WeWow The Great Indoors - Day 3: Bored Games

Summary

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Wow in the World: WeWow The Great Indoors – Day 3: Bored Games

Date: December 31, 2025
Hosts: Mindy Thomas, Guy Raz, Dennis (with guest characters)
Podcast: Tinkercast

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Episode Overview

This fun, science-filled episode of “Wow in the World” centers on the power of laughter—specifically, how laugh tracks and “canned laughter” can change how funny we find jokes. Mindy and Guy Raz explore a real scientific study on why jokes seem funnier with a laugh track, all while embarking on a comedic adventure inspired by Mindy’s purchase of “canned laughter” to boost her stand-up routine at the Banana Split Comedy Club.

The episode opens with a quirky, nature documentary-styled look at “the Great Indoors” through the antics of Dennis, before plunging into an imaginative and child-friendly experiment in laughter, humor, and a behind-the-scenes look at the science of why we laugh.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Boredom of the Indoors and the Invention of “Bored Games”

[01:03–05:08]

• The episode begins with a humorous documentary parody, observing Dennis as an “indoor creature” battling boredom by inventing elaborate (and comically complicated) board games.
• Memorable Scenes:
  • Dennis attempts to explain his game “Stratagems of Elder Scrunch” to Reggie, who quickly loses interest and tries to switch to “Go Fish.”
  • Dennis, undeterred, ends up playing his game with “Baby Dennis” (a version of himself) and learns to be flexible about sharing the role of “wizard king.”

“Here in the Great Indoors, boredom can set in quickly. Games are essential for passing the time.”
– Stan Pellegrino, narrator [02:17]

2. Mindy’s Encounter with “Canned Laughter”

[06:00–12:15]

• Mindy, looking over her shopping list (which includes “whale blubber” and “sardine-flavored Tart Pops”), is visited by a quirky door-to-door salesperson, who sells her a can of “laughter in a can,” promising her it will make her instantly funnier.
• The can comes with warnings: “Once opened, the effects are not retractable until the can runs out.”
• Mindy opens it, and suddenly her life has a live laugh track. Guy Raz is soon swept up in the bizarre “TV show” atmosphere created by the canned laughter.

"That's one of our bestsellers. Simply open that can of laughter and you too can live your life like a TV show."
– Salesperson [07:07]

3. The Science of Laugh Tracks: Why They Work

[13:13–16:52]

• Mindy explains to Guy Raz that research from University College London examined how canned and live laughter tracks affect perceptions of humor in otherwise corny “dad jokes.”
• The Experiment:
  • 40 jokes were collected and delivered in three versions: without laughter, with canned laughter, and with live audience laughter.
  • Participants rated each version for funniness.
• Scientific Insight: Both canned and live laughter significantly boosted how funny people found the jokes, showing that our brains are “tricked” into enjoying jokes more when others are laughing.

“I do remember reading a scientific study… that showed laugh tracks on TV shows actually trick your brain into thinking certain jokes were funnier than they actually were.”
– Mindy [11:20]

4. Comedy Club Experiment: Putting Science to the Test

[16:38–21:11]

• Mindy brings her can of laughter to the Banana Split comedy club, where she delivers corny jokes to an enthusiastic (artificial) audience.

• The canned laughter works: Mindy is a hit, earning a mic-drop moment and a headlining spot the next night.

  • Corny Dad Jokes Delivered:
    • “What American state has the smallest drinks? Mini-soda!” [14:05, 18:53]
    • “What does a dinosaur use to pay the bills? Tyrannosaurus checks!” [14:32, 19:01]
    • “What’s orange and sounds like a parrot? A carrot!” [19:24]

• The laughter suddenly stops when the can runs out, and Mindy's humor falls flat. She’s confronted by the club manager for “performance enhancing laughter” and is (gently) kicked out.

