wait to share my time travel tips and tricks with you all. You can listen to my new bite sized episodes in the who When Wow. Podcast feed now. Looks like lunch break is over. That's it. Now back to the show.

[C]

Well, in the world.

[B]

Ah, what a beautiful evening. A clear, dark sky, quiet, and just me and my telescope. Nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing could take away from this peaceful, bucolic night. Oh, I love looking at the stars.

[A]

That's it. Sounding great, guys.

[B]

What is that?

[A]

Over here, boys. Right this way.

[B]

What?

[A]

Yep, that's it. You got it. Now I need a little bit more from the frying pan section.

[B]

Mandy.

[A]

Okay, now I need some metal stick. Mandy. Oh, hey there, Ross. Mindy, what are you doing? Oh, I'm just rehearsing with my pot and pans choir. We meet every Wednesday night right here in this quiet and peaceful field.

[B]

Mindy, I can see that, but you're making a racket. Can you please cut it out?

[A]

What? I can't hear you. I think the saucepan section just arrived. Mindy. Hey. Sorry, but what did you do? Hey, Guy Raz.

[B]

Mindy, cut it out.

[A]

Hold on a sec. Let me just get my band to stop playing. Hey, boys, put a lid on it. Literally. Okay, much better. I can hear you. Now. What were you saying?

[B]

Mindy, what in the world are you doing?

[A]

What?

[B]

I was enjoying a peaceful night in this field, looking through my telescope at the stars.

[A]

Oh, wow. Well, that sounds like fun. Can I take a look?

[B]

Mindy, why are you making such a racket?

[A]

A racket? Guy Raz, are you talking about those sweet sounds you just heard? Can it, boys. Shh. Sorry, Guy Raz. That was my pots and pans band practicing for our Wednesday night jamboree.

[B]

Well, actually, I'd have preferred the Moonlight Sonata.

[A]

Oh, we can do that. Hey, boys. Moonlight Sonata. You ready?

[C]

No.

[A]

And a one, and a two and a no.

[C]

Mindy, no.

[B]

That's not what I was asking for.

[A]

Can I just get some peace and quiet here? Guy Raz, calm down. You don't have to shout, man. My ears. Okay, I guess I'll send the band home. Time to pack it in, boys. Wrap it up. Thank you. Okay, so you were saying?

[B]

Well, I was trying to observe the cosmos.

[A]

You mean outer space?

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

With this little telescope?

[B]

Well, yeah, I'm hoping to try and understand the mysteries of our universe.

[A]

Mysteries?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Mysteries. Like what?

[B]

Well, for starters, the biggest mystery of all. Which is how did we even get here?

[A]

How did we get here? Well, let me see. We took the 32 bus from 5th Avenue and Broadway, and then we got up at the wrong stop.

[B]

No, no, no, no.

[A]

Not, not.

[B]

How did we get here to this particular park? But how did all of us humans get here? Like, how did our planet get here? How did the sun and our solar system and all the stars and planets in the sky get here?

[A]

Wait a minute. Are you talking about the origins of our universe?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

The source of our existence?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Okay, then I'm gonna need to put on my leotard. Where is it? And my sweatband.

[B]

Leotarded sweatband.

[A]

Oh, yeah. Because, Guy Raz, it's time to get metaphysical. You get it?

[B]

Oh, brother.

[A]

Here, I brought you a moo. Moo Melon unitard. It's one size fits most.

[B]

Not sure I'll be needing that. I'm just trying to explore one of the greatest theories in cosmology.

[A]

Cosmology.

[B]

Cosmology.

[A]

Cosm.

[C]

Oh, cosmology.

[A]

You're talking about, like, the study of our universe, right?

[B]

Yep. And one of the greatest scientific theories in cosmology, or explanations based on facts and information found by scientists, is what's known as the.

[A]

I think I know where this is going.

[B]

Well, can you guess?

[A]

If I was a betting man, I'd say you were talking about the Big Bang.

[B]

Exactamundo, Mindy. I'm talking about the very, very, very beginnings of our universe and everything and everyone inside of it.

[A]

Man, if only I could hop into the time machine and see it.

[B]

Well, that would be cool, But, Mindy, we don't have to do that. In fact, every single night of every single day of every single year, each and every one of us can become

[A]

a time traveler without a time machine. Go on.

[B]

Here, here, let me show you right now. Go ahead, Mindy. Look through the telescope.

[A]

Okay. Well, yeah, let me look through this thing. Hmm. Yeah, it's pretty cool. Oh, I think the star I'm looking at is. Is that Proxima Centauri?

