30 Minute Expert: Recent Episodes
Kathryn Feeney and Zack Radvanksy
Join co-hosts Zack and Katie as they learn about a different topic every week. Real-life couple Zack Radvansky and Kathryn Feeney are two curious individuals who love learning. Although Katie is in her third year of law school and Zack didn't go to college, they never run out of fascinating things to learn about together. In this podcast, every episode Katie challenges Zack to "become an expert" on a totally random topic - but the catch is, he only has 30 minutes to do it. Using the power of the internet, and a little humor and love, Zack and Katie want to prove that no matter who you are, or how much education you have, anyone can learn about anything in the world if they put their mind to it.
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an expert on... Daylight Saving Time! We just endured the clock change here in the US this weekend and it was not fun. So we figured why not find out why we do this in the first place! And it's an interesting story that has way more to do with wars and way less to do with farmers than we thought. Daylight Saving (note saving, not savings) Time as we know it has only been around since basically 2007. What the heck?! AND who do we have thank for the specific dates chosen? The candy industry?? The answer is yes. Seriously, this one may sound dry, but it is far from it. We had lots of fun and hope you do too :)
And now, an announcement: We are at episode 100!! Woo hoo! We couldn't have done it without all of you. And with that exciting achievement comes another announcement: we are taking a hiatus from the podcast! We are so incredibly grateful to each and every one of you for sticking with us and listening in... We started this as a fun idea to get us through the depths of lockdown COVID times in 2020, and here we are two years later still going strong. We didn't know how long we'd go with it, but we are pretty proud to have gotten to 100 episodes. Don't completely forget about us, because we may be back! But for now, we say so long and thank you so so so much.
Highlights Include:
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How long it takes chickens to adjust to daylight saving time
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Two states who have never done daylight saving time!
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What does Benjamin Franklin have to do with daylight saving time??
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an expert on... Peanut Butter! It's a simple food, but it has an interesting and fun-filled history. Although peanut butter might make you think of George Washington Carver, he actually did not invent peanut butter! But he did come up with lots of other uses for peanuts. Peanut butter has its roots in Aztec and Incan civilizations, but became popular in America in the early 1900s. And now we can't get enough of the stuff!
Highlights Include:
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The number of peanuts in one jar of peanut butter
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How peanut butter and jelly first met
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How many PB&Js the average American kid eats
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And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an expert on... Sound Baths! We live in LA, so we've heard about sound baths a lot, but never really knew what they were. And turns out, they are super cool! If you are a sound bath skeptic, take it up with ancient peoples from over 40,000 years ago (!) because that's how long sound therapy has been used by humans. From Australian aboriginals to ancient Greeks and Tibetans, ancient cultures knew what was up with the healing powers of sound. Sound Baths are relaxing, healing, and accessible basically to all - even if it means a simple YouTube search and laying on your own couch for a while. So zen out and let this episode be a sound bath of its own!
Highlights Include:
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The oldest topic yet!
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Sound Bath etiquette
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The healing powers of a cat's purr
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
Hey experts! This week Katie is taking the Bar exam and she needed to focus... So we're doing a little review for you too! Here's one of our favorite episodes on a topic we all could stand to know more about. Send good vibes to Katie and all Bar takers across the country this week while you learn about how our this weird aspect of our government works!
In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an expert on... Curling! Have you been watching the Olympics? Because we have, and naturally, we're very into curling. But we didn't understand the first thing about it! So we decided to learn. Curling, one of the world's oldest team sports, is pretty fascinating. There's some very complicated physics involved - research at your own risk - but other than that it's pretty accessible. From 16th century Scotland to 202's Beijing Olympic games, curling hs quite the history,
Highlights Include:
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Lots of fun and funny terms
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Ugly but effective shoes
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The Spirit of Curling
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an expert on... Super Bowl Commercials! We decided to get in the spirit of the season before the Big Game on Sunday and learn about the freakin' racket that is Super Bowl Commercials. We talk 1984 Apple, the Budweiser frogs, Betty White in Snickers, and more. Mostly this is a lot of - can you believe how much a 30 second ad cost in that year?? - talk, but it is fun.
Highlights Include:
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The great merger of the AFL and NFL
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Ridley Scott directing an Apple commercial
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Lots of tangents
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an expert on... Jell-O! Jell-O is a topic that is near and dear to our hearts, for a reason we disclose at the end of the episode! And it did not disappoint. Gelatin-based foods may date back to the 10th century, but modern day Jell-O has all of its roots in dear old New York State. Jell-O has had its ups and downs over the years, including a very successful campaign with a famous comedian who shall not be named, but we find overall it's a big up. And do yourselves a favor and check out @jelloambassador on instagram. You will be very happy you did.
Highlights Include:
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New York State: The Jelly Belt?
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Utah: Actually the Jell-O State!
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Disgusting Jell-O "salads"
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an expert on... Quicksand! We took a cue from our last episode and decided to clear up another great fear from childhood. Because who didn't see that scene in Princess Bride and decide that someday they too would step into a pit in a forest never to be seen again?! But here's the thing - according to expert Zack, a human being cannot sink fully into and die from quicksand! What a relief! understanding why entails some discussion of viscosity and density of torsos, but it's not too technical. Overall, this was a super fun conversation that included some real relief.
Highlights Include:
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Another trope! This time of 1960s cinema
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How to escape quicksand if you're ever caught in it
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An appeal to Fat Joe
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an expert on... Spontaneous Human Combustion! We're back and we're back with a bang! If you're like us, you were very worried about spontaneously bursting into flames throughout most of your childhood, but haven't thought about it much since. What was up with that? Well we find out in this episode. The truth is, probably not much was up with it, and most instances of spontaneous human combustion can be explained by a combination of alcohol and smoking. But it's still a super weird phenomenon, and pretty gross when you look into it.
Highlights Include:
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Spontaneous Human Combustion: A 19th century literary trope
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Lots of disembodied feet
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Stereotyping the Irish
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
Friends, dear listeners, stranger who so kindly support us... we needed one more week! And let's be honest, you probably need to brush up on your knowledge of the Constitution anyway. So basically, you're welcome! Learn about the supreme law of the land in the United States!
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
Happy New Year! Seems like a lot of people were ready to say good riddance to 2021 and we are too. Yay 2022! For our final holiday best of episode, we are giving you a refresher on Watergate! The scandal that rocked America and ended Nixon's presidency. Scandals! Presidencies! Maybe a good topic for this time of year... Watergate has consistently been a top episode of ours, and we hope it's both entertaining and informing. Enjoy! And then, let's have the best year yet!
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
Next up in our Holiday Best Of line-up: Tarot Cards! This is another of our most downloaded (and most enjoyed!) episodes, and for good reason. Tarot Cards are fascinating, and often misunderstood, topic. And when better to brush up on your fortune-telling mechanisms than right before the new year. You can get a tarot reading to see what the new year has in store, or make a resolution to pick up a new hobby and learn to read tarot yourself! Either way, enjoy this fun exploration with us! And Happy New Year!
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
Happy Holidays Everyone! We are taking a vacation and decided to run three of our favorites for you while we are resting and relaxing. First up: Chess! We loved this topic when we first did it, and since then Katie has taken it upon herself to teach Zack how to play chess! And now we are addicted. Also, we recently (finally) watched The Queen's Gambit on Netflix - highly recommend! Do like we did - listen to this episode, then learn chess, then play it a lot, then binge the series. Spoiler alert - the "queen's gambit" is a chess opening! Surprisingly not some kind of conspiracy involving the royal family. Enjoy!
In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an expert on... The North Pole! We figured this was a fun seasonal topic. We broke it into three parts for your listening pleasure: the science, the history, and the Santa. So sit back, relax, and prop your feet up in front of the fire while learning about what the north pole really is (geographic vs. magnetic), who really discovered it (Peary? Or no!), and why Santa chose to live there (and how we know about it).
Highlights Include:
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Historical drama!! Who was the first to reach the North pole?
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A wobbling axis
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Why Santa Lives at the North Pole!
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an expert on... Who Really Wrote Shakespeare's Plays! William Shakespeare, that is! The man, the myth, the legend! Emphasis on myth here, because we dove into whether Shakespeare actually wrote all of the writing attributed to him! Zack dove into three big Shakespiracies -the Oxfordian theory, the Baconian theory, and the Marlovian theory. As much as we generally poo poo-ed these ideas, you have to respect how intense and powerful the names sound. Whether Shakespeare's plays were actually written by Edward de Vere, Sir Francis Bacon, Christopher Marlowe, or William Shakespeare himself, this was a really fun ride and an interesting conspiracy the ponder!
Highlights Include:
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A faked death?!
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Lost years (due to twins)
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A Mark Twain cameo
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an expert on... Oak Island! Wow this turned out to be our longest episode yet, because it's filled with PASSION! We love this topic, as you can tell from the fact that Zack (who did not do any research) chimes in throughout and is just about as knowledgeable as Katie (the professed expert). Just in case you don't know,Oak Island is a tiny island in Canada off the coast of Nova Scotia that may have the greatest treasure in human history buried on it!! Okay, got excited there again. But really, the mystery of Oak Island is fascinating, if you will just give it a chance. We pretty much poo-poo the curse idea (that 7 must die before the treasure can be found), but other than that we are on board. And with ll of amazing finds Rick and Marty Lagina have across across in the past several years, how could you not be?? This episode is basically an hour-long advertisement for the History Channel show, so if you like this at all, please go watch that. All new episodes this fall!
