WeWow The Great Indoors - Day 2: Deck The Dennis

Summary

Podcast Summary: Wow in the World

Episode: WeWow The Great Indoors – Day 2: Deck The Dennis
Hosts: Mindy Thomas, Guy Raz, Dennis, Tom
Date: December 30, 2025
Podcast: Tinkercast

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Overview

This episode of Wow in the World takes listeners on a journey “indoors and out,” blending a delightfully absurd look at Dennis’s holiday decorating rituals (“Deck The Dennis”) with a fascinating, kid-friendly science segment about animal architecture. The hosts, through playful banter, touch on decoration traditions, bowerbird nests, beehives, and the ingenious, if a little gross, spittlebug “bubble homes.” The episode is rich in fun science facts, vivid sound effects, and plenty of laughter.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Dennis’s Winter Decorating Ritual (00:59–05:38)

• Dennis’s joy in decorating: The episode opens with Dennis throwing himself into “cosy-wozy” winter decorations—tinsel, lights, snow globes, plushies, stockings, and shiny ornaments.

  • “Some tinsel over here. Some over there. Some over here.” – Dennis (02:00)

• The struggle with tangled lights: Familiar to anyone who’s ever decorated for the holidays, Dennis finds himself entangled in string lights.

  • “They're all knotted. This is gonna take forever.” – Dennis (03:59)
  • “Now they're tangled around my legs.” – Dennis (04:17)

• Why do we decorate?

  • The hosts (especially narrator Guy Raz “as” Stan Pellegrino) comedically ponder the purpose of Dennis’s (and by extension, humans’) desire for ornamentation, noting that these rituals are not required for survival, but definitely boost happiness.
  • “It is clear that this decorating ritual is essential.” – Guy Raz (05:32)

2. Animal Architecture Neighborhood Tour (06:30–22:18)

a. Introduction to Animal Homes

• The group (Mindy, Guy, Dennis, Tom) embarks on a neighborhood tour exploring different animal constructions: nests, burrows, dens, hives, holes, caves, and more.
  • “Whether it’s a nest, a burrow, or a den, there’s no place like home.” – Guy Raz (08:58)

b. The Australian Bowerbird (09:16–12:05)

• Bowerbird’s unique nests: The male bowerbird constructs ornate, colorful displays out of twigs and collected objects to impress potential mates.
  • “These bowerbirds build these structures to show off to their potential mates. To prove they're ready to settle down, make a home, and raise all of their future bowerbird babies.” – Mindy Thomas (10:39)
• Collecting treasures: The bowerbird decorates its nest with “objects of great color”—including items like lemons and (humorously) Guy Raz’s highlighter markers.
  • “Look at all these things the bowerbird has collected... Hey, Guy Raz, aren’t those your highlighter markers?” – Mindy Thomas (11:28)
• Dennis’s confusion: Adds comic relief, mistaking ‘bowerbird’ for ‘bowler bird’. (12:02)

c. Beehive Marvels (12:46–15:29)

• Beehive as communal home: The hive, built entirely by bees, houses up to 60,000 related female bees (all sisters, daughters of the queen bee).
  • “With a hive this size, Mindy, there could be up to 60,000 bees living in here.” – Tom (13:47)
  • “All the bees in this hive have the same mom... the queen bee.” – Tom (14:21)
  • Fun comparison: “60,000 bees? That's like a sold out Dodgers Stadium all crammed into one house.” – Mindy Thomas (13:54)
• Beehive function: Shelter, food storage, family life, protection from predators.
• Queen bee lays up to 1,500 eggs per day.

d. The Spittlebug’s Unique Home (16:14–22:18)

• Spittlebug (future frog hopper): Builds its “home”—a mass of foamy bubbles—by excreting excess plant sap as urine.

