Tangentially Speaking with Christopher Ryan

119 - Dan Carlin (Hardcore History)

06 Apr 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Dan Carlin is an American political commentator, amateur historian, and podcaster. Once a professional radio host, Carlin eventually took his s...

TOMA 13: Sikh and Ye Shall Find

31 Mar 2015

Contributed by Lukas

I arrive in India and start fucking up big time right away. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get acce...

118 - Frans de Waal (Primatologist)

30 Mar 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. de Waal received his Ph.D. in Biology and Zoology from Utrecht University, the Netherlands, in 1977. He completed his postdoctoral study of chimpa...

117 - Chris Jaymes (2)

23 Mar 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Filmmaker, writer, musician, Hollywood native... Chris Jaymes has a lot going on. We talk about his latest project, which is about the healing power o...

116 - Thaddeus Russell

16 Mar 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Thaddeus Russell is a renegade historian and author of A Renegade History of the United States. Within minutes, we're comparing Kim Kardashian to the ...

115 - Tao Ruspoli (Film-maker, photographer, prince)

09 Mar 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Tao is one of the most interesting people I know. His father hung out with Salvador Dali, Fellini, and Brigit Bardot. He can trace his family back 120...

114 - Dr. Tanya Luhrmann

02 Mar 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Tanya Luhrmann is a psychological anthropologist best known for her studies of modern-day witches, charismatic Christians, and psychiatrists. She ...

113 - Richard Satnick (Part II)

23 Feb 2015

Contributed by Lukas

My pal, Richard has a talent for noticing where the trends of our society are headed, which makes him a very astute businessman and investor—as wel...

112 - Mark Wiener (Political Consultant)

16 Feb 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Go on. Google "total assfucker" and see if you don't see an article about this week's guest. If that's not enough to impress you, Mark is a guy who's ...

111 - Steve Herman (Sex Abuse Assessment)

09 Feb 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Steve Herman consults with legal professionals to help them think more clearly about an issue that all too often blinds even the most level-headed amo...

TOMA 12 (New York City)

31 Jan 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In which I decide to live in New York City and wander into a solid gold trap. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other sub...

109 - Dan Piraro (Bizarro)

26 Jan 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Dan is a cigar-smoking vegan, animal rights activist, atheist, NRA hating, ex-husband, father, stand-up comedian, painter, former host of FOX TV’s “...

108 - Peter Gray (Free-Range Childhood)

19 Jan 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Peter Gray is an American psychologist who currently occupies the position of research professor of psychology at Boston College. He is the author of ...

107 - Phil Zuckerman (Secularist Author/Sociologist)

12 Jan 2015

Contributed by Lukas

PHIL ZUCKERMAN is a professor of sociology and secular studies at Pitzer College in Claremont, California. He is an author and blogs for Psychology T...

106 - Jesse Bering

05 Jan 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Jesse has published books about sexuality and the biological underpinnings of religious belief. He's a research psychologist with broad experience, a ...

105 - John Gowdy

29 Dec 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. John Gowdy is Rittenhouse Teaching Professor of Humanities and Social Sciences in the Department of Economics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institut...

104 - Richard (Japan)

22 Dec 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Richard has lived in Japan for a dozen years, and knows the culture and language well. Since he's particularly interested in language, food, and sex, ...

103 - Andy Gurevich's Third Visit

15 Dec 2014

Contributed by Lukas

You know Andy. This is his third visit to Tangentially Speaking as the guest. He's also co-hosted several epic episodes. He's a professor of World Rel...

102 - Daniel Pardi (Sleep Researcher)

08 Dec 2014

Contributed by Lukas

From Dan's site: DAN PARDI is passionate about food, movement, and sleep. Interested in developing low-cost, high value health solutions. Also interes...

TOMA - 11 Unconditional Love

07 Dec 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Love builds on having been loved. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visi...

