In his mid-20s, Seth took a look at his life and realized it made no sense. Rather than doubling down on a losing hand, he basically started over. He changed his life and lost half his body weight in the process. Ten years later, he's a very different man on a path with heart. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe...
Aug 05, 2018•1 hr 16 min
Layne's research has been focused on extraordinary abilities in people with cognitive deficits. She's recently left a stellar academic career in order to consult directly with families facing the challenges an atypical child will generate. She has been featured on CNN with Dr. Sanjay Gupta, SiriusXM Doctor Radio, The Coffee Klatch – Special Needs Radio, and Rhode Island PBS ‘School Talk’. She is now based at Ghost Ranch, in Arizona. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with ot...
Aug 01, 2018•1 hr 34 min
Michael has devoted his life to the simple, radical notion that a home can provide the essential elements of a good life: shelter, food, water, waste management, and energy. His designs for Earthships provide all of this and more, as they're largely made from discarded materials: tires, bottles, cans, and so on. If your home can provide what you need, you've suddenly become free, revolutionary, and very dangerous. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or ...
Jul 26, 2018•50 min
Abby Martin is an American journalist who asks questions and challenges assumptions in a way very few journalists ever dare. She speaks truth to power with a snarl. You can see her show, The Empire Files on TeleSur and YouTube. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe...
Jul 19, 2018•1 hr 41 min
Patrick House explores the brain, how it works, what it is, and the tiny creatures that invade it and rearrange the furniture. This raises fundamental questions like: What are we? What does it mean to be alive? and How conscious are we of our consciousness? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe...
Jul 13, 2018•3 hr 24 min
Captain James Nash is the fifth generation of his family to live on the 6 Ranch, raising cattle near Joseph, OR. James served in the US Marine Corps as a tank officer and fought in Afghanistan after which he was awarded two Purple Hearts. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe...
Jul 08, 2018•1 hr 30 min
From J's site : "Dr. Wallace "J" Nichols - called “Keeper of the Sea" by GQ Magazine, “a visionary" by Outside Magazine and a "water warrior" by AQUATICS International - is an innovative, silo-busting, entrepreneurial scientist, movement maker, renown marine biologist, voracious Earth and idea explorer, wild water advocate, bestselling author, sought after lecturer, and fun-loving Dad. He also likes turtles (a lot)." This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers ...
Jun 25, 2018•2 hr 52 min
I got together with my buddy, world-famous comic Jake Johannsen, to catch up after his tours in Asia and Europe. We cover a lot of ground in this one, mainly focusing on how comedy works (or doesn't) in different cultures. Check out Jake's podcast, JakeThis , where this episode was co-released. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe...
Jun 19, 2018•1 hr 58 min
Raam's father was a prominent Iranian environmentalist who was arrested and interrogated for supposedly being a foreign spy. After he mysteriously died in prison, Raam and his brother decided to pressure the Iranian government for answers. Telling his story here is part of that pressure. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe...
Jun 14, 2018•2 hr 3 min
Rayanne Irving is an accomplished kickboxer, writer, horse trainer, public speaker, and all-around badass. As a homeless teenager, she was drawn into prostitution in Vancouver, Canada. Her understanding of her own decisions and the behavior of the people who have crossed her path is one of compassion, forgiveness, and hard-won wisdom. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe...
Jun 04, 2018•2 hr 42 min
Dr. Jim Fadiman is considered America's wisest and most respected authority on psychedelics and their use. Kyle Thiermann is a professional big wave surfer, documentary filmmaker, and podcast host. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe
May 27, 2018•1 hr 47 min
Angela came by to chat. Aside from the harassment we suffered from a very persistent insect, we had a great time talking about her roles as actor, producer, and director, the meditative and transporting qualities of sex, what it's like to be a wildly horny young woman in a world that both celebrates and denigrates you, and some of the hang-ups one has to face in order to have sex on camera. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus epis...
May 21, 2018•1 hr 22 min
Peter Gorman is an award-winning journalist, former editor of High Times magazine (from 1986-1998), and pioneer in the understanding and use of psychedelic substances from the Amazon, such as ayahuasca and kambo. His most recent book is Sapo in my Soul: The Matsés Frog Medicine . This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe...
May 16, 2018•1 hr 43 min
Ryan is a very smart dude who knows a lot about how the human body works: diet, exercise, healing plants, etc. If you know someone with a medical issue that isn't responding well to conventional approaches, he may be able to help. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe
May 09, 2018•2 hr 21 min
Andrew is living the dream. A few days after recording this, he, his wife, and a dog named Pele set off for Argentina via the Arctic Circle (the scenic route). Follow their peregrinations via their site , where you'll find a blog, photos, and the latest episodes of their podcast. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe...
May 02, 2018•1 hr 39 min
John is fascinated by the things that frighten him -- from nudity to venomous snakes. He's been studying rattlesnakes for around 50 years. He's been bitten 15 times, so far, but has no intention of giving up on the pursuit of his passion. He's a fully realized, no-bullshit human being. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe...
