Decoding the Gurus
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In a rare departure from our usual diet of online weirdos, this episode features an academic who is very much a guru. We’re joined by Julia Rohrer, a psychologist at Leipzig University whose work straddles the disciplinary boundaries of open science, research transparency, and causal inference. Julia is also an editor at and has spent much of the last decade politely pointing out that psychologists often don’t quite know what they’re estimating, why, or under which assumptions. We talk about the state of psychology after the replication crisis, whether open science reforms have genuinely improved research practice (or just added new boxes to tick), and why causal thinking is unavoidable even when researchers insist they are “only describing associations.” Julia explains why the standard dance of is unhelpful, and argues instead for being explicit about the causal questions researchers actually care about and the assumptions required to answer them. Along the way we discuss images of scientists in the public and amongst the gurus, how post-treatment bias sneaks into even well-intentioned experimental designs, why specifying the estimand matters more than running ever-fancier models, and how psychology’s current norms can potentially punish honesty about uncertainty. We also touch on her work on birth-order effects and offer some possible reasons for optimism. With all the guru talk, people sometimes ask us to recommend things that we like, and Julia's work is one such example! LINKS __ __
We crawl around the dark crevices of the internet so you don't have to. And what wonders we have to show you... The full episode is available to Patreon subscribers (1 hour, 34 minutes). Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL 43 00:00 Introduction and Banter Allotment 01:23 The Hypocrisy of the Defenders of Western Civilisation 10:07 An Optimistic Take? 17:02 Scott Adams' Controversial Legacy 18:43 Scott Alexander's Rationalist Eulogy for Scott Adams 32:31 A Final Tribute to Scott Adams 33:43 Andrew Gold's Interview with a Racist 39:02 Fair Play for being a Racist 41:17 Comparing Follower Counts and Audience Makeup 44:40 Racism and Xenophobia Discussion 49:07 Securing the Future of Our People... 01:00:01 LawTubers and Grifting 01:00:48 Legal Mindset 01:06:02 Antifa Woke Women are Hunting Legal Mindset 01:07:41 A man of Christ 01:09:16 A Red-Blooded American 01:12:35 Woke White Women and Antifa Paranoia 01:13:55 Electro Gym Work and Pygmy Hippo Love 01:18:47 Antifa Paranoia 01:26:36 The True Masculine Renegade YouTuber 01:32:32 Concluding Thoughts and Farewell LINKS __ __
We return for Part 2 of our Scott Galloway deep dive, where the vibes remain strong, the confidence unwavering, and the relationship with empirical evidence increasingly… decorative. Returning to our safari, we continue navigating the forbidden terrain of men, masculinity, and male suffering: a topic so dangerous that it requires constant ritual disclaimers, whispered caveats, and the occasional nervous glance around the bar to make sure we can take out the other men if necessary. We cover Scott's outline of his masculine Third Way: rejecting both the Right’s “Bring Back the Fifties” masculinity and the Left’s “Men Are the Problem” framework, in favour of a solution that might be described as . Prepare to thrill at proposals of mandatory national service, kindness as a masculine superpower, and the radical idea that young people might benefit from not being economically crushed. Things get spicier when we’re told what women want and learn about the adaptive skill check of the female orgasm. Chris Williamson unveils a prepared essay on What Men Want which proves to be a moving piece of therapeutic slam poetry that somehow manages to combine manosphere grievance mongering with woke therapy talk. We learn how what men really just want to be told is “you are enough" and should be kind for kindness sake, but also should optimise their friend group such that they can properly signal their high mate quality and train hard enough to take out all other males in the bar. Finally, we hit peak Decoding Mode as Scott’s statistics begin to escalate: boys are ten times more likely to kill themselves, father absence turns sons into inmates, daughters into promiscuous approval-seekers, and nearly every claim is delivered with total confidence and minimal concern for effect sizes, confounds, or whether the study actually exists. Decorative scholarship is in full bloom. We do our best as two hyper-masculine men to separate reasonable concerns about boys, mentorship, and social policy from hyperbolic factoids, pop-psych inflation, and the familiar habit of smuggling moral arguments in under the banner of “what the science says.” Bring your hunting knife and stoic daily diary. Take your testosterone injection. And get ready for some man talk! LINKS __ __ ACADEMIC PAPERS/SOURCES REFERENCED __ Zhang, L., Wang, P., Liu, L., Wu, X., & Wang, W. (2026). Different roles of child abuse and neglect on emerging adult's nonsuicidal self-injury and suicidal ideation: sex difference through emotion regulation. Current...
