Betting on a graveyard of Cybertrucks with Mary Roach

24:50She said it was robust. It was robust. It was robust. Joyo, just sit this one out.

25:00I wrote that down. How quickly after they described this did you find this man? Well, he only had four fingers. He was probably...

25:13I have to ask, is it true that you once lived every American's dream and almost vomited on Tom Cruise? That is actually true. Really? That is true. I had a very short-lived and misguided career interviewing celebrities for a parade. magazine Sunday, you know, like not a high point in the career, but, um, and they liked to send me out to do something with the celebrity and Tom Cruise, as you may know, likes to fly. And he had a little like antique biplane. And the thing with those antique biplanes is that it's an open cockpit and the passenger sits in front and he was doing barrel rolls and hammerheads, which we'd go all straight up, cut the engine and then you pull out.

26:10And he did two of those and I was suddenly very ill and I thought if I throw up, it goes right back in his face. And I made it back to the ground without it. Really? Yeah. Was he impressed? No. He was not impressed with him. Did he ask you if you wanted to do that? Yeah, it sounds like he was trying. Well, you know what? After the first hammerhead, he said, you're doing great. And I was so excited that I was kind of, and I'm like, let's do another one. And then I was like, green. And you almost threw up. And you said, I need to find a career that nauseates me less than that. Well, Mary Roach, it is a pleasure to talk to you.

26:56We've invited you here, though, to play a game we're calling Bonk, Gulp, Grunt. Meet Zoom, Bang, Bam. So you've written the books Bonk, Gulp, and Grunt. So we thought we'd ask you about some other crazy sounds. Get two out of three right and you will win our prize for one of our listeners. Also, who is Mary Roach playing for? Jonathan Fois-Vong of San Carlos, California. All right.

27:22Ready to play? Uh-huh. Here we go. Okay. Also, what's Mary's first sound? Zoom. An Ohio State senator was attending a Zoom meeting about distracted driving, and he used a fake office background to hide the fact that he was himself, at that moment during the meeting, driving. But he was busted. How? Was it A, he went through a Wendy's drive-thru and placed an order without muting himself, B, he rear-ended another participant in the meeting who was doing exactly the same thing. Or C, people in office chairs don't normally wear seatbelts. I'm going with C. You're right. Yes. The other participants noticed that he was wearing a shoulder belt while sitting supposedly at his desk.

28:15Alzo, what noise is next? Bang! So combat, as you know, you wrote a book about it, is full of bangs. But the Royal Navy once came under criticism when it was revealed they were doing what to get their sailors ready for the strife of battle? Was it A, they used water balloons instead of hand grenades? B, they told their gunners to shout bang instead of firing off live rounds? Or C, they helped cadets get used to the stress of battle by showing them war movies, but really loudly? I'm going to go with B. You're going to go with B, that they were told their gunners to shout, bang, you're right. In training, the sailors would load a shell, aim the gun, and then they'd all yell, bang.

28:57People thought it was silly, but it did save the Navy about$5 million, though. All right. Alzo, one more, please. Bam. Celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse is known for his scotch phrase, bam, which he does whenever he throws something into the food. He says he came up with bam for one reason only. what was it? A, everybody misheard him when he was yelling about adding ham to a dish. The stuck. B, he was filming at 1.8 episodes a day and screaming bam was the only way to keep everybody awake. Or C, because he couldn't pass the censors with his prior catchphrase, and here's some effin' spices.

29:39It's either B or C.

29:44I'm not going to tell you. This sounds like an even split. It does. C. We're going to go for C because he couldn't get away with saying, there's some F in spices. Instead he said, bam. No, it was actually B. It was B. It was B. All right.

30:04Yeah, he's just trying to keep his crew awake by yelling bam at random moments. Also, how did Mary Roach do in our quiz? She did a zoom, bang, bam of a job. Two out of three. Congratulations.

30:17Mary Roach is a best-selling science author. Her new book is Replaceable You. You can see her on tour this fall. More information is at maryroach.net. Mary Roach, thank you so much for joining us again. I'm way, way, way. Great to see you. Mary Roach, everybody. A delight.

30:42In just a minute, the barn door is open, in our listener limerick challenge called 1-888-WAIT-WAIT to join us on the air. We'll be back in a minute with more of Wait, Wait, Don't Sell Me from NPO.

30:59This message comes from Allianz Travel Insurance. You stopped for something to eat on the family road trip. The vending machine ate your dollar instead. You think about breaking the glass, but you're just hangry, not a thief. But someone else has sticky fingers. Now the back window of your rental car is broken and all your bags are gone. Stolen baggage benefits, rental car protection, and 24-7 assistance can help get your trip back up to speed. Learn more at AllianzTravelInsurance.com. This message comes from Progressive Insurance. You're listening to this podcast, so you've got a curious mind.