Highlights Include:
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The Curse of Oak Island
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Blackbeard hiding treasure from Satan
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The 90-foot-stone used for leather beating
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an expert on... SPAM! It's What's for Dinner! It is what's for dinner here tonight because, let me tell you, you can't learn all about SPAM and then not eat it for dinner that night. It's a fascinating tale! And SPAM is not the chemical-based processed meat byproduct that many of us think it is. SPAM fed countless soldiers all over the world in World War II, and even fed the civilians who were at home with less than complete supply chains. Lots of cultures have made SPAM a household item, and you can even find beautifully packaged gift boxes of SPAM for your loved ones in South Korea. Get on the SPAM train and fry it up with us!
Highlights Include:
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Austin, (wait for it) Minnesota!
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the Waikiki SPAM Jam
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Pumpkin Spice SPAM
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an expert on... Maple Syrup! Starting with some fun Native American legends! Maybe a chief threw an axe at a tree, maybe some youths copied a squirrel, or maybe a god was mad at all the laziness he saw - whatever it was, thank goodness they discovered it. Although the process has changed significantly over the years, the method remains the same - get some sap, boil it down, and end up with some of the most delicious stuff you've ever tasted. Next time, go for the good stuff and treat yourself to some real maple syrup.
Highlights Include:
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Squirrels snacking
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Boiling sap with hot stones
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40 gallons of sap for one gallon of syrup
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an expert on... Marathons! We watched the LA Marathon run essentially past our front door the morning we recorded, so it was a natural topic. not to mention there were several other major marathons that day across the country! So how did marathons start and why are they 26.2 miles? We had to find out. As usual, it was an interesting run through history, making stops in Greece, England, and Boston along the way. Some good old fashioned sexism in there as well - women couldn't run the marathon in the Olympics for 88 years! But all in all, marathon runners are super impressive no matter what their finish time. Next time there's a marathon near you, go out there with some extra knowledge from this podcast and cheer! Or even better, run it yourself!
Highlights Include:
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English royals getting their way (as usual)
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Lots of questionable pronunciations
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The oldest American marathon
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an expert on... Vampires! We recorded on Halloween, so we had to get one more spooky topic in. And this turned out to be a great one! Some history, some lore, and some gore - what more could we ask for? From real-life figures in history, like Mercy Brown, to larger than life characters like Count Dracula, vampires are an interesting and diverse bunch. More terrifying than interesting was real-life 15th century Romanian ruler Vlad Dracul, aka Vlad the Impaler, whose nickname was rather on the nose. Some of this is gross! But we provide warnings. Maybe the legend of vampires is due to one too many rabid humans running around in medieval Europe. Or, maybe vampires are real. Regardless, we can all agree that we love Edward from Twilight. Or Jacob. I forget which one is which.
Highlights Include:
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Vlad the Impaler's dinner customs
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Diseases that mimic vampirism
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A 19th century American vampire
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an expert on... Halloween! While it may feel like pandering to the audience, really, when would you more want to learn about Halloween more than right now? And it turns out, it's a really fun and interesting topic to learn about! Get ready for some Celt history, how to pronounce Samhain, and the very disturbing origin of the word "bonfire." Samhain is a fascinating ancient festival celebrating the ed of summer, the harvest, and the thinning of the veil between the living and the dead. We learned about soul cakes, turnip lanterns, eras of vandalism and so much more. Why not get a little primer on where Halloween comes from before putting on your costume, marching in your town's parade and gorging on candy this year? It's sure to be a spoooooky time!
Highlights Include:
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Half a billion spent on pet costumes!
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The origins of the word Halloween
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The legend of Stingy Jack and his legacy of Jack-O-Lanterns!
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an expert on... Oktoberfest! The world's biggest festival! This was a really fun one. Just full of joy and celebration and food and drink - exactly what you want to kick off the fall. Sometimes, when you have a really successful royal wedding, it turns into a 200-year long celebration that only gets better as the years pass. And turns out that most of the people who attend Oktoberfest are Germans - specifically, Bavarians. So if the locals go there, you know it's good. After hearing about the parade, and the games, and the 1.5 second pours of beer, we are dying to attend.
Highlights Include:
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6 million attendees!
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7.3 million liters of beer!
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Tents that fit 10 thousand people!
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an expert on... The Tour de France! We knew the Tour de France was a bike race, and we knew it was in France, but boy, we did not know much else! Did you know the course changes every year? That participants have to be excellent at biking on flat, hilly, AND mountain terrain?? That they have to bike over 2,000 miles in like 20 days??? It was exhausting to learn about, and probably even more exhausting to do. But it was really interesting and, like most things, had some really fun origins and facts to delve into. For instance, did you know the Tour de France was started as a way to increase newspaper circulation for a paper called L'Auto?? Of course you didn't! That kind of gem and more in this episode. Just don't expect Lance Armstrong content! Because Katie did not research him, the whole doping scandal was more info than this episode could contain, and he is generally expunged. But ride on and listen to learn about the Tour de France!!!
Highlights Include:
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Lots of cheating
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Millions of Spectators!
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An un-investigated google search about poop
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an expert on... Henna aka Mehndi! This was a Katie personal pick because of a recent experience, and maybe we need to do more like that because it was so fun! Henna, aka Mehndi, was so fun to get done, and then just as fun to learn about. Rarely do you come across cultural practices that are so old, and run through so many varied cultures. And rarely does one word have so many meanings! Henna can be a plant, a dye, or a temporary tattoo on your skin, but it is always interesting.
Highlights Include:
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The difference between Henna and Mehndi
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Cleopatra wore henna!
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A big lie about cow poop
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an expert on... Gummy Bears! Okay, so this was a tough week and Katie totally copped out and let Zack ick his own topic, so naturally we landed on... gummy bears. But as with most things in life, if you take a close look at them, they turn out to be interesting! As was the case with gummy bears. Some World War II in there, some circus bears of the early 1900s, this tale has got it all. And we promise to find some vegan gummy bears for all you vegans out there, so look out for that! This is just a nice relaxing one, guys. Enjoy.
Highlights Include:
- Predecessors to gummy bears, including wine gums
- Zack names all the Haribo flavors from memory
- Gummy Bears wrapping around the world ten times
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an expert on... Hip-Hop! Yup, I said a hip, hop, the hippie, the hippie, to the hip hip-hop, and you don't stop the rock it to the bang-bang, boogie say "up jump" the boogie to the rhythm of the boogie, the beat. Thanks, The Sugar Hill Gang for that fabulous intro. Hip-Hop is more than just a music genre, it's a culture and a movement. And it all started at one party in the South Bronx in the early 70s with an innovative young man called DJ Kool Herc. We thought this was a really fun topic and a pumpkin' episode. Hopefully it will inspire you to listen to some old school hip-hop, as well as more modern rap, adn think about the people and events that came before.
Highlights Include:
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A party that changed the future of music!
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The Four Pillars of Hip-Hop
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A tangent on the Happy Birthday song
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an expert on... Bungee Jumping! This was a wild one! Get ready to search youtube for videos of vine jumping on Pentecost Island. It's always fun when a modern fad is based in an established culture, and that's what we found here. Why do they vine jump? Is it to thank the gods for an abundance of yams? Or to make sure that abused wives can never get away again? We're sticking with the first one. As for modern bungee jumping, we can all thank AJ Hackett - a New Zealander who still holds the record for longest ever bungee jump. We thought this was a really fun, daring episode. Come bounce along with us!
Highlights Include:
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Recap of the movie Mulan
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Little kids vine jumping (so brave!)
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RIP Trevor
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an expert on... The Empire State Building! As you'll hear in the intro, the construction story is pretty interesting. Turns out this interesting story ended up being a lot of pettiness on the part of grown-men builders as they strove to out-do each other and claim the tallest building on earth. Spoiler alert: they did! Well, the Empire State Building guys did. Not so much for Mr. Chrysler or the dudes at 40 Wall Street. This episode is full of mind-blowing facts about the building and its construction. They don't do it like this anymore!
Highlights Include:
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20 extra floors!
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A forty-floor elevator drop
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Zack and Katie ragging on construction in their building
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an expert on... The La Brea Tar Pits! If you live in LA, you've probably seen or at least smelled the La Brea Tar pits at some point. For those who don't know - these are pits of tar, right smack in the middle of Los Angeles. Like, there's a Walgreens and an IHOP and then Boom! Tar Pits! Outta nowhere. What you might not realize is that these random pits of smelly black goo house an incredible wealth of historic artifacts. Scientists have found tons of remnants of long-extinct plants, animals, and insects in this area. This was a really cool topic to learn about. Next time you are headed to the Grove, maybe swing by the Tar Pits on your way and learn about some ancient California history!
Highlights Include:
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Tar is actually asphalt?!?
