Tangentially Speaking With Dr. Christopher Ryan

Following the birth of their daughter, Jack McClure and his wife Alana decided to continue their life of adventure. They set their sights on thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Canada to Mexico as a family, beginning when their daughter was 9 months old. What followed was a 1,500 mile odyssey filled not only with primeval forests and sweeping mountain vistas but also countless lullabies, hundreds of diaper changes and innumerable tears shed.Intro music “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range. “A Way Back Home,” by Give Me Motion; Outro: “Smoke Alarm,” 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

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.com* Can/should we slow down the development of AI?* Frans de Waal: “Because the role of sex in society is such a loaded and controversial issue, scientists have tended to downplay this side of bonobo behavior…. Sexual encounters of the bonobo kind are strikingly casual, almost more affectionate than erotic.”* Andrew…

Adam’s name comes up a lot in Crestone. He and his family have been around for a long time, he runs a local business, currently serves on the Town Board of Trustees, is running for County Commissioner, and seems to be admired and respected by pretty much everyone. This is my favorite kind of podcast to bring you, where I’m getting to know the guest at the same time you are. Among lots of other stuff, we talk about:* what it was like to be a quirky, sensitive kid in Texas (not great),* who then moved suddenly to Madrid, Spain (much better);* his complex relationship with his father and masculinity;* the challenges of trying to help kids navigate the world as it is now;* the experience of spending months on horseback, riding through backcountry reservation land. 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

Michael Henry Dunn is a guy who has been around the block a few times. He’s a classically trained actor, having studied at Juilliard. He’s a musician and an activist. He’s an author, journalist, Substacker and scholar who has delved deeply into the controversies around Shakespeare’s true identity, the Code of Chivalry and global human rights. And he’s a really nice guy who happens to live in this funky little town in the Colorado high desert. Go figure.Information about the retreat in Montana is here.Intro music “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range. Outro: “Smoke Alarm,” 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

We’ve all heard the adage: “Think globally, act locally.” Liza embodies that perspective. She came to the San Luis valley about 30 years ago to work on a buffalo ranch with her husband. Since then, she’s lived a lot of life in this valley. Raising kids, horses, dogs, working as school board president and County Commissioner, and founding and running the San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition are just a few of the things that have kept her busy over the years. Everyone around here knows her and admires her energy, intelligence, and positive approach to things. I’m really glad to be able to share this wonderful woman with 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

Trained as a neuroscientist, Elliot is the Principle Scientist at a nonprofit called The Good Food Institute, which is focused on building an innovation ecosystem that will accelerate the development of alternatives to conventional/industrialized production of meat, eggs, and dairy. They believe that we can avoid or mitigate the many negative externalities of industrial meat production by instead making meat from plants or growing it directly from animal cells. I’ve got my doubts, but Elliot makes a convincing case. See what you think.Here’s a link to the Budokon retreat info, if you might want to join us in June.Intro music “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range. Outro: “Smoke Alarm,” 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

CHARLES DUHIGG is a Pulitzer prize-winning reporter and the author of The Power of Habit, which spent over three years on New York Times bestseller lists. His second book, Smarter Faster Better, was also a New York Times bestseller.His latest book, Supercommunicators, is out now.Charles currently writes for The New Yorker magazine.Intro music “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range. “Breaking Us in Two,” by Joe Jackson; Outro: “Smoke Alarm,” by Carsie Blanton.For those of you who prefer video: 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

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.com“Jordi” has one of the most unusual life stories I’ve ever come across — built around a man’s very pure, very unusual love. We talk about being a child of mixed cultures (Spanish and Basque, in his case). What makes someone a “parent” and what constitutes “a family?”

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.comWes Atkinson grew up kinda wild and largely unsupervised in a very remote part of Colorado. Nature was his sanctuary. As an adult, Wes ran a thriving outfitting business where he guided hunters all over the world. But then a quiet voice suggested it might be time to rethink his life, and he realized that indeed, something important — something sacred — …

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.comAmanda Knox is an exoneree, journalist, public speaker, and author of the New York Times best-selling memoir, Waiting to Be Heard. She spent nearly four years in an Italian prison and eight years on trial for a murder she didn’t commit.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.comIan is a writer, podcaster (The Mythic Masculine), and filmmaker who is especially interested in exploring a regenerative future and how to get there. We talk primarily about his recent film, “The Village of Lovers.”

