Decoding the Gurus

Christopher Kavanagh and Matthew Browne

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 our way through and talk some smart-sounding smack about the intellectual giants of our age, from Jordan Peterson to Robin DiAngelo. Are they revolutionary thinkers or just grifters with delusions of grandeur? Join us and let's find out!

  1. 5 DAYS AGO · BONUS

    Supplementary Material 36: Comedy Cults, Toxic Mould, and WW2 Revisionism

    We risk contamination with toxic mould, endure distressing initiation rituals to a comedy cult, and ponder if the narratives we have received about the Nazis have enough nuance. The full episode is available to Patreon subscribers (2 hours, 21 minutes). Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus Supplementary Material 36 00:00 Introduction and an Intervention 01:59 Tomatoes, Holidays, and Hollywood Remakes 06:15 AI x Indulgent People 06:41 AI Chatbots and Delusional Gurus 10:46 Sir Robert Edward Grant and the Architect  12:26 Critiquing the Critics 13:31 Eric Weinstein engages with Dialogos with his silicon friend Grok 22:25 Tim Nguyen details the Distributed Weinstein Suppression Complex 24:20 Sabine Hossenfelder's Google Doc 27:10 2+2 Discourse and a surprise appearance from Kareem Carr 29:34 Chris's 10 Tips for Sabine 34:39 Coffeezilla does more Anomaly Hunting on Epstein Videos 37:50 Conspiracy Chat 39:58  Ghislaine Maxwell's potential deal  42:29 Thoughts on the Elephant Graveyard's Video on the Joe Rogan Comedy Cult 49:45 Details vs Vibes 52:46 Rogan's Fact-Checking and Comedian Dynamics 54:54 The Rogan Anti-Human Tech Elite Conspiracy Theory 59:40 Master Geniuses vs. a bunch of dickheads who like the same stuff 01:03:55 Lex Friedman and the Role of Softball Interviews 01:06:28 Conspiracy Theories vs. Real Conspiracies 01:15:51 Overall thoughts on the Elephant Graveyard Video Essay 01:19:18 Ana Kasparian thinks the Jews knew about 9/11 01:22:21 Jordan Peterson's Health and Mould Toxicity 01:24:24 Good Fungus vs Bad Mould 01:26:08 Bespoke Medicine and American Individualism 01:29:57 Streamers saying Stupid Things: Taylor Lorenz on DSA Nazis 01:33:08 Populist anti-vaccine rhetoric in Japan! 01:35:58 Bill Maher and Andrew Huberman discuss the problems with medicine 01:38:40 Chris Rufo and Right Wing Outrage over the Cracker Barrel logo 01:42:31 The War on Christmas in Australia 01:44:35 Jonathan Pageau's revisionist World War II symbolism 01:48:29 Pageau's Postmodern Narratives 02:03:32 Finding the Balance between Nazism and Liberalism 02:14:02 Random Shoutout 02:15:45 Matt's Cognitive Decline and Professor Archetypes Sources Article on Sir Robert Edward Grant and The ArchitectEric talking with his silicon friend @grokEric waxing lyrical about Grok and praising Elon for his unique insightsTim Nguyen — Physics Grifters: Eric Weinstein, Sabine Hossenfelder, and a Crisis of CredibilitySabine vindicates herself in a Google DocKareem Carr thinks Sabine’s document is great!a href="https://x.com/skdh/status/1956285611255493013?utm_source=chatgpt.com"...

