WeWow on the Weekend

of Tinkercast.

“You may have heard my name at the end of the credits.”

As they say, I power the wow, but I don't do it alone.

I've had the absolute pleasure of steering the ship with the most talented crew of Tinkerers you can imagine. This team of writers, producers, musicians, educators, parents, former children, not only embody the spirit of play, curiosity and innovation, but they've made it their life's work to create content that inspires play, curiosity, and innovation.

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“As media makers, we once had a tell stories that could connect laughter to learning, and”

kids to the real amazing miles in their world.

Since then, we've built the company we've always wanted to work at with the dream team

we wanted to play, tinker, and grow with. And grow we did. In fact, our audience, that's you, it's still growing every month. We're so honored, you welcome our shows into your homes, your cars, your ears, your imaginations, and your worlds every week.

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However, whatever, we, while on the weekend, we, while on the weekend, like, we, while on the weekend, because this is what we do, while the weekend. Hello and welcome to we, while on the weekend, I'm your host, Dennis. And that's Reggie. Mike, how host?

Good morning Reggie. Oh, I had great Sundays are the best. You got the whipped cream and the chopped nuts and the hot-punch caramel swell. Oh, you don't mean ice cream? You mean, like, Sundays the day?

Well, I suppose I like Sunday days, too. Yeah, I have my whole Sunday routine.

First, I sleep in, and then my alarm goes off, and I hit news for five minutes.

And then, I hit it for five more minutes, and then, one more time for 15 minutes, and then, I have my morning tea while I read gossip magazines. And then, I go outside and say good morning to all my plants, and then you come over, and we do the show. Ah, right, and then, I eat breakfast cereal right out of the box with my bare dirty hands while

you set up the microphone. Speaking of which, I should finish my breakfast real quick. Sorry, but you know, that was the last handful. There's just cereal dust flap. Reggie, what do you do on Sunday mornings?

Sunday brunch? I love Sunday brunch. We should merge Sunday brunch right now. No, wait. We should make a whole little brunchy restaurant.

Let's do it. We just pass breakfast, but it's not every lunch. So we're making some brunch at our brunchy restaurant. Welcome, everyone. To Dennis and Reggie's brunchy that'll rest around.

Okay, Reggie. What are we serving for brunch today? No, we don't have that. Or that. Or that.

Reggie, nothing with bugs in it.

Okay, let me check the desk drawer and see what we got.

Okay, we have a juice box. We got some juice. Excellent. Here you go. Okay, off to a good start.

Now we need a non-try Reggie. Pancakes, that sounds good. I think we could do that. What are pancakes and ingredients? Right, flour.

What can we use for flour?

Um. Oh, cereal dust.

“Okay, let's just dump the dust onto my desk here.”

I don't need something wet to hold it together. Um. Oh, Reggie, give me something you're juice. I need it, Reggie. Thank you.

Okay, now adding some juice.

Now just mix, mix, mix, mix, mix.

And shaping this mess in the little pancake shapes. There. I know, they're so cute and lumpy. No, I don't have a pancake riddle to cook 'em on. I'm just going to use the microwave over by the TV

that I use for making oatmeal while I watch cartoons. How long do you think I should cook 'em for? Yeah, probably an hour. There we go, Reggie.

“What should we name our brunchie little restaurant?”

Early bird, Reggie, no, that's too birdy. And early, how about brunch and lunch? Okay, how about brunch and beyond? Ah, brunch full of art? - Runchology.

- The Frenchy, the restaurant. (laughing) - The pancakes turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it

- Frenchy, turning off, turning off, turning off, turning off, turning off, turning off, turning off, turning off. (laughing) (laughing) (laughing) (shouting) What? Close the restaurant, Reggie, no! Think of all the business we'll lose. (shouting) - Well, at least try the pancakes before you judge 'em. (shouting) (shouting) (shouting) - Fine, I'll try 'em. (shouting) Oh! That's really bad. Oh, let's get it. Okay people, close the restaurant, no refunds. Okay, new idea. Let's change the restaurant to a podcast theater. Yeah, and people can come listen to old episodes of their favorite podcasts.

“- Yeah, and we can serve dinner. It'll be a podcast dinner theater. What do we name it? How about podcasts and plates? Okay, how about dining a download?”

- Okay, how about dinner and decimals? Okay, fine. We'll drop the dinner idea and we'll just serve podcasts. - Hmm. Speaking of which, it's time for a little segment I like to call, inside Tinkercast Studios. Ahem, inside Tinkercast Studios. This is the part where we revisit an episode of one of my favorite Tinkercast shows. - Hmm. - And today we're listening to "Wow in the World" season two episode seven called "Three Day Printing the Future." Oh, three-day printing. Is that like when you print something out in the printer, but instead of a rectangle of paper, it's a cube of paper?