101 - Doug Fry (Anthropology of Peace)

03 Dec 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Doug Fry has written extensively on aggression, conflict, and conflict resolution. He believes that anthropology holds important current-day lessons...

100 - Cacilda Jethá

25 Nov 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Cacilda Jethá is unlike anyone you've ever met. Guaranteed. My wife, friend, co-author, and partner in crime for the past 15 years, she can't rem...

99 - Justin de Ruyter

17 Nov 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Justin grew up splitting his time between a difficult , not particularly open-minded home situation in rural Washington and weekend visits to his dad...

98 - Rick Doblin (MAPS)

10 Nov 2014

Contributed by Lukas

In 1972, Rick decided to dedicate his life to bringing psychedelics out of the shadows and into laboratories and clinicians' offices, where they certa...

TOMA - 10 (Funkadelic)

06 Nov 2014

Contributed by Lukas

A tribute to Parliament-Funkadelic, with thanks to my friend, Mike, and The Edsel Ford Funk Victory Tape. This is a public episode. If you'd like to d...

97 - Amber Lyon (Journalist/Psychonaut)

03 Nov 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Amber Lyon is a three-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, filmmaker, photographer, and explorer known for her use of submersion journalism, or becomin...

96 - John Helliwell (Economics of Happiness)

27 Oct 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Professor John Helliwell studies what makes people happy, and how we can maximize life-satisfaction. Learn more about his work here. This is a public ...

95 - Hound Tall (Moshe Kasher & Friends)

20 Oct 2014

Contributed by Lukas

This is a special episode. I was on stage at the Upright Citizen's Brigade theater in Hollywood with comedians Moshe Kasher, Nicky Glazer, and Nick...

94 - Aidan Raley (Modern Hobo)

13 Oct 2014

Contributed by Lukas

When Aidan's car broke down four years ago, that was the last straw. He quit his job, threw his stuff into a bag, and hit the road, where he's been ev...

93 - Stephen O'Donnell

06 Oct 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Stephen O'Donnell paints exquisite "historicized self-portraits" in which his face appears in some unexpected places. Check out his work here. This i...

92 - Tonia Mills

29 Sep 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Tonia Mills is an anthropologist with an additional degree in child development. She lived for years with the Beaver Indians of British Columbia ...

TOMA - 9 (Kodiak)

28 Sep 2014

Contributed by Lukas

My second summer in Alaska. This time, I got a job on a tender, and found myself engaged in an epic struggle for the soul of a young man. Photos at ch...

91 - Thaddeus Russell Returns

22 Sep 2014

Contributed by Lukas

I don't always agree with renegade historian Thad Russell—you'll hear that we disagree passionately about "Death Panels" and whether Americans die i...

90 - Caitlin Doughty (Smoke Gets in Your Eyes)

16 Sep 2014

Contributed by Lukas

You may know her from her very popular web series, Ask a Mortician, from a previous episode of this podcast (#25), or as the author of the fantastic b...

89 - Mitch Schultz (DMT)

08 Sep 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Mitch Schultz wrote and directed the documentary, DMT: The Spirit Molecule (narrated by Joe Rogan). We talk about consciousness, making movies, and t...

88 - Myq Kaplan & Zach Sherwin

02 Sep 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Coupla very smart, very funny guys. They've been on Letterman, Conan, and late night what have you. Zach does crazy videos and rap, while Myq is a wo...

TOMA 8 (Chiapas)

31 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

It's 1983, and I'm on my first trip to a foreign culture with a sharpened Kung-Fu star hanging from my neck. One thing leads to another and I realize ...

TOMA - 7 (Kenai Packers)

27 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

In which I spend some time working the slime line, scam my way out the door, and wake up on the wrong side of a jealous performance artist. This is a...

87 - Mandy

26 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

A Korean kid in the American South, adopted by people who probably shouldn't have, lesbian, super-smart Harvard student, stand-up comic, diagnosed wit...