  • “It pees it out.” – Mindy Thomas (18:13)
  • “On an average day, the spittlebug can pee up to 280 times its own body weight in urine.” – Mindy Thomas (19:13)
  • “14 hot tubs full of pee.” – Mindy Thomas (19:46)

• Purpose and advantages:

  • The “bubble house” is bitter, deterring predators, and protects the bug while it metamorphoses into a frog hopper.
  • “Those bitter pee bubbles give the spittlebug time to go through its transformation into a frog hopper.” – Mindy Thomas (20:57)
  • Cocoon-like but airtight—the spittlebug breathes by sticking its butt out as a snorkel.
  • “The spittlebug uses its butt as a snorkel.” – Mindy Thomas (21:36)

3. Reflection & Memorable Moments

• Human connection: The episode playfully connects animal rituals to human ones, like Dennis’s decorating spree and Mindy’s “gingerbread mansion.”
  • “These little spittlebugs just gave me a new idea for my bathroom ball pit arcade... Pee bubble wrapped walls, huh?” – Mindy Thomas (22:57)
• Tour guide parodies: Guy Raz adopts a faux nature documentary style, bringing extra charm to the animal architecture tour.
  • “Here we have a common North American busybody... The busybody, also known as a nosy parker, derives pleasure in knowing everybody's business.” – Guy Raz (23:19, 23:27)

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• “Some tinsel over here. Some over there. Some over here.”
  – Dennis (02:00)

• “All right, what do we got next?”
  – Dennis, eagerly exploring decorations (03:16)

• “It's beginning to look like more than he bargained for.”
  – Guy Raz, narrating Dennis’s growing struggle with decorations (04:19)

• “Twinkle, twinkle, little Dennis. How I wonder how I'm gonna untangle myself so I can keep decorating. And also, I have to pee.”
  – Dennis (04:56)

• “But it is clear that this decorating ritual is essential.”
  – Guy Raz (05:32)

• “Whether it's a nest, a burrow, or a den, there's no place like home.”
  – Guy Raz (08:58)

• “These bowerbirds build these structures to show off to their potential mates.”
  – Mindy Thomas (10:39)

• “60,000 bees? That's like a sold out Dodgers Stadium all crammed into one house.”
  – Mindy Thomas (13:54)

• “It pees it out.”
  – Mindy Thomas, about the spittlebug's bubble home (18:13, 18:15)

• “The spittlebug uses its butt as a snorkel.”
  – Mindy Thomas (21:36)

• “Here we have a common North American busybody.”
  – Guy Raz, nature documentary parody (23:19)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:59 – 05:38 — Dennis’s indoor decorating and “nature doc” parody
• 06:30 – 16:14 — Neighborhood Animal Architecture Tour begins; bowerbirds, beehives
• 16:14 – 22:18 — Spittlebug segment (science + comedy gold)
• 23:19 – 24:00 — Fake wildlife documentary commentary on Dennis

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Tone & Language

• The episode’s tone is whimsical, playful, and irreverently educational. Hosts mix well-researched science facts with exaggerated humor and silly asides, making complex biological topics accessible and hilarious for young listeners (and adults).
• Imagery (gingerbread mansions, bathroom ball pits, “14 hot tubs full of pee”), over-the-top sound effects, and character-driven interactions keep the energy high and the science sticky.

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For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode shines a fun lens on why both people and animals decorate or construct their homes—whether it’s Dennis’s tangled tinsel or a spittlebug’s foamy fortress. By tying human habits to animal instincts, the show makes science memorable and giggle-worthy. Kids and families learn about engineering, adaptation, and behavior (with a side of holiday chaos and bathroom humor), all delivered with signature Wow in the World wackiness.

Transcript

[Mindy Thomas]

Hey, wowser fams. Mindy here. And before we start the show, Happy New Year. Thank you for helping to make our 2025 so full of WOW. This year, we celebrated our 10th season of WOW in the world with our 250th episode. Special guests, a new book, new toys, out into the world, live events, listening parties. Oh, my, so many things. Whether you shared our podcast with a friend or teacher, joined our wow. Membership, called our wow Hotline, wrote a review on Apple or Spotify, watched us on WowTube or just tuned into an episode, this year would not have been possible without your support. So thank you for wowing with us in 2025. And here's to even more in 2026. That's it. And now let's get back to the show. Happy New Year.

[Guy Raz]

Nature. Lush rainforests teeming with life. Ocean depths filled with mystery. Barren tundras where something happens, probably. The natural world is fascinating. With so much to uncover this week, we will be exploring none of that. Instead, we will venture inside the dwelling of nosy neighbor Dennis.

[Dennis]

Oh, it's so cozy wozy in here.

[Guy Raz]

We'll snoop on Earth's greatest snooper in hopes of learning more about him and perhaps more about ourselves. I'm Stan Pellegrino, and this is Weewow, the great Indoors.

