Decoding the Gurus

Christopher Kavanagh and Matthew Browne
  • 4.3 (852)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY
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 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. DEC 13

    DTG Christmas Quiz 2024 with Helen Lewis & Badstats

    In this special festive episode, Chris and Matt are joined by seasoned decoder and quiz master Helen Lewis to discuss the myths around genius, extract her 2025 Guru predictions, and, of course, participate in that most sacred of DTG traditions: Helen's annual Guru Quiz. Once again, the decoders must prove their mastery of the gurusphere’s esoteric knowledge, and once again, one decoder will come up short. Who will it be? You already know... but do your best to feign surprise! But that’s not all! Discourse/Discord creature and DTG Weinstein correspondent Dan Gilbert (Bad Stats online) also makes an appearance to enjoy another mystery quiz and a dystopian guru squad-building game. Play along at home and see if your chosen guru team can match the synergistic power of our curated champions. Links Helen Lewis on SubstackDan Gilbert on Twitter and YouTube

    1h 33m

  2. NOV 29 · BONUS

    Supplementary Material 19: Critic-O-Rama with extra trans-dimensional alien demons

    In this truly epic-length supplementary material, we spin 70 critical paradigms simultaneously while trying to avoid the wily tricks of some hostile transdimensional forces. Do we succeed? Join us to find out! Supplementary Material 19 00:24 Introduction: More American Insights(!) 13:12 Peterson Orbiters: The Pageau Brothers 17:41 Pageau & Rod Dreher: Aliens are transdimensional spirits 25:56 Pageau: Alex Jones was Right! 27:01 Peterson & Pageau's Lazy Christian Apologetics 44:17 Joe Rogan: Fuck Ukraine! 56:28 Peter Thiel has questions about Vaccines and Autism 01:03:20 Big Rogan's CENSORSHIP CAMPAIGN against Flint Dibble 01:09:07 Nassim Taleb vs. Colin Wright: Seed Oils 01:23:10 Taleb and Squid Ink Flounces 01:32:40 Conspirituality & the issues with extended analogies 01:50:27 Leftist Millenarianism? 01:56:06 Cultish Spectrums 02:02:34 Critical Feedback: Decoding the Decoders 02:08:30 You were not allowed to talk about this! 02:21:56 Signing Off The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (2hrs 24 mins). Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus Sources  Free Press- Peter Thiel and the Triumph of the Counter-ElitesJonathan Pageau - Living in Wonder - with Rod DreherJordan Peterson - Beyond Dawkins | Jonathan Pageau | EP 496Taleb's Twitter Rampage with Colin Wright on Seed OilsConsumer Reports: Do Seed Oils Make You Sick?Conspirituality: Brief: Post-Election Online Survivor Group DynamicsBe Scofield: A Critical Review of Amanda Montell's "Cultish"A Public Letter to Joe Rogan from Flint DibbleJoe Rogan Experience #2231 - Jimmy Corsetti & Dan RichardsKyiv Independent: Ukrainians react to Joe Rogan’s rant on Ukraine

    48 min

  3. NOV 24 · BONUS

    Dawkins vs. Peterson: There Be Dragons

    In this special episode, we return to the forboding Dragon's Den of the Peterson-verse and enjoy a rather punchy conversation between Jordan Peterson and Richard Dawkins, facilitated by Alex O'Connor. As always, the discussion is dense with abstract symbolic interpretations, evasive answers to direct questions about biblical events, and highly speculative claims. So Matt and Chris don their best decoding armour, steel their resolve, and prepare to face down endless waves of indulgent analogies and the constant conflation of mythological and scientific truths. Important insights from Matt on American public toilets, shower technology, and stories of Chris' previous life as a coal-shovelling street urchin are also included. Links Dawkins vs Peterson: Memes & Archetypes | Alex O’Connor Moderates | EP 491The Times: We Who Wrestle with God by Jordan Peterson review — rambling, hectoring and madThe Guardian: We Who Wrestle With God by Jordan Peterson review – a culture warrior out of his depth

    1h 38m

  4. NOV 16 · BONUS

    Supplementary Material 18: The Clown Car Cometh

    Still in the land of the free and restocked with important new insights from his US travels, Matt is confronted with the Gurusphere's predictably depressing reaction to the election. And what's that we hear in the distance... is it a honking car? Supplementary Material 18 00:00 Matt's American Ethnography 10:59 Eric Weinstein is waiting for the call 14:32 Huberman, Krauss, and MAGA Sycophancy 18:39 Boghossian and other would-be Intellectual Clerics of the MAGA regime 22:52 Sam Harris criticises Elon Musk, Joe Rogan, and MAGA 32:05 The Fifth Column, The Free Press and World Weary Both Sides-ing 53:19 Election Reflections: Macro and Micro Causes 01:04:40 Longer Term Trends 01:10:08 Sarah Haider and the Hip Vibe of the New Right 01:24:00 Richard Dawkins Dual Nature 01:31:08 A Plea to Sean Carroll and our Listeners 01:33:06 An important note on Bouldering The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hr 36 mins). Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus Links Eric's phone is not ringingHuberman making his pitchKrauss being a sycophant to ElonBoghossian's lack of interest in protests in HungarySam Harris Making Sense 391: The ReckoningA Special Place in Hell: Adios Amigos: The Special Place FinaleThat graph mentioned about the loss of support for incumbent regimesDawkins being a fool on TwitterThe Fifth Column: #234 - Come On and Zoom! (Wagnerian Opera Edition)

