You're the Expert

By Chris Duffy

What's You're the Expert about?

Three comedians try to guess what a leading expert does all day and learn why their research is important. You're the Expert brings academia out of the Ivory Tower and into your iPhone. Hosted by Chris Duffy. Produced by Pretty Good Friends.

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You're the Expert episodes:

12.20.2018
Ketamine and Preventing Mental Illness
Dr. Rebecca Brachman tells us about her groundbreaking work in the neuroscience of resilience and how certain chemical compounds may be able to help prevent illnesses like depression or PTSD. This episode features comedians Wyatt Cenac, Maeve Higgins, and Negin...
11.22.2018
YTE in the Field (Part 2 of 2): Digging up Dinosaurs
Discovering new dinosaurs with Dr. Mike D'Emic in the second installment of this two-part mini-series. Chris hears from the rest of the dig team about their experience finding fossils and searching for dino bones. In this...
11.15.2018
YTE in the Field (Part 1 of 2): Digging up Dinosaurs
Chris discovers a new species of dinosaur with paleontologist Dr. Mike D'Emic. This is a special two part mini-series / experiment where we leave the theater and go into...
11.01.2018
What You Inherit From Your Parents
Dr. Bianca Jones Marlin is a Columbia neuroscientist who studies maternal bonding and how trauma in parents affects the brains of future offspring. She teaches comedians Josh Gondelman, Ashley Brooke Roberts, and Dylan Marron about what you get from your...
10.18.2018
Volcanoes
Jess Phoenix studies volcanoes all over the world. She also runs a nonprofit and was a candidate for Congress. In this episode, she explains magma, lava, and all her other hot facts to panelists Aparna Nancherla, Max Silvestri, and Caitlin...
09.27.2018
Trash, Garbage, and Sanitation
Dr. Robin Nagle is the anthropologist-in-residence for New York City's Department of Sanitation and a professor at NYU. She walks us through the crucial and often overlooked role sanitation workers play in the city and talks trash with comedians Maeve...
09.13.2018
Sharks and Remoras
Dr. Brooke Flammang studies sharks and the fish that stick onto them. She discovered a previously undiscovered muscle in shark tails, builds autonomous underwater robots, and fires off lasers in her lab. She's incredible. Comedians Dillon Stevenson, Maeve Higgins, and...
08.23.2018
Love: Anatomy, Biology, and Evolution
Dr. Helen Fisher, Biological Anthropologist, is a Senior Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute, a member of the Center for Human Evolutionary Studies at Rutgers, and the Chief Scientific Advisor to the Internet dating site Match.com. Comedians Bowen Yang, Michelle...
08.09.2018
Wearable Tech and Emotional Computing
MIT's Dr. Rosalind "Roz" Picard helped invent the field of wearable computers. Now she's working on getting them to understand our emotions. Comedians Ken Reid, Josh Sharp, and Fareeha Khan learn about her research and get into their feelings in...
07.26.2018
Invasive Species
Lauren Nolfo-Clements studies invasive species. In particular, she's an expert on nutria, giant swamp rodents. Host Chris Duffy and comedians Josh Sharp, Ken Reid, and Caitlin Durante learn about these rodents of unusual size and the science of introduced species....
07.12.2018
Ice Squeezer
Dr. Christine McCarthy is an "ice squeezer" at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. She studies space ice on moons and other planets and glaciers here on Earth. In this episode, she tells comedians Gary Richardson (SNL), Ashley Brooke Roberts (NatGeo),...
06.28.2018
National Geographic Photography
Anand Varma is a National Geographic Photographer and biologist who uses pioneering techniques to capture images of everything from parasites that control the mind of an insect to hummingbirds to bees licking each other. He explains his work to comedians...
06.14.2018
The Chambered Nautilus and Memory
Dr. Jennifer Basil studies memory and navigation across a variety of animals. But her main study subject is the Chambered Nautilus, a beautiful and mysterious creature of the deep. Listen as comedians Jo Firestone, Zhubin Parang, and Shalewa Sharpe discover...
05.31.2018
Chemicals in Our Teeth
Dr. Christine Austin uses teeth to study childhood development, exposure to chemicals, and stress. She teaches comedians Todd Barry, Michelle Buteau, and Negin Farsad about the secret rings hidden in our molars, why you don't want to inhale tooth dust,...
05.17.2018
Sea Sponges
Dr. Alicia Perez-Porro is an expert on sea sponges. Are they the oldest living creatures? Are they constantly filtering our oceans? Should you use them to clean yourself in the shower? Comedians Josh Gondelman, Maeve Higgins, and Gary Richardson find...
05.03.2018
Bitcoins and Cryptography
