Shows / Decoding the Gurus
Decoding the Gurus
An exiled Northern Irish anthropologist and a hitchhiking Australian psychologist take a close look at the contemporary crop of 'secular gurus', iconoclasts, and other exiles from the mainstream, offering their own brands of unique takes and special insights. Leveraging two of the most diverse accents in modern podcasting, Chris and Matt dig deep into the claims, peek behind the psychological curtains, and try to figure out once and for all... What's it all About? Join us, as we try to puzzle…
Episodes
- Decoding the Gurus
Darryl Cooper, Nazi Apologetics, & Disturbances in the Discourse
Join Matt and Chris for a deep dive into the discourse created by Darryl Cooper’s controversial interview with Tucker Carlson. The decoders tackle Cooper’s…
- Decoding the Gurus
Supplementary Material 15: Russian Stooges, Lex Love-bombs, and Heterodox Hypocrisy
We rip off the unconvincing plastic mask to reveal the true gurus lurking underneath and discuss:Russian Propaganda and Influencer ScandalProfit Incentives in…
- Decoding the Gurus
Dr. K (Part 3): Therapeutic Non-Therapy
Join Matt and Chris as they conclude their deep dive into the content of Dr. K, the streaming psychiatrist behind Healthy Gamer GG. In previous episodes, they…
- Decoding the Gurus
Supplementary Materials 14: Return to the Gurusphere
World travels complete the Guru Decoders reconvene to examine how the Gurusphere has been behaving in their absence. Bad news abounds.Featuring:Introduction…
- Decoding the Gurus
Supplementary Materials 13: Dead Bears, Biblical Stories, and Coffeezilla's Legal Battle
We reflect on the meaning of some biblical scriptures to understand the gurus, alongside:Jonathan Pageau gets into the OlympicsRFK Jnr. and the Dead BearGuru…
- Decoding the Gurus
Bryan Johnson: Definitely not a vampire!
In this life-enhancing episode, Matt and Chris venture into the futuristic world of tech entrepreneur and biohacker Bryan Johnson, clarifying along the way…
- Decoding the Gurus
Supplementary Materials 12: Olympic Ceremonies and Presidential Candidates
We tour the Guru-sphere's balanced and considered response to the Olympics Opening Ceremony and Kamala Harris replacing Biden as the Democratic presidential…
- Decoding the Gurus
Gabor Maté: Achieving Authenticity, Tackling Trauma, and Minimizing Modern Malaise
Join Matt and Chris as they hunker down with the dulcet reassuring tones of Gabor Maté, the Hungarian-Canadian physician renowned for his unconventional…
- Decoding the Gurus
Supplementary Materials 11: Alex Jones is at it again
We are a little behind the news cycle with this release, so we apologise for that. For context this episode was recorded after Trump's assassination attempt…
- Decoding the Gurus
Ranking the Gurus
Decoding the Gurus is now a venerable institution and as such we have built up quite a menagerie of would-be gurus and even a handful of not-really gurus.So…
- Decoding the Gurus
Supplementary Materials 10: Rigorous Conspiracy Hypothesising about the Trump Shooting
A special Supplementary Material where we take a gander at some of the reactions to the recent assassination attempt on Trump and then dig deeper with some…
- Decoding the Gurus
Dr. K (Part 2): Rhetorical Judo Flips
Join Matt and Chris for a trademark 'short' episode as they continue to navigate the complex, occasionally controversial world of Dr. K in this second…
- Decoding the Gurus
Supplementary Materials 9: Galaxy Brains Collide
We get put in our place by an old champion, who reminds us why they are the king. Also this episode:Chris' post-conference thoughts on the UKMatt's Great…
- Decoding the Gurus
Dr. K (Part 1): OPed Ayurvedic Medicine vs. Nerfed 'Western' Allopathy
Alok Kanojia, better known as Dr. K, is a charismatic psychiatrist and online streamer who offers a unique blend of psychological, self-help, and spiritual…
- Decoding the Gurus
Supplementary Materials 8: Lab Leak Discourse, Toxic YouTube Dynamics, and the Metaphysics of Peppa Pig
We stare into the abyss and welcome darkness into our souls as we discuss:Feedback on the Žižek episodeMiddle Aged Men's Health UpdateAlina Chan and the newest…
- Decoding the Gurus
Slavoj Žižek: When is a shark not a shark?