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The meaning of "La Brea"
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Ancient dust stuck in tar
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an expert on... Yetis! AKA, Abominable Snowmen! We figured, it's pretty hot, so let's talk about some cold snow-beasts. And it did the trick! We are both cooled off and a little scared actually... Because now we believe in Yetis! Maybe not really, but you gotta listen to the sherpas on mount Everest, don't you? And when the sherpas tell tales of Yetis, and a guy in 1951 takes a picture of a Yeti footprint, and Zack has a recovered memory of FOOTAGE OF YETIS... you believe. All jokes aside, this was really interesting folklore to learn about. And who knows! Maybe there are some Yetis out there. I hope they subscribe to 30 Minute Expert.
Highlights Include:
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Translation Error = Filthy Snowman
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Real Yeti Footprints!
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Bigfoot footage narrated
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an expert on... Surfing! First of all, thanks for the break! Hope you guys enjoyed those couple of throwbacks -they were two of our favorites. Now school is back in session (for Katie, at least), and we are back to our regularly scheduled programming! But we still wanted to keep the summer feel going, so we learned all about surfing. As Zack mentions, he focused on the history and cultural roots of surfing, and it was a good choice. We learned all about surfing's roots, from ancient Peru to less ancient Hawaii. Of course, there were some dark spots in this story, including colonization bringing disease and a really top-notch racist dude named Alexander Hume. But outside of that, it was a fun and wild ride. Come ride the waves with us and learn about a really radical aspect of native Hawaiian culture!
Highlights Include:
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20-foot-long solid wood surfboards
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Surfing at the Olympics
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Lots of digs at people named William Anderson!
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
This episode we are giving ourselves a little summer break and throwing it back to one of our favorites, Banksy! Happy Summer Everyone!
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Banksy! Who is Banksy? Okay, we didn't actually figure out Banksy's true identity in this episode, but we did learn a whole lot about the anonymous street artist. In today's world, it's pretty rare to maintain true anonymity in spite of worldwide fame, but somehow Banksy has managed it. This is a really visual episode for obvious reasons, so definitely check out our instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast to see all of the cool works of art Zack so eloquently describes. Including: A teddy bear throwing a molotov cocktail! Princess Diana on English currency! Steve Jobs as a Syrian migrant! And more! Banksy has a lot to say, and a really creative way of saying it. Whether he's Mr. Brainwash, Robert Del Naja from Massive Attack, Jamie Hewlett of the Gorillaz, or random man Robin Gunnigham, he's an impressive and always surprising fellow. Fight the power along with him (and us) and listen!
Highlights include:
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A Spontaneously Shredded $1.37 Million-Dollar Work of Art
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Original Banksys on sale for $60 at a hot dog stand
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Banksy's TRUE IDENTITY (just kidding)
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvansky
This episode we are giving ourselves a little summer break and throwing it back to one of our favorites, Kintsugi! Happy Summer Everyone! Have fun and appreciate your flaws :)
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an expert on... Kintsugi! What is kintsugi, you may ask? Zack did too! Join Zack and Katie in learning about the Japanese practice of repairing broken pottery with gold, and maybe learn to appreciate your own flaws along the way. Self-love. Kintsugi style.
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... The Butterfly Effect! This is a complicated one, but ultimately satisfying. If you've ever wondered whether a tiny decision in your life led to massive changes and unforetold differences, this episode will NOT clear that up for you, but it will certainly try. A math mistake in a weather simulation in the 1960s made Edward Norton Lorenz ask, does the flap of a butterfly's wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas? And everyone RAN with it. However, pretty sure they ran with the opposite of what he meant. He more wanted us to think about how random and unpredictable nature is, not to question whether or not you should have asked your crush to prom. What he was going for is the basis of Chaos Theory. Chaos Theory: Not just a Ryan Reynolds movie. Speaking of movies, lots of movie references in this one. There's a movie called the Butterfly Effect, with Ashton Kutcher, and a butterfly-effect-y movie called Sliding Doors, which may or may not star Gwenyth Paltrow. As we always say, do your own research!
Highlights Include:
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Hypo that Zack and Katie are future monarchs
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Fractals! Chaos Theory!
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A pronunciation-fest of the word "meteorological"
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Publisher's Clearing House! What a random topic, but it turned out super fun. In fact, Zack puts it in his top three episodes of ALL TIME. So I wouldn't skip it. If you aren't American, or are like 12, you may not know what this is. But rest assured, you will know by the end of this episode! Direct Sales! Sweepstakes! Giant Checks! Ed McMahon? It's all here. Except Ed McMahon, who is a figment of the Mandela Effect (shoutout a couple weeks ago). A little bit predatory, a little bit fun, PCH is a truly American brand.
Highlights Include:
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Deep dive into asteroid strikes
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Evel Knievel-style business strategies
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Katie's fear of attics
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Taxidermy! If you are grossed out right now, then you know how she felt! But it ended up being a lot more interesting, historical, and environmentally-inclined of a topic than we anticipated. Taxidermy has its roots in Ancient Egypt, as well as in the practices of ancient Europeans as well as Native Americans through today. We did a brief run through how it actually works (nothing too upsetting, we promise), but focused on the history of taxidermy and its impact on society.
Highlights Include:
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A mummified hippo!
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A Croc hanging from the ceiling of a cathedral!
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A very false take on modern Minneapolis taxidermy-ing women
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Fireworks! How did we come up with this idea? Oh, maybe because they've been going off non-stop for the past week! As we learned, fireworks have been a part of celebrating our country's independence since the first anniversary of the singing of the Declaration of Independence, which is pretty cool. Makes those 2am explosions have some significance, you know? If you've ever wondered how on earth fireworks work, this one's for you. We learned where the colors come from, where the shapes come from, how they get up there in the sky in the first place, etc. Now, we are truly experts. And, we got a nice history lesson along with it. Travel to ancient China with us, learn about the beginning of gunpowder and the beautiful pyrotechnic displays that have come from it.
Highlights Include:
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Exploding Bamboo!
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"Cross-section" of a firework
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Biggest ever Fireworks show? Philippines, 2016
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And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Roller-coasters! Hang on to your hats, kids! Literally, if you are on a roller-coaster, and figuratively if you are listening to this episode because it is one wild ride. Roller-coasters have such a fun history, and continue to be fun today. We went to 16th-century Russia to ride some ice-slides with Catherine the Great, Coney Island to see the creations of the father of the roller-coaster himself, La Marcus Thompson, and ended up on the tallest of all - Kingda Ka in none other than Jackson, New Jersey. Roller-coasters prove that you can have a total blast just using the simple laws of physics. Just consult your retina doctor before you whip around on all those twists and turns!
Highlights Include:
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From 1 to 149 in under 5 seconds
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Roller-coaster riding mules
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A demand from Walt Disney
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Stonehenge! This may be the oldest topic we've ever covered here on #0 Minute Expert, because man, that thing is old! Stonehenge is still very much a mystery, but very smart scientists and archaeologists are pretty sure (and convinced us) that Stonehenge dates to as early as 4,200 B.C. WOW! Also, it was likely built in stages over 1,500 years - talk about contractors taking a long time to get the job done! Unfortunately Zack could not solve the mystery, but we did explore options including: temple? burial ground? place for human sacrifice? As well as the strong possibilities that it was built by and for Merlin the wizard and/or aliens. Next year, let's all meet at Stonehenge to celebrate the summer solstice and see what all the fuss is about.
Highlights Include:
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50,000 pound 30 foot stones
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Druids!
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Good old fashioned "maybe aliens did it"
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... The Rosetta Stone! Not the software that teaches you Spanish, we covered that in the intro. But the real Rosetta Stone! The ancient granite slab that finally allowed modern humans to understand what was written in ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphics. Who knew there was another ancient Egyptian system of writing called "Demotic"? Probably some smart people and definitely lots of archaeologists, but not us. We were floored. It took two men over 20 years to finally crack the code of the Rosetta Stone - only to learn that it's just a love fest for some dude named Ptolemy. Just kidding, Ptolemy seems pretty cool, but that just might be me falling for the propaganda that is the message of the Rosetta Stone. But all in all, pretty cool that we can finally read hieroglyphics and learn more about the incredible civilizations of the ancient Egyptians. PS - to the British Museum -- give the Rosetta Stone back!!!
Highlights Include:
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1100 to 1600 lbs??
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A hieroglyphic - emoji comparison
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Ranting at the British Museum!
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Nudism! Or, as we learned it should be referred to, Naturalism! If you've ever wondered what it might be like to spend all your days sans clothes, this is the one for you. We learned about the intention/philosophy/mentality behind nudism, and you know what? It's pretty peaceful. Lots of retirees embracing themselves and the simplicity of life. You can purchase a one-day pass to a bunch of nudist spas across the country, so maybe go check it out. If you are feelin' breezy.
Highlights Include:
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The American League of Physical Culture
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Single women price: $30. Single man price? $175
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"Clothing Optional" (Obvs)
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... H.P. Lovecraft! Okay, "expert" is always a stretch, but it's a big one here. It's hard to learn about a person's whole life in 30 minutes, especially when that person wrote over 70 stories, over 100,000 letters, and inspired countless metal bands, games, and works of literature. Lovecraft even has a whole subgenre of horror named after him. "Lovecraftian" works are likely to be horrific, full of monsters and fear of the unknown, and to leave you feeling full of terror and despair - nice! Really this man was not a ray of sunshine by any means. Katie describes him as a "creepy racist vampire that wrote freaky-deaky stuff" at the end of the episode and that's pretty spot on. This dude was traumatized by a childhood full of death and nervous breakdowns, and then turned that trauma into some of the most world-class racism we'd ever heard of. This guy hated everybody! So when you consume Lovecraft, keep in mind that the man himself had some pretty horrifying beliefs, that could very well explain why he was so scared of the world and saw enemies and monsters everywhere.