    46 min

  2. 19 AUG · BONUS

    Supplementary Material 35: Cult Leaders, Gurus, and Evil Economists

    We face a disciplinary crisis as the twin pillars of Game Theory and Gurometry are called into question. The full episode is available to Patreon subscribers (1 hour, 35 minutes). Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus Supplementary Material 35 00:05 Introduction   01:52 Matt's Apology 06:55 Just Life... 12:34 Matt's Foodie Corner  14:01 Dedunking Dan Richards finds Sabine 16:37 Sabine cultivates parasocial defenders 18:16 Ana Kasparian gets deeper into ZOG conspiracies 24:44 Gary vs Game Theory 40:26 Support the Channel to Save the World 47:10 Bryan Johnson and Methylene blue 51:52 Scientific Cosplay Online 53:51 Keith Rainiere and Sensemaking Parallels 54:57 High IQ YoungHoon Kim tweets about proof of God 56:19 Guru and Cult Leader Parallels 01:01:13 The Validity of the Gurometer in Question?!? 01:03:03 Hacking Social Heuristics 01:07:38 Cult Leaders vs Secular Gurus 01:12:33 Anti-Democratic moves by Trump 01:15:03 Dan Carlin on Trump 01:18:30 Streamers Talking Nonsense: Hasan on ISIS 01:21:24 Ideological Fixation and Motivated Conspiracism 01:27:22 Outro Sources The Cushendun Sea Caves from Game of ThronesKingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is Boosting TourismDeDunking: Eric Weinstein's Theory — Real Physicist vs Pseudo PoserAna Kasparian tweeting about the “Zionist Occupied Government”Gary’s Economics: Game Theory is BrokenCritical Reddit thread on Gary’s Game Theory videoHenrich, J., McElreath, R., Barr, A., Ensminger, J., Barrett, C., Bolyanatz, A., ... & Ziker, J. (2006). Costly punishment across human societies. Science, 312(5781), 1767–1770.The Selfish Gene, Chapter 12: Nice Guys Finish First (Richard Dawkins)High IQ YoungHoon Kim tweets about proof of GodI was Jordan Peterson’s strongest supporter. Now I think he’s dangerousDan Carlin’s tweet about TrumpBBC: National Guard troops appear in Washington DC as mayor rejects Trump's 'authoritarian push'Nathan Baker: Keith Raniere, Ringleader of NXIVM Sex Slave Cult, Interviewed by Allison Mack, Top Cult...

    30 min

  3. 18 AUG

    Naval Ravikant: Predictable Polemics and Empty Aphorisms

    In this watery simulation of an episode, Matt and Chris uncover the true purpose of Scott Adams’ existence: not to shape reality, but to provide training data for future AIs working on plumbing-related problems. Somewhere in a cosmic server farm, Scott is endlessly confronted with blocked drains, dripping faucets, and municipal water conspiracies, while his “insights” fuel the next generation of household maintenance bots. Against this surreal backdrop, Naval Ravikant enters the scene — investor, tweeter, self-styled philosopher, and, in practice, just another discourse surfer riding the waves of online conspiracism. The conversation opens with a familiar chorus of right-wing talking points, drifts into feverish speculation about lawfare, censorship, and “imported voters,” and finally winds down in the dim light of dorm-room metaphysics, where slogans like “happiness is a choice” are served up as if they were profound insights. Naval presents himself as a detached sage, offering a boutique blend of political commentary and Daoist-tinged wisdom. In reality, he delivers little more than predictable polemics and recycled aphorisms. Imagining himself a great man of history dispensing lyrical truths in tweet-sized form, he produces nothing that rises above the usual culture-war debris. The posture is Buddha-with-a-smartphone; the reality is a credulous tech elite mistaking his own Twitter feed for a philosophy seminar. What follows is Elon-as-Ben-Franklin fanboying, Trump rebranded as a “bottom-up” leader of the people, and a level of self-congratulation so thick it could be used to terraform Mars. By the end, you may find yourself nostalgic for the leaky pipes in Scott’s simulation — at least they produce real water... Sources Modern Wisdom (Chris Williamson): 44 Harsh Truths About The Game Of Life - Naval Ravikant (4K)Real Coffee with Scott Adams: Conversation with Naval Ravikant

    3h 9m

  4. 9 AUG

    Exploring the Manosphere with James Bloodworth

    In this episode, we immerse ourselves in the potent juices of the manosphere with British journalist and author James Bloodworth. James recently published Lost Boys: A Personal Journey Through the Manosphere and takes us on a whirlwind tour of various misogynistic and anti-feminist subcultures, including pickup artists, incels, and the blue, red, and black pill communities. Drawing on his personal experiences and research, James discusses the appeal and dangers of the manosphere, touching on themes such as insecure masculinity and the commodification of social interactions. We also get into some joyful political implications and consider the role of social media in spreading these messages. One for all the family! Links Lost Boys - Journey into the ManosphereJames' SubstackThe Guardian – Journey into the Manosphere – Review of Lost BoysProspect Magazine – Matthew Goodwin, Reform and the politics of resentment – Bloodworth’s recent article on Matt Goodwin