- No, yeah, no, I know what three-day printing is. Let's just put some of the episode. Okay, here we go. And play. - We will be right back. grownups, this message is for you. - Hey grownups, spring is right around the corner, and as schedules fill up with activities and travel, let IXL help you stay on top of your child's learning. IXL is an award-winning online learning platform that fits seamlessly into home schooling. It offers interactive practice in math, language arts, science, and social studies for grades pre-K through 12th.

IXL offers personalized learning for every child and gives parents clear insight into their progress. At Tinkercast, making learning fun is our bread and butter. So we love that IXL has games, awards, and celebrations to keep students motivated and engaged. Making impact on your child's learning. Get IXL now. And wow in the world 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.

- That's it. Now back to the show. [music] Okay, let's see here the recipe calls for two cups of flour. Why put it only two cups? I've got a whole bucket of flour. Yeah, that's gonna make a lot. Let's see, dash of milk. Yeah, maybe a little bit more. A couple of eggs. Hey Reggie, can you please hand me those eggs over there? Thanks buddy.

Okay, let's see, oh, a little bit of vanilla. I love vanilla. Throw in the whole bottle, Reggie. Alright, and just a touch of sugar.

“Okay, Reggie can you help me hoist this bag of sugar up.”

Okay, keep pouring. Yeah, keep pouring. Keep pouring. Keep pouring. You can never have too much sugar. Keep on pouring. Yeah a little bit more. I should do it.

Yeah, maybe a little bit. Oh, I'ma come on in. Hey, good morning, Mindy. Hey guys, you're ready for our big annual brunch of Palooza. You bet, Mindy. I've got everything we need right here. I've got a catalog display. I've got some of my homemade granola and my world famous ancient grain and wheat berry salad. Oh, old grains. Yeah. Oh, by the way, how are the pancakes coming? Almost there. I just need to figure out how to.

“Hmm, this thing working. Mindy, yeah. What are you doing with that printer? Oh, yeah, so I was reading this article the other day about how 3B printing is changing our world.”

So I thought, why sit here like a caveman making pancakes on the stove when I could just read and print them? Well, that is true about 3D technology, but I don't think this is how it works. Of course it is.

I just put some eggs in the deep cartridge here and the flour. I just shove it here and deep. Well, I guess I just thought I would pour the milk into this tray.

Paper tray? Yeah, I don't know. I think this is a bad idea, Mindy. Oh, wow. Now, excuse me, while I just plug this baby in and rest, start.

“I think it's going to take a second to really power up pancakes, you know what I mean?”

I can't quite put my finger on it, but I kind of feel like something went wrong with my 3D printed pancakes. And you, what made you think this was a good idea? Like I said, Guy Roz, I keep reading about how revolutionary this 3D printing technology is going to be, but every time I try to print out some pancakes, my printer just freaks out. Well, that's because short circuits and start spinning stuff back at me. Well, that's where it explodes. Well, Mindy, that's because you just keep putting ingredients into your paper printer and hoping it'll make pancakes.

That's not how it works. No, Mindy, a 3D printer is a machine that prints out very specific three-dimensional objects like pancakes. Well, yeah, and actually there is a 3D printer that's been designed to print pancakes. But it's so much cooler than that, Mindy. You can print out almost anything with a 3D printer from forks and knives to plastic toys to metal machine parts.

And that's so wow, so how did these 3D printers work anyway? Well, Mindy, first you design or download right onto your computer, a 3D model of what you want to print out.

Okay, so you're talking about a 3-dimensional object. Exactly, something that isn't flat, like a circle, but 3-dimensional, like a sphere or a ball. Gotcha, so how does this work? So the way it works is you've got your 3D model inside the computer and then a computer program kind of slices and dices it up into thousands and thousands of layers. Cool, and then the printer prints out each of these slices from the bottom of layer by layer.

And then, and then these layers stick together and then at the end you have a solid 3D object. No, garage, this might literally be the greatest invention since sliced bread.

A loaf of bread in reverse, where are you talking about, Mindy?

“Well, it's like baking each individual slice of bread separately and then gluing them all together from the bottom up to create a whole loaf.”

