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Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Nancy Segal (on twins)

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Armchair Umbrella

Tv & Film, Music, Comedy

4.668.3K Ratings

🗓️ 20 August 2025

⏱️ 118 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Nancy Segal (Deliberately Divided: Inside the Controversial Study of Twins and Triplets Adopted Apart) is an evolutionary psychologist, behavioral geneticist, and author. Nancy joins the Armchair Expert to discuss whether there’s anything predictable about a twin who comes out first, why in twin studies differences are not deficits, and her work with the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart. Nancy and Dax talk about the unexpected reason identical twins are more alike that any other pair of people, the concept of inclusive fitness to explain differential genetic behavior, and why doppelgängers can be an effective test for criticism of twin research. Nancy explains her argument that twins fundamentally challenge how we think the world works, the remarkable fact that children born on the same day to two sets of identical twins are genetic fraternal twins, and why only identical twins raised apart are able to see themselves in a life unlived.

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Transcript

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0:00.0

Wondry Plus subscribers can listen to Armchair Expert early and ad free right now.

0:06.5

Join Wondry Plus in the Wondry app or on Apple Podcasts.

0:10.0

Or you can listen for free wherever you get your podcasts.

0:13.8

Welcome, welcome, welcome to armchair expert experts on expert.

0:17.2

I'm Dachshepard and I'm joined by the Duchess of Duluth.

0:20.3

Hi. Hi.

0:21.0

Hi.

0:22.0

Hey.

0:22.6

Do you feel more sinister when you're taking on that moniker?

0:25.6

No, I feel responsible.

0:27.9

Oh, you do?

0:28.4

I feel the weight of royalty on my shoulders.

0:30.4

Oh, it does.

0:31.9

Heavy wears the crown.

0:33.5

That's right.

0:34.1

Heavy is the head that wears the crown.

0:37.3

Heavy's the head. Nancy Siegel is an evolutionary psychologist and a behavioral geneticist,

0:44.4

but most importantly, long time coming. She specializes in studying twins. Mary Kate and Ashley types.

0:52.8

I feel like twins is almost tied with Sim for us.

0:58.4

As much as we talk about it.

0:59.9

Yes, as much as we've needed an expert but didn't have one for a long time.

1:03.9

I mean, this is long overdue.

...

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