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32:01From NPR and WBEZ Chicago, this is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, the NPR News Quiz. I'm Alzo Slade. We're playing this week with Joyelle Nicole Johnson, Tom Papa, and Shane Torres. And here again is your host at the Green Music Center at Sonoma State University, Peter Sagal. Thank you, Alzo. In just a minute, fire up FanDuel and bet the kids college fund in the listener limerick challenge. If you'd like to play, give us a call at 1-888-WAIT-WAIT. That's 1-888-924-8924. Right now, panel, some more questions for you from the week's news. Shane, the governor of a province in Turkey, was ousted from office after photographs surfaced of him doing what?

32:46I'm going to need a clue. Yeah, well, it's not, I don't know, it's not a crime to love spandex and appropriate butt cushioning.

32:56He's wearing, what, exercising? He was exercising in a breakthrough way and wearing, what a... I don't exercise.

33:09What are you doing to me? Ask Alzo that question. I don't wear them, though. He has too much self-respect. Anybody know? Bike pants. Bike shorts. He was forced from office because he was photographed wearing bike shorts. And he should be. Yeah. He was forced out of office for being caught in public wearing skin-tight black bike shorts. If that sounds harsh, just take a second. Think of a politician. First one that comes to mind. Now think of him in bike shorts. See? To be fair to the governor He was in fact riding a bike at the time To be fair to everybody else That is no excuse They got some different standards over there In Turkey I see Photos circulated of him in bike shorts It became a huge scandal One political opponent said In the Turkish parliament A governor cannot wander a city like this After his ouster, his supporters Were sad to see him go But they loved to watch him leave Was he wearing those little clippy shoes?

34:10So he made a little clatter noise when he laughed and his toes were up in the air. That's been very funny. He's currently a very hot Peloton instructor. Peter, one day we should show up to the show at Biker Short. Absolutely. We should absolutely do that. And then we'll have to find another job. I think we're ready to go out. Tom, Robotics is a company that has marketed AI-powered sex robots. But now they have a new model of a robot that they say will serve in what other role?

34:45I can't say it. So the robot does something else? Something else. And it's going to be put into schools in New York State because it's going to be a? Lunch lady. No. A mean custodian. No, it's right there in front of you. In a school, it's going to be a... Teacher. Exactly right. Assistant teachers, assistant teachers. Robotics company Realbotics insists to this day that their$175 ,000 female-shaped robot called Aria is meant for companionship and not for sex. But more recently, the company struck a deal with a school district in New York State to deploy another one of its robots called Sally as a teacher's assistant.

35:40They say she, also a very attractive replica female, can answer science and math questions the students might have. Great, it's like if your calculator had boobs. Stop making them attractive. Stop making them attractive. Also, we made those in the wrong order. The teacher should have come first. You think so? Yeah. Yeah, and look like my dad.

36:08I guarantee you, you send a teacher out there, a robotic teacher that looks like my dad, no one's going to try anything funny with it. You're asking for trouble. It's true. Now, interestingly, the teaching doll, unlike the original doll, only costs$57 ,000, which makes her the most realistic doll yet. The second she went into education, she took a 70 % pay cut.

36:38Coming up, it's Lightning Fill in the Blank, but first it's the game where you have to listen for the rhyme. If you'd like to play on air, call or leave a message at 1-888-888. Wait, wait, that's 1-888-924-8924. You can see us most weeks at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago and catch us on the road. We'll be at the Rose Music Center outside of Dayton, Ohio on September 3rd and in Omaha, Nebraska on September 24th. For tickets and info to all our live events, go to nprpresents.org. Hi everyone, wait, wait, don't tell me Hey there, Peter Hi, who's this? Alan Martin from Long Beach, Washington Long Beach, Washington?

37:09I didn't know there was a Long Beach in Washington Where's that? Not many people do, right on the Oregon border Yeah About two hours east, west of Portland So you're two hours east and west of Portland Yeah, something like that Something like that Two hours west of Portland Yes, hilarious Do you know where you are right now, sir? Rerouting. Rerouting. Alan, welcome to the show. Alzo Slade is going to read you three news-related limericks with a last word or phrase missing from each. If you can fill in that last word or phrase correctly, and two of the limericks will be a winner. You ready to play?

37:49Born ready. Hey. Here's your first limerick. Once jeans were sold, pre-stressed and ripped. Now they're made to look like they have slipped. Since kids have a taste for exposing their waist, the fly of their jeans isn't zipped. Right, zipped. This summer's it jeans are jeans that make it look like your fly is down. They're called fold-over jeans, as in your grandmother would fold over in her grave if she saw you wearing these. They're called fold-over jeans because of, quote, the sliver of fold and fabric sewn down at the waist, which is often printed like underwear with tiny flowers or stripes, to give the illusion of a totally open fly.

