Episode list

On the first episode of Back to School with Maz Jobrani, religious studies scholar and author Reza Aslan stops by to chat about his new book, God: A Human History.

They're auditing the class of shoe designer and entrepreneur Jon Buscemi. They chat about his sneaker company, how he got his first fashion inspiration from the movie Beat Street, and what to do when you get sued by Nike.

Professor Richard Anderson, an expert on Russian Politics, joins to talk about the real reasons why Russia hacked our 2016 election, how Vladimir Putin used to keep track of him back in the day and how Trump could win again with help from the Russians.

Activist and public school advocate Jackie Goldberg joins to talk about the racist history of charter schools, Berkeley in the 60's, and why rich people want to end public education in America.

Stanford professor Dr. Abbas Milani joins to talk about the Iran Nuclear Deal and whether Trump is leading us into our next war in the Middle East.

Shannon O'Neil, an expert in Latin America Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations joins to talk about the strife in Venezuela, what's really going on at the border, and some good alternatives to Trump's wall.

Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology Daniel Fessler stops by to explain how natural selection has led to golddiggers, why humans have evolved to believe false information, and why men get bitten by rattlesnakes more than women.

Are America and Iran going to war? This week they talk to Middle East expert Karim Sadjadpour of the Carnegie Endowment for Peace to get the answer.

Vince Warren, director of the Center for Constitutional Rights joins to talk to us about how the government is spying on Black Lives Matter protesters, how after 9/11 they were literally rounding up Muslims by looking up their names in the phonebook, and how there are probably gay people working at Chik-Fil-A.

Presidential Candidate Congressman Tim Ryan stops by to talk about how he plans to unite America, how to beat Trump in 2020, and why Congress is like a bunch of first graders.

Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian joins to talk about his time as a political prisoner in Iran, his love affair with his wife, and how he introduced Anthony Bourdain to Persian kebabs.

Ever been in a cult? Dr. Janja Lalich was and she stopped by to tell us how to get out of a cult, what to do if you have a friend who's in a cult and why you shouldn't drink the Kool-Aid.

Did we fake the moon landing? Is there life on Mars? Are there aliens among us? Dr. Firouz Naderi, former director of Solar System Exploration for JPL at NASA, answers all questions and talk about everything we need to know about space.

Comedian and Presidential candidate Ben Gleib stops by to explain how to run for President, how he started getting death threats for criticizing Trump, and why he thinks cage-free eggs are good, but cage-free kids are even better.

UCLA Professor Richard Abel comes in to talk to us about Guantanamo, the Patriot Act and how our rights got taken away from us.

He played for Iran in the World Cup and plays for LAFC in Major League Soccer. Steven Beitashour stops by to tell us how hard you have to work to make it as a professional athlete, why it's good for kids to have a chip on their shoulders, and why parents should support their kids dreams no matter how.

Timothy Malloy, Professor of Environmental Law at UCLA, tells us how we can save the environment from impending doom, what the deal is with nanotechnology, and how your tennis racket might cause cancer.

International musician and singer Rana Mansour stops by to tell us how to make it as an independent artist in the music industry, how she learned to sing in 10 different languages, and why Donald Trump's hands are too tiny to play piano.

Gender Studies Professor Juliet Williams who will educate us about gender pronouns, explain how racial desegregation in schools caused gender segregation and tell us if men are actually smarter than women.

Professional basketball player Enes Kanter of the Boston Celtics stops by to tell us how he turned down a million dollars when he was sixteen years old, how he got banned from his home country of Turkey, and how he once tried to eat Cheez-its as a breakfast cereal.

Dr. Drew stops by to tell how we store our personal trauma in our hips and chest, how it's hard to find the right therapist and how sometimes it's good to have low self esteem.

Political comedian Bassem Youssef talks to us about the Egyptian Revolution, why it's important to make fun of your leaders, and how veganism can cure all kinds of diseases, but it can't fix baldness.

Freshman Congress member Katie Hill tells us how she flipped a congressional seat that had always been Republican, gives us her thoughts on impeaching Donald Trump and teaches us that your best ideas always come in the shower.

Dr. William Stixrud and Ned Johnson join us to talk about their book The Self-Driven Child, the importance of being a consultant to your child instead of a manager, and how Daylight Savings can be deadly.

Actor Freddy Miyares comes by to talk about his breakout role on When They See Us, how he learned to have a purpose greater than himself, and why you shouldn't hurt your back two days before your first big scene.