Dr. Tal Rabin is the head of the Cryptography Research Group at the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center. She's an expert on secure cryptographic algorithms. In this episode, she teaches comedians John Hodgman, Josh Sharp, and Shalewa Sharpe about how...
04.19.2018
Brown Dwarves
Astrophysicist Jackie Faherty studies the celestial bodies known as Brown Dwarfs. Our panelists Aparna Nancherla, Ashley Brooke Roberts, and Zhubin Parang discover what a brown dwarf is, how clouds are being detected in space, and what Jackie wants every baby...
04.05.2018
Rats! Live at NatGeo
Dr. Danielle Lee got into science hoping to study something sexy, but ended up studying rats. She tells comedians Aparna Nancherla, Maeve Higgins, and Baratunde Thurston about her journey and the incredible things she's learned about rodents. Hosted by Chris...
03.22.2018
The Evolution of Teeth
NYU's Dr. Shara Bailey studies what human teeth can tell us about our past. How does the shape of your molar reveal your family history? And what is the tooth-based link between North America and East Asia? Shara tells comedians...
03.08.2018
Raccoons at Just For Laughs Toronto
Live from Second City in Toronto, Dr. Suzanne MacDonald tells us what it's like to be the world's leading expert on raccoon intelligence. Can you build a raccoon-proof trash can? Why does one man have fifty raccoons in his backyard?...
02.22.2018
Green Chemistry
Dr. Cora MacBeth studies green chemistry at Emory University. She teaches comedians Chuck Bryant (from Stuff You Should Know), Josh Sharp, and Shalewa Sharpe about how to manufacture chemicals without destroying the planet and why you've got brown bottles under...
02.08.2018
The Mysteries of Fat
Recorded live at the Maine Science Festival, Dr. Kristy Townsend is a neurobiologist who studies the effects of diet on the brain. She teaches Roy Wood Jr, Michelle Buteau, and Charlie Hankin about brown fat, how the brain coordinates energy...
01.25.2018
Ghost Snakes
Dr. Sara Ruane tells us all about the new species she discovered, the Ghost Snake, and what life is like as a snake scientist. Should you suck the venom out of a snakebite? Should you ride in a car with...
12.28.2017
Coral Reefs live at NatGeo
Clare Fieseler is a marine ecologist and coral reef expert. She teaches comedians Aparna Nancherla, Hari Kondabolu, and Maeve Higgins what coral are and how to protect them. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at National...
12.14.2017
The Hunt for Earth 2.0
Sara Seager is an astrophysicist and planetary scientist at MIT. She's a MacArthur genius who's trying to find and identify another Earth. Our panelists for this episode are Jo Firestone, Aparna Nancherla, and Marina Franklin. Recorded as a co-presentation of...
11.30.2017
Whale Blowholes & Dugongs
Studying sea cows, capturing whale blow, and analyzing giant orange poop... it's all in a day's work for marine biologist Dr. Liz Burgess. Recorded in front of a live audience at the New England Aquarium, this episode features panelists Eugene...
09.07.2017
An update on the show!
You're the Expert is coming back! We're not dead yet. We're doing live tapings now and we'll be releasing episodes again this Fall. More details on our website at TheExpertShow.com Thanks so much for listening!
04.01.2017
Fruit Flies
In our final episode of this season, Dr. Nancy Pokrywka teaches us about her work studying fruit flies and genetics. Comedians Josh Sharp, Obehi Janice, and Gary Richardson learn about the beauty and mystery of tiny flies (and also how...
03.18.2017
Colorful Dyes and Fluorescence
Dr. Luke Lavis is a chemist who creates new colors. His work on fluorescence and tagging makes scientific and medical breakthroughs possible. Also, it looks really cool. Comedians Matt Porter, Charlie Hankin, and Shalewa Sharpe learn about the mysterious world...
03.04.2017
The Love Life of Penguins
Dr. Suzanne Macey is a conservation biologist studying the mating habits of little blue penguins to help save the species. She also gets deep into the love life of tiny turtles. Basically, if you've got a small creature that's looking...
02.18.2017
Economics and Human Behavior
Dr. Laura Gee is an economist at Tufts. She uses Facebook to study how social groups affect behavior. How do we get jobs? Why do we give money to charity? Dr. Gee helps comedians Eugene Mirman, Maeve Higgins, and Ken...
02.04.2017
Climate Change and Antarctic Winters
Oscar Schofield is a biological oceanographer who studies climate change and the warming of Antarctica. In this episode, he teaches comedians Jo Firestone, Aparna Nancherla, and Josh Sharp about how oceans are going to rise, why scientists go crazy, and...
01.21.2017
Butterflies
Elizabeth Crone is a scientist at Tufts who studies butterflies. Comedians Ken Reid, Rachel Rosenthal, and Corey Rodrigues learn about nature's most beautiful insect and why the US military is involved. Hosted by Chris Duffy. Produced by Pretty Good Friends.
