{"podcast":{"title":"Wow in the World","slug":"wow-in-the-world-223557","podcast_index_feed_id":223557,"rss_url":"https://rss.art19.com/wow-in-the-world","website_url":"https://wondery.com/shows/wow-in-the-world/?utm_source=rss","image_url":"https://content.production.cdn.art19.com/images/14/d3/c8/dc/14d3c8dc-9cd9-48ea-9a3d-d235825a529a/4bbf0e7addb317eb4e14fcf69fce5edd2f49ad28f14c2aeedbb7793877035bbd9de7a6f013a506a24426e12d4d3ab7dd254c9cea99272b7b9962e9aab283d120.jpeg","author":"Tinkercast","episode_count":1224,"summary":"Wow in the World is the #1 science podcast for kids and families, sharing the most amazing stories in science, technology, and new discoveries happening in the world around us. Each week, join hosts Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz as they take curious kids and their grown-ups on a cartoon for the ear journey filled with laughter, adventure, and wow-worthy stories. From the tiniest microbes to the farthest reaches of space, every episode of Wow in the World inspires wonder, fuels imagination, and makes science fun for the whole family. Weekly episodes of Wow in the World come out every Monday for free! Plus, each week listeners get even more opportunities to say WOW with two other shows: Two Whats?! And A WOW!, a fun-for-the-whole-family game show, and WeWow, a bonkerballs variety show hosted by Dennis featuring YOUR comments, reviews, and messages! 🎉 Grownups, want to keep the Wow going and support our mission to connect laughter to learning, curiosity to innovation, and kids to the WOWs in their world? Join the World Organization of Wowzers (W.O.W.) at tinkercast.com/joinwitw. Your Wowzers will receive quarterly mailings, birthday cards, a welcome kit with a t-shirt, autographed photo o…","last_synced_at":"2026-08-01T14:17:50.888730+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/wow-in-the-world-223557"},"episode":{"title":"WeWow on the Weekend","slug":"wewow-on-the-weekend-10","published_at":"2026-04-05T07:01:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/wow-in-the-world-223557/wewow-on-the-weekend-10","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/wow-in-the-world-223557","url":"https://rss.art19.com/episodes/803cb85b-c3d0-4204-b45d-7ee0563b2cdd.mp3?rss_browser=BAhJIg90cmFuc2NyaWJyBjoGRVQ%3D--952c5701c84ad333c69d5faa668f8177091704f0","audio_url":"https://rss.art19.com/episodes/803cb85b-c3d0-4204-b45d-7ee0563b2cdd.mp3?rss_browser=BAhJIg90cmFuc2NyaWJyBjoGRVQ%3D--952c5701c84ad333c69d5faa668f8177091704f0","summary":"Explore the biological mystery of why naked mole rats are immune to the heat of chili peppers but vulnerable to the sting of wasabi. This episode breaks down how specific chemicals like capsaicin and AITC interact with our neural pathways.","meta_description":"Discover how the brain registers pain through a battle between G-Force, naked mole rats, and the intense chemical sting of wasabi.","key_points":["Main idea: Naked mole rats lack the specific neurons required to register the pain caused by capsaicin in hot peppers","Scientific mechanism: The chemical AITC in wasabi triggers a different sensory response that affects the sinuses rather than the tongue","Biological anomaly: Certain animals possess an 'escape hatch' in their brains that prevents chemical signals from reaching pain centers","Practical takeaway: Understanding the difference between heat from peppers and the sting of wasabi reveals how different molecules target distinct neural pathways","Failure mode: Relying on pepper-resistance to survive wasabi is impossible because the chemical targets different sensory receptors"],"chapters":[{"start_ms":60000,"title":"New Season Preview","summary":"An introduction to the upcoming 'People Who Wow' edition of the podcast."},{"start_ms":190000,"title":"Reading Reviewsies","summary":"Dennis and Reggie navigate dental hygiene mishaps and read listener feedback."},{"start_ms":330000,"title":"G-Force vs. Wasabi","summary":"A deep dive into how the brain processes different types of chemical heat."},{"start_ms":730000,"title":"The Capsaicin Championship","summary":"An analysis of the chemical compounds in hot peppers and their effect on neurons."},{"start_ms":1000000,"title":"The Wasabi Challenge","summary":"Testing the limits of heat with the AITC chemical and its impact on the sinuses."},{"start_ms":1260000,"title":"The Brain's Escape Hatch","summary":"Exploring the theory of how some organisms prevent pain signals from reaching the brain."},{"start_ms":1530000,"title":"Weekend Wrap-up","summary":"Final thoughts on sushi, training for next year, and closing credits."}],"topics":["Neurobiology","Capsaicin","Wasabi","Naked Mole Rats","Sensory Perception","Biology","Chemistry"],"duration_seconds":1597,"processing_state":"processed","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/wow-in-the-world-223557/episodes/wewow-on-the-weekend-10/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/wow-in-the-world-223557/wewow-on-the-weekend-10.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}