Haha, yeah, I guess you could put it that way. So let me get this straight, guys. You can have a machine in your home that can create almost any object in a matter of hours. That's exactly right, Mindy. They're kind of like tiny little factories. Tiny little factories. [screaming] Okay, I'm free, I'm happy to be with you, but I'm happy to be with you, but I'm happy to be with you, but I'm happy to be with you, but I'm happy to be with you, but I'm happy to be with you, but I'm happy to be with you, but I'm happy to be with you, but I'm happy to be with you, but I'm happy to be with you, but I'm happy to be with you, but I'm happy to be with you, but I'm happy to be with you, but I'm happy to be with you, but I'm happy to be with you, but I'm happy to be with you, but I'm happy to be with you, but I'm happy to be with you, but I'm happy to be with you, but I'm happy to be with you, but I'm happy to be with you, but I'm happy to be with you, but I'm happy to be with you, but I

[shouting] [shouting] [shouting] [shouting] [shouting]

[shouting] [shouting] [shouting] [shouting] [shouting]

“Yeah, that's what I thought you said, Guy Ross.”

A human ear?

That's right, Mindy, it's a process called bio-fabrication,

which is the scientific term for using machines like 3D printers to create living tissue. And tissue, meaning skin and muscles and organs and guts, that sort of thing. Exactly, these specialized medical 3D printers are able to print all kinds of living material using a similar technique to the one we talked about before. But instead of printing layer after layer in plastic, these 3D printers print their layers in stem cells.

Okay, so we know that cells are the building blocks for all living things, right? And so stem cells are the cells in your body that can basically transform and then grow into any other cell in your body. That's right, and generally speaking, if you put them near some skin cells, for example, they'll become skin cells. And if you put them next to some nerve cells, they'll become nerve cells and so on. Like a cellular chameleon.

And because of this amazing ability, stem cells are perfect for growing artificial skin or bones or even parts of the human heart.

That's so wow! And Mindy, researchers from the University of California in Los Angeles and the University of Edinburgh in Scotland have recently developed a 3D print ears for people who suffer from a condition called microsia. You're watching it? Microsia is a condition that results in a person's ear not fully developing when they're a baby.

So it might look like a smaller ear on one side of your head.

“Okay, so how exactly are these scientists using 3D printing to help these microsia patients?”

Well, Mindy, Microsia usually only affects one of the patient's ears. So the scientists start off by scanning the patient's good ear. Oh, then, they use that scan to create a three-dimensional model of the ear on a computer. Oh, and can't forget to flip it around for the other side of their head. And then, they print out a 3D model of the ear out of a special kind of material that the stem cells can attach to, kind of like Velcro.

This is so awesome! The scientists then attach this model complete with the stem cells to the ear that they want to grow bigger. And then, they wait. Oh, wait for what? Uh, for the stem cells to do their thing.

Okay, this is taking forever. Wave for it. I gotta go to the bathroom. Wave for it. I can't wait.

Wave for it. I'm warning you, I'm not wearing a diaper. Almost there. I'm getting a spark. Taming is leaking fast.

Bam! Finally! I was just baking it. So what's happening? Once the stem cells have transformed into cartilage cells.

Cartilage, oh, that rubbery stuff that our ears and noses are made out of.

So rubbery. Okay, where was I? stem cells cartilage. Okay, so once the stem cells have transformed into cartilage cells, the 3D model that they were attached to breaks down and leaves behind a fully formed ear. Oh, I wonder what other 3D body parts we could print off.

You know, Guy Ros, I've always wanted a tail.

For counterbalen.

“Yeah, you do fall over more often than you should.”

Well, I don't know about a tail, Mindy, but... I want a 3D body. But 3D printing is being used in a bunch of different ways in the medical industry. There are experiments happening with things like printing arms and legs for people who may not have them. Even artificial skin for people who might have been burned and lost some of their skin.

It is bonker balls, Guy Ros. You know, maybe it's time I swapped out my old paper printer for one of these fancy new gizmos. Well, Mindy, if you and everyone else did, it would be a very different world. I mean, just imagine for a second, you've broken something. Oh, no, what was it?

It's a hypothetical situation, Mindy.

It really doesn't matter.

Listen, if I limit an addition custom Guy Ros bubble head doll. Eh, you made a bubble head of me? Yeah, I keep it in my garden to scare the snails away. Uh-huh, okay. What?

Okay, so for example, you've broken your limited edition custom bubble head of me. It had so much left to kill. And so you want to replace it, and then you find out that the bubble head store has shut down. And they can no longer make them. It can't be replaced.

This just keeps getting worse and worse. Well, if you had a 3D printer in your home, you could just print a new one right there right on the spot from the comfort of your own living room. Wow, so, no going down to the store? Which means fewer cars on the road. And fewer delivery trucks.

And less packaging. And I guess there'd be no warehouses to store unused products in. It would be a completely different world, Mindy. One where nothing is ever out of stock. And one with a lot less waste and packaging and pollution.

Exactly, Mundo, Mindy. And just think about it, Guy Ros.

“Where would be the toughest place in the entire universe to deliver something to?”