Highlights Include:
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Lots of long winded quotes
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Lots of mispronunciations of "Cthulhu"
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Lots of poor explanations of separating the "artist from the art"
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And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Earthquakes! Fun fact - Zack is taking Geography this semester, so he was already a bit of an exert on the subject before his 30 minutes study period! But he became even more of an expert for us and for that, we are grateful. So let's shake, rattle and roll our way to tectonic brilliance. Zack schools us on the three different types of tectonic plate movement and explains why the kind that the San Andreas fault is is the most dangerous and potentially devastating (of course). But knowledge is power. We learned about the richter scale and how wild its valuation is, and confirmed that we experienced a 7.1 back in July of 2019! Wow. Crazy times. This might not be the happiest episode ever, since earthquakes can be incredibly devastating, but it was interesting. Stay safe out there, kids. Protect your heads!
Highlights Include:
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Tsunamis
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The biggest earthquake ever
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Katie's tips on how to protect yourself during an earthquake
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... The Mandela Effect! First of all, guess what?! This is 30 Minute Expert's One Year Anniversary! That's right, we've been at it for one whole year. Very proud to have made it this far - thank you so much to everyone who has listened and supported us. We did it! Back to scheduled programming: The Mandela Effect! If you thought the Berenstain Bears were the Berenstein Bears, or that Darth Vader said "Luke, I am your father," or that Tom Cruise wore sunglasses in that underwear scene in Risky Business, then you know what this is. It's when a group of people all share the same false memory, and really really believe it is true. The phenomenon is coined after a collectively shared false memory that Nelson Mandela died while in prison in the 1980s. This is completely untrue, yet thousands of people online all have the same memory of it happening. Why?! There are plenty of brain/memory related scientific explanations for it, including priming, post-event influences, and just the creation of false memories in general (look up Ronald Cotton's story!). But the explanation also could be a multiverse issue, time travellers messing things up, or plain out Satanic action. Pick what pleases you and stay for all the examples at the end. We love you! Keep listening!
Highlights Include:
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Somehow got to String Theory
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Purple giraffes tap dancing
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Mayer, Froot, SHAZAM!
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Vanilla! The plant, the spice, the flavor, we cover it all. And, at the risk/certainty of making a very embarrassing and overdone joke, there is nothing "vanilla" about vanilla. Vanilla is the second-most expensive spice in the world (after saffron). It has to be hand-pollinated using a method discovered by a 12-year-old boy enslaved on an island off Madagascar. And the flower blooms for one day before it dies, a la Dennis the Menace, so if you miss that one day, you're out of luck - hence, the second-most expensive spice ever. It all starts with a fascinating legend from the Totonac people, which involves a princess and murder. Come along to Tahiti, Madagascar, and Indonesia! And stick around 'til the end for Thomas Jefferson's recipe for french vanilla ice cream brought directly from France!
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... The Panama Canal! The Suez Canal got a lot of press earlier this year, so we thought the Panama Canal deserved some attention. Building the Panama Canal was a ten-year endeavor, and was extremely complicated, but (from our humble perspective) appears to have been worth it. Thousands of container ships use this shortcut now every year - a shortcut that cuts 8,000 miles off of a trip from the east to west coast of the United States. We can thank Teddy Roosevelt and the Panamanian rebels for the possibility of the canal, which the Colombians were not so hot on. The land and operation of the Panama Canal is back in the hands of Panama now, since 2000. Does it cost one million dollars to cross it or six thousand? We don't know. Hard to say. As will all internet research, the answers vary, but the overall gist is that this was a huge undertaking and remains an impressive feat today.
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Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Did England Send Convicts to Australia? Answer: Yes it did! This was a fascinating look into a really dark part of history. England only sent convicts to Australia because it couldn't send them to the Americas anymore, because duh, the Revolutionary War. We don't want your tea or your convicts anymore! And the hulks - the ships-turned-prisons floating in harbors in England - were full (plus everyone on them was dying of typhoid and cholera). Man, this was a rough one! Between 70-year-old ladies being shipped across the world and sentenced to 7 years in prison for stealing a wheel of cheese, to hundreds of thousands of indigenous Australians being decimated by smallpox and colonization, not a lot to smile about in this one. But it's good to learn about history. Why? So we don't repeat it, of course!
Highlights Include:
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160,000 convicts sent to Australia from England
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1 in 5 Australians are descended from convicts
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The oldest indigenous population in the world outside of Africa
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Catnip! That sprinkly stuff that makes the cats go wild! We figured, if there's something you regularly give your pets, why not understand it a little better? This was a fun one - simple to understand, and fun to picture all of those kitties having fun. Listen to hear Katie try and pronounce "nepetalactone" and to hear Zack get real uncomfortable with the more mature aspects of catnip's effects. You can grow catnip yourself - and even make some tea for you if your cat happens to be one of the 20-40% of cats who aren't into catnip. So chill out, relax, and dive into some catnip with us!
Highlights Include:
- Even big cats - aka lions, tigers, etc. - also love catnip!
- Catnip alternatives: Silver Vine and Valerian Root
- A Cat Tony Montana
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Dutch Tulip Mania! First of all, what is "Dutch," amirite? If you've ever wondered what the difference is between Holland, Amsterdam, and The Netherlands, this episode will clear all of that up for you. Great. Now that that's out of the way, what does tulip mania have to do with them? Turns out that tulips were at the center of the first financial "bubble" ever! Caveat - maybe. There's a lot of myth hyping up this story, but the story itself is pretty interesting nonetheless. Dutch people back in the day needed to latch on to a fad to show off how cool and rich they were, and tulips were just the thing. Think: housing market, dot com, and beanie babies, and you've got it. Was tulip mania as insane and devastating as the lore likes to make it out to be? Maybe not. But it's still a super interesting story, and a good lesson for all of us to learn. Should have read about this before I spent all my savings on pogs in the 90s.
Highlights Include:
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A Gordon Gekko Reference
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An explanation of what "the Netherlands" is
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$3,000 tulips!
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Matches! Uh huh, those little cardboard or wooden sticks you use to light things on fire. Hopefully not a lot of things, but candles, maybe! Zack thought he knew that matches were invented after lighters, and he was right! For being such a handy little gadget, matches did not come around until late in the game of humanity. Probably because there are some seriously dangerous chemicals involved, and we were not ready to handle them. Ancient China (I'm talking 5th century A.D.) had little sticks soaked in sulfur, but it wasn't until the 1820s that we had anything resembling the self-lighting matches that we know today. of course, there's a dark side - hence the highlighted "phossy jaw" below, which, please, don't say we didn't warn you not to image search. But overall, matches are an exciting little topic that really sparked our imagination!
Highlights Include:
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Dr. Teutonicus and his putrefied pee
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Another happy accident invention!
-
Phossy jaw... don't google it
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Pheromones! Okay, you know you want to listen to this one. It's a highway to scoring a hot date in the post-pandemic world, right? Well, pump the brakes for a minute, because we've got good news and bad news. The good news is pheromones are totally real, and are present in most of the animal world (for sure moths and goldfish, the gold standard of animal traits). It's almost certain that humans have pheromones as well - however, we haven't isolated the molecule that constitutes them yet. So next time you see an instagram ad pop up telling you to buy this bottle of pheromones to ensure that you're crawling with hunnies in no time, pride yourself in the fact that you know better. Unless you're trying to make friends with a pig because, you might be successful there.
Highlights Include:
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German man named Adolf does something good!
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A truly offensive experiment on some Pennsylvania women
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Greek Dogs and Ancient Bees
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... The Bermuda Triangle! Wow. This is an episode for the ages. The Bermuda Triangle! What the heck is it? It's a triangle, first of all, but it's so much more. Or, it's nothing, if you're gonna believe what the Navy has to say about it (smh). Weird stuff has been happening in the Bermuda Triangle since Shakespeare's time apparently, and even Chris Columbus, that fool, had an experience with it. Here's the thing - weird stuff has happened there. Lots of ships and planes that disappear without a trace. Can environmental factors account for all of it? Maybe, if you factor in rogue waves, hurricanes, and methane gas bubble eruptions (ew). Or, maybe it's a tear in the space-time continuum. Either way, it's a super fun ride. Come fly and sail with us straight into the heart of the Bermuda Triangle!
Highlights Include:
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Aliens!
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Atlantis!
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This whole thing's highlights!
