WeWow on the Weekend (6/7/25)

I said laughing too. Uh whatever. Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!

Reggie, what are you doing? You're starting the podcast! Reggie! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! Don't start without me! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! I'm here! I'm here! Reggie, I told you I was going to the bathroom and I'd be right back! What? I haven't been upstairs for two hours! What time is it? Uh whatever. An hour and 45 minutes is not two hours. Besides, I'm ready now. We can start. Hello and welcome to Wee Wow on the Whip!

What? You already did the intro? Well, did you tell the listeners that I'm the host and you're the co-host? And you told everyone that we chit-chat and answer questions from devoted listeners? And listen to our favorite episodes of Tinkercast Podcast? Okay, great. I'll take it from there. And we listen to our favorite episodes of Tinkercast Podcasts. And today, we're gonna Um, today we're gonna...

Regie, what are we gonna do on the show today? Questions! Great! Yes, we're going to answer questions. Today. segment that I totally planned on having the QA segment This is the part where we print out a bunch of questions that people left us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify or whatever and read them aloud. Right, these aren't reviews. These are questions. Our first question comes from Helen.

Helen asks, Why don't butterflies just be butterflies? Why do they have to be caterpillars first? Wow, this is a great question, Helen. Because, Reggie, Caterpillars turning into butterflies is what we call a glow-up. Right, so when caterpillars are born hatched, whatever. When caterpillars are hatched and they're just the little wormy things, they're not too special, right? Right.

But then after they take a nap in their little sleeping bags Chrysalis, whatever. After they take a nap, they transform. Into beautiful butterflies. Exactly. Everybody loves a transformation. It's like magic. And then everyone's like, Wow, did you see that butterfly who used to look like a green bean with legs? What a glow-up! Hope that helps! Next question! This next question is from Landon R. Landon asks.

How do they choose the colours in the rainbow and why those colours? Good question, Landon. to review the colors of the rainbow. Are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, um Indigo, right? I always forget about that one. And purple. Violet. Whatever. And I think they choose those colors because they're pretty. Although they probably chose indigo just

And wait, Reggie, what do you mean nobody chose the colors? The colors in a real rainbow come from refracted light and reflection and dispersion in physics and science? Well, I don't know what any of that means, but Landon, if you're drawing a rainbow, you can choose whatever colors you want, okay? Next question. This last question comes from Joe, who asks...

Can you play the guitar? And if so, can you give us a sample? Well, of course I can joke just let me pull the old kid fiddle out. Gotta tune this baby up. That sounds good. And here we go. Reggie, what? It sounds horrible! Fine, then you do better! Keep going! Wow, Reggie, you really are good. Well, there you have it.

Me and Reggie can both play guitar pretty well. Mmm! Okay, fine. Reggie's really good and I need to practice more. Whatever. Okay, I think that's enough for today. Thanks for your questions, everyone. Keep If you write me a question Podcast or Spotify, I just might read it on Wee Wow on the weekend. Okay, next up is a little segment I like to call Inside Tinkercast Studios.

This is the part where we revisit an episode of one of my favorite Tinker Cash shows. And today, we're listening to Wow in the World Season 2, Episode 9. called Homegrown Genome. Wait, what's a genome? Is it like jeans? Like pants for gnomes? Okay, okay, let's just listen to the episode. We go and play. We Wow will be right back. Grown-ups, this message is for you! That's it! Now back to the show! World. Grinch me!

Good morning, Gyroz! Mindia, I came over as soon as I heard about your new invention. I'm so excited! Thanks for your enthusiasm, Kyraz. Put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into this baby, but. worth it. I know I talk about it a lot, but but I really think gene editing technology of the most exciting and fascinating things happening in science right now. Well I hope you brought your brain pump, Guy Roz, because this invention is going to blow your mind. Sit back and relax.

I present to you the Latest and greatest. Editing Technology. Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to the party. Pants Pocket Pizzazzer! Huh? Wait, w what is that, Mindy? It looks like a cross between a stapler and a sewing machine. Let me ask you a question, Gyros. How many times have you looked at yourself in the mirror and thought? Hmm, if only there was a way for me to spice up his old wool trousers. Like maybe you wanted to attach some little bells to the bottoms, but couldn't find the

Well, I I I don't. Well those problems are a thing of the past. With the party pants pocket pizzazzer. Just gonna rev this baby up. Mindy, w when you invited me over to share your latest invention in gene editing technology, I thought you were But jeans, not jeans. Clearly we're not on the same page here. Ah yeah, you're talking about genes in our bodies, and I'm talking about the genes that you wear on your body. Uh

Well, this is embarrassing. Yes, genes as in genomes, as in the DNA, as in the code of life, as in the stuff that makes you, you, and me. I know what genes as in genomes are, Gyroz. They're like the instruction manuals for our bodies. Genes decide what color our eyes are, how tall we are, or whether or not we have to wear glasses, like you. Exactly. Exactly.

