Episodes

Dr. Peter Attia (Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity) is a physician, podcaster, and author. Peter joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the morality of cloning, why he wanted to be a professional boxer, and what the act of achievement-seeking does to the body. Peter and Dax talk about the difference between lifespan and healthspan, the four horsemen of health, and the genetic gifts of centenarians. Peter explains the concept of Medicine 3.0, the difference between relative risk and absolute ...

Ethan Hawke is an actor and director. Ethan joins the Armchair Expert to discuss what working with Vincent D'Onofrio is like, how he balanced having divorced parents, and how he attained his self-confidence. Ethan and Dax talk about how their early negative experiences helped shape who they are now, what success means to different people, and what it means to be a romantic. Ethan explains why he isn't afraid of failing, why he doesn't relate to fairy tales, and where he learned humility from. Se...

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a time they ended up naked in public. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Allyson Felix is an 11x Olympic track and field medalist. Allyson joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the different body types of Olympics athletes, how she tried to live up to other's expectations, and what having extreme coaches was like. Allyson and Dax talk about how PEDs changed the landscape of competitive sports, how runners make money, and what actually goes on in Olympic Village. Allyson explains how she deals with failure, her experience being pregnant during contract negotiations, an...

Kate Mara (Black Mirror, A Teacher, House of Cards) is an actress. Kate joins the Armchair Expert to discuss her name, being an extreme introvert as a kid, and having two great grandparents who founded NFL teams. Kate & Dax talk about redheads, famous horses, and how much they love chimps. Kate talks about the process of screen test kissing, working with David Fincher as a director, and joining the Black Mirror universe. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Noti...

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about their craziest simulation moments. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jennifer Ackerman (What an Owl Knows, The Genius of Birds, The Bird Way) award-winning science writer, speaker, and the New York Times bestselling author. Jennifer joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why people like to work with large birds, how owls hunt, and how polarizing owls are across cultures. Jennifer and Dax talk about how owls have been a source of artistic inspiration, how not all owls are nocturnal, and what we can learn from the silent flight of owls for technological advances. Jen...

Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Idiocracy, The Expendables) is an actor, television host, and author. Terry joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his inspiration for President Camacho, what growing up in an ultra religious household was like, and how his relationships changed after fame. Terry and Dax talk about how serious car culture is in America, what affects drugs have had on blue collar communities, and their worst auditions. Terry explains how he overcame an addiction to pornography, what...

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a time they made the news. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jake Tapper (All the Demons are Here, The Devil May Dance) is a journalist, news anchor, and author. Jake joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his thoughts on Evel Knievel, what going to summer camps as a kid was like, and how he originally wanted to be a cartoonist. Jake and Dax talk about his path to journalism, what lessons can be learned from failing, and the difficulties in being a political centrist. Jake explains why he loves thrillers, how he does research for his own novels, and the big...

Elizabeth Banks (Cocaine Bear, The Beanie Bubble) is an actor, producer, and director. Elizabeth returns to the Armchair Expert to discuss her feelings about using AI in film, what her experience doing a USO tour was like, and her approach as a director. Elizabeth and Dax explain the party game Empire, their thoughts on the Beanie Babies phenomenon, and if they would ever want to go back to college. Elizabeth explains her obsession with her kids' futures, how she views open romantic relationship...

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a prank gone wrong. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Neil Theise (Notes on Complexity) is a diagnostic pathologist, stem cell biologist, and complexity theorist. Neil joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the principles of complexity theory, the way it works at different levels of scale, and how it differs from chaos theory. Neil and Dax talk about emergent self-organization, how randomness encourages change, and negative feedback loops. Neil explains the importance of your microbiome, how the universe is an endless unfolding range of possibilities...

Michael Shannon (George and Tammy, Nocturnal Animals, Boardwalk Empire) is an Academy Award-nominated actor. Michael joins the Armchair Expert to discuss what he thinks about non-alcoholic beers, how theater became a refuge for him, and what shooting a movie in a real prison was like. Michael and Dax talk about who their favorite jazz musicians are, the dynamics of having a stepdad, and how they approach taking on different roles in movies. Michael discusses being fired from an acting job, how h...

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about their craziest fraternity/sorority stories. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Valerie Fridland (Like, Literally, Dude) is a professor, sociolinguist, and author. Valerie joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why people dislike the word "moist" so much, how accents are a part of social identity, and where modern English developed from. Valerie and Dax talk about what language prescriptivism is, the issues people have with the use of "like," and how discourse markers in language are used. Valerie explains what linguistic tricks people use to fit in with popular culture, what...

Minka Kelly (Tell Me Everything, Friday Night Lights, Parenthood) is an actress, model, and New York Times Bestselling author. Minka joins the Armchair Expert to discuss confronting her childhood, her complicated relationship with her mother, and not wanting to sensationalize trauma. Minka and Dax talk about the collateral beauty of growing up the way they did, what it's like to love someone that is the source of your pain, and becoming a master at disassociation. Minka explains her own relation...

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a time they stood up to bully. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Peter Singer (Animal Liberation Now, The Life You Can Save) is a philosopher, professor, and author. Peter joins the Armchair Expert to discuss what the concept of moral relativism is, how philosophy relates to rationality, and what the difference is between being a consequentialist versus a utilitarian. Peter and Dax talk about why ethically raising animals for food is uncommon, whether animals actually feel suffering, and what harm is done to the environment by raising animals on a commercial ...

Kelly Clarkson (Chemistry, The Kelly Clarkson Show) is a Grammy award-winning singer, author, and talk show host. Kelly joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why she prefers having a small ranch in Montana over a big house in Tennessee, what she thinks about being a rule follower, and how having kids changed her perspective on her own childhood. Kelly and Dax talk about their relationship with coming from reality television, what it was like working with Snoop Dogg, and realize they are opposites...

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about an unexpected orgasm. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chris Paul (Sixty-One: Life Lessons from Papa, On and Off the Court) is a 12x NBA All-Star, 2x Olympic Gold Medalist, and author. Chris joins the Armchair Expert to discuss growing up in the Bible Belt, how much he values the relationship between his parents and his kids, and the need for reciprocal relationships. Chris talks about what he learned from working at his grandfather's service station, his experience when his grandfather was tragically killed, and why he was not allowed to go to the ...

Robert Downey Jr. (Downey's Dream Cars, Sr., Iron Man) is an actor and producer. Robert joins the Armchair Expert to discuss their journey to becoming soulmates, how important it is to have deep meaningful relationships, and what acting process works best for him. Robert and Dax talk about what it's like to have an addictive personality, finding closure with their fathers, and whether life is a joke or tragedy. Robert explains what prison was like, why he wanted to modernize his car collection, ...

Prophet Ezekiel Profit is the original founder of Meaningful Existence, a spiritual community, recently bought by actor Jonah Hill who has disrespectfully repurposed it into a "mental health" endeavor. We discuss Prophet's harrowing and ever-evolving origin story including his birth from a 1x1 square mom, how he found his calling via a Rueben sandwich at Jerry's Deli, and we touch on his critical role in inventing the Queen's brail.We talk about the scandal that ultimately led to the demise of h...