“Did you just say you were up there using performance enhancing laughter?... We have a zero-tolerance policy for artificially enhanced jokes.”
– Comedy Club Manager [21:17]

5. Wrapping Up: Real Science, Real Fun

[21:11–end]

• Mindy and Guy Raz reflect on the experiment, confirming that, just as in the scientific study, laughter (even artificial) can make things seem funnier.
• Mindy jokes about buying “spray-on happiness” next, and the hosts invite listeners to check out related STEM resources and become members of the “World Organization of Wowzers”.
• Ends with thanks to the production team and an encouragement to “keep on wowing!”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Boredom and Games:
  “The games are often simple and require little movement. This allows Dennis to conserve energy, essential for surviving the harsh winter months.”
  – Stan Pellegrino [02:34]

• On Canned Laughter:
  “Warning: Do not use this product if you are prone to giggle fits, obnoxious laughter, or laugh snorting… Side effects may include a perceived funnier personality.”
  – Mindy, reading the can [08:36]

• On Science and Laughter:
  “The study… showed that laugh tracks on TV shows tricked your brain into thinking that certain jokes were funnier than they actually were.”—Mindy [11:20]
  “The recordings that had the added laugh track, either natural or canned, scored much higher than the recordings that didn’t have any laughter at all.”—Mindy [20:06]

• Comedy Routine Dad Jokes:
  “What American state has the smallest drinks? Mini soda!”
  – Mindy [14:05, 18:53]

  “What does a dinosaur use to pay the bills? Tyrannosaurus checks!”
  – Mindy [14:32, 19:01]

  “What’s orange and sounds like a parrot? A carrot!”
  – Mindy [19:24]

• When the Laughter Stops:
  “Mindy, do you hear that?... Exactly. The canned laughter, it stopped.”
  – Guy Raz [21:02]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |------------|-----------------------------------------------------| | 01:03 | Documentary-style look at Dennis (“The Great Indoors”) | | 05:08 | End of Dennis segment | | 06:00 | Mindy gets the “canned laughter” | | 11:20 | Scientific insight: laugh tracks “trick” the brain | | 13:17 | The University College London joke study explained | | 16:38 | Arrival at Banana Split comedy club | | 18:53–19:24| Mindy’s stand-up comedy routine (dad jokes) | | 20:06 | Study results revealed: laughter makes things funnier| | 21:17 | Canned laughter runs out; Mindy gets “caught” | | 23:10 | Episode wrap-up, credits, and resource mentions |

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Tone and Style

As always, the episode is delivered with playful energy, clever humor, and imaginative storytelling perfect for curious kids and families. Mindy and Guy Raz seamlessly blend real science with cartoonish comedy, keeping things light, accessible, and endlessly engaging.

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Summary Takeaway

This episode of “Wow in the World” shows listeners that science can be found in the most unexpected places—like why jokes feel funnier when you hear other people laughing. It’s a lively, laugh-filled journey (punctuated by plenty of groan-worthy “dad jokes”), reminding everyone that a little laughter, whether canned or not, really does go a long way.

Transcript

[A]

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.

[B]

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.

[C]

Oh, it's so cozy wozy in here.

[B]

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 Wee. Wow. The Great Indoors Coming. The Dennis is a social creature.

[D]

Hi, Reggie.

[A]

Come on in.

[B]

Today he has invited a companion into his home.

[C]

Okay, Reggie, I've got the game all set up over here on the table.

[B]

Here in the Great Indoors, boredom can set in quickly. Games are essential for passing the time.

[C]

Alright, so, Reggie, have you ever played Stratagems of Elder Scrunch?

[B]

No?

[C]

Okay. It's really easy to play, I promise.

[B]

The games are often simple and require little movement. This allows Dennis to conserve energy, essential for surviving the harsh winter months.

[C]

So, to start, we each get 5 cards, 12 tokens and 27 dice.

[A]

Kay.

[C]

When it's your turn, you spin the spinner.

[A]

Reggie.