38:32Wow, if only I had a finger penis I could zip it up.

38:41Moving on. Here's your next limerick. With the soda scent, I like to prep me. A fine cola vanilla can rep me. I will cover my stink with a cool fountain drink. I will smell like a cold can of Pepsi. Pepsi, yes! Everyone is excited for the release of Pepsi body care products. And by everyone we mean 13 year old boys and bees. Starting this week you can buy the Pepsi vanilla slushy body scrub or the Pepsi wild cherry body wash which is quote inspired by Pepsi Wild Cherry. Mmm. Sticky. I love that this is gonna get the men who use Axe body spray laid. Finally. Finally. All right here's your last limerick.

39:41At IKEA we strive to improve. We'll get out of our flimsy shelf groove. So toss that hex wrench for your foldable bench. Now our furniture last through a... Come on, audience. Give me some help here. Can you hear them? No. So it rhymes with improve and groove. And the furniture will last through a... Move. Move. Yes. Wow. We all know the rituals of moving. You throw one last party, you package up gently your prized heirlooms, and you throw out everything you ever bought from Ikea because that stuff dissolves when exposed to a slight breeze. Well, Ikea is launching a new line of furniture designed to be sturdy enough for people who move a lot, like college students and identity thieves.

40:37The new line is called Kornsdufer, probably.

40:43It features built-in handles for carrying. It's made of sturdier materials like solid pine and steel so it can handle the stress of moving fine, fine. That's not what we need, IKEA. We need you to commit to your bit and give us single-use disposable couches.

41:01Does anyone go back to IKEA or you just go once, build an apartment, and realize I'm never going? It's my favorite restaurant. Yeah. Oh, sure. Also, how did Alan do in our quiz? Alan did all right. He got three out of three. Congratulations. Well done. Congratulations Alan You got him Thank you so much for playing Take care everybody This message comes from Allianz Travel Insurance The kids are with grandma while you're at a resort spa in Italy for your birthday. Then your phone rings. Instead of hearing the happy birthday song you were hoping for, you hear a symphony of toddler sniffles and sneezes.

41:59Not the kind of homesickness you were expecting. You decide grandma can't fend off the germs alone. Luckily, trip interruption benefits can help cover the extra costs of heading home early, saving you money while you save the day. Learn more at AllianzTravelInsurance.com. This message comes from WISE, the smart way to manage your money around the world. With WISE, you can send, spend, and receive money in over 40 currencies at the mid-market rate. Learn more at WISE.com. T's and C's apply. Zendaya and Tom Holland are back in Spider-Man Brand New Day, and the movie has a more grounded tone than we've seen from the franchise.

42:38But does it strike the right balance of fun and darkness? We'll talk about it on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour. Listen via the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

43:14Exactly. So Shane, you are in third place, so you're going to go first. The clock will start when I begin your first question. Fill in the blank. On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve voted to keep blanks steady. Rates. Right, interest rates. On Tuesday, Japan deployed thousands of troops to help with rescue and recovery after a powerful blank struck the country. Earthquake. Right. For the second time in its history, the Red Cross declared an emergency over the lack of blank donations. Blood donations. Right. On Wednesday, NASA confirmed plans to launch the new Nancy Grace Roman space blank in August.

43:44Rocket? Space telescope. At a government conference this week, attendees noticed that a U.S.-made map of Africa had mislabeled blank. Most of it? Yes. In fact, pretty much. They mislabeled literally every country in Africa on the map of Africa. On Thursday, European nations announced a boycott over FIFA's plan to privatize the blank. World Cup. Right. On Thursday, Apple announced a new program that would allow customers to lease the newest blank. iPhone? Right. This week, a whaling museum in New Bedford is drawing attention after someone posted a one-star review calling it blank. Boring? They called the whaling museum, quote, the worst aquarium ever.

44:28It can be confusing at first when you visit the New Bedford Whaling Museum. There's nowhere to know it's a museum and not an aquarium. other than by reading its name and all the big signs. The man who posted the review must have been disappointed that instead of live whales, there were just old skeletons. The review went viral, but it isn't even the reviewer's first one-star rating. They also said that Fogo de Chow was the worst petting zoo they'd ever been to.