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... St. Patrick! Every once in a while we like to give you a timely episode, and this is one! Before you all celebrate in COVID-friendly ways like the good little experts you are, why not learn about the man you are getting drunk in honor of. This one takes us way way back to the 5th century (which is the 400s for those of us who have trouble with that). We move from Britain, to Ireland, back to Britain again, and lose no snakes in the process. St. Patrick may not have rid Ireland of snakes, but he did bring Christianity, and in turn encourage the Irish to stop enslaving people and warring so much, so I'd say that's a real win. Next time you see a shamrock, contemplate whether or not it helps you understand the concept of the Holy Trinity. And if it does, thank St. Patrick. This year, why not join in the millions of Irish and non-Irish Americans who increase cabbage sales by 70% and Guinness consumption 800% on March 17th every year. But don't drink and drive! Happy St. Paddy's Day!
Highlights Include:
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Two dreams from God himself!
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The first ever St. Patrick's Day Parade
-
Chicago's Green River
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Visual Agnosia, or The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat! Boom! Long Title! This one was a doozy! Whenever things get sciency up in here, we get a little nervous because it is not our personal forte. But the various disorders that fall under the umbrella of "agnosia" are so interesting and unknown, it was worth the deep dive. This episode was sparked by Katie's request to Zack that he let her know if he learned about a guy who thought his wife was a hat in psych class, and it turned into something great. We learned that there really was a man who mistook his wife for a hat, and the reason why we all know about him is because his neurologist wrote about him in a book. That man had visual agnosia - there's also auditory and tactile agnosia, and we get into them all. The brain is an incredible thing... and so much more delicate and complicated than we generally give it credit for! Also, if this episode isn't enough for you, you can watch an opera, a French play, an Indian play, and listen to a Scottish indie rock band album all based on "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat." Enjoy!
Highlights Include:
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Dr. P: The man who mistook his wife for a hat
-
Face Blindness explained!
-
Oliver Sacks's ironic twist of fate
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Dry Cleaning! Are you like us and just drop your clothes off at the dry cleaner and have no idea what they do with them? Then this episode is for YOU! Get educated on what happens to your most delicate fabrics in the magic that is dry cleaning. And wow, HUGE spoiler but, dry cleaning? It isn't dry. Crazy times!! It also isn't very environmentally friendly, but it's getting better. Dry cleaning is as old as the gross woolen togas the ancient Greeks wore, and even ties into an incredible story of Black American history. Also, we peppered in some solid advice for next time you need to get something dry cleaned (although some of it may have been funded by "big dry cleaning"). This was a really fun one, so we hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
Highlights Include:
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How spilling kerosene on a tablecloth was a happy accident!
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Green/Eco/Organic Dry Cleaning
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An incredible Black history story - from dry cleaning!
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Jackie Robinson! It's the last Monday in February, and we finally decided to celebrate Black History Month! Being a sports figure, Jackie Robinson had yet eluded Katie's knowledge base. So she made Zack learn about him and teach her! I think we all know that Jackie Robinson is a pretty incredible guy, but we were even more blown away and impressed than we expected to be. Talk about multi-talented! This guy could do it all: football, baseball, long-jump, you name it. And he was literally the best at everything. He still holds the record for the longest run from scrimmage ever - 99 yards! (That's the whole field!) His path to the MLB is exciting and upsetting, considering how much abuse he took from the public. But he really opened doors for generations to come. After an incredible career, Jackie was inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame - the first Black man to be so honored. After learning about him, it's easy to see that he truly earned all of the accolades that came his way - including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. We loved learning about Jackie Robinson. Celebrate Black History Month with us and listen!
Highlights Include:
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The unexpected link between Jackie Robinson and Pearl Harbor
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A real ally named "Branch"
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Three African-Americans played major league baseball before Jackie Robinson!
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln! Americans know "Honest Abe" as the 16th president, the guy on the $5 bill, and of course, the president responsible for the Emancipation Proclamation, which ended slavery in the US. Unfortunately, he's also known for being assassinated. Most people probably think they know how this story goes, but we were shocked to learn the whole truth! What was meant to be an enjoyable evening at the theatre turned into a day that will live in infamy. The killer, John Wilkes Booth, was a horrible guy. Duh. Turns out, though, that he was even worse than you think. Make sure you listen all the way until the end when we (thank you, USA Today!) dissect the eerie similarities between Lincoln and JFK.
Highlights Include:
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America's most famous actors of the 1860's
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An attempted kidnapping!
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Lots of "cool memorial" talk
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Diatoms! Boy is this episode a treat. Our guess is that most of you don't even know what a diatom is! But you will by the time we're through. Diatoms are, to quote from the episode, one of the largest and ecologically most significant groups of organisms on Earth. That's amazing! You might not be able to see these single-celled phytoplankton with your naked eye, but you surely can feel their impact. Considering anywhere from 25-50% of earth's oxygen comes from diatoms, we're pretty confident we can all breathe easier knowing these little guys are around. And, they're as important dead as they are alive! What do toothpaste, cat litter, and the pyramids have in common? Diatoms! Well, diatomaceous earth, but basically same thing. The last part of the episode was so thrilling, we can't possibly spoil it here. But there's a hint in the "Highlights Include," if you catch my drift. wink wink
Buy Betsy Franco Feeney's children's book about Diatoms, "Jewels of the Sea" here: https://www.betsyfrancofeeney.com/books
Highlights Include:
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Diatoms contribute more oxygen to the air than all of the rainforests combined!
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"Plantimals"
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The Amazon Rainforest is fertilized by the Sahara Desert?!
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Alexander the Great! Or should we say Alexander the Really Really Awful, because boy was he. Dang! He may have been tutored by Aristotle as an adolescent, but it doesn't seem like he picked up much wisdom. If you're into conquering, pillaging, burning this, and selling human beings into slavery, then Alexander might be your guy - as he is to Napoleon and Julius Cesar. Go figure. Although the breadth of his conquests may be impressive (again, if you're into that kind of thing), there isn't much to show for them. Aside from naming a bunch of places Alexandria (after himself, naturally) Alexander's reign falls a little flat.
Highlights Include:
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Alexander: Snake God?
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A mysterious death and lost burial site
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What finally beats his army? Rain!
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Mona Lisa! Who IS she, am I right?? Zack definitively answers this question... psych! Of course he doesn't, but he does posit some pretty fun theories. Whether Mona Lisa is Lisa Giacondo, the artist known as Salai, or Da Vinci himself, she is quite bewitching. There are a few fun surprises in Mona Lisa - her hands may have been painted twice! She has letters in her eyes! What a gal. And she may in fact owe her extreme level of fame to an Italian art thief who kept her out of the public eye for two years. Way to build intrigue, dude. She may be small (and she may be pregnant) but Lisa has a big place in our hearts, whoever she may be.
Highlights Include:
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An art heist that involves Picasso!
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Sigmund Freud's opinion of who Mona Lisa is
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The hottest hairstyle for 1500's ladies of the evening
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Music by Jake Radvanksy
In today’s episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an “expert” on... snowflakes! Depending where on Earth you live, these tiny miracles fall around you by the millions. And boy do they fall! Sometimes from clouds over 2 miles in the sky! We were fascinated to learn exactly how these precious little treasures form up there. Although they’ve been landing on Earth for probably forever, it wasn’t until just over 100 years ago that their uniqueness was captured up close in photos thanks to a certain young Vermonter. Cozy up with a cup of hot chocolate, put on your new Christmas slippers, and enjoy what is perhaps our gentlest episode yet.
Highlights include:
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Scientific talk that was almost skipped entirely!
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A theory that Hawaiians do not know how to measure snow accumulation!
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The biggest snowstorm of ALL TIME!!! (that we know of)
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy
Happy New Year, again! In the first new episode of 2021, Katie has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Times Square! We watched the ball drop in Times Square this year, and even though it was weird without all the people, we were happy to see the tradition live on. But what's the deal with Times Square? Why is it called that? It's not a square, so truly a mystery. But a mystery we solved! From its humble beginnings as Longacre Square, to its seedy history in the 1980s, Times Square is a real joy to learn about. That ball? It has been been dropping for over 100 years! The Disney fixation of Times Square is fairly new, but the big bright ads are not. Also - a throwback to our chewing gum episode! It’s a great way to kick off 2021. Come dig into some Bubba Gump Shrimp with us and enjoy!
Highlights Include:
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One million people watch the ball drop in person on New Year’s Eve
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Times Square is not a square- it’s bow-tie shaped!
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The biggest LED sign in the world
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy
Happy New Year!! Hope you all had lovely and relaxing holidays, and are ready to celebrate 2021 with what we think is our worst episode ever! This is the last of our unreleased group, so enjoy it! Hopefully next week you will be stunned by the incredible difference in our research and banter skills when we jump back into the present.
In this week's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... The Microwave! For some reason, a quote that is maybe from Albert Einstein features heavily in this episode. It's a little off the rails. But once we finally get into microwaves, it gets good. Although we do refer to the inventor of the microwave as "chocolate boy" (for a good reason, at least), and it's very uncomfortable. Lots of crazy words in this one... Raytheon, magnatron, diathermy, whew! This one does have a happy accident story (remember, chocolate boy), which you know we love. So that's fun! Zack really works hard to explain some serious science in this one. Electrons, wave functions, it's nuts. Cheers to him, but also, we don't really know what we are talking about. We are confident in the fact that Percy Spencer invented the microwave, first tested it on popcorn, and then exploded an egg. In his honor, and to celebrate this wonky episode exploding onto the podcast scene, we shall do those things today as well.