    38 min

  5. NOV 12

    Sabine Hossenfelder: Science is a Liar ... Sometimes

    In this highly non-topical episode, Matt and Chris dive into the entertainingly gruff world of Sabine Hossenfelder, the German theoretical physicist and popular YouTube science communicator. Known as a joyful science curmudgeon, Sabine excels at making complex science accessible to a wide audience. Yet, there's another side to her content: one that's increasingly steeped in the YouTube algorithm’s culture-war-fueled clickbait, complete with prolific both-sidesing and even hints of her own brand of science-denialist rhetoric. We can already imagine Sabine’s response: tone policing from establishment scolds who are trying to silence a fearless truth-teller for exposing academia’s dark underbelly. Perhaps that’s all it is—maybe Matt and Chris are aligned with BIG PHYSICS, out to quash any dissent about supersymmetry, string theory, or the academic publishing machine. Or… maybe it’s something else. Maybe Sabine has pivoted to pander to the (so-hot-right-now) anti-establishment YouTube crowd, declaring that modern science has achieved nothing of value in 50 years and claiming that scientists (especially climate scientists) are too scared to challenge ideological dogmas for fear of jeopardizing their careers or funding. It’s certainly one of those things. Whatever the case, join Matt and Chris as they tackle this perplexing case of rhetorical indeterminacy, unpack YouTube audience dynamics, and delve into Sabine's unexpected alignments with Eric Weinstein and her 'sharp' critiques of Tucker Carlson. Links Sabine Hossenfelder: The crisis in physics is real: Science is failingSabine Hossenfelder: Fossil Fuels Don’t Come From Fossils? Tucker Carlson Fact CheckSabine Hossenfelder: My dream died, and now I'm hereSabine Hossenfelder: Theories of Everything [Music Video]Professor Dave Explains: The Problem With Sabine HossenfelderProfessor Dave Explains: No, Sabine, Science is Not Failing

    1h 51m

  6. NOV 4

    Guru US Election Special

    Matt and Chris dip their toes into the fetid, guru-infested swamp surrounding the 2024 U.S. election. Straining to see what lurks in the murky depths, they encounter dark shapes, including Eric Weinstein pledging his services to whoever wins (or will give him a call), Joe Rogan conspiracy hypothesizing with Donald Trump, the Free Press hosting a truly heterodox election party, Michael Moynihan pulling no punches, and finally, Jordan Peterson’s shockingly sycophantic psychological assessment of Donald Trump and his cohort. Join Chris and Matt as they navigate the election discourse swamp and the ever-unsettling convergence of internet personalities and political power, examining how these online figures function like the courtiers of old—gathering around their would-be kings, flattering them with pseudo-profound or sycophantic praise, and vying to secure their place in the new order. All very cheerful stuff, we’re sure you’ll agree! Links A Psychological Analysis of Trump’s Personality by Dr. Jordan B. Peterson | EP 492Professor Dave Explains: The Problem With Sabine HossenfelderMatt Johnson's article on Joe Rogan: A Conspiracist for the Trump EraJoe Rogan Experience #2219 - Donald TrumpMoynihan on Triggernometry: The Most Important Election in History - Michael MoynihanQAnon Anonymous: Episode 211: Tulsi Gabbard P1 (The Cult) feat Mike Prysner

    1h 54m

  7. NOV 1 · BONUS

    Supplementary Material 17: American Dreams, YouTube Algorithms, and Poisonous Plastics

    In this episode, Chris and Matt open the lid on Matt's adventures in America. Basking in the land of the free, Matt is forced to consider YouTube dynamics, indulgent podcast conversations, potential Russian influence campaigns, and the environmental toxins that sound him. We will return soon with another SM election special and a better mic for Matt! Content 00:00 Introduction 03:20 Matt's American Insights 10:41 Flint Dibble, Graham Hancock & a silly racist 19:21 YouTube & Audience Capture with Andrew Gold 27:35 Justin Trudeau accuses Jordan Peterson of being Russian Funded 34:29 Bernie Sanders & Lex Fridman: What's the point? 47:24 Huberman's Latest PSA 52:20 Environmental Toxins and Modern Health Concerns 58:58 Outro The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hr 3 mins). Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus Links Express article on Hancock's work being used by racistsNational Post article on Peterson's response to Trudeau's accusationsHuberman's Twitter PSA on microplasticsBernie Sanders Interview | Lex Fridman Podcast #450

    32 min

  8. OCT 28 · BONUS

    Book Review: The Selfish Gene

    In this special international episode of Decoding the Gurus, Chris and Matt jump on the hottest online topic and devote an hour to reviewing Richard Dawkins' influential work from the 1970s, The Selfish Gene. This book influenced Matt and Chris when they were teenage decoders, but how does it hold up now that they have evolved into (quasi)adult forms? Based on their rereading of the book they discuss its contribution to the public understanding of evolution, the academic and public controversies it sparked, and Dawkins' broader contributions to science communication and... the culture war. Consideration is given to the criticisms raised by figures like Stephen Jay Gould and Mary Midgley, the implications of seeing humans as meat machines constructed by genes, and what should be understood as the book's core message. So join Chris and Matt as they confront their true nature as gene propagators but also argue that it is possible to simultaneously recognise the importance of human cultural & social development and our genetic & biological legacies. Links Dawkins, R. (2016) The Selfish Gene (40th Anniversary edition)

    1h 16m
See All (160)

Hosts & Guests

4.3
out of 5
852 Ratings

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 - 2024
  • Episodes
    160
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024 Christopher Kavanagh and Matthew Browne
  • Show Website
    Decoding the Gurus

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada