Ben Lamm (on de-extinction)
Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
September 23, 2026
Ben Lamm, co-founder and CEO of Colossal Biosciences, serial technology entrepreneur, and pioneer in de-extinction.
Speakers Dax Shepard, Monica Padman, Ben Lamm
Dax Shepard (0:00)
Welcome, welcome, welcome to Armchair Expert, Experts on Expert. I'm Dan Shepard, I'm joined by Lily Padman.
Monica Padman (0:05)
Hi.
Dax Shepard (0:06)
What a thrilling and exciting topic we have today. We have Ben Lamm, who is the co-founder and CEO of Colossal Biosciences, and what are they doing? Well, they're bringing back and have the dire wolf.
Monica Padman (0:18)
Yep.
Dax Shepard (0:20)
They're focused heavily on a woolly mammoth.
Monica Padman (0:22)
Yes, they have woolly mouse.
Dax Shepard (0:25)
They've created woolly mice.
Monica Padman (0:27)
Yep.
Dax Shepard (0:28)
And the list goes on. This is impossible.
Monica Padman (0:31)
This is where we're at.
Monica Padman (0:32)
This is a really wild episode.
Dax Shepard (0:34)
This is mind-blowing.
Monica Padman (0:35)
It feels sci-fi, but we're living it.
Dax Shepard (0:37)
Yes, it's present-day sci-fi. Please enjoy Ben Lamm.
We get support from Quince.
Monica Padman (0:44)
You know what I think about a lot? The stuff in my closet, I actually wear, like not the trendy pieces. The sweater that goes with everything or the pants that fit perfectly, the tee you kind of just throw on without even thinking. That's what Quince does. They make those pieces.
Dax Shepard (0:58)
That's right. They have 100% Mongolian cashmere sweaters starting at $60. Organic cotton, merino wool, quality you'd expect from a luxury brand.
Monica Padman (1:09)
Luxury without the luxury price tag. We love that. They skip the middlemen, go direct to ethical factories and pass those savings to you. We're talking 50 to 80% less than some more brands.
Dax Shepard (1:19)
I'm so excited for fall simply because I love my cashmere sweaters from Quince. And I also got to add that right before I left Nashville, I was assigned the task of putting all the bedding back on my children's bed. And I got to fold first the Quince sheets and comforter, then unfold them and put them in. And the entire time I was spreading it all out, I was like, by God, they really are so soft. It's crazy.
Monica Padman (1:41)
They are. I also have a pair of sheets from Quince that are really, really good. And honestly, what sets Quince apart is that everything feels intentional. These are timeless, versatile pieces designed to be the dependable stuff you reach for day after day. You're not buying something just for right now. You're buying something that's going to be in your rotation for years.
Dax Shepard (1:57)
They've also got hotel quality bedding and bath, kitchen essentials, even furniture. So if you're doing any kind of refresh at home too, same quality, same prices across the board.
Monica Padman (2:08)
Quince just gets it.
Dax Shepard (2:10)
Find your next fall favorites at Quince. Download the Quince app for app exclusive offers or go to quince.com/dax. Get free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK too. That's quince.com/dax.
This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Honestly, if I could just flip a switch overnight and be better at one thing, I'd want to be better at handling stress in a healthier way, like not letting the small stuff snowball into this whole thing where I'm tense for the rest of the day over something that didn't even matter. It came to mind immediately because I know I do it. Someone cuts me off in traffic and somehow I'm still thinking about it at dinner. Two seconds, that's all it was. So yeah, that's what I'm working on. And that's where BetterHelp comes in.
Monica Padman (2:58)
You know how I feel about therapy. It's just necessary. In fact, sometimes I know I'm not supposed to say this. I judge you if you've never tried it.
Dax Shepard (3:06)
Better is a feeling defined by you. And for BetterHelp, it's a BetterHelp therapist who really gets you. It's a focus on global, emotional, well-being with thousands of therapists and millions of members in over 100 countries. It's progress. And it's getting better at letting the small stuff stay small. That's my Better. Sign up and get 10% off at betterhelp.com/dax.
That's betterhelp.com/dax.
Ben Lamm (3:53)
Ben.
Dax Shepard (3:54)
Yeah. Great to meet you.
Ben Lamm (3:56)
We met briefly.
Monica Padman (3:57)
Yes, we did.
Ben Lamm (3:58)
Brought you guys Colossal shirts. You, your kids, anybody?
Ben Lamm (4:03)
Friends, grandparents.
Monica Padman (4:04)
We love shirts.
Ben Lamm (4:06)
Anybody you want to give away too?
Dax Shepard (4:07)
Can you imagine if I still had grandparents? That would be lovely.
Ben Lamm (4:10)
I have one grandma.
Ben Lamm (4:11)
You do?
Dax Shepard (4:12)
How old is she?
Ben Lamm (4:12)
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