[Dennis]

La la la la la la la. Some tinsel over here. Some over there. Some over here.

[Guy Raz]

Today, Dennis is in high spirits.

[Dennis]

Put the candy canes around the tree. Put one also in my mouth.

[Guy Raz]

Despite the weather outside being frightful inside of doors, Dennis behavior is delightful.

[Dennis]

Hi, cute little snow globe. I'll put you right over here. Hi, cute little plushie snowman. Let's put you right over here.

[Guy Raz]

He's decorating his home.

[Dennis]

Hello, stockings. You're going over by the chimney with care.

[Guy Raz]

It is a fascinating behavior. Dennis is compelled to adorn his habitat with cute little gnomes, bright shiny ornaments, garlands, and plastic plants.

[Dennis]

Ooh, mistletoe. Where should we put you?

[Guy Raz]

Despite their uselessness, Dennis is drawn to the objects. The shinier, the better.

[Dennis]

Ah, my sparkly glass snowflake. So pretty.

[Guy Raz]

This collection of winter decorations is large.

[Dennis]

All right, what do we got next?

[Guy Raz]

During the spring, summer, and fall, all the objects are kept in boxes.

[Dennis]

Okay, let's do this one next.

[Guy Raz]

And now Dennis appears bewildered at which box contains which decoration.

[Dennis]

I found a box down in the basement. Now I'm gonna find out what's in the box. Ooh, string lights.

[Guy Raz]

Over and over again, he is delighted to rediscover what he so carefully Tucked away last year.

[Dennis]

Oh, they're all entangled. Come here, lights. I'll untangle you.

[Guy Raz]

Or some things. Not so carefully.

[Dennis]

They're all knotted. This is gonna take forever. Okay, I think this end goes under here. No, no, that goes over here.

[Guy Raz]

No, wait, Dennis. Spirits begin to slip.

[Dennis]

Why is this so.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, no.

[Dennis]

Now they're tangled around my legs.

[Guy Raz]

It's beginning to look like more than he bargained for free.

[Dennis]

Whoa. Ow.

[Guy Raz]

Dennis is down, but he remains determined.

[Dennis]

Okay, whatever. I'm just gonna plug him in.

[Tom]

Gotta. Ah, there we go.

[Dennis]

Oh, look. It's like eye patri.

[Guy Raz]

Like a mo from moth to flame. Dennis is drawn to the colorful lights.

[Dennis]

So pretty. Mother, come look how pretty the lights are.

[Guy Raz]

And now, covered in lights, he is quickly soothed.

[Dennis]

Twinkle, twinkle, little Dennis. How I wonder how I'm gonna untangle myself so I can keep decorating. And also, I have to pee.

[Guy Raz]

These winter decorations are neither food nor shelter. They appear to be inessential for surviving the long winter months.

[Dennis]

I'm free. Don't worry, Mother. I untangled myself. That's wonderful, Dennis.

[Guy Raz]

In fact, the whole thing appears to be a bit of a hassle.

[Dennis]

And Mother, I think we need more lights.

[Mindy Thomas]

No, thank you.

[Guy Raz]

But it is clear that this decorating ritual is essential.

[Dennis]

I'm just so happy.

[Guy Raz]

Right you are, Dennis. Right you are. Thank you for joining us on the Great Indoors. Tune in tomorrow for another adventure with our subject, Dennis. Next on wow TV is an episode of wow in the World. It's season four, episode six, Good Habitat Keeping. But first, a message from our sponsors. WeWOW is brought to you in part by a grant from the Mind your Own Beeswax Foundation. Support the bees and their wax.

[Mindy Thomas]

Wee. Wow will be right back.

[Dennis]

Grown ups.

[Mindy Thomas]

This message is for you. That's it. Now back to the show, wow in the World.

[Guy Raz]

Hello? Oh, sorry. That's bitter. Good morning, everyone, and welcome to our Animal architecture neighborhood tour. Today I shall lead you through a curated diverse animal neighborhood. This tour will focus on the animal art of home building. Animal homes take many forms. Nests, burrows, dens, Webster hives, holes, caves and hollows.

[Tom]

Come on, Mindy, where are you? 555-555-5551. Come on, come on, pick up, pick up. Oh, hi, Mindy. Where are you? The tour is about to start.