[B]

That's the one. And as you know, Mindy, Proxima Centauri is the closest star in space to our solar system.

[A]

Okay, but just to be clear, the closest star to Earth is, of course, our own sun.

[C]

Right?

[B]

Our sun is the center of our solar system. We have eight planets in our system that orbit or circle the sun.

[A]

And I always kind of think of our solar system as, like, our block or our neighborhood. Interesting, because our solar system is kind of like our neighborhood, but in space.

[B]

That's a really interesting way to think about it. And, Mindy, in space, just like with neighborhoods, there are Millions and millions more solar systems in space. Millions of suns with their own planets circling around.

[A]

Well, does that mean that there are other creatures out there somewhere in space?

[B]

Well, we just don't know for sure, Mindy. But if I had to guess, I'd probably say there's a decent chance, because our planet Earth is just one teeny, teeny, tiny planet in our galaxy.

[A]

Our galaxy known as the Milky Way.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Named after the famous candy bar, huh? Nope.

[B]

And in the Milky Way, there are millions of solar systems, and astronomers believe as many as far as 400 million other planets.

[A]

And that's just our galaxy.

[B]

Exactly. The Milky Way galaxy is full of 100 million stars and 400 million planets. And that's just one galaxy in a universe of millions, or maybe billions more galaxies.

[A]

This is so exciting. I can't wait to make friends with aliens. We'll jump rope. We'll have a lemonade stand. We'll collect pond water and stick it under a microscope. We'll trade my and baseball cards will be best friends forever.

[B]

Well, I'm not so sure that's gonna happen anytime soon, Mindy.

[A]

Why?

[B]

Well, for starters, the distances in space are so vast, so huge, that even if there are other living creatures somewhere out there in the cosmos, there's a good chance that if they exist, they haven't figured out how to travel through space and time to come and visit us.

[A]

Wait a minute. I almost forgot. Guy Raz, you said that if I looked through this telescope, I'd become a time traveler. And, Guy Raz, I don't know about you, but I'm standing right here, right next to you in this park, looking up at the stars.

[B]

Bingo. Bingo, Mindy. You got it.

[A]

I won bingo.

[B]

I didn't even know I was playing bingo. As in you hit the nail on the head.

[A]

I'm not even holding a hammer.

[B]

You hit the bullseye. The what collared the horseshoe.

[A]

Okay, enough with the idioms. I get it, but I don't see how I became a time traveler.

[B]

Mindy, just by looking up at that star, Proxima Centauri, you are seeing the past. You are looking at history happen right before your eyes.

[A]

I think I know what you mean. If Proxima Centauri is the closest star to our solar system, it means it's about 4.2 light years away, right?

[B]

It takes the light coming from Proxima Centauri about four years and a few months to reach the Earth.

[A]

Which means that when I look at this star from here on Earth, I'm looking at it Four years ago?

[B]

Yes. You and me, Mindy, we are time travelers right at this very moment. And anybody on planet Earth can be one too.

[A]

Wow. We're real Life grade A, 100% certified organic, non GMO free range time travelers right here in the. Wait a minute. Guy Raz, why are you so excited?

[B]

What do you mean?

[A]

I mean we own a time machine. My dad was working on it for 30 years and I finally helped him finish it.

[B]

Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that hunk of junk. Speaking of which.

[A]

Come on, Guy Raz. Here, put this on, quick.

[B]

A helmet? Why do I need a helmet?

[A]

Oh my Seagull Robert requires them of all passengers now.

[C]

Robert?

[B]

Seagull? What happened to Reggie?

[A]

Oh, so Reggie's auditioning for the school play Bye Bye Birdie. So Bob the Seagull here decided to step in and help me out. He's newly retired, so he's got a lot of free time to fill.

[B]

Where are we going anyway?

[A]

My house.

[B]

Come on, not your house.

[A]

Well, technically it's a gingerbread mansion. You ready?

[B]

Not really, but here we. I can't believe I missed landing with Reggie. Glad I wore that helmet. Mindy? Mindy, where are you?

[A]

Over here, Guy Raz. Just dragging the time machine out of my garage. Here, can you help me with this?

[B]

Oh, no. Mindy, do you know how late it is?

[A]

It's nine o'. Clock. Why?

[B]

Well, it's a weeknight and I was supposed to be in my jammies a half hour ago. There is no way I can travel through space and time at this very moment.

[A]

Well, good for you. I have the perfect solution.

[B]

Uh oh.