We dig deep into the online world to DO OUR OWN RESEARCH and return with horrors never dreamt of by man. The full episode is available to Patreon subscribers (1 hour, 23 minutes). Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL 42 00:00 Introduction 11:13 Rogan and Shane Gillis on Nick Fuentes vs Piers Morgan 17:49 Jimmy Carr's Physics Insights 24:00 The comedian shuffle 25:12 Andrew Huberman teams up with Goop! 30:41 Huberman injects his dog with testosterone. 32:09 Bryan Johnson and the secret longevity of the penis 35:41 The Science Behind Huberman's Careful Product Endorsements 39:48 The Statistics of Home Alone 41:22 Bryan Johnson's Love Tweet 46:24 Bryan Johnson's horrible treatment of his ex-fiancée 51:30 Andrea Botez and Influencer Health Research 57:41 Bespoke Treatments with Medical AIs 01:04:28 Self-Research, Stock Picking, and Gambling 01:07:47 Health Systems and their imperfections 01:12:37 Doing Your Own Research... 01:17:38 Matt's Content Recommendations 01:20:45 Outro LINKS __ Andrea Botez – https://www.samharris.org/podcasts/making-sense-episodes/445-more-from-sam-marjorie-taylor-greene-billionaires-thanksgiving-political-debates-rapid-fire-questionsHearing Loss Update...
We return to the podcast circuit in 2026 to examine Scott Galloway: NYU professor, prolific podcaster, and, more recently, part-time life coach for struggling young men. Joining him on an episode of Modern Wisdom with Chris Williamson, we are invited into one of the few remaining forbidden conversational spaces: men, masculinity, and men’s problems. You may have been misled by the relentless popularity of Joe Rogan, Modern Wisdom, The Tucker Carlson Show, Triggernometry, The Diary of a CEO, Huberman Lab, and several dozen adjacent properties into thinking these topics are already discussed at length on a near-weekly basis. Alas, this turns out to be a dangerous illusion. In reality, even mentioning men’s issues requires an extended ritual acknowledgement of women, failure to perform which risks immediate cancellation. Braving these cultural headwinds, we wade into manly dialogue about masculinity, sex differences, and male malaise. Along the way, we ponder the intricacies of culture war evolutionary psychology, anthropological wars over Man the Hunter, optimised dosages for manly whingeing, and whether making boys learn French verb conjugations qualifies as a human rights abuse. So get your notebooks ready for some important notes from two of the most masculine men in the modern male podcasting space. Men... LINKS __ __ ACADEMIC PAPERS REFERENCED __ Marriage and life satisfaction across the life course (multi-country): Mikucka, M. (2016). ...
In this festive descent into methodological despair, Chris and Matt convene a secret cabal of elite psychology podcasters within the Decoding Cloister, operating under the distant yet reassuring gaze of Arch-Wizard Paul Bloom, whose role is largely ceremonial but nonetheless morally binding. Joining them are Dave Pizarro () and Michael Inzlicht (, emeritus), for what can only be described as an end-of-year audit of social psychology’s moral character. What follows is a mixture of intense hubris, disciplinary self-loathing, and revolutionary insights, delivered via one of the most sadistic Christmas quizzes ever devised. The quiz format allows the episode to do what psychology does best: create the feeling of measurement while hovering dangerously close to intuition. Alongside the quiz, we engage in some meta-commentary and sensemaking reflections on audience capture and the state of psychology-themed podcasts in 2025. In other words, it’s Christmas, so naturally everyone is discussing perverse incentives, damaged reputations, and the slow moral corrosion of institutions. So join us, won’t you? For the first International Congress on Psychology-Themed Podcasting and Gurus… LINKS __ __ REFERENCES __