[Mindy Thomas]

Ta da. You reached my voicemail. Sorry, I can't get to the phone right now. If you leave me a message, I'll be sure to get two to three months.

[Tom]

What?

[Mindy Thomas]

Beep.

[Tom]

Mindy, where are you? The neighborhood tour is about to start and I don't see you anywhere. Weren't you supposed to be coming here with. What in the.

[Dennis]

Mindy, take your hands off my eyes. I can't see anything.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, sorry, Dennis. Ah. Dennis, watch out.

[Dennis]

Don't worry, Mindy. That small group of amateur architecture enthusiasts will will stop us.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh yeah, good idea.

[Tom]

Uh oh.

[Dennis]

Oh, look, it's Guy Raz. Hi, Guy.

[Guy Raz]

With the tour concluding at the residence.

[Dennis]

Oh, did it work? Are we stopped?

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh.

[Dennis]

Ow.

[Mindy Thomas]

Man, did we miss it.

[Tom]

What in the wow was that?

[Mindy Thomas]

What do you mean, what do I mean?

[Tom]

Dennis just came barreling down that hill on a pair of rollerblades with you on his back.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, right. Yeah, about that. So I was running late for our tour and I asked Dennis for his rollerblades and he said, hop on.

[Dennis]

No, what I said was, I'd rather skate 20 miles with a dolphin on my back than give you my blades. And you said, I've always wanted to be a dolphin and jumped on my back.

[Mindy Thomas]

Eh, tomato, tomahto.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, is that everyone? No more last minute arrivals.

[Dennis]

We're all here now.

[Mindy Thomas]

Sorry.

[Guy Raz]

Excellent. Let's begin the tour. Whether it's a nest, a burrow, or a den, there's no place like home. Our first stop is a beautiful structure built by the Australian bowerbird. Now.

[Tom]

Well, I sure am glad you made it, Mindy. I've been looking for forward to this tour for weeks.

[Mindy Thomas]

Me too. I'm hoping I can get a couple of ideas for my newest expansion of my gingerbread mansion.

[Tom]

Expansion?

[Mindy Thomas]

Yeah, I'm building an Olympic sized ball pit in the bathroom arcade.

[Tom]

Uh huh.

[Dennis]

And I'm here against my will, of course.

[Tom]

Oh, I think we're at our first stop.

[Guy Raz]

There are many reasons for an animal to roll up their sleeves and build their own domicile. Warmth, shelter, and boosting the local economy by hiring neighborhood contractors.

[Mindy Thomas]

Huh.

[Guy Raz]

But perhaps one of the strongest reasons of all is love.

[Mindy Thomas]

Love?

[Guy Raz]

That's right, love. It happens all over the animal kingdom. But nobody builds a home to impress quite like our feathered friend, the bowerbird.

[Mindy Thomas]

Wow.

[Tom]

Take a look at this nest, Mindy. It looks like a modern art sculpture. Yeah.

[Mindy Thomas]

What's it made of?

[Tom]

Well, it looks like it's made out of twigs.

[Mindy Thomas]

Yeah, but they're all twisted together in this fancy looking shape.

[Guy Raz]

Like many birds in the animal kingdom, the bower bird builds these extravagant nests to attract a mate.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, I get it, Guy Raz. These bowerbirds build these structures to show off to their potential mates. To prove that they're ready to settle down, make a home, and raise all of their future bowerbird babies.

[Tom]

Exactly.

[Mindy Thomas]

Look at this one. Wow, this guy really went all out.

[Guy Raz]

As you can see, the architect of this nest has decided to adorn it in the traditional bowerbird fashion by placing objects of great color around the house.

[Tom]

Look at all of these things the bowerbird has collected.

[Mindy Thomas]

Mindy, it's so colorful.

[Guy Raz]

The bowerbird collects colorful objects from its surroundings in hope those bright colors will attract a mate.

[Mindy Thomas]

That's right, Guy Raz. Look at all of these colorful objects. Here's a lemon and a colorful ribbon and. Hey, Guy Raz, aren't those your highlighter markers?

[Tom]

Hey, my limited edition 2012 signature highlighters. I've been looking for those for weeks.

[Mindy Thomas]

Looks like this little birdie thought that they would make a great addition to his front yard.

[Tom]

Yeah, looks like it. I think I'm just going to. Okay, okay, fine. You keep them. Ahem.

