Episodes

Dr. Woo-Kyoung Ahn (Thinking 101) is a psychologist and professor of Psychology at Yale University. Dr. Ahn joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how human thinking has evolved over time, how traumatic events can be measured, and what the concept of causal attribution means. Dr. Ahn and Dax talk about the different ways humans confirm their own bias, how people speak differently to their out-groups than their in-groups, and how we rationalize getting cut off in traffic. Dr. Ahn explains what the ...

Ben Stiller (Severance, Meet the Parents, Tropic Thunder) is an actor, producer, and director. Ben joins the Armchair Expert to discuss what his experience was directing the first season of Severance, what working through the pandemic was like, and how much he enjoys watching dramas. Ben and Dax talk about what movies shaped their childhoods, who they think the funniest comedians are, and how important good scriptwriting is for successful shows. Ben explains how much he misses acting in movies, ...

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about their untimely, unauthorized evacuation in their pants while on the job or at work. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

David Lieberman (Mindreader, You Can Read Anyone) is an author and psychotherapist. David joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his research into the psychology of the human ego, the art of reading a bluff, and the importance of respect in any relationship. David and Dax talk about the differences between sociopaths and narcissists, who they most admire, and what it really means when people speak negatively about others. David explains how to tell if someone is genuinely interested in you, how he...

Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Gay Pride & Prejudice, Modern Family, Take Me Out) is an actor and producer. Jesse joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how the businesses of theater and television differ, what winning a Tony award meant to him, and some of his bad audition experiences. Jesse and Dax talk about how they handle negative comments on social media, their experiences having children, and how streaming platforms have changed the television landscape. Jesse explains what a "conversational cul-de-...

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

Tracy Dennis-Tiwary is an author and researcher. Tracy joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how anxiety can be a tool for people to deal with stress, how it shouldn't always be treated with medication, and that anxiety is a feature of being human and not a malfunction. Tracy and Dax talk about what it's like to travel internationally now, why caring for pets stresses people out, and why mental health and gun issues are often linked. Tracy explains how she started practicing Hinduism, that she is...

Shaun White is an Olympic gold medalist snowboarder. Shaun joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how he dealt with the pressures of people expecting him to win all the time, how he applied his skateboarding skills to snowboarding, and what drives him to be the best in his sport. Shaun and Dax talk about how there is an element of creativity in snowboarding that's not in other sports and how a big crash late in his career changed his perspective on his future. Shaun explains how he bought his fami...

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a time they had to call 911. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Malcolm Gladwell (Revisionist History) is an author, journalist, and podcaster. Malcolm returns to the Armchair Expert again to discuss what social experiments he does on the new season of his podcast, what his dream car would be, and what the results of his recent ancestry test were. Malcolm and Dax talk about how they appreciate people who can build things, how they are obsessed with people's voices, and who their favorite comedians are. Malcolm explains why old sitcoms were so popular, what p...

John Early (The Afterparty, Search Party, 30 Rock) is an actor and comedian. John joins the Armchair Expert to discuss what it was like growing up with ministers as parents, using humor as a weapon against bullies, and how he is doing after surgery for a herniated disk. John and Dax talk about how hypochondria and Munchausen's syndrome are different, what some of their sexual fantasies are, and how they often dwell on awkward social interactions. John explains what celebrity he thinks he resembl...

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

R.L. Stine (Goosebumps, Fear Street) is an author and television producer. Bob joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how he got started writing the Goosebumps series, how fast he can write a book, and why he thinks the horror genre is funny. Bob and Dax talk about how he comes up with all the kids' names in his books, how they were both class clowns growing up, and how he tries to keep up with the younger generation's trends for his stories. Bob explains how he only read comic books as a kid, why...

Rick Glassman (As We See It, Undateable, Take Your Shoes Off) is a comedian, podcaster, actor, and creative volcano. Rick joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the fight he had with Dax while playing Mafia, how his stand-up persona is really him, and The Glassman Bop. Rick explains how he found out he had autism, how scared he was of being a spokesperson for something he was still learning about, and how he has learned to set people's expectations of him appropriately. Rick & Dax discuss how his ...

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

Dr. Seirian Sumner (Endless Forms: The Secret World of Wasps) is an entomologist and behavioral ecologist. Dr. Sumner joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why wasps need to be re-branded in popular culture, how they are used to control crop pests, and how understudied they are in relation to other insects. Dr. Sumner and Dax talk about the amazing things some wasps can do to their prey, how the queen of a colony is chosen, and what different roles the wasps perform within their society. Dr. Sumn...

David Sedaris (Happy-Go-Lucky) is a comedian and author. David joins the Armchair Expert again to discuss what his experience was when his father died, what he says when people ask him for advice, and what terminology he really does not like. David and Dax talk about what historical figures they would want to have sex with, what they think Jesus actually looked like, and the walk they took together. David explains how he was almost attacked on stage over a joke, why he didn't have an ID card for...

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a place they thought was going to be romantic to have sex but ended up being a disaster. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kathleen Belew (Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America) is a historian, author, and expert on white nationalism. Kathleen joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how she defines what white power in America is, what roles some women have within it, and why militias are socially accepted in the US. Kathleen and Dax talk about how to address the lingering issues of our history, the differences between lone wolf and political violence, and why racial inequality is a diffi...

Connie Britton (Mamas, Friday Night Lights, Nashville) is an actress. Connie joins the Armchair Expert to discuss being an aerobics instructor in New York, how much her parents appreciated the arts, and being resentful of Dax because he was too funny on a panel. Connie explains what led her to the decision to adopt, how hard it is to be a single mom, and how she felt like an orphan after losing both her parents. Connie and Dax talk about the values they learned from working with Jason Katims, ho...

Brett Scott (Cloudmoney, The Heretic's Guide to Global Finance) is an author, journalist, and financial broker. Brett joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how important economic anthropology is, how secondary monetary systems actually work, and why society is being pushed to become a cashless system. Brett and Dax talk about why early cypherpunk movements started, what cryptocurrency really represents, and how currency might work in the meta-verse. Brett explains how cash economies can have a po...

Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad, Malcolm in the Middle, Jerry and Marge Go Large) is an actor. Bryan joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his work ethic as an actor, where he learned improv from, and how playing Walter White changed television. Bryan and Dax talk about their love for motorcycles, their experiences involving alcoholism, and how much they both love history. Bryan explains how he once made Jerry Seinfeld laugh, that he never writes award acceptance speeches, and how he learned to appr...

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries answer the question: have you ever been scammed? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Steve Brusatte (The Rise and Reign of the Mammals) is a paleontologist and author. Steve joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the process of finding dinosaur bones, how mammals survived during the time of the dinosaurs, and how likely it is to bring back the woolly mammoth. Steve and Dax talk about what some of the largest mammals would have looked like, how Thomas Jefferson was obsessed with natural history, and how evolution has shaped what today's mammals are. Steve explains how the dinosaurs...