Highlights include:
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Microwaves used as therapy
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A six-foot tall, 750 pound microwave!
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Zack explains how microwave technology works!
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy
It's week 2 of our throwback episodes! If you're still here, thank you! If not, we get it! Here's the next one of our unreleased backlog:
In this week's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Vodka! Now this is a topic we can all get behind! Burping yeast! Watered-down Everclear! Vodka is a fun ride. If you've ever had it - which we know you have - why not learn what's in it? That's a pretty easy task, since it's only ethanol and water. Whoops I spoiled it. But still listen to the episode! Where does the word "vodka" come from? We really get into it. Turns out you can make vodka out of anything, so maybe this is your new quarantine activity? Why we Americans are missing out on Bison-grass laced vodka that everyone else gets to enjoy! Plus this episode intros our long-running (never revived) "acronym for the planets" bit. You'll love it. There's lots of laughing in this one, because we don't know what we're doing. Maybe we still don't! but we're having fun. Happy Holidays!
Highlights Include:
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Frat Boys Are Right Sometimes: Filtering Vodka in Your Brita
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Vodka = "Little Water"
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Why we call alcohol "spirits"
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy
Happy Holidays, experts! Hopefully you are all finding some kind of peace and comfort in this crazy time. We have both finished finals (hooray!!) and are taking a holiday break to catch up on sleep and celebrate. But we didn't want to leave you hanging, especially if you were looking forward to the soothing sounds of our voices to keep you company. So we decided to do something fun! We had a couple episodes backlogged from before we officially launched the podcast - test episodes, if you will, that we have never released. So we are releasing them now! Here's the first of our trio of oldies to get you through to 2021. Are they terrible? Maybe! Should they have been left on the cutting room floor? You decide! Tell us what you think, and if we have improved at all over the past 8 weird months.
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... The Interstate Highway System! So here's the thing, as we mentioned, this was early on in 30 Minute Expert's existence, so Zack's research skills were not great. He started by researching the wrong topic... But, that means that we got to learn about the predecessor to the Interstate Highway System as well! If you are taking a road trip this holiday, you have Dwight D. Eisenhower to thank for the ease of travel you are (hopefully) experiencing. We often take the highway system for granted, but it is quite a feat of infrastructure. Lastly - want to know why the 405 sucks so bad? Because 380,000 cars PER DAY travel on it. Wow.
Highlights include:
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Contraflow: Opposite Day on the Highway
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Highway H1? Hawaii's 27 miles of interstate highway
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The shortest highway in America (you could walk it!)
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Antarctica! And a little bit of the Arctic too! Mainly the differences between the two and why Antarctica is so dang cold. Because, dang! Is it cold down there! it's the only continent that humans have never lived on - except for now, when a thousand or so crazy scientists hunker down there year round to study all kinds of important stuff that makes the world go round. Antarctica may not be home to any indigenous people, but it is home to penguins, and the now (thanks to this podcast) world-famous wingless midge. Thanks to the Antarctic Treaty, no one really "owns" Antarctica. It's a special place for research and being chill. (Very chill.) Hopefully this episode will get you curious about the southernmost place on the earth. And if it does, maybe watch Where'd You Go, Bernadette on Hulu! It's got awesome shots of real Antarctica, learn about the terrible Drake Passage, and it all takes place at Christmas time. So make some hot cocoa, snuggle in, and drum up some residuals for Katie.
Highlights include:
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The Wingless Midge: Antarctica's only land animal
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How Australia stole Antarctica's name
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Penguins!
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Chess! If you've been watching The Queen's Gambit, this episode is for you. We haven't been watching (too busy studying for finals eyeroll), but we still thought that this would be a great topic. And it was! As with many things, chess has a long history that really jumps all over the world. The true origins of chess are in India around the 7th century, but the chess-as-we-know-it today comes from England, all the way fast-forwarded to the 1850s! Thanks Howard Staunton for a ringing endorsement. Did they actually use an ancient Scottish chess set in a Harry Potter movie? Come on, definitely not, but also maybe yes. If you have insight, let us knowwww. This one had all kinds of twists and turns... chaturanga becoming chess, counselors becoming queens, and elephants becoming bishops. If that sounds wild to you, you BET it is!! That's chess for ya.
Highlights include:
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The Queen used to be a Counselor!
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The Bishop used to be an Elephant!
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Why "Checkmate" = "The King is Dead"
In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Yo-Yos! The world's second oldest toy. The long history of the yo-yo spans many centuries and several countries. If you've ever heard that yo-yos were initially used as weapons, we think you're wrong! But we also think we might know why you think that. Americans didn't get their hands on yo-yos in any real way until the 1920s, but then they got wayyyyy into it. Thank Pedro Flores, Donald F. Duncan, and 40 million kids who purchased a total of 45 million yo-yos in 1962 alone. This was a fun topic to read about, but it's even more fun to watch. Search anything to do with "yo-yo" on YouTube (may we suggest Gentry Stein?) and you will be absolutely floored by the skill of those yo-yo-ers!
Highlights include:
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A yo-yoing four-year-old Prince Louis XIV
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The violent (fake?) history of the yo-yo
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45 million yo-yos sold in one year!
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Chewing Gum! Uh huh, that's right, chewing gum. All these years you've been popping a little piece of who-knows-what in your mouth and chowing down for hours at a time, knowing little to nothing about what it is you're munching on. So we're gonna tell you! Although humans have a very long history of yanking bits off of trees and chewing them, the fairy tale that is modern chewing gum starts with a sticky substance called chicle from the sapodilla tree in South America. And we have the Aztec, the Maya, and an exiled Mexican president to thank for it. Gum has taken some interesting twists throughout history, but we are happy to hear that good old-fashioned chicle is making a comeback. We expected this to be an easy, laid back topic, but it turned out to be a lot of fun. Pop in a piece of Glee Gum and listen!
Highlights include:
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A mile-long billboard made of 117 signs... for gum!
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A nauseating description of modern gum-making
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Wanna stop crying when you cut onions? Chew gum!
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Alpacas! Our cutest topic yet . (Sorry, Evel Knievel!) You might think of alpacas as llamas' adorable little cousins, but they are actually descended from another delightful furball - the vicuña! As cute as this episode got at times, it wasn't without its disgusting bits as well. Have you ever heard about how llamas spit? Well, alpacas do too, and Zack almost barfed over the specifics of it. We learn where alpacas are from, whether or not they like dogs (they don't!!), and how much it might cost to own one. Interesting retirement plan from AARP - an alpaca farm. Can't say we recommend it, but can say that that's a real AARP suggestion. Head to South America with us and learn about your new favorite animals, alpacas!
Highlights include:
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Who hates dogs? Alpacas do!
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Vicuñas - dare I say, an even cuter alpaca?
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Llama + sour mouth = don't look it up!
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Rainbows! Our election coverage has ended, as has the election itself, and we were ready for a nice, easy topic. However, we didn't necessarily get one! Katie thought rainbows would be simple, straightforward, and put a smile on all of our weary faces. But when one researches them properly (as Zack always does), there's a lot of scientific explanation that goes into understanding them. Get ready for: refraction, angles, references to hours on a clock, and of course, Mr. Roy G. Biv himself! The first half of this episode is rather technical, but power through and you will be rewarded with fun anecdotes about fairies hoarding gold, leprechauns hoarding gold, and some truly hilarious beliefs Bulgarians hold about what a rainbow means (hint: they involve bear nuptials and gender-switching). So relax, listen, and look for all the rainbows out there.
Highlights include:
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Ingredients for a Rainbow: Sun behind you and water in the air
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God reassured Noah after the flood with a rainbow
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Bear Weddings!
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... The Constitution of the United States of America! We've made it to the end of our election suite, for better or worse! And we figured we'd end where it all started for us Americans -- with the Constitution itself. People like to reference the Constitution a lot these days, so we figured we'd tell you what it actually says. Note: it's only 4 pages long, so if this episode sounds like a real slog to you, maybe go ahead and just read it yourself instead! But if you'd like a modern translation that cuts out the boring bits, we've got a treat for you. Now, this had a real potential to be THE most boring episode ever, so Katie tried to spice it up by quizzing Zack on his knowledge of the Bill of Rights and a rapid fire recitation of the additional amendments. It's fun! We promise! And if you hate it, there's nothing you can do about it, because this is America and we have freedom of speech!!! (thanks First Amendment!)
Highlights include:
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The Rules for running the country fit on a measly 4 pages!
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You don't have to "quarter" soldiers thanks to the Bill of Rights
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7% of the Amendments are about alcohol!
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Democracy! Yup, good old democracy. We're continuing our run up to the election with the American/election/government theme and learning about our nation. So we're going back to the beginning! To Ancient Greece, where it all (probably?) started. What's the difference between our current representative democracy and the direct democracy those dudes enjoyed? You gotta listen to find out, but it may or may not include a giant hat. You'll see. Basically if you want to call yourself a democracy, you have to make sure that the will of the people is recognized and acted upon by the government. And we have George Washington to thank for our precedent of peaceful transfers of power.Is that happening where you are? Great! If not, let's fight for our rights and do something about it! Democracy!
