Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about their worst homeshare experience.

Nita Farahany (The Battle For Your Brain) is an author, professor, and scholar. Nita joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the effects of implementing brain wave monitoring, what body politics are, and how AI is currently being used to predict human behavior. Nita and Dax talk about the fears they have surrounding neurotechnology, whether transferring a person’s consciousness will be possible some day, and how fast surveillance is normalized. Nita explains why the definition of death is being debated, how privacy practices often don’t align with privacy preferences, and what cognitive rights laws could look like in the future.

In this week’s Flightless Bird, David Farrier sets out to Florida’s south, deep into the Everglades, in search of the men who live in the glades: Gladesmen. Descending by airboat into the wet marshlands, David discovers he’s on a giant river 100 miles long and 60 miles wide. Surrounded by alligators, bugs, birds and fish, his guide Steve - a third-generation gladesman - takes David to a “camp” - the place where gladesmen live. While there David discovers the legend of the skunk ape, Florida’s swampy version of sasquatch. From there he tries to find the truth about the skunk ape, talking to prominent skunk ape expert Dave Shealy. Is this monster legend, or is there a chance the 7-foot tall creature is the original gladesmen?

Jake Gyllenhaal (Guy Ritchie's The Covenant, Brokeback Mountain, Donnie Darko) is an actor. Jake joins the Armchair Expert to discuss what it was like to grow up in the celebrity world, how close he has always been with his family, and what instigated him to act so young. Jake and Dax discuss where his work ethic came from, how much he’s always loved performing, and how authentically he felt playing the role of Donnie Darko. Jake talks about the impact of Brokeback Mountain, Guy Ritchie’s BBQ, and the remake of Roadhouse.

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a craigslist debacle.

Rick Rubin (The Creative Act: A Way of Being, American Recordings) is an 8x Grammy Award-winning music producer, record executive, and author. Rick joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his creative process for producing music, why he is interested in many different genres of music, and how important it is to be true to yourself. Rick and Dax talk about their relationships with spirituality, what happens when artists have that magic moment in the recording studio, and how important it is to pay attention to your signals. Rick explains how discipline can bring you more freedom, how the beginner’s mind allows for innovation through ignorance, and the importance of embracing creativity in a creative world.

In this week's Flightless Bird, David Farrier sets out to understand why Americans put their eggs in the fridge. Why the fridge, when the rest of the planet puts them in the pantry? David learns that each year, each American eats an average of 277 eggs and that America has enough chickens to provide each American with at least an egg a day. David then discovers a plethora of organizations exist around the humble egg, from the International Egg Commission to the American Egg Board. After learning America also washes all their eggs, Farrier wonders if the two are linked. But no egg organization seems to have the answers Farrier needs - including the USDA and the FDA! Eventually, Farrier finds a comrade in an egg expert at Purdue University, Darrin Karcher. Does Darrin have the answers Farrier needs? Sort of.

Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyer’s Club, Interstellar, True Detective) is a Golden Globe & Academy Award-Winning actor, author, and producer. Matthew returns to the Armchair Expert to discuss how he decides to slow down or speed up in life, how he wants to address conflicts people are struggling with, and how he approaches the aging process. Matthew and Dax talk about the differences in their alcohol tolerances, how taking a break from acting changed their perspectives, and how they deal with feelings of imposter syndrome. Matthew explains what he is jealous of, how he’s become so self-aware, and what he thinks of the impersonations people do of him.

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a cremation disaster.

Paul Bloom (The Sweet Spot, Just Babies, Psych: The Story of the Human Mind) is a psychologist, professor, and author. Paul returns to the Armchair Expert to discuss how our most important force as humans is our capacity to reason, the reconstructive nature of memory, and how to decide which studies we should believe in. Paul and Dax talk about the natural asymmetry between elation and agony, repressed memories, and how much chance events shape us. Paul explains his thoughts on right brain vs left brain, the gendered differences of jealousy, and how to answer the question of nature or nurture.

In this week’s Flightless Bird, David Farrier sets out to understand how Americans interact with movies. Motivated by watching Nicole Kidman’s heartfelt introduction before every movie at the AMC theater chain, Farrier sets out to understand the other big chains like Regal. How are these chains enticing people in the door? He finds that AMC has the Stubs A-List, and Regal has Regal Unlimited. Then Farrier talks to Stacy Spikes, the founder and brains behind MoviePass - a subscription service he started, then was kicked out of, then bought back again. Stacy’s new venture is rumored to monitor where your eyes are looking to see if you’re watching ads or not, prompting Farrier to ask “What?!” David also wants to understand how the smaller indie chains are competing and ends up talking to Tim League who started the Alamo Drafthouse chain. He talks about movie showmanship and muses on the state of the industry right now.

Barbie Ferreira (Euphoria, The Afterparty, Nope) is an actor and model. Barbie joins the Armchair Expert to discuss her experience auditioning for Euphoria, how she got into modeling, and her relationships were with her maternal role models. Barbie and Dax talk about being defensive of their characters, what their feelings towards their dads are, and what kind of car she drives. Barbie explains how she is a perfectionist, what types of people she is attracted to, and how she has learned to advocate for herself.