[Dennis]

Excuse me, Mr. Tour Guide, sir.

[Guy Raz]

Yes?

[Dennis]

When will these bowler birds begin bowling?

[Guy Raz]

No, they're not bowler birds. They're bower birds. They build bowers like a room or a cottage or a boudoir. Oh, now we'll be leaving the avian world behind and looking at an abode that is causing quite a buzz, huh?

[Mindy Thomas]

Wonder what he means by that.

[Tom]

I think it might have something to do with bees, Mindy.

[Mindy Thomas]

Bees.

[Guy Raz]

No spoilers.

[Mindy Thomas]

Sorry. Okay, so some animals build a home to attract a mate, but what about after that? I mean, surely the main reason to build a home is so that these animals can have somewhere nice and cozy for them and their family to live, right?

[Tom]

Well, yeah. In fact, one of the main reasons animals build nests or burrows or hives is to raise their young somewhere that's warm and cozy and protected from predators and easy to store food.

[Mindy Thomas]

Right, and nothing is a better example.

[Guy Raz]

Of that than the beehive, one of nature's architectural marvels. Although many commercial hives are built by humans, the homes you see in front of you were constructed entirely by bees. Four bees.

[Tom]

Whoa.

[Mindy Thomas]

Look at the size of this thing, Guy Raz.

[Tom]

It must be more than 40 inches tall.

[Mindy Thomas]

Yeah, that's like a meter over three feet.

[Tom]

Yeah, but I think this beehive might be on the bigger side of things. Beehives in the wild usually grow to about 20 inches or half a meter tall.

[Mindy Thomas]

Wow. Must be a pretty big family to feed and keep warm in there.

[Tom]

You can say that again with a hive this size, Mindy, this. There could be up to 60,000 bees living in here.

[Mindy Thomas]

60,000 bees? That's like a sold out Dodgers Stadium all crammed into one house.

[Tom]

And that's not even the craziest part, Mindy. Imagine that all of those people crammed into that stadium were all related.

[Mindy Thomas]

What?

[Tom]

Well, that's how hives work. It's a family business.

[Mindy Thomas]

Hold the phone, Guy Raz. You're telling me that all the bees in this hive have the same mom?

[Tom]

Yeah, and not only that, but all of the bees that live in this hive are females, which means they are all sisters because they share the same mom, who's known as the queen bee.

[Dennis]

Queen bee. Oh, I love her. If you knock your ding queen, don't ching on it in your mind and bring a thing on it.

[Mindy Thomas]

Dennis, we're not talking about Beyonce. We're talking about actual husband honeybees. You know, like the ones we're looking at right now.

[Dennis]

Sorry, Mindy, I can't hear you from all the way over here in 2008.

[Tom]

Anyway, Mindy, as I was saying, these queen bees can lay up to 1,500 eggs every single day. And those little worker bees will go on to make that honey that will feed the colony for the rest of the winter.

[Dennis]

Ah.

[Mindy Thomas]

So this hive provides a stage safe place for all the bees who live in it. It's also a place to store food. And it's somewhere isolated from the outside world.

[Tom]

Yeah, isn't that amazing?

[Mindy Thomas]

Everything you could possibly want in a dream home. Minus the ball pit, better believe.

[Guy Raz]

Looks as though these bees are getting a little agitated by our presence. Let's move from their territory and toward the final home of the tour.

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, Guy Raz. This last stop on the tour is the one I've been waiting all week to see. It's the whole reason I came along in the first place.

[Tom]

What do you mean?

[Mindy Thomas]

Well, as I was flipping through the latest issue of Good Habitat Keeping.

[Tom]

Good Habitat Keeping?

[Mindy Thomas]

Yeah, it's like that Good Housekeeping magazine, but for animals. Reggie got a subscription after they did this special on Nest of the North. Anyhoo, I flip through it sometimes when I'm waiting in the dentist office, Right? And last month's issue featured this place. And all I can say is it's pretty special.

[Tom]

What do you mean?

[Guy Raz]

Here we are, the final stop of our tour. But rest assured, we've saved the best until last. Say hello to the home of the spittlebug.

[Dennis]

What? What are we looking at? That foamy white stuff? It just looks like soap or. Oh, gross. There's a bug in it.

[Guy Raz]

Although it may look like someone's saliva is plastered all over this plant. What you're looking at is in fact, a home.

