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: 

- How a famed lighting strike led to the existence of mezcal!

- Underground roasting of piñas

- 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 [email protected]

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: 

- A covert group of rich people built a monument!

- 100 tons of granite! Yikes!

- 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 [email protected]

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 [email protected]

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: 

- A young boy leads Hiram Bingham to Machu Picchu

-  Machu Picchu was built without the use of wheels!

- 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 [email protected]

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: 

- An abandoned amusement park ambush

- A severe battery acid burn

- 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 [email protected]

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: 

- A very poorly run multiple choice test

- Lots of mispronunciation (probably!)

- 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 [email protected]

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: 

- A Pandemic: Yellow Fever!

- Our man, Toussaint L'Ouverture? Dude's a freemason! 

- 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 [email protected]

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: 

- A Spontaneously Shredded $1.37 Million-Dollar Work of Art

- Original Banksys on sale for $60 at a hot dog stand

- 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 [email protected]

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: 

- The Dark Triad (about as scary as it sounds)

- Zack's "Machiavellianism" Score

- 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 [email protected]

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: 

- Paying 3 cents per acre to double the size of the country

- Sailing $3 million dollars in gold across the Atlantic

- 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 [email protected]

And please rate and review!

Podcast artwork by Rick Radvanksy

Intro and Outro music by Jake Radvanksy