    1h 20m

  5. 6 AUG · BONUS

    Supplementary Material 34: Giants, Grifters, and Google Eyed Loons

    We drown in waves of ideological fluidity as the gurusphere continues to crash all around us. Supplementary Material 34 00:00 Introduction 01:26 Irish Stew and Dog Exercise Report 03:45 A new 276 IQ Genius 11:47 Fresh and Fit Antisemitism 16:51 Are things getting dumber? 21:22 Asmongold on the Epstein Files 24:53 Epstein Conspiratorial Discourse helps Ghislaine Maxwell 29:00 Vinay Prasad resigns from his MAGA position 31:17 Eric Weinstein is the Architect of the Great Reset! 32:37 Google Eyed Loons vs. Willing Apparatchik 36:40 The Young Turks are joined by... Scott Adams 38:51 Ana Kasparian sits down with Tucker Carlson 44:46 Jimmy the Giant enters the arena 46:11 Jimmy the Giant meets Konstantin Kisin 57:12 Debating the Middle Class YouTube Grifters 01:06:15 The Gurusphere Grift 01:08:16 Jimmy the Giant reflects on his performance 01:11:16 Discourse standards for Research 01:15:05 Jimmy defends his criticisms 01:22:27 Jimmy the Giant deletes his videos and apologises to Konstantin 01:28:04 The Call to Action to support the Grand Mission 01:32:32 Separating Issues from Support of Influencers 01:37:13 Jimmy the Giant explains how the Elites created Wokeness 01:47:16 Woke Wars and Psyops 01:49:33 The Right Wing Media Outrage Ecosystem 01:55:26 False Consciousness and the Billionaires 02:02:47 AI limitations and Hallucinations 02:07:08 Post Hoc-Reasoning in AI and People 02:14:22 Outro The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (2hrs 16 mins). Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus Sources Younghoon Kim: World’s Highest IQ Score (276) Scientifically Documented in New Academic PreprintFresh and Fit idiots being giggly anti-semitic and praising HitlerJoanne Freeman: The Field of Blood: Violence in Congress and the Road to Civil WarGhislaine Maxwell moved to Federal prison camp in TexasComment on the move from Prison ConsultantPoor Vinay Prasad – The Disgraceful Campaign Against a Top FDA OfficialEric responds to accusations that he is the mastermind behind the Great ReplacementTYT’s The Conversation: Scott Adams Reflects on Life after his Terminal Cancer DiagnosisAna Kasparian on the Tucker Carlson showClips from now deleted Triggernometry video: He Called me a Grifter… it didn’t go so wella href="https://x.com/KonstantinKisin/status/1950086996845568460" rel="noopener noreferrer"

    49 min

  6. 30 JUL

    A Return to Gary World

    In this exhausting deep dive, Matt and Chris take a break from counting their billionaire stipends to devote (what some might call) an inordinate amount of time to Gary Stevenson’s recent appearance with a challenging interviewer: Tomás from Despolariza. They grapple with the indeterminacy of Schrödinger’s Gary, who oscillates between being an economic and mathematical genius revealing what THEY don’t want you to know on YouTube, and a pragmatic but selfless political activist who oversimplifies complex problems and sacrifices nuance (and himself) in the name of urgent reform. Despite insisting that he hates fame and has no desire to promote his best-selling book or be a popular YouTuber, Gary takes the time to remind us all of how often he’s recognised on the street and precisely how many millions of views his channel racks up each month. These are depressingly familiar guru tropes, as are his sweeping claims that you can’t trust politicians, economists, academics, journalists, the media, his old colleagues… or even graphs. Gary’s core message that growing inequality is economically and politically unsustainable is an important one. And his ability to communicate the stakes of that problem to a large audience could be beneficial. So the criticism lies not with his stated goals but with the guru-tastic packaging and unwillingness to deal with complexity. Luckily, there is a solution... Gary. Only he and his YouTube channel can save your grandchildren from abject poverty and Nigel Farage. And if you doubt him, just look at how many millions he made for himself and the bank with his uncanny predictions… or those monthly viewer stats. Oh, and did we mention he has an elite education from LSE? Links #89 GARY STEVENSON - Economics, Trading, Inequality, Wealth, Populism, Tax, Depolarize.Zucman, G. (2015). The hidden wealth of nations: The scourge of tax havens. In The hidden wealth of nations. University of Chicago Press.Francis-Devine, B. (2025). Income inequality in the UK. House of Commons Library.Francis-Devine, B. (2025). Wealth in Great Britain. House of Commons Library.

    3h 41m

  7. 25 JUL

    Mini Decoding: Sabine's Contrarian Outrage- How Dare You Criticise Eric!