Oliver Bullough, author of the book Moneyland: The Inside Story of the Crooks and Kleptocrats Who Rule the World, joins to talk about the corrupt bureaucrats who steal and hide trillions of dollars offshore, how they get away with it, and why the best place to hide your money is South Dakota.

Dr. Foojan Zeine stops by to talk to us about her book, Life Reset: The Awareness Integration Path to Create the Life You Want, how marijuana actually can be addictive and how every parent should make their kids clean the bathroom.

Comedian Aries Spears stops by to teach us how to do spot-on impressions, that you have to be well-rounded to do stand-up comedy, and how you can get Barack Obama to pay your rent.

Paranormal Researcher David Harvey who explains what to do if your house is haunted, what types of ghosts and spirits you should be on the lookout for, and how if a ghost tells you to "get out," you might want to listen.

Occult expert Mitch Horowitz joins to talk about witchcraft, Satanism, the history of Halloween, and that if you're horny, you should write a book.

Dr. Jeffrey Simon stops by to tell us about Lone Wolf Terrorists, the unbelievable story of the Alphabet Bomber, and why you should always ask if the previous tenant of your apartment was a domestic terrorist.

Artist Azadeh Shladovsky joins and teaches us how to encourage our kids to be creative and reminds us it's never too late to pursue your passion.

Professor Ramesh Srinivasan stops by to talk about his book, Beyond the Valley, why we need a digital Bill of Rights, and how the internet is watching and recording everything we do.

Miry Whitehill, the founder of Miry's List, who stops by to tell us how she has helped settle refugee families from Iran, Syria, Afghanistan and elsewhere. She also explains how doing a mitzvah will make you feel better, and that instead of living by the philosophy of "fake it 'til you make it," you need to "be it 'til you are it!"

Sadiq Davis and Justin Mashouf, who stop by to talk about their film The Honest Struggle, how Islam saved Sadiq's life, and that if you really want to stay out of prison, don't be black in America.

Why We Should All Be Doing Yoga with Tabay Atkins

Jill Heinerth, a professional cave diver and underwater explorer joins to talk about her book Into the Planet, how to face your biggest fears, and the importance of buying your own domain name.

Dr. Elizabeth Dunn stops by to explain the importance of mentors, why volunteering is better for you than donating to charity, and why you need to hit "do not disturb" on your group texts.

Erin Thiemann who stops by to talk to us about the student debt crisis, why college should be free, and how the only way to escape your student loans is to die.

Professor Tom Nichols stops by to talk about his book, The Death of Expertise, why incompetent people are unable to recognize their own incompetence, and why everyone should be thanking their wives more.

Karim Sadjadpour joins once again to talk about everything going on in Iran, the downing of the Ukrainian plane, the killing of Qasem Soleimani, and much more.

Darius Charney, Nahal Zamani, and Pardiss Kebriaei, attorneys and advocates from the Center for Constitutional Rights join to tell us about Iranian Americans being detained at the US border, how there are still prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, and that if you ever get deported, make sure they send you to Portugal.

Jessica Yellin, former White House Correspondent for CNN, join for a special Impeachment episode. Thay talk about what exactly is going on with the Impeachment, how Rudy Giuliani is walking around with his zipper down, and how if you want to get Americans to care, make a 30-second commercial.

Siamak Afshar, founder of the Transforming Life Center join to talk about addiction, how families and friends can help their loved ones struggling with addiction, and why you it's never a good idea to run from the cops.

Professor John Gans joins to talk about his book about Donald Trump's National Security Counsel, White House Warriors, the Ukraine scandal, and why nobody likes John Bolton.

They're joined by celebrity photographer Storm Santos who stops by to tell us how to shoot pictures with intent, to be ready to take advantage of opportunities, and how your chicano grandfather can be your guardian angel.

Journalist and author Kim Ghattas joins to talk to us about her book, Black Wave, how the Middle East is a lot more diverse than most Americans think, and why we need to let women do whatever they want.

Paul Virzi stops by to talk about being a touring comedian during the Coronavirus, how you have to live your life if you want to be a good performer, and why you shouldn't be afraid to park far away when you go to Target.

Dr. Sandra Lee stops by to talk about her hit TLC show Dr. Pimple Popper, how you should be using cream in the winter and lotion in the summer, and why white people are a dermatologist's dream.

Dr. Scott Lillibridge, epidemiologist at the International Medical Corps, joins to tell the importance of washing our hands, keeping our distance, and not going to coffee shops.