12.17.2016
What Makes You Attractive?
Dr. Carlota Batres studies the science of attraction. What makes you find some people sexy and others gross? Comedians Jo Firestone, Roy Wood Jr, and Hari Kondabolu get to the bottom of our evolutionary desires and find out why this...
11.26.2016
Bird Brains and Parrot Talk
Dr. Irene Pepperberg knows more about bird brains than just about anyone in the world. Her groundbreaking work with Alex, an African Gray Parrot who talked back and answered questions about abstract concepts, changed the way we think about consciousness....
11.12.2016
Astrophysics and Predicting the Future
Harvard astrophysicist Alyssa Goodman studies the birth of stars and the many ways humans have tried to predict the future. Comedians Maeve Higgins, Ken Reid, and Steve Macone learn the secrets of the universe and why everyone is so afraid...
10.29.2016
Making Decisions
Dr. Anne Churchland studies how your brain makes decisions. Comedians Jo Firestone, Zhubin Parang, and Roy Wood, Jr. learn how to make good choices and all about neuroscience. Hosted by Chris Duffy. Produced by Pretty Good Friends.
07.22.2016
Rights of the Dead
Ray Madoff (BC Law) is a lawyer who specializes in the rights of the dead. What happens to your body? Who gets your stuff? Can the government clone you? Can dogs inherit money? Ray's the person to ask. She teaches...
07.08.2016
Primate Cognition
Dr. Alexandra Rosati is a Harvard scientist who studies primate cognition. How do chimps and bonobos understand the world? And what does that tell us about humans? Comedians Sasheer Zamata, Ken Reid, and Obehi Janice learn about everything from chimpanzee...
06.23.2016
Pet Psychiatry
Dr. Nicholas Dodman is the head of Tufts' Animal Behavior Clinic. He's the author of "The Dog Who Loved Too Much" and "The Cat Who Cried For Help." Panelists Eugene Mirman, Ken Reid, and Obehi Janice learn about Nick's research....
06.03.2016
The Biggest Dinosaur Ever
Dreadnoughtus is the biggest dinosaur ever found. Dr. Ken Lacovara (Rowan University) is the paleontologist who discovered it. He tells comedians Aparna Nancherla, Hari Kondabolu, and Maeve Higgins all about tiny headed dinos, breaking rocks, and how he once intimidated...
05.20.2016
Robot Geckos
Dr. Tonia Hsieh (Temple University) is a biomechanist who discovered how geckos are able to stick to walls. She's using her findings to build better robots. Recorded live at the Philadelphia Science Festival, this episode features comedians Aparna Nancherla, Maeve...
05.06.2016
Bacterial Batteries and Viral Solar Cells
Dr. Angela Belcher is an MIT professor and a MacArthur genius. She teaches comedians Aparna Nancherla, Josh Sharp, and Bobby Smithney about how she uses viruses and bacteria to build next generation batteries, solar cells, and much more. She is...
04.23.2016
Medicinal Chemistry at the Atlanta Science Festival
Dr. Stefan France is a chemist at Georgia Tech working on synthesizing new molecules for medicine. He teaches comedians Josh Sharp, Amber Nash, and Shalewa Sharpe about the life of a chemist and why both chocolate and wine might be...
04.08.2016
Killer Snails
Dr. Mande Holford studies venomous sea snails, the "assassins of the sea." Her research holds clues to treating Alzheimer's, solving opioid addiction, and much more. Panelists Tracy Clayton (Another Round), Zhubin Parang (head writer for The Daily Show), and author...
03.18.2016
Neanderthal-Human Interbreeding
Did you know that you're about 2% Neanderthal? Bridget Alex is a Harvard anthropologist and evolutionary biologist studying how/when our ancestors met and bred with Neanderthals. She teaches comedians Sam Ike, Kenice Mobley, and Steve Macone about the mysteries of...
03.04.2016
Bees
Dr. Noah Wilson-Rich is the chief scientific officer at the Best Bees Company. Comedians Bobby Smithney, Julia Claire, and Gary Petersen learn about Noah's research and dive into the secret lives of bees, what it's like to be stung 500...
02.19.2016
The Science of Nightmares
Dr. Gary Fireman is the chair of Suffolk University's Psychology Department. He's an expert on nightmares and disturbed dreaming. Comedians Maeve Higgins, Charlie Hankin, and Matt Porter find out where nightmares come from, what they mean, and how they compare...
02.08.2016
Airport Biology at SF Sketchfest
Natalie Reeder is the official wildlife biologist at San Francisco International Airport. Natalie helps comedians Kristen Schaal, Eugene Mirman, and James Adomian understand how to keep birds away from engines, when snakes actually do get out on planes, and why...
01.22.2016
Octopus Defenses
Dr. Jean Alupay is an octopus expert at USC. Comedians Scott Adsit (30 Rock), Emily Maya Mills (Parks and Rec), and Josh Sharp (CBS) try to guess what Dr. Alupay studies and learn the mysteries of the deep. Whether you're...