[D]

No, not yet.

[C]

I'm still explaining. You spin the spinner and then add your spins to your dice roll. Reggie, quit it. I'm still explaining.

[B]

This seems complicated.

[C]

Then you multiply that number by your ability score. Oh, right. We still need to set your ability score. Uh, here, fill out this worksheet.

[B]

In moments like these, the Great Indoors can prove to be a frighteningly tedious place.

[C]

Okay, and now on the backside of that worksheet is the bonus scoring grid. It's a little hard to look at because of all the lines, but once your eyes adjust, I think you'll Find that. Reggie, are you paying attention?

[B]

Dennis, friend is beginning to zone out.

[D]

Reggie.

[C]

No, I don't want to play Go Fish. We're playing stratagems of elder scrunch. It's a better game.

[B]

Easy, Dennis. Don't push too hard or else.

[C]

Reggie. Hey, where are you going? Reggie. Reggie.

[A]

Rats.

[B]

Oh, dear. Without a companion, Dennis risks extreme boredom. He must quickly find someone else to play with.

[E]

Um. Hmm.

[C]

Oh, baby. Dennis, you want to come out of your box and play stratagems of elder scrunch with me?

[D]

Oh, boy. Let's play. Yay.

[B]

A stroke of luck. A strange friend appears. A version of Dennis himself. This should work out nicely, baby.

[D]

Dennis gets to be the wizard king.

[C]

No, Big Dennis gets to be the wizard king. You can be the elf, Sage.

[B]

Careful, Dennis. You don't want to lose this friend.

[F]

Okay, fine.

[C]

You can be the wizard king.

[B]

Lesson learned. That's a good lad.

[C]

Okay, let's start with the settlement development cards. Do you want to establish road building or maritime trade?

[D]

Maritime trade. Maritime trade.

[C]

Good choice.

[B]

This has been another installment of the Great Indoors. Tune in tomorrow for another adventure with our subject, Dennis. Next on wow. TV, an episode of wow. In the World. It's season four, episode 12, laughter in a Cat, How Our Brains Interpret Funny Business. And later, a showing of Spherical Miracle, the inspiring true story of an unmelting snowball. But first, a brief message from our sponsors.

[A]

Wee. Wow will be right back. Grown ups, this message is for you. That's it. Now back to the show.

[D]

What in the world?

[A]

Okey doke. Let's see here. I'm gonna need some milk eggs, some whale blubber, caviar. Ooh la la. Tart pops, parentheses, sardine flavored. Ooh, the door. Just a second. Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk. Good morning, Guy gra. You are not Guy Raz.

[D]

Hello, ma'.

[A]

Am.

[D]

Can I ask you a question?

[A]

Sure. I love questions.

[D]

Do you ever find yourself wanting something more out of life?

[A]

Wanting something more out of life? Yeah, sure. I just ran out of caviar.

[D]

Uh, what?

[A]

Caviar. You know, fish eggs. I like to dip them in milk and then sprinkle them on my spaghetti.

[D]

Oh, no, I was actually talking about maybe a sense of fulfillment, a feeling of accomplishment or happiness. Then, boy, do I have a range of products for you.

[A]

Ooh, wind chimes.

[D]

Oh, no, those aren't wind chimes, ma'.

[A]

Am.

[D]

Those are elixir designed specifically to make your life complete.

[A]

Oh. Hey, what's this one?

[D]

I have to be careful.

[A]

Laughter in a can.

[D]

That's one of Our best sellers. Simply open that candle after and you too can live your life like a TV show.

[A]

Like a TV show, huh?

[D]

That's right. It'll make you funnier than your wildest dreams.

[A]

Oh, you mean the one I always have? Where the monkeys are driving Go Karts. What? My wildest dream. Okay, you know, I have been meaning to get back into my comedy routine at the Banana Split Comedy Club. They haven't let me back in since last time. Hi, everyone. Um, why was the robot angry? Processing.