    In this mini-decoding, Matt and Chris examine Sabine Hossenfelder's recent fervent defence of Eric Weinstein and her sharp rebuke of his critics, including Sean Carroll. Sabine suggests that Eric poses a genuine threat to the physics establishment and that he is terrifying them by exposing their weak points. Moreover, according to Sabine, Geometric Unity, Eric's homegrown Theory of Everything, is on par with String Theory, if not better, since it wastes less money! This episode takes a critical look at those claims and Sabine's own heated rhetoric and performative outrage, examining how her defence of Eric aligns with a broader online anti-science contrarian ecosystem. So join us as we ponder whether Sabine is a brave, truth-telling rebel challenging a stagnant scientific orthodoxy and defending an honest man who is under attack for simply daring to question the powers that be... or whether she is just another contrarian YouTuber pandering to anti-science sentiment, defending fellow influencers, and playing the game of algorithm-driven clickbait outrage. Links - Sabine Hossenfelder: Physicists are afraid of Eric Weinstein -- and they should be - Sabine Hossenfelder: Do we need a Theory of Everything? - Decoding the Gurus: Sabine Hossenfelder: Science is a Liar ... Sometimes - Professor Dave Explains: Sabine Hossenfelder Joins the Eric Weinstein Damage Control Parade - Sabine cheers on Bryan Johnson on Twitter - Tim Nguyen discusses Sabine's response on Twitter - Dr. Brian Keating: What Is A Theory of Everything? Featuring Sabine Hossenfelder, Lee Smolin, & Eric Weinstein

    59 min

  8. 18 JUL · BONUS

    Supplementary Material 33: Weinstein Enigmas, The Epstein Conspiracies, and Dwarves punching ducks

    In this packed supplementary episode, we tackle all of the urgent global issues, ranging from Epstein file conspiracies to Matt’s immense love of a fantasy game where dwarves punch ducks for fun. Along the way, we’re joined by a stellar cast of commentators, including some old favourites. Strap in… it’s a long one. Supplementary Material 33 00:00 Introductory Banter: Old Squeaky and Matt's Wall 04:40 Mecha Hitler's rampage 07:46 Grok's Controversial Behavior 11:12 Linda Yaccarino's grinning departure from X 13:05 Elmo's anti-semitic conspiracy tirade 14:11 Connor McGregor taints the timeline 15:03 Eric joins Diary of a CEO to give some advice 23:07 The Weinstein enigma 28:11 Eric Weinstein on Jeffrey Epstein 33:02 Eric vs. Mick West Round 2 35:15 Plastic Bag Wearing Philosophers, Pornographic AI Companions, and Neo-Liberalism  41:45 Weinstein vs Sean Carrol: Further Developments 43:57 Professor Dave's New Video on Eric with Christian Ferko 50:44 A Physicist's view of Geometric Unity 54:06 Debating Prof. Dave on Eric's Motivations 59:04 Peter Thiel and Ross Douhat on the Antichrist 01:08:31 Professor Dave Summarises Eric 01:20:49 Mockery and Different Styles of Criticism 01:25:18 Jeffrey Epstein Scandal Introduction 01:28:09 Trump's Response and Conspiracy Theories 01:31:18 Andrew Schulz' Cognitive Dissonance 01:38:32 Trump's Deep State Assassination Attempt 01:40:01 Megyn Kelly has another explanation 01:46:15 The Court Intrigues of MAGA 01:50:02 The Epstein Online Economy 01:57:54 Tim Pool's spin: It's the Democrats! 02:00:26 Destiny and Contrapoints get Conspiracy Theories 02:01:53 The Weinstein takes on Epstein: Welcome to the Infinite Truman Show 02:03:33 Scott Adams' Take: A Commander In Chief Issue 02:04:42 Epstein: The Foreign Agent? 02:07:20 Coffeezilla's Anomaly Hunting 02:11:47 Destiny Reacting to Coffeezilla and the Fluidity of Conspiracies 02:18:06 Doing Your Own Research on the Acosta Quote 02:20:29 Epstein Takes From QAnon Anonymous to Red Scare  02:25:18 Critical Evaluation of Claims: Consulting Reports on Epstein's Suicide 02:35:55 Hasan demonstrates responsible Conspiracy Hypothesising 02:39:34 New Conspiracy Lore 02:42:19 Tribal Matters 02:43:31 Matt's Gaming Grotto: Baldurs Gates, Dwarf Fortresses, and Rogue Traders 02:53:40 Matt's Sick Mind 02:54:57 Outro The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (2hrs 57 mins). Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus Sources Jeremy Howard’s TweetMecha Hitler Twitter (The Guardian)Elmo Hacked (The Guardian)Conor McGregor Shares Unsolicited Pics (Daily Mail)Stephen Bartlett Reprimanded by ASA (Marketing Week)Eric Being Mysterious with Mick West (Twitter)a...

    40 min
See All (200)

Hosts & Guests

About

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 our way through and talk some smart-sounding smack about the intellectual giants of our age, from Jordan Peterson to Robin DiAngelo. Are they revolutionary thinkers or just grifters with delusions of grandeur? Join us and let's find out!

Information

  • Creator
    Christopher Kavanagh and Matthew Browne
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    200
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 Christopher Kavanagh and Matthew Browne
  • Show Website
    Decoding the Gurus

You Might Also Like