Highlights include:
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40,000 voters gathered in a park in 500 BC
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King John gets democratic up in here, back in 1200!
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Congrats Bhutan! Earth's newest democracy
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Katie has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... The Electoral College! Yup that's right, I said Katie because this is another flip the script episode! If you hadn't noticed, we have a bit of an election/America/government theme going on here, and it is not an accident! We have a presidential election coming up here in the US, and that only happens once every four years, so it's something to be excited about. Considering Katie was a Political Science major in college (and Zack can sometimes use a break), we let her take this one on. So, with all that being said, what the heck IS the electoral college? Short answer: an outdated system of electing our president based on concerns of the founding fathers that are no longer really relevant. Long answer? Listen to the podcast to find out! You'll learn a little about Congress - how many Senators and members of the House of Representatives does each state have and WHY? And WHAT does that have to do with the electoral college? Turns out, a whole lot. If you're planning to vote this year (and we hope you are!), it's good to know what casting your vote really means in the system that we currently have. Get informed, get active, and get voting!
Highlights include:
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How a vote in one state can be worth 3.6x another state's vote
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How the institution of slavery impacted the creation of the Electoral College
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Old timey farmers' church habits force us to vote on a Tuesday!
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... The Declaration of Independence! The upcoming election has got us feeling patriotic and we want to know more about the foundation of our nation. So Katie made Zack learn about it! Of course, we've all learned about the Declaration of Independence at various times in our life, but do we really remember the specifics? Of course not! This episode will be a great refresher. Also, lots and lots of Hamilton talk (too much?), so if you're into that, you're in luck. Hopefully you know who wrote The Declaration of Independence (Thomas Jefferson), but did you know that four other dudes were tasked to write it with him and totally bailed? Typical group project. Although the Declaration of Independence is a short document, it contains the ideals that our nation was built on and that are present in our Constitution as well. So learn some history! Know where we came from. And while you're at it, get out there and VOTE!
Highlights include:
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How many days did it take to write?
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How many dudes were supposed to write it?
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92,000 pounds of tea chucked in the ocean!
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Gatorade! Yup, Gatorade. That colorful sports drink that's apparently been around since the mid-70s. This was a fun one for Zack, and hopefully will be fun for the rest of you too. Sometimes you need a light topic! And you know when's a time like that? NOW. However, Gatorade isn't "light" in the sense that it's low in calories - hate to break it to you, but there's a ton of sugar in there! We really dove into some of the health issues, but kept it fun along the way. You know we love a good origin story, and Gatorade has got one of those. In fact, the University of Florida is still making millions off of the invention of Gatorade today! Also, surprise surprise, we have a scientist's wife to thank for the fact that Gatorade doesn't taste like total yuck. Thanks, Mrs. Cade! Listen in for some flavor talk, some football talk, we even have some Michael Jordan up in here! If you want our takeaway, here it is: Going for a hard run? Have a Gatorade! Sitting on the couch all day? Don't! It's that simple.
Highlights include:
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The amount of Gatorade Americans drink each year
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How we almost had "Gatoraid"
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Hot Michael Phelps Chat!
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Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... The International Space Station! After a hard week of being in the hot seat, Katie threw out a personal topic selection and boy did it pay off. The ISS is fascinating! From its football field size to the fact that it runs on solar power, it was full of adorable surprises. One of the few places on Earth (not literally) where people from different nations come together in pursuit of science. Except Russia, of course, who has their "own side." We delve into some physics, which does not go well, but other than that this episode is full of fun facts and incredible details about a really important part of modern history that may well be zooming over your head at this very moment.
Highlights include:
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How many times does the ISS circle Earth in a day?
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How far above Earth is the ISS?
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Where does the clean water come from?
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Crayons! Wait a minute! Did we say Zack? Scratch that! Hold on to your hats, folks, because we pulled a big switch-up this week! Ahem, Katie (!) has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Crayons! Yup, crayons. Those colorful, waxy little guys you apparently encountered over 700 times before you were ten (you'll see what we mean). And if you happened to have eaten one, no worries. They planned for that. Crayons have their origins in some pretty old art forms, and continue to be an important part of the art scene today - although now, mostly the kindergarten scene. Of course, the big guys, Crayola, factor largely in this episode, in which we learn how crayons are made and lots of fun facts about them. Another fun fact - someone suggested this topic, and Katie can't remember who. So if it was you - let us know! We want to give you a proper shoutout. Also, let us know how Katie did! Katydid! Boy has she heard that one a lot.
Highlights include:
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How many crayons does Crayola produce in a year?
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Where the word "crayon" comes from
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Hydraulic Ejection!
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... The California Gold Rush! In a real twist, Zack selected the topic this week (unbeknownst to him, apparently). But his passion for this very specific slice of time in California's history really came through. We have another fun origin story that Zack (nearly) got right in the intro before he studied. From spoons to hydraulic mining, we learned all about how gold is extracted from the earth, and how much all of the gold that's been found in California's history is worth - a sum that would make Jeff Bezos green with envy. The history of the gold rush is not without its dark spots, but overall (shoutout Levi Strauss), it is a fascinating tale of human drive and tenacity. The biggest takeaway? Be the guy who sells the shovels. You'll see what I mean.
Highlights include:
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Origin of the '49ers
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Boat Jails
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Who really found the first gold in California?
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Motorcycles! Full disclosure, it is Labor Day weekend, so we took the week off to enjoy a labor-free weekend for crying out loud! But we had the episode up in the old archives, waiting to be heard by the world. So we pulled it out, dusted it off, and it wasn't too bad! But you, the audience should really be the judge. Anyway, enough about all of that, how about motorcycles?!? This was a pretty wide topic to cover, so Zack tried to hit as many interesting facets as he could in the short time he had. And hit them he did! We learned about the first motorcycles and where they came from, where the most motorcycles are currently produced and sold, and the highest MPG ever achieved on a motorcycle. From World War I to India today, motorcycles are a major part of modern history.
Highlights include:
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The highest MPG ever achieved on a motorcycle
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Steam-powered two-wheeled vehicles
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The absolute coolness of James Dean and Marlon Brando
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Mezcal! The legendary start to mezcal is absolutely tops. But we aren't going to tell you it here - you gotta listen! Mezcal is tequila's smoky brother, which is pretty intriguing on its own. But mezcal's backstory and the method by which it is made is absolutely fascinating. From donkey-pulled grinding wheels to worms in bottles, this episode has it all. Want to know how many states Mexico has? Gotta listen. Want to know what the agave plant looks like? Gotta listen! And the second half of the show is powered by good old-fashioned tequila, so you know it's good. Get in here and join the party.
Highlights include:
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How a famed lighting strike led to the existence of mezcal!
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Underground roasting of piñas
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90s bartenders going crazy for mezcal!
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... The Georgia Guidestones! This topic came in as a suggestion, and neither Zack nor Katie knew what it/they were, which is just how we like it. Learning is the name of the game, after all! But what's the name of the group that paid for and erected the Georgia Guidestones? You heard it here first, folks, we cracked the case and it was......... Okay, well we didn't actually crack that case. But we did learn a whole lot about a fascinating monument built in Georgia in 1980 by a secret group with an odd message for us all. Dive in for a thrilling tale of how "R.C. Christian" showed up in Georgia and really shook up a little town. Whether the guidelines written in eight different languages on the stones are applicable to modern life or simply directions for post-apocalyptic humans is for you to decide. But we will leave you with the ninth guideline: "Prize truth — beauty — love — seeking harmony with the infinite." Grammatically correct? No. Touching in its own weird way? Yes.
Highlights include:
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A covert group of rich people built a monument!
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100 tons of granite! Yikes!
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A mysteriously absent time capsule - or is it??
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Harry Houdini! Or should we say.. Erik Weisz? Harry Houdini had all kinds of fun secrets up his sleeve, not the least of which was how he managed to break into that judge's safe! (Spoiler alert, it was open the whole time!) A classic tale of the American dream, Harry Houdini came from an immigrant family with practically nothing, and ended up with an internationally successful career. He loved to hang upside down, he loved to expose huckster mediums, he loved to break out of locks. He was a fascinating character!
Highlights include:
- Harry started as a trapeze artist! Wheeee!
- A fatal punch to the gut
- A secret code for after-death communication
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Machu Picchu! If you're missing travel like we are, tune in to virtually experience the splendor of what's not actually the Lost City of the Incas, but was probably a retreat for the wealthy. Ah, the wealthy, winning even back then! Although local Peruvians were likely aware of Machu Picchu's existence all along, the rest of us didn't get the memo until Hiram Bingham "discovered" it in 1911. Check out his Wikipedia pic if you want a good scare. Machu Picchu is still a bit of a mystery, but there's a lot to be learned in this episode. Go for the breathtaking architectural sights, stay for the cuteness of Agua Calientes.
Highlights include:
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A young boy leads Hiram Bingham to Machu Picchu
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Machu Picchu was built without the use of wheels!
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The very cute town of Agua Calientes
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Bonnie and Clyde! The darling pair of outlaws who will grab hold of your heartstrings and won't let go, right? Wrong! These two were bad, bad, bad to the bone. Katie and Zack expected a sympathetic tale that involved some stealing and running from cops. What they got was a long string of pretty ruthless murders and seemingly pointless robberies. What was up with Bonnie and Clyde? Early childhood trauma may be to blame, because nothing else really explains it. This is a wild ride, so hold on to your cigars! (Which, Bonnie Parker never smoked, thank you very much.)