[A]

We'll go back in time to the very, very, very beginning of our universe.

[B]

You mean the Big Bang?

[A]

Yep, the Big bang.

[B]

You mean 13.8 billion years ago?

[A]

You got it, Galileo.

[B]

Well, how do you expect to go back in time 13.8 billion years ago, witness the Big Bang and get me home in time in bed by 9:00pm

[A]

Ah, well, glad you asked me, compadre. Because after we witnessed the Big Bang, all we have to do is set the time machine to 30 minutes before your bedtime and presto.

[B]

Back with time to spare.

[A]

Exact oritos, you'll have time to brush, floss, rinse and repeat.

[B]

Oh, I love those nights.

[A]

Come on, hop in, Copernicus. I'll let you drive this time. All right, here, take the keys.

[B]

Let's set this baby to 13.8 billion years ago.

[A]

Okay, here we go.

[B]

Mindy, I hope you took your anti nausea medicine because this could make you.

[A]

We Interrupt this program for a brief barf break. Wow. In the world. We'll return in 3, 2, 1.

[B]

What a journey. And so glad you lined the time machine with those covers we use on the backseat of the car. I mean, it really kept the barf from making a big mess.

[A]

Yeah, good call, Guy Raz. Plus, it preserves the resale value of the time machine.

[B]

So, Mindy, what do you hear?

[A]

Nothing.

[B]

Listen.

[A]

I'm listening.

[B]

What do you hear?

[A]

Nothing. Is it possible to hear nothing?

[B]

Yes. You are hearing nothing because we are in the middle of nothing.

[A]

Hold the phone, Guy Raz. If we're in the middle, we have to be in the middle of something. If there's nothing, there's no middle.

[B]

Yeah, fair point. So, Mindy, peek through the window here, because we're probably better off keeping the hatch of the time machine closed just to be on the safe side, especially

[A]

once the big bang starts to go bang.

[B]

So look out here. Right here, Mindy.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

What do you see outside the window? Describe what you see.

[A]

Is. Is nothing an answer?

[B]

Yes, that's right. Nothing. Not a nunca. No dice.

[C]

Nothing.

[A]

So this is where it all began, huh?

[B]

Yep. Nothing. There is nothing to see here. Move it along, folks.

[A]

No. Hear, hear.

[B]

No. There, there.

[A]

No where or what or who.

[B]

But why?

[A]

Okay, so if what I think is about to happen will happen very soon, we should start to see the birth of our universe.

[B]

You ready?

[A]

I'm not seeing anything.

[B]

Wait for it.

[A]

I'm very impatient.

[B]

Wait for it.

[A]

Still not seeing anything.

[B]

Wait for it.

[A]

Okay. I can't stand it anymore. Guy Raz. You're saying there's gonna be a giant explosion, A bang, and in the universe as we know it is gonna form?

[B]

Well, not exactly. There was probably no single moment when everything just exploded. The truth is, no one really knows how it all happened.

[A]

So what are we waiting for?

[B]

Well, good question. I'm not really sure. But where we are right now?

[A]

In the middle of nothing.

[B]

In the middle of nothing, there's intense energy. Can you feel it?

[A]

Uh, no. Not feeling it.

[B]

Hmm. I had hoped we might feel something.

[A]

So are we supposed to see something?

[B]

Well, I'm not sure. I mean, all I know is that around 13.8 billion years ago, there was this invisible, intense energy. So much heat and pressure that it started to expand and expand and expand. As that heat and energy expanded, and

[A]

it started to build our universe. Yep.

[B]

All the stars and planets and asteroids and space rocks and eventually our Earth.

[A]

Oh, wait, did you just hear that?

[B]

Yeah. Yeah, I heard something.

[A]

It's starting to feel like. Like our time machine is being pushed out.

[B]

Hey, hey, you feel that? Hey, Mindy.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

We might be experiencing the earliest phase of the Big Bang.

[A]

The expansion of our univers.

[B]

Yeah, and I'm feeling like our time machine is about to get blasted into space. Quick, Mindy typed in 13.8 billion years in the future.

[A]

Okay, okay, I'm typing as fast as I can.

[B]

And don't forget to add those 30 minutes.

[A]

Okay, here we. Man, I think. Guy Raz, I think we just witnessed the start of the Big Bang.

[B]

Yeah, and Mindy, it's all starting to make sense.

[A]

What's starting to make sense?

[B]

My trampoline.

[A]

What?

[B]

My trampoline.