Your genes decide whether you have Have allergies or red hair, or in some cases, if you're born with a certain type of So like when a person has something like celiac disease, for example, and their bodies don't like gluten and then they get really sick if they eat it. That kind of thing? Yep. And every time I hear people talk about the genes in your body, they always seem to talk about DNA as well. Exactly. So if genes are kind of like the instruction manual for the body,

Then DNA are the letters and words on the page of that instruction manual. And if I remember correctly, Gyroz, the letters that make up the DNA code? are A, G, C, and T. Right? Well, that's right. Every single species on Earth is made up of these four letters, A, G, C, and T, and each letter represents a different chemical that is a little like a building block that makes us well us. So kind of like if we humans were buildings, then each letter would be a different brick.

If you printed out every single letter that makes up one human being's genetic code. It would be three point two billion letters of DNA. Wait a minute, three point two billion letters? Kaira, that's like eight hundred dictionaries worth of letters. Those eight hundred dictionaries well. Together, it's like the recipe book for one.

Whoa. And Mindy, the cool thing is that depending on the order you put those four letters in, well, that determines so much about our physical characteristics. Okay, I think I got it. So let's say for example, Born with a unicorn horn. That might mean that my DNA letters were all rambled up, right? Well yeah, e even though that would be very, very rare and possibly unlikely. So then why were you so excited when you heard that I was inventing a gene editing machine?

That would mean that we could reorder or change. Those DNA letters and possibly help to heal people who are sick. So it's kind of like editing a Or a newspaper or even an email to your grandma on the computer, you could just swap out an A and a C and replace it with a T. Or if there was DNA code that actually makes you sick.

Well, in theory, with a gene editing machine, we could just edit those out or cut out those pesky DNA letters that are causing trouble in our bodies. Well, guess that means it's audio! the party pants pocket pizzazzer. No, don't don't throw it away, Mindy. I mean you you could still use it on, you know, on the jeans you're wearing. Yeah, that's a good point. I guess I could just edit my Levi's into me vies. Me vies. Yeah.

Mee vi um mee vi- Oh now I get it Levi's into me vies Uh uh Mindy who w where'd you go? Hang on a second, Gyros! It just had a from my library! Okay, I'm back! Let's see here, I got my trusty genetic dictionary. Now let's see. Um Zones, no, codominance, no, copy number variation, nope, that's not Ooh, here it is, CRISPR. Look, Mindy, we've had fried chicken for lunch.

Every day and I'm getting sick. I'm not talking about crispy fried chicken, Gyras. I'm talking about gene editing. Oh of course, right? CRISPR, you're talking about the groundbreaking. Path-making gene editing technology that could revolutionize medical science. When you were talking about gene editing, I remembered that I read something about this new way to heal humans who are sick. And it's with this technology called

CRISPR! Also known as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, or CRISPR. And this amazing scientific technology was developed by biologists working for Professor. Berdabna at UC Berkeley in California. And biologists are scientists who study life. Life like humans and animals and plants and even microscopic or teeny tiny organisms like.

bacteria on your hand. I have bacteria on my hands? I just washed them like two weeks ago. Why do I have hand bacteria? Well we all do. Lots and lots of it. I gotta go wash them again. Be right back! Where were we? We were talking about CRISPR technology. Oh yeah. The easiest way to explain it. Is that CRISPR makes it easy to move genes around in any living thing? So living things like bacteria and of course.

And with CRISPR technology, you could go into the human body, find the chain of letters that causes a disease or a genetic disease. Cut out those letters or replace them with the right letters. Well, it hasn't been done in an actual living, breathing human just yet. But scientists have succeeded. This technology in human embryos in a laboratory, so they know that it could eventually work in us. Human embryo that's the

When we grow inside our mom's bellies before we are born. Yep, and there's a lot of excitement around the possibility of being able to change. Genes inside the human embryo. Genes that if they weren't changed could cause the embryo to become a human with a disease. Wow, what kinds of diseases or genetic disorders? Fibrosis or muscle. Dystrophy or Huntington's disease. That's amazing, Mindy. I I know that kids

With cystic fibrosis have a really hard time breathing and they can get sick a lot. Yep, and muscular dystrophy is also a condition that some people are born with. And over time, their muscles break down, which means that they have a difficult time walking. So in theory, if CRISPR technology works, scientists could Fix these genetic disorders even before the baby was born.

While it was still growing inside her mommy's belly. Kyraz, scientists have already shown that it can be done in the lab, working on human cells. Just a matter of time before this technology is going to be used on real live human beings. Yeah, and in fact there are already some clinical trials happening right now. And clinical trials are when doctors ask people who are sick to volunteer.

to take certain medicine or try out a new medical operation. You got it. Well that all sounds really cool, but you know what I'm super excited about? Oh no, Gyros, please don't tell me you're genetically engineering Slurpees to taste like kale salad. What? No, no, no, Mindy, I'm talking about bringing the past right here to the present. Wait a minute, say that again? Bringing the past right here to the present. You mean

Yesterday to today? Well, sort of, yeah. What does that have to do with gene editing? Well, actually, Mindy, I'll I'll show you. Here. Did that just fall through my gingerbread? Ceiling? Hop into the time machine. Well okay, but I'm driving this time. Wait, what? Saddle up and hold on to your hot tamales, Gyros! Wait, no, no, Mindy, you you drive

Mindy? Well I'm glad I glued all my old stuffed animals to the walls of this thing. Really made for a softer landing. Oh yeah. I I thought they were for insulation. Uh oh well. Hey, hey, let's let's open this hatch up. Let's do it. Oh my Roz. Oh, are we back in the Pleistocene era? Because it's freezing. I know. We're just here for a brief moment because I want you to see those over there. Oh Molly M Oh, they're so cute.