Highlights include:
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An abandoned amusement park ambush
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A severe battery acid burn
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Several prison escapes
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Tarot Cards! Oooh spooky, you say? Nonsense, we say! After a good 30 minute dive into their history and current use, Tarot Cards seem to be one of those things that are just misunderstood. If you (like a lot of people) think of them as a tool of the occult, prepare to be surprised. Also, prepare to learn the definition of “occult” and maybe be surprised by that too. We learned a bit about the history of playing cards themselves (thank you, Egypt!) and then found ourselves in Italy once again (no pizza this time). We thought this topic was really interesting and pretty cool. If Tarot Cards are your thing, great! Follow your bliss. If not, great! You do you, kids. Be a good person!
Highlights include:
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A very poorly run multiple choice test
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Lots of mispronunciation (probably!)
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The Book of Thoth
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... The Haitian Revolution! Known as one of the only successful "Slave Rebellions," this story of how the enslaved people on the island of Saint Domingue fought for and achieved their freedom is one for the history books. Avid listeners of 30 Minute Expert will remember that we mentioned this epic tale in our episode on the Louisiana Purchase - we said we would cover it in a full episode, and here we are coming through for all of you. You're welcome. Toussaint L'Ouverture led the enslaved people of Haiti in a rebellion that (spoiler alert!) eventually led to the liberation of the island itself. Full of twists and turns, the Haitian Revolution has got some French people, including the big guy, Napoleon, some Spanish, some British - a real smorgasbord of European colonizers. Of course most of what we learned is a terrible history of how people were brought from Africa, enslaved, and subjected to horrific conditions on the island, but at least there was some hope in the end. We think this is an important event that not a lot of people learn about in school. So learn about it here with us! And then read that biography we mentioned about Toussaint! Go crazy!
Highlights include:
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A Pandemic: Yellow Fever!
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Our man, Toussaint L'Ouverture? Dude's a freemason!
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Angry poor whites who thought they were worse off than the enslaved people
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Banksy! Who is Banksy? Okay, we didn't actually figure out Banksy's true identity in this episode, but we did learn a whole lot about the anonymous street artist. In today's world, it's pretty rare to maintain true anonymity in spite of worldwide fame, but somehow Banksy has managed it. This is a really visual episode for obvious reasons, so definitely check out our instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast to see all of the cool works of art Zack so eloquently describes. Including: A teddy bear throwing a molotov cocktail! Princess Diana on English currency! Steve Jobs as a Syrian migrant! And more! Banksy has a lot to say, and a really creative way of saying it. Whether he's Mr. Brainwash, Robert Del Naja from Massive Attack, Jamie Hewlett of the Gorillaz, or random man Robin Gunnigham, he's an impressive and always surprising fellow. Fight the power along with him (and us) and listen!
Highlights include:
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A Spontaneously Shredded $1.37 Million-Dollar Work of Art
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Original Banksys on sale for $60 at a hot dog stand
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Banksy's TRUE IDENTITY (just kidding)
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... Niccolo Machiavelli & Machiavellianism! That's a mouthful! And it was a big topic to conquer, but as always, Zack made it look easy. If you've ever heard the phrase, "the ends justify the means," then you have an intro to the glorious evil that is Niccolo Machiavelli. You have to have been a pretty rough dude to end up with a psychological disorder named after you - and this one's a doozy. Join us to learn what not to do when running a country... or a business or a household for that matter! Machiavelli's techniques may have worked to an extent (otherwise, why is he so famous?!), but they certainly are not a way to live your life. If you are worried that you have some Machiavellianism in you, head over to https://openpsychometrics.org/tests/MACH-IV/ to take the test and see how you score! Hopefully the results are pleasing, and if not, maybe do a little soul searching. Be a good person!
Highlights include:
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The Dark Triad (about as scary as it sounds)
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Zack's "Machiavellianism" Score
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Multiple Simon Cowell references
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an "expert" on... the Louisiana Purchase! Apparently, in 1803, you could double the size of your country for the low low price of $15 million dollars! What do you do when you set out to buy one city and get offered half a country? You take it, of course! At least Thomas Jefferson did. This is a wild story. Players include Napoleon (think a 19th century George Costanza), Alexander Hamilton (he and Jefferson did NOT get along), and Toussaint L'Ouverture (we are going to get back to this guy in a future episode). As with much of American history, lots of dark sides to this purchase, but an important moment in history to know about. Katie shows off with her AP US History knowledge, and Zack threatens to switch seats and make her become an "expert" instead. Fun Fact: at that time, the US government did not even HAVE the $15 million dollars they agreed to pay for the Louisiana Purchase, and with interest it really cost $23 million. Good lesson to learn when using those credit cards, kids.
Highlights include:
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Paying 3 cents per acre to double the size of the country
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Sailing $3 million dollars in gold across the Atlantic
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We owned some CANADA! (for a sec)
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an expert on... Silly Putty! A fun toy that is really kinda weird if you think about it. Why does it come in an egg? And why is it that weird fleshy color? Spoiler alert, we did not get the answer to that second question. But we think we got the answer to the first one! Another happy accident story - you know how we love those - this one out of a Work War II rubber shortage. The history of silly putty includes a battle of the patent grabbers, a woman boxed out of ownership (typical), and some pretty gritty science talk to try and explain the physical characteristics of this well-known but little-understood children's toy. Zack coined it the "original fidget spinner," and we are sticking with it.
Highlights include:
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Non-Newtonian Fluids
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A Silly Putty and Play-Doh mix-up (Doh!)
-
A $147 loan
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an expert on... Evel Knievel! Who was Evel Knievel and how'd he get so evil? Just kidding! He's not evil, he's Evel. And he's not even really Evel - he's Robert! Learn along with us about how ol' Robby went from a regular life growing up in Montana, to becoming a full-blown daredevil. In between he runs (and steals from) a semi-pro hockey team, owns a Honda motorcycle dealership, and marries two different women named Linda. Evel turned out to be an even more fascinating character than we expected, complete with multiple broken bones and questionable marketing practices. What a guy! Extra incentive for this episode? Katie's rendition of Lionel Ritchie's "All Night Long."
Highlights include: (let's be real, this whole episode is highlights)
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A broken pelvis... twice
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Two Lindas
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Semi-Pro Hockey team the "Butte Bombers"
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an expert on... Watergate! What was Watergate anyway? Something to do with Richard Nixon, a hotel, and "Deep Throat," but beyond that who knows. Well now, we know! And we'll tell you. Impeachment, political scandals, secret recordings - Watergate has got all that, and some lessons we could really take to heart today.
Highlights include:
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A Supreme Court Case
-
A Presidential Resignation
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Cops dressed as Hippies
Donate to the ACLU: https://action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep
Donate to the NAACP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/naacp-1
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod
Send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an expert on... Penicillin! Ah, penicillin... we've all heard of it - most of us have ingested it! But where did it come from? Listen to hear the tale of Alexander Fleming and how his lack of hygiene may have saved some of our lives. Come for the mold talk (is blue cheese penicillin? Spoiler Alert - NO!), stay for the SWAT team bursting balloons analogies.
Highlights include:
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another happy accident discovery
-
How Dr. Cecil George Paine saved babies!
-
Super-infections (oh boy...)
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an expert on... Atlantis! The Lost City! Was Atlantis real? Or simply a watery fantasy for the ages? To get to the "bottom" of it, Zack "dives" into some Plato, an ancient volcanic eruption, and even a midwestern congressman's book on our antediluvian (real word) past.
Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and send us your expertise at 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com.
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvansky
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an expert on... Kintsugi! What is kintsugi, you may ask? Zack did too! Join Zack and Katie in learning about the Japanese practice of repairing broken pottery with gold, and maybe learn to appreciate your own flaws along the way. Self-love. Kintsugi style.
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an expert on... Concrete! This was a "hard topic"... okay now that that's out of the way, let's learn about concrete. What's it made from? Is it the most prevalent building material on earth? (hint - why would we ask if it wasn't!) And finally, is it destroying the planet? (see previous hint!)
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an expert on... the Salem Witch Trials! Lots of Arthur Miller/The Crucible talk in this one (naturally). Learn how wild Salem was in the 1690s, from convulsive fits to (spoiler alert!) cakes made with pee. Why did this happen? Witches? Mold? You decide!
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an expert on... Pizza! If you can get through the intro (lots of Noid talk), you'll learn all about how pizza was born, Queen Margherita, and which holiday is the number one pizza-delivery day in the US (not what you think!).
In today's episode, Zack has 30 minutes to become an expert on... King Tut! We've all heard of him, but do any of us really know him? Zack and Katie definitely didn't! Turns out, King Tut is an incredibly unique and interesting dude, but maybe not for the reasons you think.
Here's a trailer for the new podcast 30 Minute Expert, with Zack Radvansky and Kathryn Feeney. Learn along with the co-hosts, as every episode Katie challenges Zack to become an "expert" on a totally random topic in only 30 minutes.