[A]

Your trampoline? Guy Raz, what on planet Earth are you talking about?

[B]

Wait, let's go to the backyard. I want to show you something on my trampoline.

[A]

Guy Raz, you told me it's a weeknight and you had to be in bed by 9 o'. Clock. This is no time for jumping on the trampoline.

[B]

Come on, Mindy. To the trampoline.

[A]

I'm so confused. Run, run, run, run.

[B]

Come on up here, Mindy. Come on, come on, get up here.

[A]

Okay, but what does a trampoline have to do with any of this?

[B]

Okay, well, think about our universe. Kind of like a trampoline.

[A]

Oh, does it have a basketball hoop attached?

[B]

Not for the purposes of this experiment.

[A]

Oh, gotcha.

[B]

So imagine that at the center of this trampoline we put a really heavy bowling ball.

[A]

Okay, still not sure why, but all right. So lucky for you, I just happen to have a bowling ball in my backpack here.

[B]

Perfect. Okay, now imagine our planet Earth is like. Like this baseball here at the edge of the trampoline.

[A]

Okay, okay.

[B]

When the bowling ball in the center of the trampoline moves, look what happens to the baseball at the edge.

[A]

Oh, it moves too.

[B]

Precisely, Mindy, precisely. This is exactly what the famed physicist Albert Einstein was talking about.

[A]

Wait a minute. You're telling me the Nobel prize winning physicist Albert Einstein had a trampoline? You think he did flips on it?

[B]

No, no, no, Mindy, of course not.

[A]

But you just said Albert Einstein had a trampoline.

[B]

No, no, no. What I'm trying to figure out is Einstein's theory of gravitational waves.

[A]

You're talking about Einstein's theory that if something really big happened out there in distant space, somewhere in the cosmos, we should in theory, feel it right here on Earth.

[B]

Yes, yes, the theory of gravitational waves. Just like when the bowling ball moves at the center of the trampoline it makes the baseball at the edge of the trampoline move as well.

[A]

But did Albert Einstein ever prove his theory?

[B]

No, not during his lifetime. But amazingly, Mindy, in the past few years. Astrophysicists.

[A]

You mean the scientists who try to explain how our universe was born? Right.

[B]

Those scientists. They detected a gravitational wave here on Earth.

[A]

You mean they noticed something big happening in distant space that reached here on Earth?

[B]

Yes, exactly. Here, here, let me show you in my bird bath over here.

[A]

And between your trampoline and your bird bath, your backyard is getting pretty cramped, Guy Raz.

[B]

So watch as I toss this pebble into the bird bath.

[A]

All I see are ripples going out from where you dropped the pebble.

[B]

Exactly. Those ripples expand out from where the disturbance in the water was. And in this case, the disturbance was caused by the pebble.

[A]

So that's sort of like how gravitational waves work. Yes.

[B]

And, Mindy, something incredible happened right here on Earth on August 17, 2017. And we just found out about it.

[A]

Oh, wait, I know. August 17th is national I Love My Feet Day.

[B]

No, no, no, no.

[A]

That's.

[B]

That's not it, Mindy.

[A]

Oh, sorry, I took a guess. It's also Black Cat Appreciation Day.

[B]

No, no, no, Mindy. Besides, those aren't real holidays. They're just made up by marketers to try and get us to buy things and discuss them on morning news shows in the third hour when no one's watching.

[A]

Okay, well, you may not love your feet, but I know that on August 17, I was soaking my old dogs in a warm bath of Epsom salts.

[B]

Well, on that very Same day, Mindy, August 17, 2017, astrophysicists detected a gravitational wave, a ripple in space that they were able to detect using a very special laser that, for a brief moment, Mindy stretched and squished every single one of us on Earth.

[A]

Wait a minute. You're saying we all got stretched and squished on August 17th?

[B]

Exactamundo, Mindy. Every single human creature and object on planet Earth, Even if we didn't actually feel it. On that day, a gravitational wave 130 million years in the making arrived to our planet and passed through all of us.

[A]

You know, now, come to think of it, I do remember reaching all the way up to that top shelf in my library to check on the status of my sea monkeys, and I did it without a stool.

[B]

Well, that sounds like a coincidence, but it is true for the briefest of brief moments, we all grew a teeny, tiny bit that day.

[A]

Well, what happened on August 17, to

[B]

make that possible, Mindy, on that date, August 17, 2017, astrophysicists working in labs around the world all detected a spectacular explosion that happened 130 million years ago.

[A]

Wait a minute. 130 million years ago?