A place where there isn't much room for storage. A place with a lot of breakable things. Well, doesn't your great Uncle Godfrey live in the Swiss Alps? I mean, that's pretty hard to get to. And way up there, there's not much storage space.

And, well, his yodeling is constantly breaking all of his glass. [singing] Good guess, Guy Ros. But the place I'm thinking about is out of this world. You mean the International Space Station?

Yeah, this guy surprised. You got it, buddy. The rainy printing and space is now pretty normal. I mean, they've been doing this on the International Space Station. Since 2014, mostly to print out new tools.

So, next time they like lose a wrench up there,

“they could just boot up the old 3D printer and bust out a new one?”

Exactly, Doritos, Guy Ros. Wow. But that's not the only 3D printing that's going on in space. It's not. Okay, well, maybe it is right now.

But it won't be for long because NASA's next big 3D mission is to send a 3D printer to Mars. To Mars? Yep. Okay, so imagine this.

You've just landed on Mars. It's taking nine months to get there. And you're absolutely exhausted. Last thing you're going to want to do is to set up a tent, build your hotel, right? Obviously.

Well, when those first travelers do get to Mars, they might just open the hatch to find a

flyer ship, will meet concrete domes ready and waiting for them. And are you talking about first contact? With aliens? No. With autonomously 3D printed buildings?

Yes. So, let me see if I understand this, Mindy. NASA, the space agency, is sending a 3D printer to Mars to build structures for future astronauts even before they arrive? Well, that's the plan.

So, NASA engineers from the University of Southern California have been working for years

So instead of printing in plastic, it uses concrete. Huh, okay.

“Well, if I look at my engineering cookbook right here, you just carry that thing around with you.”

Never leave home without a Mindy.

Oh, let's see. Yeah, concrete, rocks, sand, touch of water, a sprinkle of chemicals, Mindy. Am I right in assuming that this 3D printing robot on Mars will be using Martian dust and rocks to make this cement? You know what, Guy Ros?

And because of Mars' atmosphere, which is pretty weak compared to here on earth, these structures should be able to withstand anything the Martian landscape can throw at it. That's incredible, Mindy. Now, I'm just wondering what I could do if those NASA engineers let me replace some of that Martian dust with some flour.

Mindy. A couple of eggs. Mindy knows. Here, me out, Guy Ros.

One enormous 3D printed bandcake.

Okay, that does sound pretty great. Right? With a little bit of cantaloupe and some ancient grain and pharaoh's salad. You got to cut that out, Mindy. Maybe some kaleas sprinkled around my...

A few organic. Wow, that was so cool!

“That's what we need for our brunch restaurant, Reggie.”

A 3D pancake printer. We have to go to NASA right now and find out what kind of pancakes they can print. Alright, let's wrap this up. Thanks to all you listeners out there, returning into Wewawa on the weekend.

If you have a question for me, call and leave me a message. At 1, 8, 8, 8, 7, Wow. That's 1, 8, 8, 8, 7, Wow. I just might answer your question on Wewawa on the weekend. Okay, let's go to NASA.

Do you think NASA can print banana pancakes with chocolate chips and whipped cream? Do you think they can print the side of bacon and hash browns?

“And 3D print fresh squeeze orange juice and 3D print.”

Thanks for joining us for this edition of Wewawa on the weekend. Our show is written by Ruth Morrison and Jed Anderson. The role of Baby Dennis is played by Jed Anderson. Oh, well done. Whose play is the role of Big Dennis?

Severe you mind. A original sound design and production is done by Henry Moskel, with contributions from Jed Anderson and Tyler Tholl. Original music for Wewawa is composed and performed by Tyler Tholl. Special thanks to Jessica Bowdie, Rebecca Kaban,

Dr. Natasha Krandell, Kenny Curtis, Lizzie Freylic, Justin Yang, Meredith Helpin-Ranzer, Tweet Mack, Erica Medina, Henry Moskel, Jody Nussbaum, Ali Paxima, Kai-Raz, Linda Rappenberg, Steph Sosa, Mindy Thomas, Joanne Weber, Anna Zagorsky, and all of the other tinkerers at TinkerCast HQ.

Be sure to visit tinkercast.com where you can become an official member of the world organization of Wozers. Learn about upcoming events. We shop our Woz shop, find our best selling books,

and learn about all the other amazing podcasts from TinkerCast.

Thanks again for hanging out in the basement this weekend. Be sure to check out episodes of Woz in the world every Monday. And remember, Who Woz? Oh no! Baby Dennis, Wewawa!

All right, Wewawa! Wewawa! Wewawa! Wewawa! Wewawa! Wewawa! Wewawa! Well, in the world was made by TinkerCast and set to you by Wandery.