What's You're the Expert about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

You're the Expert episodes:

Ketamine and Preventing Mental Illness

YTE in the Field (Part 2 of 2): Digging up Dinosaurs

YTE in the Field (Part 1 of 2): Digging up Dinosaurs

What You Inherit From Your Parents

Volcanoes

Trash, Garbage, and Sanitation

Sharks and Remoras

Love: Anatomy, Biology, and Evolution

Wearable Tech and Emotional Computing

Invasive Species

Ice Squeezer

National Geographic Photography

The Chambered Nautilus and Memory

Chemicals in Our Teeth

Sea Sponges

Bitcoins and Cryptography

Brown Dwarves

Rats! Live at NatGeo

The Evolution of Teeth

Raccoons at Just For Laughs Toronto

Green Chemistry

The Mysteries of Fat

Ghost Snakes

Coral Reefs live at NatGeo

The Hunt for Earth 2.0

Whale Blowholes & Dugongs

An update on the show!

Fruit Flies

Colorful Dyes and Fluorescence

The Love Life of Penguins

Economics and Human Behavior

Climate Change and Antarctic Winters

Butterflies

What Makes You Attractive?

Bird Brains and Parrot Talk

Astrophysics and Predicting the Future

Making Decisions

Rights of the Dead

Primate Cognition

Pet Psychiatry

The Biggest Dinosaur Ever

Robot Geckos

Bacterial Batteries and Viral Solar Cells

Medicinal Chemistry at the Atlanta Science Festival

Killer Snails

Neanderthal-Human Interbreeding

Bees

The Science of Nightmares

Airport Biology at SF Sketchfest

Octopus Defenses

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