[B]

Yes. A ginormous explosion in distant space. An explosion that is so far away, it took a while, 130 million years for us to see it here from Earth. Wow.

[A]

That's sort of like when we were looking at the stars earlier tonight.

[B]

Exactly. We were looking at the star Proxima Centauri, and.

[A]

And that star's light took four years for us to see it now.

[B]

Right, because Proxima Centauri is a star that's about four light years away from

[A]

Earth, which, by my calculations, would take us about 165,000 human years to get to on the space shuttle.

[B]

Wow.

[C]

Really?

[A]

Well, yeah, because we humans don't have the technology to travel as fast as light does, mindy.

[B]

What happened 130 million years ago was so powerful, so incredibly huge, that it created a gravitational wave just like on the trampoline, Just like in my bird bath.

[A]

So what caused the explosion?

[B]

Well, two giant neutron stars collided. An explosion so big, it's called a kilonova.

[A]

And neutron stars are small stars, but very, very powerful stars.

[B]

So powerful, Mindy, that in that moment when those two neutron stars crashed into each other, it produced an explosion more powerful than. Than all of the energy our own sun could make in 10 billion years.

[A]

You're talking about a gamma ray burst.

[B]

That's exactly what astrophysicists believe they all witnessed. And even though that explosion has long passed, the energy from that explosion just reached us here on Earth in 2017.

[A]

That's bonkerballs.

[B]

And it's not just bonker balls. It's beyond bonker balls, Mindy, because this discovery has helped. Helped astrophysicists get one step closer to understanding just how our universe was created.

[A]

Color me impressed.

[B]

And it gets better, Mindy, because this gravitational wave wasn't just detected by the special lasers astrophysicists use. A NASA satellite up in space called Fermi was also able to see that massive explosion.

[A]

Wow. So. So what happened after the explosion?

[B]

This is where it gets even more amazing. What? Well, that explosion created 1,000 trillion tons of gold.

[A]

Gold. Quick, Guy, Raz, get into the time machine. We're gonna be rich. We're gonna be rich.

[B]

Well, well, hold on just a minute there, Mindy, because even if we could get up there, we'd probably get turned into dust simply because that explosion was hot, Hotter than Anything we've ever known

[A]

but 1000 trillion tons of gold. I mean, at today's price of gold, okay, so one gram is about $40. One ton is 907,000 grams. So 907,000 grams times a trillion. Mindy, that would be.

[C]

Mindy, don't.

[B]

Don't. That calculation is too big for your calc.

[A]

Nah, don't worry, little buddy. Just a few more adjustments and.

[B]

Mindy, it's too big a number. You're gonna.

[C]

Whoa.

[B]

Short circuit.

[A]

Better start saving for a new calculator. Man, if I just had some gold to buy one with.

[B]

Oh, no. I'm going to bed. Cause I know where this adventure's gonna end.

[A]

But if we just put on our heat shield in the time machine.

[B]

No way. No way.

[A]

Besides.

[B]

Besides, if I don't get eight hours of sleep, I get really grumpy in the morning.

[A]

Come on, don't be a party pooper. Just one little trip in the time machine.

[B]

No way.

[A]

Come on. Just one teeny, tiny, itsy bitsy journey to the greatest gold rush in history.

[B]

I think I'll stick with staying here on Earth for now.

[A]

Okay, well, how about a good night lullaby, huh?

[B]

That sounds really nice. What do you got? Oh, my God.

[A]

My Pots and Pans band wrote something special for this very occasion.

[B]

No.

[A]

Boys, hit it.

[B]

No, no, no.

[A]

We call it the Sweet Supernova Sonata. You like it? Wow.

[C]

That was so cool. Can you believe there used to be no universe like there used to be no Wee Wow on the weekend. Just a big empty space in the cosmos where an incredible podcast should be. And then, boop, there we were. It really makes you think. Hey, Reggie, should we get the Pots and Pans Band back together? Yeah, you're right. That was a horrible band. Well, let's wrap this up.

[B]

Ahem.

[C]

Thanks to all you listeners out there for tuning in to Weewow on the weekend. You have a question for me, right? Or a name for the Goldfish? Call and leave me a message at 1-888-7-WOW-WOW. That's 1-888-7- wow Wow. I just might answer your question on Wee Wow on the weekend.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

Should we do the goodbye song? All right, let's do it. That's the end of the show. I need to go and contemplate the fabric of existence. And they miss Goldfish. But I'll do another show tomorrow. But for now, that's the end of the show.

[A]

Bye.