Join Matt and Chris as they plunge into the heady mental universe of Slavoj Žižek, the Slovenian philosopher known for his eclectic and provocative ideas. The…
- Decoding the Gurus
Supplementary Materials 7: Guru Oneupmanship, Hard Ad Pivots, MOOOINK, and Left Wing Populism
We curse the dark omens emerging from the Gurusphere as we consider:The Illusion of Disciplinary BoundariesFlint Dibble Feedback and Rays of HopeRussell Brand…
- Decoding the Gurus
Destiny: Right to Reply
Matt and Chris jump into the world of debates, dramas, and online personas with the ever-controversial streamer, Destiny (Steven Bonnell). We discuss our…
- Decoding the Gurus
*Preview* Decoding Academia 27: Dark Triad Authenticity
We do bonus episodes every month that are focused on analysing academic content or discussing research and we thought it might be useful to let new listeners…
- Decoding the Gurus
Supplementary Materials 6: Christian Sensemaking, Hipster Race Realists, & Marijuana Pseudoscience
We shake our heads in despair at some truly terrible Guru crossovers:Old Man Health Routines: Jogging, Diets, and the Pursuit of 'Wellness'Jordan Peterson and…
- Decoding the Gurus
Interview with Flint Dibble on Pseudo Archaeology and Science Communication
In this episode, join Matt and Chris as they enjoy a stimulating discussion with the archaeologist Flint Dibble. Flint recently appeared on The Joe Rogan…
- Decoding the Gurus
Supplementary Material 5: Spiritual UFOs, Alternative Theories of Evolution, and Atlantean Grievances
We watch in awe as the guru-sphere grapples with a host of 'alternative' theories:Bret promotes pseudoscience on Polio and alternative theories on evolutionThe…
- Decoding the Gurus
Destiny: Debate King and/or Degenerate?
In this episode, Matt and Chris dive deep into the world of online streamers, focusing on the pioneering and controversial figure Steven Bonell II, better…
- Decoding the Gurus
Supplementary Material 4: Passive Aggressive Therapists, Shit-posting Monks, and Weaponised Naivety
We ponder whether, due to our naivety, do we actually deserve the gurus and other topics, including: Is Hasan Piker even better than we said?The ethical…
- Decoding the Gurus
Yuval Noah Harari: Eat Bugs and Live Forever
Yuval Noah Harari is a historian, a writer, and a popular 'public intellectual'. He rose to fame with Sapiens (2014), his popular science book that sought to…
- Decoding the Gurus
Supplementary Material 3: Sand-worms, Anti-Capitalist Merch, and High Level Idea-Jacking
We test the boundaries of the Supplementary format with a stacked third edition containing: Matt's Review of Dune 2 and the Three-Body ProblemHasan Piker's…
- Decoding the Gurus
Mini-Decoding: The Descent of Jordan B. Peterson
We take a look at a recent conversation between Jordan Peterson and the streamer Steven Bonnell (AKA Destiny) and use the opportunity to reflect on Jordan's…
- Decoding the Gurus
Supplementary Material 2: Dissident Dialogues, Bloodbaths, & Genocidal Debates
The adventure in formatting continues with the second Supplementary Material episode, in which we:lament we don't command the same level of loyalty as Sam's…
- Decoding the Gurus
Gurometer: Hasan Piker *PREVIEW*
What happens when you try to squeeze a muscle-bound Twitch streamer into a precise measurement instrument like the Gurometer? And can it even function when it…
- Decoding the Gurus
Hasan Piker: A swashbuckling Bromance
Avast Ye Harties! Yar! This week be the inaugural episode of a New Streamer/Academic Guru season. Join us as we set sail with a bang and embark on an adventure…
- Decoding the Gurus
Supplementary Material 1: Cringe Immunity & Supplemental Ethics
An adventure in formatting, welcome to the inaugural Supplementary Material episode. Here we are trying to save you all from the ever-expanding intro…
- Decoding the Gurus
Interview with Kevin Mitchell on Agency and Evolution
In this episode, Matt and Chris converse with Kevin Mitchell, an Associate Professor of Genetics and Neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin, and author of…
- Decoding the Gurus
Sean Carroll: The Worst Guru Yet?!?
Controversial physics firebrand Sean Carroll has cut a swathe through the otherwise meek and mild podcasting industry over the last few years. Known in the biz…
- Decoding the Gurus
Mini-Decoding: Indulgent Monologuing
Sometimes our intrepid Decoders like to focus on a specific rhetorical technique or recurrent pattern that can be observed across the Gurusphere. Here, Matt…
- Decoding the Gurus
Sam Harris: Right to Reply
Sam Harris is an author, podcaster, public intellectual, ex-New Atheist, card-returning IDWer, and someone who likely needs no introduction. This is especially…
- Decoding the Gurus
The Passion of the Jordan and the Wisdom of the Bret
Sometimes it's important to check in on old friends, just to make sure they're doing okay. That's the theme for today's episode. We felt it was necessary to…
- Decoding the Gurus
Mini Decoding: Yuval and the Philosophers
Join us for a mini decoding to get us back into the swing of things as we examine a viral clip that had religious reactionaries, sensemakers, and academic…
- Decoding the Gurus
DTG's Face to Face Reflections 2024
In this episode, our intrepid hosts embrace a rare opportunity for sincere self-reflection, spurred by a face-to-face meeting in an inspiring ryokan in a…
- Decoding the Gurus
Mini-Decoding: Huberman on the Vaccine-Autism Controversy
Andrew Huberman, Stanford academic and host of a science-themed podcast, recently released an episode on Autism with guest Dr. Karen Parker. Considering the…
- Decoding the Gurus
Sam Harris: Transcending it All?