Apr 25, 2018•2 hr 36 min
The abbreviated version, for non-Patreon supporters. I talk about the recent dust-up between Sam Harris and Ezra Klein, the questions around racial differences in "intelligence," and a bit about my thoughts concerning Jordan Peterson and the underlying hunger for the sort of guidance he offers young men. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe...
Apr 20, 2018•46 min
Alexandra was a nerdy kid who grew up to be a bombshell. No doubt. We get into it all: What it's like to be a pro-dom; Why Star Trek is important; How sex is like travel; The therapeutic aspects of dominance and submission. Music: "Vim and Vigor," by Carsie Blanton. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe...
Apr 19, 2018•1 hr 45 min
Wednesday Martin is the real deal. Her memoir, Primates of Park Avenue is a hilarious, touching, and insightful look into the exotic world of Manhattan motherhood. Stepmonster , a finalist for the prestigious Books for a Better Life Award, is widely considered the “go-to” source for stepmothers, adult stepchildren, therapists and others who seek a uniquely candid, interdisciplinary, cross-cultural and comprehensive look at the topic. She is also the author of Marlene Dietrich , tracing the actre...
Apr 09, 2018•1 hr 11 min
I came across Wil's blog years ago, while researching primate penises, and have been a fan of his insightful, comic take on life ever since. What more do you need to know? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe
Apr 02, 2018•1 hr 51 min
Tony was our door into Terlingua, Texas. Thanks to his quick response to an Instagram, we met all the good folks of that town, and ended up staying way longer than we'd planned. If you get out that way, drop in at his bar: TABC (Terlingua Adventure Beer Company), and give him a big hug from us. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe...
Mar 27, 2018•56 min
Cyrus believes in creating films which promote curiosity and ecological literacy. He's been directing documentary films for fifteen years since his award-winning surf film Riding Waves in 2003. He won a Southwest regional EMMY when he was 23 and has directed hundreds of short films since. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe...
Mar 21, 2018•1 hr 34 min
These dudes are smart, funny, and talented. I caught up with them on tour, after their show in San Diego. If you like to have fun, catch them if they come to a town near you! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe
Mar 16, 2018•1 hr 15 min
Lisa Menna uses the wonder provoked by her magic tricks to trigger real magic: the kinds of thoughts that can make the world a better place. Having performed in over 40 countries, Lisa and her organization ( Cause to Wonder ) are working to show people around the world that good things come to those who respect and protect women and girls. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe...
Mar 15, 2018•1 hr 3 min
I caught up with Oscar-nominated director Josh Fox in New Orleans (Gasland, How to Let Go of the World and Love All The Things Climate Can't Change), where he's doing his Josh Fox things: writing, organizing political protests against a fracked gas power plant, playing music, creating art (paintings), and eating a lot of crawfish. His cat Sandy joins us to rub her face on the microphones. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episod...
Mar 07, 2018•1 hr 15 min
Diana is the founder of a boutique LGBTQ family law and mediation firm based in New York City and Frankfurt, Germany, serving primarily same-sex couples and non-nuclear families. Diana is about supporting healthy, stable families, whether between same-sex couples, platonic co-parents, polyamorous families, or different-sex couples, by facilitating conversations that support the creation of clear personal agreements, as well as solid legal agreements to protect their families. This is a public ep...
Feb 28, 2018•1 hr 1 min
Like millions of people, I first became aware of Jeff Leach when I read about his attempt to transfer a hunter/gatherer's fecal matter to his own colon as a way to study the human microbiome. Little did I know I'd find myself sitting at the table with him in rural Texas a few years later or that he'd agree to share his insights with me on a podcast. Jeff's published in Science , Nature and everywhere else a groundbreaking researcher could dream of, but he's too busy with new projects to reflect ...
Feb 26, 2018•1 hr 42 min
Cassie and I met John Duarte at a highway rest stop in Dateland, AZ. He was riding his bike from El Paso to San Diego, which is a short "training run" for him. Join us for this spontaneous conversation in the van. #vanthropology2018 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe
Feb 26, 2018•1 hr 1 min
Mike has been my best-buddy since I was 15 years old. The Mr. Spock to my Captain Kirk, he's kept me marginally out of trouble for 40 years now. Mike's a talented musician, speaks several languages fluently, and comes out of a confluence of culture and history. There's nobody quite like him. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe...
Feb 21, 2018•2 hr 9 min
Zhana is a NYC-based sex researcher, writer, and educator. She has a PhD in Developmental Psychology from Cornell University, where she studied how different aspects of sexuality (especially casual sex/promiscuity and mostly heterosexuality) are linked to health and well-being. Currently an adjunct professor at the NYU Psychology department, Zhana teaches the first Human Sexuality course this department has offered in a long, long time. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this wit...
Feb 12, 2018•1 hr 35 min