86 - Richard Satnick

18 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The only man I know who has passed a joint to a chimp sitting next to him in a tree, (or at least, who's admitted it to me!) Richard is a man of many ...

85 - Ceara Lynch (Humiliatrix)

11 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Ceara is a sweet, smart, sexy young woman who degrades, dismisses and denigrates men over the internet. And they pay her handsomely to do it! What a w...

84 - Dennis McKenna

04 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

One of the leading ethnobotanists in the world, Dennis has just published a fantastic memoir about his fascinating life (much of it shared with his ve...

TOMA 5 (Three Fingers)

03 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

When the salmon don't come, there's no work to be had in Kenai, Alaska. So what do you do? Get some tequila! This is a public episode. If you'd like t...

TOMA 6 (Tikal)

03 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

I get meta in this one—reading a paper I wrote 20 years ago about a near-death experience that happened to me 25 years ago. Damn, I'm getting old! ...

83 - Special Edition: Mystery Letter

01 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

I found a mysterious letter on my car this morning. This is what it said. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribe...

82 - Stanley Krippner Returns!

29 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

One of my closest friends, Dr. Stanley Krippner returns to Tangentially Speaking, to share his thoughts on the trajectory of history, the nature of c...

TOMA 4 - Fairbanks Correctional Center

21 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

In which Russ and I find ourselves wearing shorts without underwear in a medium-security Alaskan prison. This is a public episode. If you'd like to d...

81 - Geoffrey Miller

21 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

One of the leading thinkers in the emerging field of Evolutionary Psychology, Miller has written two well-received books: one on how sexual selection...

80 - Peter Boghossian & Friends

14 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Join Peter, Andy Gurevich, and me at Lompoc Brewing's Hedge House, where we talk about religion, sex, love, and beer. Then some very interesting frie...

TOMA 3 — To Fairbanks

08 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

From the last stop on the ferry, through the Yukon Territory to Fairbanks. "You guys see the bear I just shot?" This is a public episode. If you'd lik...

79 - Andrew Gurevich Returns

07 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Former Christian minister, current pagan madman, Professor Andrew Gurevich is back by popular demand. Many are the tangents we go down in this convers...

78 - Carsie Blanton Returns!

30 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Join us for this conversation that ranges from the mysteries of the creative process to getting turned on by live performance to why dumb jokes can st...

77 - Troy Mitchell

23 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Fourteen bank robberies landed him in prison for 20+ years. Yoga and self-reflection got him through those years and helped him keep cool on the outsi...

76 - Conrad Schmidt

16 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

In addition to writing Workers of the World Relax!, Schmidt created the international clothing-optional World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR) in 2004.In 2003...

TOMA #2 (Off to Alaska)

12 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

I skip most of my junior year at Hobart College, and head for Alaska. Along the way, I meet a guy named Ed, who tells me a strange and powerful story,...

75 - Alec Dixon

10 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Get ready to geek out over this crazy conversation with Alec, who helps run one of the largest medical marijuana labs around. In addition to some seri...

74 - Kevin Johnson

02 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Kevin invited us to a free float at the Zero Gravity Institute. It blew my mind—so much that I asked him to sit down and tell me his story. How's a ...

73 - Josh Mohland (DogeCoin)

19 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Josh is founder and CEO of Wow Such Business, creators of the dogetipbot, which allows people to exchange DogeCoins on Reddit. We talk about BitCoin, ...

72 - Shrimp Parade (Rogan/Trussell)

19 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

In this sixth episode in the Shrimp Parade series, we learn about Joe's grandmother's nasty monkey, Duncan's retreat into the wilds of Big Sur, and th...

71 - Andrew Gurevich

13 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Professor of World Religions and World Literature, AG is a very smart dude. But he's much more than just another egg head. The path that brought him t...

70 - Tucker Max

06 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Tucker Max famously declared himself an a$$hole. Whatever the veracity of that claim, he's undoubtedly very smart, very funny, and a savvy businessman...