In this special Christmas episode, Helen’s annual Guru Quiz returns, lightly dusted with Trump, podcast tours, and the unsettling realisation that the Guru-sphere and the MAGA-sphere have quietly fused into a single, monetised, vibes-based organism. That's right, the regular decoding team are joined by renowned journalist, author, podcaster... and occasional DTG quiz master, Helen Lewis, who once again brings her festive cheer, an uncanny ability to identify exactly who will be unbearable next year, and a quiz designed to torture Matt. Points are awarded, dignity is lost, and Matt briefly considers revising for the quiz before remembering that preparation has never helped him before. The episode also covers MAGA and UK political manoeuvres, the movers and shakers of the Gurusphere in 2025, and a lament for the collapse of the ancient boundary between editorial content and hawking pants. So join us for a festive episode about gurus, geniuses, authoritarian comedy festivals, and the slow erosion of shame. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night... and that includes you, Bubbles! LINKS __ __
In this tragic episode, we pay tribute to a fallen comrade and honour his memory with a Supplementary Material 41 00:00 Introduction and Swimming Update 02:34 The Tragic Tale of Old Squeaky 09:01 Sam Harris interpersonal bias & Megyn Kelly 26:05 Gary Stevenson vs Rory Stewart 36:26 Master Certificates and Jaffa Cakes 41:59 Dasha's Nick Fuentes Problem 50:08 Nick Fuentes' Racist Remarks 54:29 Piers Morgan vs. Nick Fuentes 59:08 The Two Nick Fuentes Personas 01:02:39 Father Issues 01:20:51 Nick Fuentes the Racist 01:30:36 Piers Lab Leak Ad Break 01:32:52 Antisemitism and Holocaust Denialism 01:45:25 IDW Style Credulity and Holocaust Denialism 01:48:12 Hitler was really f**king cool? 01:58:20 Blustering Boomer Outrage vs. Online Groyperism 02:02:09 Debating Misogyny and Extremism 02:12:54 Piers Take on Fuentes 02:17:11 Overall thoughts on Piers Morgan vs Nick Fuentes 02:20:15 Infighting on the Conspiratorial Right 02:25:13 Bret Weinstein's Powers of Prediction: Trump on Rob Reiner 02:30:29 Outro LINKS __ __
In this unlocked bonus episode, Chris and Matt complete their forensic/esoteric/scientific assessment of the charming Stefan Molyneux, consigning him (sadly) to the eternal archives of the Gurometer.
Cult Season continues, and much like Stefan himself, you may have hoped this would go away after Part 1. Unfortunately, like all persistent internet hauntings, Molyneux has returned. And this time, Chris and Matt venture even deeper into the Moly-Hole, a place where truth is redefined, callers are slowly gaslit into existential confusion, and every philosophical insight is served with the overwhelming scent of narcissism and emotional manipulation. We return to the joyful world of Stefan’s caller-domination rituals, courtesy of Twitter Spaces, where he continues his life’s work of berating strangers and stroking his own ego while insisting he alone possesses the True Meaning of Truth. Listeners can thrill to the culmination of the Truth Call™ from Part 1, where the philosophically inclined young father is sucked further into Stefan’s epistemological meat grinder as Stefan tries to uncover the imaginary psychoanalytic roots of the caller’s ongoing defiance. From there, we are introduced to Caller No. 3 for just a sprinkling of the patented victim-blaming and misogyny of the Molyneux Method. Finally, Chris and Matt offer their overall thoughts on Molyneux’s long and illustrious career as an internet arsehole. They conclude that while Stefan has managed to cycle through platforms, ideologies, and degrees of baldness, he has maintained absolute fidelity to the same psychological tactics—gaslighting, projection, undermining, hypocrisy, and the uncanny ability to make even a throwaway joke feel incredibly creepy. So that’s it for now… collectively we can escape the Moly-Hole, carefully sealing the tunnel entrance as we leave. And let’s pray this is the last time anyone has to think about good ol’ Stefan. Aside from that… Cult Season continues. Abandon hope, etc. Links __ College of Psychologists of Ontario:...
