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. 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