[B]

Huh.

[A]

Punchline unknown. Because the programmer kept pushing his buttons. So how much is it?

[D]

You're in luck, ma'.

[B]

Am.

[D]

That Canned Laughter is currently on sale for just $249.99. Oh, man.

[A]

All I've got is three buttons and a couple of old mints.

[D]

Oh, we also accept buttons.

[A]

Really?

[D]

Yeah, buttons are really valuable. Or wait, was it bitcoins? No, it's buttons. I'm pretty sure it's buttons.

[A]

All right, well, here you go. Oh, sorry, they're a little bit sticky.

[D]

I see. Well, here's my card in case you need anything else.

[A]

Thank you. Ooh, laminated.

[D]

And on behalf of essential potential, I'd like to thank you for your purchase.

[A]

Okay, bye. I hope that your life is all right. Now, what does this can say here? Warning. Do not use this product if you are prone to giggle fits, obnoxious laughter, or laugh snorting, yada, yada yada. Side effects may include a perceived funnier personality. Blah, blah, blah. Beware. Once opened, this product is irreversible and the effects of such will not be retractable until the entire can has run out. Oh my gosh, this is so boring. All right, Here goes nothing. 3, 2, 1, E. Make me funny.

[E]

Wow in the World is recorded in.

[F]

Front of a live studio audience.

[A]

Ah. What happened? Where in the wow are those voices coming from? Hello? Woo hoo. Wait a minute.

[D]

Oh, that's one of our best sellers. Simply open that candle after and you too can live your life like a TV show. Show, show, show. Oh, boy.

[A]

Mindy.

[F]

Mindy, let me in. Something strange is happening.

[A]

Guy. Razzie.

[F]

Mindy, what in the wow is going on? Where are those voices coming from?

[A]

Well, look, I don't know where they're coming from, but I do know where they came from.

[F]

What?

[A]

Canned laughter.

[F]

Canned laughter?

[A]

Yeah. Is there an echo in here?

[F]

Mindy, what in the wow is canned laughter?

[A]

Well, look, check it out for yourself. I saved the can.

[F]

Canned laughter beware. Once opened, this product is irreversible and the effects of Such will not be retractable until the entire can has run out.

[D]

Mindy.

[A]

Whoopsie. It's not my fault. The salesperson told me it would make me funnier beyond my wildest dreams. Guy Raz.

[F]

And why would having a bunch of strangers laugh in the background of your joke jokes make you funnier?

[A]

Well, I do remember reading the scientific study a while ago that showed that laugh tracks on TV shows actually tricked your brain into thinking that certain jokes were funnier than they actually were.

[F]

And you thought that adding a laugh track to your real life would make you funnier too?

[A]

Uh, maybe.

[F]

Uh huh. So how exactly did this study show that laugh tracks make jokes funnier?

[A]

Well, I could tell you, but I'd rather show you.

[F]

Oh boy. What did you have in mind?

[A]

Guy Raz, you and I are heading back to the Banana Split to put this comical experiment to the test. And to make my triumphant return to the stage of comedy.

[F]

Mindy, you. You do remember what happened last time, don't you?

[A]

The robots?

[F]

No, the other time.

[A]

The monkeys?

[F]

No, the other other time.

[A]

Oh, that time.

[F]

Can you promise we're not gonna have another incident?

[A]

Yes, of course I can't promise you that we won't have another incident, Guy Razzie. As usual, I've got everything out of control. Come on, let. Let me just get us a ride to the comedy club. Excuse me for a second. Dialing, dialing, Dialing, dialing, dialing. Jello. Jello. Yeah, good. Uh huh. Uh huh huh. Okay, great. See you soon. Our ride will be here any second now.

[F]

Great. So tell me, Mindy, how is it, Is this thing gonna work exactly?

[A]

How is what going to work exactly?

[F]

The experiment.