[Tom]

The spittlebug. I don't think I've heard of that insect before, Mindy.

[Mindy Thomas]

Well, you might know it better by its adult. The frog hopper.

[Tom]

Isn't that the name of that turbocharged pogo stick you designed last year?

[Mindy Thomas]

You strapped in?

[Tom]

Uh huh.

[Mindy Thomas]

Okay. We make it strong. It works. My invention works. That invention was actually inspired by this very insect.

[Tom]

That insect inside that pile of spit right now?

[Mindy Thomas]

Not exactly. It hasn't become a frog hopper yet.

[Tom]

Oh, what do you mean?

[Mindy Thomas]

Well, in the same way that a caterpillar turns into a butterfly, the spittlebug.

[Tom]

Turns into a frog hopper.

[Mindy Thomas]

You got it.

[Tom]

And I'm guessing it's called a spittlebug because its home kinda looks like a.

[Mindy Thomas]

Giant pile of spit. Yes.

[Tom]

Uh huh.

[Mindy Thomas]

But if you ask me, a better name for it would have been the piddlebug.

[Tom]

The piddlebug.

[Dennis]

Uh huh.

[Tom]

Uh, what do you mean, Mindy?

[Mindy Thomas]

Well, do you want to know how this insect makes its protective little bubble house?

[Tom]

Yes.

[Mindy Thomas]

It pees it out.

[Tom]

What?

[Mindy Thomas]

It pees it out.

[Tom]

It pees it out.

[Mindy Thomas]

Is there an echo in here?

[Dennis]

Maybe he's hard of hearing. She said the little bug's house is made of pee pee. Guy Raz.

[Mindy Thomas]

And Guy Raz was really bonker balls. Is that. It's all because of the spittlebug's favorite.

[Tom]

Food, which is plant SAP. Plant SAP? You mean the watery stuff that runs through the plant's stem?

[Mindy Thomas]

You know it. The spittlebug attaches itself to the plant, sticks its little beak into the stem and sucks out all the SAP. Huh.

[Tom]

Kind of like a juice box.

[Mindy Thomas]

Yeah, Only the problem is this plant SAP is not very nutritious.

[Tom]

Meaning it's not very filling.

[Mindy Thomas]

Mm. Which means that the spittlebug has to drink a lot of this plant SAP. And a lot of plant SAP means.

[Tom]

A lot of pee.

[Mindy Thomas]

Exactoritos. And when I say a lot, I mean a lot. On an average day, the spittlebug can pee up to 280 times its own body weight in urine. What? I told you it was a lot of pee.

[Tom]

Mindy, there's a lot, and then there's 280 times your own body weight. That would be like you or me peeing out 2,700 gallons or 10,000 liters of urine every single day.

[Mindy Thomas]

Yep. Like 14 hot tubs full of pee. And when the spittlebug pees, it doesn't pee out A nice steady stream. It pees out bubbles.

[Tom]

You mean.

[Mindy Thomas]

Yep.

[Tom]

Ugh, gross. You mean this spittlebug's home is made out of bubbles that it peed out?

[Guy Raz]

Yeah.

[Mindy Thomas]

Pretty cool, huh?

[Tom]

Cool, Mindy, it's really gross. I mean, what reason could you possibly have for wrapping yourself up in thousands of tiny pee bubbles?

[Mindy Thomas]

Well, before we get to that, I should mention that it doesn't taste very nice.

[Tom]

Doesn't taste very nice?

[Mindy Thomas]

Yeah, apparently it's pretty bitter tasting. Hey, maybe they could serve it at the Spit Take restaurant.

[Tom]

And what does pee bubbles being bitter have to do with anything?

[Mindy Thomas]

Well, as it turns out, the spittlebug is a favorite food for a lot of different animals, like wasps and spiders and small birds.

[Tom]

I think I'm starting to understand. If it's surrounded by these bitter pee bubbles, then predators are less likely to chow down on the spittlebug.

[Mindy Thomas]

Exactoritos. And by protecting it from predators, those bitter pee bubbles give the spittlebug time to go through its transformation into a frog hopper. Ha.

[Tom]

So the spittlebug uses this bubble house as a sort of cocoon, I guess. Sort of like in the way that a caterpillar wraps itself up to transform into a butterfly?

