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.
Episodes
Monday Mar 14, 2022
Monday Mar 14, 2022
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:
- How long it takes chickens to adjust to daylight saving time
- Two states who have never done daylight saving time!
- What does Benjamin Franklin have to do with daylight saving time??
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
Monday Mar 07, 2022
Monday Mar 07, 2022
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:
- The number of peanuts in one jar of peanut butter
- How peanut butter and jelly first met
- How many PB&Js the average American kid eats
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
Monday Feb 28, 2022
Monday Feb 28, 2022
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:
- The oldest topic yet!
- Sound Bath etiquette
- The healing powers of a cat's purr
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
Monday Feb 21, 2022
Monday Feb 21, 2022
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!
Monday Feb 14, 2022
Monday Feb 14, 2022
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:
- Lots of fun and funny terms
- Ugly but effective shoes
- The Spirit of Curling
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
Monday Feb 07, 2022
Monday Feb 07, 2022
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 Scott directing an Apple commercial
- Lots of tangents
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
Monday Jan 31, 2022
Monday Jan 31, 2022
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:
- New York State: The Jelly Belt?
- Utah: Actually the Jell-O State!
- Disgusting Jell-O "salads"
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
Monday Jan 24, 2022
Monday Jan 24, 2022
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:
- Another trope! This time of 1960s cinema
- How to escape quicksand if you're ever caught in it
- An appeal to Fat Joe
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
Monday Jan 17, 2022
Monday Jan 17, 2022
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:
- Spontaneous Human Combustion: A 19th century literary trope
- Lots of disembodied feet
- Stereotyping the Irish
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
Monday Jan 10, 2022
Monday Jan 10, 2022
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 30minuteexpertpodcast@gmail.com
And please rate and review!
Podcast artwork by Rick Radvansky
Music by Jake Radvansky