[A]

Oh, right. Well, the study, which was performed by the University College London, started off by collecting 40 jokes from dads across the world.

[F]

Dads?

[A]

Yeah. A male parent, one's father. What? I don't know how else to define dad.

[F]

Dad jokes?

[A]

Yeah, dad jokes. You know, those super corny jokes that dads are famous for.

[F]

Well, what's an example?

[A]

Okay, here's one of the actual jokes that the researchers used in the study. You're gonna want to hold on to your funny bone for this. What American state has the smallest drinks?

[F]

What American state has the smallest drinks? I don't know.

[A]

Mini soda. Huh?

[F]

Oh man, that was so bad.

[A]

Wanna hear another one? No, I'm good. Okay. Okay. Okay. What does a dinosaur use to pay the bills?

[F]

I don't know, Mindy. What does a dinosaur use to pay the bills?

[A]

Tyrannosaurus checks.

[F]

Okay, Mindy, point Made. These jokes are cornier than a cornflower on Fourth of July.

[A]

Wait, you eat corn souffle on the Fourth of July?

[F]

Yeah, family tradition. So what did they do after they got this collection of perfectly corny jokes together?

[A]

Well, they got a group of participants or people to rate the jokes on a scale of 1 to 7, 1 being not funny at all and 6, 7 being pretty much so funny that you'd wet your pants.

[F]

And then what did they do?

[A]

Then they got interrupted by a doorbell. That must be our ride. I'll tell you the rest later. I'm coming. I'm coming. Reggie. Oh, Reggie. Okay, you ready to take off? Nice.

[F]

How is that funny? Am I the only one that's. He doesn't understand what this bird is saying.

[A]

All righty, guy. Raz, Reggie's got the motor pickle idling in the driveway. We've got our jokes locked and loaded. Baked potato, and I've got my can of wax. Let's get this experiment underway.

[F]

I'm right behind you, Mindy.

[C]

We'll be right back after these messages.

[G]

Come to the Spit Take restaurant this month. Orange rinds only, $3.99. Coffee grounds at $2.99. And prepare your bitter buds for our all new ginger and dandelion summer salad. Just $5.99 only for a limited time at the Spit Take restaurant, where we'll have you saying, ugh, is this food even?

[F]

And now back to everyone's favorite group of misfits. It's wow in the world.

[A]

Man, that took forever.

[F]

Yeah, well, we would have gotten here a lot quicker if you hadn't stopped for that roadside hot dog. Mindy.

[A]

What was I supposed to do? It looked lost.

[F]

Okay, so what's the plan now?

[A]

Well, according to the scientific study I was telling you about, after those researchers had collected those 40 corny dad jokes.

[F]

Yeah.

[A]

They got a professional comedian to record themselves delivering each joke and then took those recordings and made different versions of each one. Okay, the first version had no laugh track whatsoever.

[F]

Got it.

[A]

The second version had canned laughter on it. You know, the random laughter that had been recorded before and then slapped over the top of a joke later on.

[F]

Okay.

[A]

And the last version had a laugh track of people actually reacting to the joke in real time.

[F]

Like a live studio audience.

[A]

Exact oritos.

[F]

And so what happened next?

[A]

Well, the researchers then played these three versions to the participants and asked them to rate each one on a scale of one to seven. One being not funny at all, seven. Meaning it made them laugh so hard they peed Their pants, basically.

[F]

And what did they find, Mindy?

[A]

Well, I think we're about to find out.

[E]

Okay, okay. How's everybody doing tonight?

[A]

Woo hoo. Shh.

[B]

Wee.

[E]

Tough crowd. All right, well, we've got a great show for you tonight. Some of the best comics that in town out here in the building. It's a great lineup and to get us started, making a triumphant return to the Banana Split, please welcome to the stage. Oh boy. Mindy.

[A]

Mindy. Hello, Banana split. How's everybody doing today?

[E]

Fine.