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.comA few of the issues I discuss in this one:Snoring and sleep apnea.Is doubt an expression of humility? Are all emotions, at base, an expression of love?Is deepfake porn an invasion of privacy or a protection of privacy?My picks for the NFL playoffs.Music: “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range; “Get Together,” by the Youngbloods; Remix of “Who’ll St…

Teacher, seeker, musician, traveler, visionary, professor, husband, father, scholar…. Lama Thupten is all these and more. I was lucky enough to hang out with him a bit recently here in Crestone, where he was visiting the Yeshe Khorlo retreat center. 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

Nick has spent a good chunk of his adult life on an island off the coast of Antarctica at McMurdo Station. He’s a cool guy who is living an extraordinary life in a humble, low-key way. I’m really glad to have met him and, with any luck, we’ll be neighbors before too long! 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

Kyle Thiermann first made headlines as a teenager when he released a YouTube video detailing how Bank of America was one of the largest financiers of dirty energy worldwide. This video garnered international media attention, landed him on the stage at TEDx, and caused people to move significant sums of money out of B of A and into local banks around the country.Through his 20s, Thiermann worked at Discovery Digital Networks as a writer and on-camera host. His work has appeared in Men’s Health Magazine, SURFER Magazine, and Outside Magazine.A few years ago, Kyle and I came up with an idea for making environmental activism fun (and funny), and thus was born The Motherfucker Awards, a red-carpet event where the worst polluters were recognized for their outstanding contributions to fucking Mother Nature.Thiermann also worked as Head of Editorial and Senior Copywriter at MUD\WTR, a brand known for its irreverent marketing and distinct tone. While there, he launched Trends w/ Benefits, a storytelling platform that

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.comAmerican Beauty, Love Has Won, Down By Law, Stranger Than Paradise, and The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber.Intro music “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range. “Narrative Song,” from Lowland Tribes of Ecuador, recorded by David Blair Stiffler; “Harlem 2 Bole,” from Bole 2 Harlem; Outro: “Smoke Alarm,” by Carsie Blanton.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.comYou know this guy. Big wave surfer, environmental activist, co-creator of the Motherfucker Awards, world traveler, standup comic, beet taco pusher, driveway squatter and as close to a son as I’ll ever get … the one and only Kyle Barrett Thiermann. This is the first part of a two-part conversation recorded a few weeks ago. We were so much younger then…. …

Matt Evers and Pete Van Horn both moved to Crestone in pursuit of freedom, independence, and community. If those concepts strike you as being in opposition to each other, you may learn something important in this conversation. We talk about the challenges and joys of building your own house, what DIY DOESN’T mean, the tension between being self-reliant and being a good neighbor, the unique qualities of life in Crestone, and a slew of other things. These are two solid dudes who overcame the doubt and fear and built themselves a comfortable, safe home without getting dragged into the rat race of endless debt and needless extravagance. In 2023, this is a rare manifestation of wisdom. Check out their YouTube channel: Owner Builders Unite.Show Notes:Music: “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range; “Smoke Alarm,” by Carsie Blanton.30% off all merch on my site through the end of the year.Check out Jake’s mom’s tallow balm at thebeekeepersgranddaughter.com. Use the code HOLIDAY15 to get 15% off til the end of the

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.comI talk about some fascinating documentaries I’ve seen lately:* Happy People: A Year in the Taiga (Amazon Prime)* 28 Up (Amazon Prime)* Love Has Won (HBO/Max)How/when/why do our “gods” become our human sacrifices?When does a potential mass murderer qualify as an unknown, solitary hero?How should we handle a nice guy who takes some mushrooms,…

Daniele is one of the deepest, kindest, most thoughtful guys around. He’s an author of several books, a university professor, and the host of the History on Fire podcast, where he unpacks historical figures and events, both known and obscure, with his unique insight and narrative skills. 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