What do those mammoths remind you of? Uh snuffleupagus? No, no, no, I mean a a real animal. Oh, oh yeah. Well, I guess an elephant. Exactly right. Elephants are distant relatives of the woolly mammoth. Kind of like how we humans are distant cousins of chimpanzees. Yes, exactly. Okay, so why are we looking at woolly mammoths? Because believe it or not, Mindy, there are scientists who

That we could take some of the DNA from these woolly mammoths and combine it with DNA from modern elephants and possibly bring these gentle giants back to life. Gentle? Kairoz, isn't that a stampede of- Wooly Mammoth's heading her way right now? We better get out of here, Mindy! Run, run, run! Red, red, red, red, okay, up inside, Gaiz. Right. Let me punch in the coordinates. Hurry up, Bindy. They're they're getting closer. I'm going to I can! Quick, I I don't think our time.

Survive this mammoth stampede. Almost there! Hurry! Here? Phew. I must admit, Mindy, those stuffed animals really do make the landing a lot more comfortable. See? I told you we needed them all. Fair point. So you started to tell me about these scientists who want to bring back the woolly mammoth using gene editing? Technology? Yes, it's amazing. There are scientists at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Within two years? Years woolly mammoths and two.

Years? Well, maybe not real live woolly mammoths, but we might be on the path to truly discovering how to do So how will they do this? Well, the cool thing about DNA is that it stays around even after humans and animals die. In fact, it can stay around for a Thousands of years in our bones. So we can actually get woolly mammoth DNA even though they're extinct? That's bunker balls. And even more amazing.

Is that scientists believe that by using gene editing technology, they could, in theory, cut out the letters of an elephant's DNA code and then replace those letters with DNA from a Big hairy woolly mammoth. Amazing, but let me just get one thing straight. So if that happened, it wouldn't become a real woolly mammoth because it would be part elephant. So it might be more like a woolly elephant. Actually, that's

Right, it's sort of like when you cross two different types of dogs. The baby dog that's born looks a little like both. So how could these mammothins help us? Well, the researchers at Harvard have suggested that these woolly heroes You know, I think that's a good thing. Of the earth getting hotter by reducing the amount of permafrost melting in frozen areas of Earth. Oh, yeah, permafrost.

So permafrost is that land up around the Arctic Circle closer to the North Pole that's permanently frozen. And when it melts, it releases huge amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. That's right, and these big woolly mammoths could, in theory, help slow down the permafrost melting by using their huge legs to push down on the snow and compact it and keep it.

Frozen. That's so cool! And even cooler than that, Mindy, is researchers at Imperial College in London because they've experimented with gene editing technology. That could make mosquitoes that don't have a virus called malaria. Wait a minute, isn't malaria like a super dangerous virus that can make us really sick? Yes, yes, and while it can be cured. it can still make you really sick.

And it's usually only found in mosquitoes in very, very warm places, so countries that are around the equator or the center. Of our planet. And just to be clear, you can protect yourself by being really, really careful to use a lot of mosquito repellent, right? That's right. The best part of this new mosquito gene editing is that the mosquitoes that were born with the ability to fight off or resist the malaria virus also passed along that genetic. trait or characteristic to their baby.

So you're saying that the mosquitoes babies were also malaria-resistant, even though they never had their genomes edited? Yes, exactly. Hey Roz, do you know what this means? What? We could see the end of malaria, one of the deadliest diseases on our planet.

And it could happen within our lifetime! Indeed we could! Well, I know my original gene editing machine was a little bit different, but I could still edit your woolly dress. Trousers together with these skinny hipster jeans I just picked up at the store. Uh no, no thanks, Mindy. I think I'll stick with my wool trousers. And some secrets. I'm not sure. Stones, some glitter, a few cattle. Beads? Pearls? Ribbon, some flowers?

Wow, gene editing sounds so cool. Sure, sure, sure. All that stuff about woolly mammoths and making mosquitoes resistant to malaria and helping cure genetic disorders and diseases. That stuff's cool too. But I'm talking about pants. Yes, Reggie, I want my blue jeans edited. I need more pockets. Yes, I want so many pockets that my pockets have pockets.

One big pocket! Okay, let's wrap up the show and then go to Mindy's house so she can make us pocket pants. Thanks to all you listeners out there for tuning in to Wee Wow on the weekend! If you have a question for me. Call and leave me a message at 1-888-7 WOW WOW. One eight eight eight. Wow wow. I just might answer your question on Wee Wow on the weekend! Okay, should we do the goodbye song? Good. Pockets but I don't mean stealing, I mean selecting a bunch of new pockets for my pants. Mm-hmm.

Bye!