[Mindy Thomas]

Yes. Unlike a caterpillar's cocoon, the spittlebug's housing is airtight, meaning that it's had to find a pretty ingenious way to breathe.

[Tom]

And what's that, Mindy?

[Mindy Thomas]

Oh, through its butt.

[Tom]

Its butt?

[Mindy Thomas]

Uh huh.

[Tom]

Mindy, are you making this up?

[Mindy Thomas]

Not this time, guy Raz. The spittlebug uses its butt as a snorkel.

[Tom]

As a snorkel, Mindy, what are you talking about?

[Mindy Thomas]

Well, the spittlebug, like many insects in the animal kingdom, breathes out of its butt. So when it's in its bubble home, it simply sticks its butt outside and takes a deep breath. And then when it gets threatened, say, by a natural predator, it simply brings its butt back inside, waits for the threat to pass, and then sticks its butt back outside and keeps breathing.

[Tom]

That's incredible, Mindy. Even if it's a little gross.

[Mindy Thomas]

I wish I could breathe out of my butt.

[Tom]

What?

[Guy Raz]

Ladies and gentlemen, that does conclude our tour of the animal architecture neighborhood. If you're interested in more of our neighborhood tours, next week we'll be making mountains out of molehills with our Burrow and Bunks tour.

[Dennis]

Thanks, Fake David Attenborough.

[Guy Raz]

Indeed.

[Tom]

Wow, what a tour, Mindy.

[Mindy Thomas]

Who knew we had all of these incredible animal neighbors just down the street from us?

[Tom]

I know. What an Eclectic group of animals.

[Mindy Thomas]

Guy Raz.

[Tom]

What?

[Mindy Thomas]

These little spittlebugs just gave me a new idea for my bathroom ball pit arcade.

[Tom]

What's that, Mindy?

[Mindy Thomas]

Pee bubble wrapped walls, huh? Yeah, just think about it. It's perfect. It'll keep us protected if we fall down the stairs. And it'll help keep Dennis from eating the walls off my gingerbread mansion.

[Tom]

Sure.

[Mindy Thomas]

Speaking of which, where is Dennis?

[Tom]

It looks like the tour guide is narrating his behavior over there.

[Guy Raz]

Here we have a common North American busybody.

[Dennis]

Sir, sir, your shoe is untied.

[Guy Raz]

The busybody, also known as a nosy parker, derives pleasure in knowing everybody's business.

[Dennis]

Also, your socks don't match. Are you meaning to do laundry?

[Guy Raz]

Watch now as this specimen transforms. Transforms from meddler to killjoy.

[Dennis]

I was only trying to help. It's not my fault you don't have basic organization skills.

[Tom]

Dennis.

[Dennis]

What?

[Mindy Thomas]

Hey everyone. Thank you so much for hanging out with us this week on wow in the World.

[Tom]

And to keep the wow rolling, check out this week's scientific conversation starters at our website, wowintheworld.com and grown ups.

[Mindy Thomas]

There you can find more info on how your kids can become members of the world organization of Wowzers. Shop Our wow. Shop. Upload photos and videos to us and check dates for our upcoming live events. That's wowintheworld.com Our show is produced by Jed Anderson who provides the bells, whistles and silly characters. Say hello Jed Yellow. Our show is written by me, Guy Raz and Thomas Van Kalken who also provides silly characters.

[Tom]

Tom hello there. Thanks also to Jessica Boddy, Anna Zagorski, Rebecca Caban, Kit Ballenger and Alex Curley. Meredith halpernranzer Powers the Wow At Tinkercast.

[Mindy Thomas]

Our theme song was composed and performed by the Pop Ups. For more on their three time Grammy nominated all ages music, find them at thepopups.com and grown ups.

[Tom]

You can follow wow in the World on Facebook, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter Owintheworld. And our email address is helloowintheworld.com and.

[Mindy Thomas]

If you're a kid with a big wow to share with us, call us at 1-888-7-WOW-WOW for a chance to be featured at the end of the show.

[Tom]

Also, if you haven't already done so, please subscribe to wow in the World on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Mindy Thomas]

Yeah, leave us a few stars, a review or just tell a friend about the show.

[Tom]

Thanks again for listening and until next time, keep on wowing Jing.

[Guy Raz]

Wow in the world.

[Mindy Thomas]

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