[A]

Yikes. Okay, tough crowd. Let's hope this. Okay, stop me if you've heard this one before. What state has the smallest drinks?

[C]

I don't know.

[A]

Minnesota. Huh?

[C]

That's actually pretty funny.

[A]

All right, all right. What does a dinosaur use to pay the bills? One Tyrannosaurus. Tyrannosaurus. Checks.

[F]

It's working. This crowd is loving it.

[A]

All right, one more. What's orange and sounds like a parrot? One. A carrot. Thank you, Banana split. I'm back with Baby Drop the mic. Oh, sorry, do I have to pay for that?

[E]

Hey, not this time. Everyone gets one mic. Drop exit. Am I right?

[A]

Wow.

[E]

Okay, I was not expecting that to go so well. That was Mindy, everybody. Coming up next on the stage, we've got Georgie.

[F]

That was incredible. You crushed it up there.

[A]

Yeah, I guess this canned laughter thing really works.

[F]

So did those researchers from London have similar results with their study?

[A]

Yeah, they found that when they asked people afterwards to rate the jokes again, on a scale of 1 to 7, the recordings that had the added laugh track, either natural or canned, scored much higher than the recordings that didn't have any laughter at all.

[F]

That's so cool.

[E]

Hey, Mindy.

[A]

Hey. What?

[E]

Great set tonight. I don't know where that came from, but how's about you come back tomorrow night and do the headlining spot? I mean, as long as you got more bits. Those ones tonight were killers.

[A]

Oh, boy, do I. Okay, try this one on for size. What do you call a man with a shovel on his head?

[E]

I don't know. Mindy.

[C]

What, Doug?

[A]

I said dug.

[E]

Yeah, I heard ya.

[A]

Like I dug a hole with a shovel.

[E]

No, I get it.

[F]

It's just.

[E]

It's not funny.

[F]

Wait a minute. Mindy, do you hear that?

[A]

Hear what? I don't hear anything.

[F]

Exactly. The canned laughter, it stopped.

[A]

Aw, bonkerballs. I guess we must have used up the whole can.

[E]

Wait a minute. Did you just say you were up there using performance enhancing laughter? Uh, no, Mindy, there is no place for canned laughter here at the Banana Split.

[A]

Oh, no, no, no, please, no, Mr. Manager. I need to be on that stage. I was born to perform.

[E]

I'm sorry, but we have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to artificially enhanced jokes. And now I'm gonna have to ask you and your friends to make like a tree and get out of here.

[F]

Uh, don't you mean make like a tree and leaf?

[E]

Who owns the comedy club here, Mr. Wise Guy?

[F]

Uh, you do.

[E]

That's right. Now please, make like a get out of here. Hey, I don't want none of your sassy beak, Mr. Huge Pigeon. Now out. All yas.

[F]

Well, easy come, easy go, Mindy.

[A]

Yeah.

[F]

Hey, cheer up, Mindy. It's not the end of the world.

[A]

Yeah, I guess you're right. Hey, wait a minute. I know what I'll do.

[F]

What?

[A]

I'll call up that salesperson again. She gave me her card. It's right here in my pocket. Uh, see?

[F]

Ooh, laminated. So what now, Mindy? You're just gonna buy some more canned laughter?

[A]

Don't be ridonkulous, Guy Raz. I don't want to go through all that again. Good. I think she was also selling some spray on happiness, Mindy. Or maybe it was some lavender oil that was supposed to boost my Cheritonin production. Hey everyone, thank you so much for hanging out with us this week on wow in the World.

[F]

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

[A]

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.

[E]

Hello there.

[F]

Thanks also to Jessica Boddy, Anna Zagorski, Rebecca Caban, Kit Ballenger and Alex Curley. Meredith halpernranzer powers the wow at Tinkercast.

[A]

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.

[F]

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[A]

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[F]

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

[A]

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

[F]

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

[A]

Ding.

[D]

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[A]

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