44:57How did Shane do in our quiz? Shane actually did all right. He got six right for 12 more points. He has 13 and the lead. Wow. Thanks for throwing in actually. Okay. Joyelle, you're up next. Fill in the blank. On Thursday, the U.S. launched a new wave of strikes against targets in blank. Iran. Right. According to a new study, taking a daily blank can help curve heavy drinking. Vitamin. No. GLP-1 pill. This week, Poland is accusing blank of firing a missile into their territory. Israel. No. Not yet. Anyway. Russia. According to new reports, arrests by blank at airports are surging. Right. This week, blank announced plans to host a new cooking show.

45:45Ooh, Martha Stewart. RFK Jr. Ew. Roadkill every day. On Monday, Emily Wilson, a translator of the blank, criticized Christopher Nolan's movie adaptation. Odyssey. Yes, this week ESPN announced a deal to produce a last dance-style documentary about blank. Michael Jackson. No, LeBron James. This week a man in Japan who regularly practiced guitar at full volume in his house was shocked when his neighbors banded together and blanked. Jumped him. Had him arrested. The man in Kyoto was arrested after his neighbors flagged that his seven years of playing guitar had seemingly caused damage to their hearing.

46:29According to the police, the man also placed a radio by the window and left it playing 24 hours a day. See, when we say support public radio, this is exactly what we mean. Alzo, how did Joyelle do in our quiz? She seemed like she had fun.

46:52She got three right for six more points, total of eight. Shane is still in the lead. All right, how many then does Tom Papa need to win? He needs five to win. Ready, Tom? I'm ready. Here we go. This is for the game. On Wednesday, funeral services were held in South Carolina for Senator Blank. Lindsey Graham. Right. On Tuesday, a judge blocked Minnesota from implementing a law banning blank markets. Betting. Yeah, prediction markets. This week, GOP Senate members postponed a key vote in the confirmation of Todd Blanche as Trump's new blank. Attorney General. Right. During a performance this week, Katy Perry got trapped crowd surfing in a giant rolling inflatable ball because the fans blanked.

47:32Popped her. No. They refused to roll her back onto the stage.

47:40On Thursday, dental researchers said they discovered a way to stop blanks without drilling. Cavities. Right. This week, people are accusing Canadian politician Bill Oliver of using AI to write his speeches because he said blank halfway through an address to the legislature. Because he said, I love Trump. No. He talked for a while and then he said, here's a more natural flowing version of that section. That reads like a legislative speech rather than a series of short points. Mr. Oliver read the chat bot's commentary about the speech out loud, not one but three separate times throughout the address.

48:20You know, it's a boring speech when even the guy who was reading it is not listening. Alzo did Tom do well enough to win Oh he got four right For eight more points Total of twelve which means Sane has one of the greatest Comebacks In weight weight history He is the winner My big college moment His in-laws are here that's true It's all because of what Sally taught him Poor Sally In just a minute, we're going to ask our panelists to predict, now that wrinkles are in, what will be the next surprising beauty trend. But first, let me tell you that Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me is a production of NPR and WBEZ, Chicago, in association with Urgent Haircut Productions, Doug Berman, Benevolent Overlord.

49:08Philip Gotke writes our limericks. Our public address announcer is Paul Friedman. Our ops manager is Jasira Vardak. BJ Litterman composed our theme. Our program is produced by Jennifer Mills, Miles Norbas, and Lillian King. Special thanks this week to Mohanad Elsheki. Peter Gwynn is our sommelier. Emma Choi is our vibe curator. Technical director is from Lorna White. Her CFO is Colin Miller. Our production manager is Robert Newhouse. Our senior producer is Ian Chillag, and the executive producer, wait, wait, don't tell me, is Michael Danforth. Now, panel, what would be the next big beauty trend?

49:36Shane Torres. Big butts out, long flat ones are in. Doyelle Nicole Johnson. Mary Roach's robust enlargement. And Tom Papa. Open-toed crocs that highlight older men's toes. And if any of that happens, we'll ask you about it on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Thank you so much, Alzo Slave. Thanks also to Shane Torres, Joyelle, Nicole Johnson, and Tom Papa. Thanks to the staff and crew here at the Green Music Center. Special thanks to member stations KQED, KALW, and KRCB. Thanks to our fabulous audience who came out to see us in Sonoma, California. And thanks to all of you, wherever you might be, for listening.

50:20I'm Peter Sagan. We'll see you next week.

50:35This is NPR.

50:48Learn more at capella.edu. you. Support for this podcast and the following message come from Allianz Travel Insurance. A flat tire made you miss your plane to Paris. How unromantic. Trip change protection can reimburse the fees to switch your flight. Love does conquer all. Learn more at allianztravelinsurance.com. This message comes from Schwab. With the new Schwab Teen Investor Account, teens can gain hands-on investing experience. It's co-owned by you and your teen, so you can monitor the account while your teen learns how to invest and manage money. Learn more at Schwab.com.