Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard

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

Dr. Andrew Newberg (Sex, God, and the Brain) is a neuroscientist and author. Andrew joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how philosophy and science can work together, how the study of seizures has changed over time, and why he started to take a more spiritual scientific approach to his research. Andrew and Dax talk about how human rituals developed, how religion and sex shaped the evolution of civilization, and the biochemistry of god and sex. Andrew explains why happens to the body during intense spiritual experiences, why he was interested in studying orgasmic meditation, and the good vs the bad of religion and spirituality. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sam Richardson (Sausage Party: Foodtopia, Veep, Detroiters) is an Emmy award-winning actor and comedian. Sam joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his thoughts on the institution of marriage, how his parents met in Ghana, and going to a Jesuit school. Sam and Dax talk about famous Michiganders, his time on the Second City cruise ship, and local Detroit commercials. Sam explains how much Veep taught him about being on set, having to fight the regrets of his convictions, and his favorite ride at Cedar Point.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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

Dan Slepian (The Sing Sing Files, Dateline) is a journalist, television producer, and author. Dan joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why he liked to watch the news as a child, who some of his favorite talk show hosts were, and how he landed his first internship at NBC. Dan and Dax talk about how Dateline segments are produced, why he chose to focus on helping people that don’t have a voice, and how he chooses the stories he pursues. Dan explains how convictions are overturned, the hidden epidemic of the wrongfully incarcerated, and the depth of the problems of mass incarceration. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Colman Domingo (Sing Sing, Euphoria, Rustin) is an actor, playwright, and director. Colman joins the Armchair Expert to discuss dancing and culture, being a shy kid in school, and why he feels like he’s his best self right now. Colman and Dax talk about how some people make social choices to not feel different from others, the experience of going to acting class, and what is was like stepping into the world of Euphoria. Colman explains when he felt like he needed to make a life change, why he stopped saying yes to every audition, and how genuinely interested he is in other people’s stories. Claim your free ticket to Sing Sing at see.singsing.movie/armchairexpert See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about the craziest thing that ever happened to them on an airplane, again. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Raj M. Shah is a technology entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and former director of the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit. Christopher Kirchhoff is an expert in emerging technology and founder of the Pentagon’s Silicon Valley office. Raj and Christopher join the Armchair Expert to discuss how to reduce the risk of great power wars, the discrepancy between the private sector and military technologies, and how investing in military technology helps to maintain peace. Raj and Christopher talk about the resistance to changing defense policy, how drones are influencing military strategy, and what checks and balances exist in most military contracts. Raj and Christopher explain how US military technology is at risk of falling behind other countries’ innovations, what government bureaucratic roadblocks exist in developing new tech, and the optimism around young engineers solving the problems in military defense. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/priv

Julianne Hough (Everything We Never Knew, Dancing with the Stars) is an actor, dancer, and choreographer. Julianne joins the Armchair Expert to discuss growing up in the Mormon church, going to live with a Russian family to dance when she was 9 years old, and her relationship with perfectionism. Julianne and Dax talk her ambitions to act and sing, her addictive loop, and her pursuit to be a country music singer. Julianne discusses her identity being tied to the shows she’s on, going through her divorce during covid, and why she wanted to open up about her struggles with loss and grief. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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

Dr. Richard Isaacson is a neurologist with a focus on the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease. Richard joins the Armchair Expert to discuss who his medical idol is, the importance of preventative medicine, and how he got involved in Alzheimer’s research. Richard and Dax talk about the core tenants of brain health, some of the main factors of developing dementia, and how to lower the risk of developing amyloid in the brain. Richard explains how important diet is for cognitive ability, what role genetics play in developing brain diseases, and the need for modifying your physical activity as you age. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jack Black (Borderlands, Kung Fu Panda, High Fidelity) is an actor and musician. Jack joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how he feels about being shouted at on the street, getting started in the alternative comedy scene, and having two brainiac parents. Jack and Dax talk about their experiences with drug use, how theater saved his life, and what bands influenced his music career. Jack explains when he feels like he found his acting voice, why he loves acting in movies adapted from video games, and chronological music marathons.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Marion Jones is an Olympic track-and-field athlete and professional basketball player. Marion joins the Armchair Expert to discuss growing up in Sherman Oaks, her first exposure to the Olympics, and when she knew she wanted to be an Olympic champion. Marion and Dax talk about how much her mom helped guide her career, the feeling of winning her gold medals, and getting the call from federal prosecutors about performance-enhancing drugs. Marion explains her decision to come clean, what her experience was being incarcerated, and how failure doesn’t have to be forever. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Teddy Swims (I've Tried Everything but Therapy) is a singer-songwriter. Teddy joins the Armchair Expert to discuss growing up in small town Georgia, meeting Dave Chappelle, and having to learn to not come on too strongly to people. Teddy and Dax talk about how important personal relationships are to him, being surrounded by sweet men in his life, and when he started getting tattoos. Teddy discusses his relationship with how he looks, mistaking familiarity with comfort and love, and celebrating pain and agony in music. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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

Andrea Dunlop (Nobody Should Believe Me, The Mother Next Door) is an author and podcaster. Andrea joins the Armchair Expert to discuss her journey to becoming a writer, how her sister tried to sue her for defamation after her first book, and her personal relationship to Munchausen by proxy (MSP). Andrea and Dax talk about willful deception and reality distortion, the gendered aspects of MSP, and why confronting and taking action against it is so hard. Andrea discusses the disorientation of betrayal trauma, the medical kidnapping conspiracy theory, and if there are any predictable causes of MSP. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Woody Harrelson and Ted Danson (Where Everybody Knows Your Name) are award-winning actors. Woody and Ted join the Armchair Expert to discuss working together on Cheers, their brotherly relationship, and how much shame pains them. Woody talks about his motorcycle accident, how his ambitions have evolved, and why he doesn't have a cell phone. Ted discusses his codependency, the growing awareness of his self deprecation, and what brought them together to start a podcast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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

Alegra Kastens (Books, Looks, and Lobotomies) is a licensed therapist, OCD specialist, and writer. Alegra joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the difference between OCD and OCPD, what having onset OCD is like, and how some compulsive behaviors can be contagious. Alegra and Dax talk about what some of the misinformation is around OCD, what the difference between habitual and obsessive behaviors are, and how OCD is related to other compulsive disorders. Alegra discusses OCD showing up in dreams, the ineffectiveness of thought suppression, and the importance of accepting that you have OCD thoughts. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All at Once, Indiana Jones, The Goonies) is an Academy Award-winning actor. Ke joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his experience was like escaping Vietnam after the war, what it was like landing his role in an Indiana Jones at such a young age, and his decision to quit acting in his 20s. Ke and Dax talk about how he struggled to find his identity, how he got into fight choreography, and the impact of asian representation on his decision to come back to acting. Ke explains what it was like to make his comeback with a critically acclaimed independent film, doing animation voiceover work, and having the fear of losing his acting career again. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.