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us a crazy story.

Alison Roman (Sweet Enough, Home Movies) is a chef and author. Alison joins the Armchair Expert to discuss her experiences working in commercial kitchens, how she got into creating her own content, and her approach for pastries. Alison and Dax talk about how people use food to express themselves, what’s in Dax’s spaghetti recipe, and why she didn’t finish college. Alison explains whether she’s an introvert or extrovert, what growing up near Los Angeles was like, and why she loves old-school restaurants.

In this week’s Flightless Bird, David Farrier sets out to understand America’s fastest growing sport, pickleball. Why did five million Americans turn to pickleball during the pandemic, and why did Tom Brady and LeBron James buy franchises in various Pickleball leagues? David goes to meet and play Pickleball with one of America’s best players, Jessie Irvine, to discover some tips and tricks. Along the way he discovers why Americans are suing each other over pickleball, before talking to Chuck Menke, Chief Marketing Officer for Pickleball America. They discuss what the chances are of pickleball becoming an official Olympic Sport, and whether the rest of the world is embracing pickleball with the same gusto as the US.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas (Citadel, Quantico, Love Again) is an actor and producer. Priyanka joins the Armchair Expert to discuss her immigrant experience coming from India to America, her inherited burdens, and how returning to India for school prepared her for fame. Priyanka and Dax discuss the equity of lighter skin in India, her journey with pay disparity, and the incredible evolution of Bollywood. Priyanka talks about her transition from Bollywood to Hollywood, how being single gave her clarity on what she needed rather than what she wanted, and her love story with Nick Jonas.

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about their most embarrassing fart.

Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross (Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us) are researchers and authors. Susan and Ivy join the Armchair Expert to discuss how important it is to participate in the arts, why room designs can affect moods, and how technology can be used to improve quality of life. Susan and Ivy explain how humans are feeling beings that have learned to think, that writing down a secret can reduce your stress levels, and what being in a completely silent room would be like. Susan, Ivy, and Dax discuss the importance of play, humans perpetual state of aesthetic fatigue, and why people feel most comfortable in curved spaces.

David Letterman (Late Show, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and producer. David joins the Armchair Expert to discuss his relationship with work and retirement, what his different strategies for interviewing people are, and how having heart surgery has affected his life. David and Dax talk about their experiences with alcohol, how the important lessons we learn are the ones we forget the quickest, and the reverence they have for Howard Stern. David explains what he does when he sees bears on his property, how he got to know Bono & The Edge, and how Matt Damon is the nice guy every American should aspire to be.

In this week’s Flightless Bird, David Farrier gets bitten by a squirrel, forcing him to come face-to-face with his greatest nightmare: rabies. Why does this virus have a near 100% mortality rate and how are you meant to be treated for it? David joins the 60,000 Americans who find themselves having to reckon with the risk of rabies every year, whether they are bitten by dogs, raccoons, bats… or in David’s case, a squirrel. To learn more, David meets fellow victims Courtney and Paul, who all had to have jabs in their arms, legs, and butts! David discovers that American emergency rooms can be very expensive and that rabies makes you terrified of water! For more on his rabies encounter, see Farrier’s newsletter Webworm: https://www.webworm.co/p/rabies

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a crazy divorce.

Jay Shetty (On Purpose, 8 Rules of Love) is an author and podcaster. Jay joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why he decided to live as a monk for three years, his journey to becoming a life coach, and how his philosophy of teaching from ancient wisdom. Jay and Dax talk about how Indians are portrayed in pop culture, the problems with hero-worshipping, and how beautiful Jay’s eyes are. Jay explains why he stays away from teaching with his own life as an example, that having child-like wonder can stimulate creativity, and how the genuine practice of helping is a constant practice of reflection.

In this week’s Flightless Bird, David Farrier travels to Austin, Texas to investigate America’s love of BBQ. Why do 7 out of 10 adults in America own some kind of BBQ device, and why is there so much BBQ in Texas? David meets up with the BBQ editor of Texas Monthly, Daniel Vaughn. David discovers that Daniel has eaten at over 2,000 barbecue spots all over the planet… 2,119 to be precise - many of them in Texas. Daniel agrees to take David on a day of BBQ eating, from Austin to Lockhart to Luling - shoving brisket and sides town their gullets in a feeding frenzy of epic proportions.

Kurtwood Smith (That 90’s Show, That 70’s Show, Patriot) is an actor. Kurtwood joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how he discovered acting in college, his move from the midwest to Los Angeles, and his original reluctance to do comedy. Kurtwood and Dax talk about the dialogue and tone of Patriot, how they became close friends while shooting El Camino Christmas, and their experiences with using opioids for acute pain. Kurtwood explains how he likes to prepare for his scenes, what going to Stanford in the 60s was like, and how much he loves directing students.

Dax and Monica talk to Armcherries! In today's episode, Armcherries tell us about a time they were caught.