69 - Daniel Vitalis

01 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Happy May Day! Daniel Vitalis is all about rewilding the human species. He wants to go beyond food and exercise to deeper questions about what is the ...

68 - John Durant

25 Apr 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Author of The Paleo Manifesto, pal of Steven Pinker, Harvard graduate, John Durant is also a really nice guy — much to my surprise and chagrin. We t...

67 - Gone Shootin' with Duncan Trussell

17 Apr 2014

Contributed by Lukas

So this psychologist walks into a firing range with two comedians... Hanging out with Duncan, Joe Rogan, and some big guns. This is a public episode. ...

66 - Arden Leigh

07 Apr 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Author, former go-go dancer and professional dominatrix, Arden Leigh has been around. We talk about sleep orgasms, the healing power of BDSM, seducing...

65 - Pere Estupinya

03 Apr 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Pere is a science journalist who's not afraid to talk about taboo subjects. After finishing a PhD in biochemistry, he spent time at MIT and Harvard, f...

64 - Cesare Romano

22 Mar 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Cesare is a professor of law at Loyola Law School, and an expert in international human rights. We discuss his amazing arrival in New York (punctuated...

63 - Jincey Lumpkin

18 Mar 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Jincey has been called, "the lesbian Hugh Hefner," and named one of the 100 most influential gay people by Out Magazine. We talk about the challenges ...

62 - Conner Habib Returns

16 Mar 2014

Contributed by Lukas

LA is black widow country! We talk about disaster tattoos, penis nicknames, Fabio, the dangers of professing certainty in evolutionary theory, how the...

61 - Gloria Mattioni

06 Mar 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Gloria is Daniele Bolelli's bad-ass mother. We talk about Gloria's fearless approach to motherhood, magical dreams, travel, and the ever-present myste...

60 - Daniele Bolelli Returns

06 Mar 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Daniele and I talk about Guatemalan death squads, the differences between strip clubs in the US and Europe, and his world travels with his mother, Glo...

59 - Mary Roach

04 Mar 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Mary has written a whole slew of bestselling books, including Bonk, Gulp, Stiff, and Packing for Mars. In this IPA-fueled conversation, we range from ...

58 - Aubrey Marcus and Whitney Miller

28 Feb 2014

Contributed by Lukas

We talk tripping jaguars, Aubrey's four fascinating parents, being a guinea pig for the Los Angeles Lakers, antibiotic-induced impotence and the spira...

57 - Cindy Gallop

24 Feb 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Cindy Gallop went from a high-level position in advertising to starting companies focused on making the world a better place. She's a unique, fascinat...

56 - Ginger Norwood

21 Feb 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Ginger Norwood is exceptional in many ways. She's a bona-fide mathematical genius, the first woman to have taught at USC's School of Engineering, and ...

18 - Daniele Bolelli

21 Feb 2014

Contributed by Lukas

... is a self-proclaimed Bad-Ass Historian, as well as an Italian intellectual/martial artist/historian. This is a public episode. If you'd like to di...

55 - Ana Kasparian

19 Feb 2014

Contributed by Lukas

We range from Moby's birthday party, the perks of minor-league fame, the upside of living in LA, being up to my neck in salmon mucus, the secret to Pl...

54 - Joe Rogan & Duncan Trussell

14 Feb 2014

Contributed by Lukas

If there's anything sweeter than finding a new friend, it's becoming friends with two guys who go way back. Joe and Duncan are old pals, and I'm honor...

53 - Bruce Lisker

11 Feb 2014

Contributed by Lukas

As a 17 year-old, Bruce was sent to prison, convicted of murdering his mother. But he was innocent; something the state of California finally acknowle...

52 - Sex Nerd Sandra

10 Feb 2014

Contributed by Lukas

To call this conversation with Sex Nerd Sandra "wide-ranging" would be like calling Nepal "hilly." We talk about being hit by lightning, how to use lu...