Sam Harris is the subject today and a man who needs no introduction. Although he's come up and he's come on, we've never actually (technically) decoded him…
- Decoding the Gurus
DTG Christmas Quiz 2023 with Helen Lewis
Seasons greetings from Decoding the Gurus!Time to grab a hot chocolate, cosy up to the fire, and wrack your brain to see how much attention you've been paying…
- Decoding the Gurus
Red Scare: Bohemian Hipsterism x Reactionary Tradcaths
In today's joyous episode, we saunter into the loft apartment, take a draw on our gauloise, and glance icily into a world of bohemian hipsters living their…
- Decoding the Gurus
Interview with Daniël Lakens and Smriti Mehta on the state of Psychology
We are back with more geeky academic discussion than you can shake a stick at. This week we are doing our bit to save civilization by discussing issues in…
- Decoding the Gurus
Andrew Huberman and Peter Attia: Self-enhancement, supplements & doughnuts?
In a kind of meta cross-over with our Decoding Academia series, we're going to decode a journal club discussion between two well-known health optimisers: Dr…
- Decoding the Gurus
Interview with Julia Ebner: Extremist Networks & Radicalisation
On this week's episode, we have an extended interview with author and researcher, Julia Ebner. Julia is a Senior Resident Research Fellow at the Institute for…
- Decoding the Gurus
Triggernometry's Big Moment: Entering the Guru Galaxy
In modern online ecosystems, attention and download metrics reign supreme. Sadly, the gurus are not immune to these incentives, with even the most successful…
- Decoding the Gurus
Interview with the Conspirituality Trio: Navigating the Chakras of Conspiracy
Back in the early days of the podcast, we tried to take a rest from the wearisome repetition of polemical partisan gurus by covering JP Sears- an…
- Decoding the Gurus
Andrew Huberman: Forest Bathing in Negative Ions
We are back with a moderate-sized Decoding that focuses on Andrw Hubernman a baritone podcaster and neuroscientist at the Stanford University School of…
- Decoding the Gurus
Noam Chomsky: Lover of linguistics, the USA... not so much
OK, so we're finally getting around to taking a chunk out of the prodigious, prolific, and venerable Noam Chomsky. Linguist, cognitive scientist, media…
- Decoding the Gurus
The Science and the Art of Gurometry
The casual listener, who might possibly not be a loyal Patreon subscriber, or might hypothetically not listen devotedly to every Gurometer scoring episode…
- Decoding the Gurus
Mick West & Eric Weinstein: UFO Tango
We are back with a double-bill decoding! That's right like moths to the flame, or aliens to a Unified Geometric Field drive, we are back in Weinstein…
- Decoding the Gurus
Interview with Jonathan Howard on Covid Contrarians
The pandemic was a confusing time with public health messages from officials and institutions that were sometimes confused, conflicting, or misrepresented and…
- Decoding the Gurus
"Mini" Decoding of Michael Shermer's Advice on Conspiracy Theories
Michael Shermer, a professional skeptic, recently appeared on the noted apolitical podcast Triggernometry to outline his advice on How to Spot a True…
- Decoding the Gurus
Interview with Mick West: UFOs, Aliens, and Conspiracy Psychology
UFOs are all the rage now, and it's certainly a topic that excites many of our gurus *cough* <Eric Weinstein>. Hidden mysteries, advanced technologies…
- Decoding the Gurus
Eliezer Yudkowksy: AI is going to kill us all
Thought experiment: Imagine you're a human, in a box, surrounded by an alien civilisation, but you don't like the aliens, because they have facilities where…
- Decoding the Gurus
Interview with Renée DiResta: Online Ecosystems, Disinformation, & Censorship Debates
We are joined by Renée DiResta a writer and researcher at the Stanford Internet Observatory. Renée has done a lot of interesting work on disinformation and…
- Decoding the Gurus
Christopher Hitchens: Rhetoric, Religion, and Ramadan
Our short-lived Christopher Hitchens ends in our second episode and full-length decoding of the punchy Brit. This time we are examining one of his well-known…
- Decoding the Gurus
Interview with Matt Johnson on Christopher Hitchens
We are back for an interview with the author and independent writer Matt Johnson discussing the New Atheist hero and legendary debater, Christopher Hitchens…
- Decoding the Gurus
Oprah Winfrey: Self Actualising Your Destiny
Oprah Winfrey is someone who truly needs no introduction. She's a legend of daytime television, a warm and charismatic juggernaut who steam-rolled her way to…
- Decoding the Gurus
"Mini" Decoding of Matthew Goodwin & Interview with Paul Bloom
Apologies everyone, we've been compelled to break our 'golden rule' of interspersing decoding episodes with interview episodes. However, the opportunity to…