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...

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...

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....

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,...

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: - The great merger of the AFL and NFL - Ridley...

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...

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...

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...

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! Follow on instagram @30minuteexpertpodcast and twitter @30minexpertpod Send us your expertise at [email protected] And please rate and review! 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! Follow on instagram...

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 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...

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: -...

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...

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...

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....

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....

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 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...

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...

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...

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,...

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...