51 - Jason Goldman

05 Feb 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jason G. Goldman is a cognitive scientist and science writer based in Los Angeles. He received his Ph.D. at the University of Southern California,...

50 - Stanton Peele

03 Feb 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Stanton Peele is a prominent, outspoken critic of the disease model of addiction and the author of over a dozen books (most recently, Recover!: St...

49 - Chris Jaymes

27 Jan 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Join me in conversation with one of the most interesting guys I know. Writer, musician, director, Chris Jaymes opens up and shares amazing stories fro...

48 - Betty Dodson & Carlin Ross

20 Jan 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Betty Dodson is a well-known pioneer in women's sexual liberation, having sold more than 1 million copies of her first book, Sex for One. Much of her ...

47 - Thaddeus Russell

14 Jan 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Thad is the author of "A Renegade History of the United States," and teaches at Occidental College. He's also a very smart guy, full of surprises, wit...

TOMA #1 (Intro and High School)

10 Jan 2014

Contributed by Lukas

In which I introduce the series, talk about why I’m telling these stories, and lay out the ground rules I’ve set for myself. Then, I get into the ...

46 - Todd Strauss-Schulson

08 Jan 2014

Contributed by Lukas

TSS was born to make movies, and that's what he does. He directed the 3D A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas, as well as a whole slew of other things—...

45 - Ari Shaffir

18 Dec 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Join Ari and me in the bar at The Jane Hotel, in the West Village, where we talk about the debilitating effects of New York weed on Ari’s vocabulary...

44 - Hugo Chichava

10 Dec 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Rapper, entrepreneur, and my son in law, Hugo is part of the new, vibrant Africa that is bursting with energy, creativity, and optimism. This is a pub...

43 - Frank Delaney

03 Dec 2013

Contributed by Lukas

He doesn't drink Mexican beer, but Frank Delaney is definitely one of the most interesting men in the world. His career includes over a dozen best-sel...

42 - Marissa

26 Nov 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Marissa was born a boy, but eventually realized she was a girl. She's still got a male side—who comes out when yard work needs doing—but has trans...

41 - Dan Savage

13 Nov 2013

Contributed by Lukas

If you don't know who Dan Savage is, you haven't been paying attention. Sex advice columnist, humorist, political activist ... Dan has spent the past ...

40 - Jamy Ian Swiss

31 Oct 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Scientist, skeptic, intellectual, magician extraordinaire ... Jamy Ian Swiss is a fascinating man. For a guy who specializes in creating illusions, Ja...

39 - Gabor Mate

16 Oct 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Gabor Mate is a Canadian physician and author who specializes in the treatment of addiction and mind-body interaction. He's published four bestsel...

38 - Carl Hart

03 Oct 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Carl Hart is a serious man with a fascinating life. His book, High Price, tells the story of his journey from the bad part of Miami to the upper r...

37 - Dave Asprey

16 Sep 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Fifteen years ago, Dave Asprey took a look at himself and didn't like what he saw: he was about 100 pounds overweight, had chronic nosebleeds, slept p...

36 - Tim Killian

05 Sep 2013

Contributed by Lukas

We talk sparkling water, nitrous oxide, political consulting, Mormonism, strip clubs, the war on drugs, revolution, and murses (man-bags, European car...

35 - Kim Airs

15 Aug 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Kim Airs is a sex toy entrepreneur (I had to look up the spelling), motorcycle maven, and militantly free spirit. She rode her motorcycle into the dep...

34 - Natasha Leggero

28 Jul 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Natasha is a very smart high-energy actress/comedian who's blazing a meteoric path across the Hollywood sky. We talk about everything from women's rig...

33 - Moshe Kasher/Reggie Watts

18 Jul 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Man, this one ranges far and wide. We talk comedy (these dudes are hilarious), good ways to use bad words, porn in the Vatican, and what it's like to ...