What do you know, Wildlings? It’s the 22nd episode of Wild Interest! Join us on our quest as we interview quantum physicist Dr. Shohini Ghose about the history of her quark-y field and her own personal journey of discovery along the path! Then, ready your blindfolds and prep your palettes – it’s time for another installment of Feeding Ben Stuff, featuring Louise! Plus, Nichole shares a special report about the 2026 World Cup and all the enchanting soccer cheers from around the globe. Finally, we pay tribute to the late, great Dr. Jeff Meldrum, renowned anthropologist, professor, and lifelong Bigfoot researcher by returning to the very first Cryptid Corner EVER! 

And, we’ve got a super special new segment called “We Made It All Up!”, an improvised storytelling collaboration between three different schools from across the US! Starting the story off are 6th graders from Rocky Heights Middle School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. They passed their part of the story to 8th graders at Rocky Heights, who then sent all their recordings to the 5th graders at St. Veronica Catholic School in Cincinnati, Ohio! Finally, our Penpal by Podcast collaborators, the 5th grade class at Crow Agency Elementary in Crow Agency, Montana, brought the whole made-up journey to an end! 

Not to mention some hilarious jokes and one doozy of a riddle. So grab a snack, tell a friend, stay curious and, as always: keep it WILD!!!

Parents: visit our website to help your kids contribute jokes or favorite sounds, or to send us a message.

Timestamps for this episode are available below.

00:00 - Episode 22 Intro
01:27 - Dr. Shohini Ghose
11:19 - Riddle Clue
11:34 - World Cup Fever!
16:49 - Favorite Sound
18:06 - Call for Submissions!
18:34 - Feeding Ben Stuff: Louise's Turn
28:18 - Joke Time
29:10 - We Made It All Up!
32:56 - Grandparent Stories: Nichole's Grandma
44:05 - Cryptid Corner: Bigfoot with Dr. Jeff Meldrum
53:12 - Riddle Answer
53:30 - Preview of Episode 23
53:42 - Credits + Call for Reviews + Word of Mouth!
54:13 - Bloopers

For more quality content from students at Rocky Heights Middle School and St. Veronica Catholic School, check out 2025 NPR Student Podcast Middle School Honorable Mentions “A Late Start Would Be Smart”, “Are You Smarter Than AI?”, “Mystery Unknown!”, and “The Flaws of School – Should Schools be Improved to Fit Students’ Needs?”

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