Disgustival! Why Does Gross Stuff Make Our Skin Crawl?

What happens when a museum turns the world's grossest sights into a scientific experiment? In this episode about disgust, evolution, and the body's built-in defense systems, Mindy and Guy Raz embark on a hilariously revolting adventure through "Disgustival," a bizarre art exhibition inspired by real scientific research! Along the way, you'll learn why the sight of parasites can make your skin itch, why disgusting things can make you feel like you're going to throw up, and how these powerful reactions may have evolved to protect humans from dangerous pathogens and creepy-crawly parasites. From moldy bread and dirty earwax to fleas, ticks, and maggots, this episode is packed with stomach-churning surprises, laugh-out-loud hijinks, fascinating science, and one very important question: Why does your body get so grossed out by gross stuff?

Why can simply seeing a picture of parasites make your skin feel itchy? Why does the sight of something revolting make you want to barf? And could these reactions actually be your body's ancient bodyguards, warning you to stay away from things that could make you sick? Mindy and Guy discover how evolution may have shaped these powerful responses over millions of years—and why scientists are still investigating whether people around the world share the same reactions to the grossest things imaginable!

This episode is a hilarious journey into the science of disgust. Along the way, kids and families will discover how scientists use experiments to understand human behavior, how our bodies respond to potential threats, and why sometimes feeling totally grossed out can actually be a very good thing. This is the Who, What, When, Where, Why, How, and Wow of nausea, itching, parasites, pathogens, and the amazing science of being disgusted!

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This episode of Wow in the World is a perfect blend of comedy, storytelling, and science, inviting kids and families to explore the fascinating biology of disgust, discover why our bodies react to pathogens and ectoparasites, and learn how evolution may have turned nausea, itching, and the urge to avoid gross things into powerful tools for staying safe—all while laughing, squirming, learning, and wowing together.

Originally aired 1/3/22.

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