We set down the Chardonnay at the latest heterodox dinner party and lean in for some hearty ‘civil discourse’ to once again defend the trembling pillars of Western civilization. The full episode is available to Patreon subscribers (2 hours, 13 minutes). Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL 40: YOUTUBE BUILDERS, THE DISCOURSE GRIND, AND SAM HARRIS' DINNER PARTIES 00:00 Introduction 01:15 Feedback on the Molyneux Episode 10:26 Jordan Peterson still defeated by toxic demon mould 12:16 Steven Pinker's bad takes on Bjorn Lomborg 15:49 Chris vs Sabine 28:21 Grok's insane sycophantic glazing of Elon Musk 33:54 Musk's Psychology 40:59 Sam Harris acknowledges his problem?!? 47:18 Sam continues to wrestle with the interpersonal ethics of criticism 01:05:10 Triggernometry saves Western Civilization 01:15:29 The Wisdom of Francis Foster 01:28:42 Triggernometry's Partisan Outrage at the BBC 01:38:12 Oppressed Men vs. Complaining Women 01:46:29 The YouTube Builders of Western Civilization 01:56:42 Pageau vs Bret Weinstein 02:01:52 Eric Weinstein sensemaking about Cancellation 02:09:58 A PSA about THIS podcast Links __ __
Welcome back to Cult Season, where we continue our sincere attempt to make you feel a little bit worse about the world and everything in it. This week, we turn to Stefan Molyneux, online pioneer, prolific content creator, and self-proclaimed most popular philosopher in the world. Alternatively his wikipedia entry describes him as "an Irish-born Canadian white nationalist podcaster and proponent of conspiracy theories, white supremacy, scientific racism, and the men's rights movement." Charming... One thing is for sure: Molyneux is the only man alive who can turn question into a monologue that combines demonic liberals, cutting off friends and family, and female reproductive choices. A true Renaissance man for people who hate Renaissance values. In this first episode we take a brief tour through the Molyneux Expanded Universe™, which includes some infamous clips from his early days as the creator of an online 'philosophy' cult themed around anti-spanking, anarcho-capitalism, and misogyny. We also cover his pivot to MAGA apologetics and overt white nationalism and finally to late-stage Molyneux, where he now lurks in Twitter Spaces, berating callers and insisting the world is populated by demon-ridden NPCs gleefully urinating on their moral superiors. Look forward to learning about his extensive rhetorical techniques, which include thin-skinned narcissism, a penchant for violent metaphors usually featuring urine and anal torture, his constant demand that listeners cut off their families and, of course, his favourite claim: that anyone who disagrees with him is a man-whore NPC who wants to kill you. Also featuring: __ __ If you’ve ever wanted to hear a preening narcissist berate his listener for raising entirely reasonable points... well, this is the episode for you. Scott Adams should be careful, a new contender has emerged for his crown... Part 2 coming soon, assuming we survive this one. Links __ SPLC profile on Stefan...
This week, we are joined by Kevin Mitchell, Associate Professor of Genetics and Neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin, who has committed the unforgivable sin of pointing out that an entire academic and media hype cycle might be built on… well, very little actually. His new co-authored paper in politely dismantles the highly promoted link between the gut microbiome and autism, which turns out to rest on flawed studies, contradictory findings, creative statistics, and a touching faith in mice burying marbles. Kevin walks us through the joys of observational studies that don’t replicate, mouse experiments that don't make sense, and clinical trials where there is no blinding and no control wing, and shockingly, everyone reports feeling better. Meanwhile, journalists and wellness gurus eagerly report each new “breakthrough”, unburdened by any concerns about the strength of evidence or methodological robustness. In the end, the microbiome–autism connection looks less like a sturdy scientific stool and more like three damp twigs taped together by optimism and marketing departments. We finish, naturally, by dragging Matt back out of his panpsychism phase and asking whether consciousness is really fundamental to the universe or just something that happens in podcasters who haven’t slept enough. LINKS __ __
We are joined by Alexander Beiner, current founder of Kainos and former co-founder of Rebel Wisdom, to grapple with that eternally slippery concept: . Naturally, this leads us through interdisciplinary adventurism, reflections on the (il)legitimacy of academia, and the recurring “meaning crisis” that haunts our times. Sense will be made, unmade, and possibly reinvented along the way. LINKS __ __
Chris and Matt walk into a bar with an atheist sensemaker, an Ayurvedic Guru, and a Christian Apologist, and predictable frivolities ensue. Featuring not one but two good-natured, robust exchanges of opinion between our two hosts. The full episode is available to Patreon subscribers (1 hour, 42 minutes). Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL 39: PANPSYCHICS, SENSEMAKERS, AND BAD GUYS 00:00 Introduction 01:17 AI and the Music Industry 05:34 Is Chris a Bad Guy? 10:44 Vibe Physics with Travis Kalanick 16:10 Efforts to Falsify and AI 21:02 Gordon Pennycook with Sean Carroll: Vibes vs Analysis 32:44 Libertarianism and Personal Beliefs 35:10 A mini-debate on internal consistency 42:49 Matt's Personal Philosophy 44:16 Philosophical Feedback on the Sensemakers 55:06 Atheist vs Christian vs Spiritual Thinker 57:03 Dr. K's Role in the Discussion 01:09:01 Alex's Stance on Purpose 01:12:31 Dr. K's Perspective on Purpose 01:23:45 Dr. K and the Atheist pose 01:34:29 Philosophical Musings on Panpsychism 01:41:18 Outro Sources __ __
In another exciting Required Reading episode, Chris and Matt offer their penetrating, high IQ thoughts on the latest book by journalist and podcast quizmaster, Helen Lewis. Titled 'The Genius Myth: The Dangerous Allure of Rebels, Monsters, and Rule Breakers', the book tears into some of the long-enduring myths surrounding historical and contemporary geniuses from Picasso to Elon Musk. It's a critical dissection of gurus and devoted fans, so very on topic! And yes, it is better than Cod... Full episode is available to Patreons on the Revolutionary Genius tier! (1hr 13 mins). Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus LINKS __ __ REQUIRED READING: THE GENIUS MYTH 00:00 Book Review: Genius Myth 04:11 The Genius Myth: Book Thoughts! 07:02 Exploring the Concept of Genius 08:49 IQ Tests and High IQ Societies 10:55 Social Perception of Intelligence 12:20 Elon Musk and Modern Genius 16:08 Historical Perspectives on Genius 18:42 The people behind the Geniuses 25:15 The Role of Context and Luck 27:44 Mythmaking and Cultural Icons 45:01 The Flawed Genius Stereotype 50:50 What about Tim Robinson? 52:51 The deranging impact of attention 01:03:33 Overall Thoughts 01:12:44 Better than Cod
We welcome Al Murray, the comedian who might just be your new favourite historian, to . In a crossover you probably didn’t expect, we discuss World War II, Wehraboos, gurus, and the contemporary comedy scene... something for all the family. Along the way, we touch on British nostalgia, military fetishism, and self-styled “truth tellers”. A chat about history, humour, and hubris, not necessarily in that order. LINKS __ __
Kicking off cult season, Chris and Matt take a dip into the manipulative world of NXIVM founder and self-proclaimed 200-IQ “Vanguard,” Keith Raniere, as he talks with his then-disciple and ex-Hollywood actress, Allison Mack. Through a haze of pseudo-profound musings and decorative scholarship, Raniere sermonises on creativity, authenticity, and the human spirit, all while orchestrating a coercive sex cult built on obedience, sleep deprivation, and... volleyball. Matt and Chris lament how his wordy self-help cosmology mirrors the rhetorical habits of secular gurus: the cultivation of parasocial intimacy, the disdain for anything mainstream, and the promise of “revolutionary” insights that will reveal your (for a fee). From the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle to “authentic soulfulness”, it’s a masterclass in generating pseudo-profound semantic fog, where love and pain blur into one transcendent teaching. By the end, you may find yourself sharing Raniere’s final revelation about what it truly means to feel… SOURCES __ __
Join Matt and Chris as they dive into the controversy-ridden world of the lab leak theory, accompanied by biochemist-turned-author Philipp Markolin. Philipp details his journey into the abyss of lab leak lore and sensationalist media, documenting how thorough research was pushed aside in favour of conspiratorial discourse. For those who dream of a world where science triumphs over sensationalism, this episode is your bittersweet symphony. LINKS __ __
We end the futile struggle, embrace the toxins, and become one with our mould brethren. The full episode is available to Patreon subscribers (2 hours, 38 minutes). Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL 38 00:00 Intro 02:54 Boomer Matt reacts to Twitter videos 07:31 Shellenberger and Tucker discuss the 9/11 Files 12:42 Eric's Google Ngram Investigations 17:08 Vindication on the Elephant Graveyard 22:00 Eric's ARC lecture goes viral 25:24 Andrew Huberman is NOT a phrenologist... 29:06 Eric Weinstein vs. Piers Morgan 33:44 Everyone knows Eric is a serious thinker 46:09 Peterson is taken out of the Gurusphere by Demons and Toxic Mould 52:09 Gurus and Bespoke Alternative Health 57:00 Social Contagion Hypocrisy 01:02:55 Toxic Mould Symbiosis? 01:04:46 Pewdiepie, Diogenes, and the Seeker Mindset 01:16:14 The Wisdom of the Ancients 01:21:01 The Meaning Crisis and Christian Pivots 01:22:29 Konstantin Kisin's surprising Christian pivot 01:25:17 The best person Konstantin ever met (not Francis) 01:30:22 The Fifth Column Agrees with Megyn Kelly 88% of the time 01:33:07 Megyn Kelly explains how the Democrats crossed the line and must pay 01:41:35 Intellectual Clerics for MAGA 01:43:16 Slightly Adversarial libertarians for hire 01:47:00 Drew Pavlou and Fluid Populism 01:50:17 Two Varieties of Online Derangement: Noah Smith's Hot Takes 01:53:57 Need for Attention = Desire for Virality 01:57:23 Status Seeking Networkers vs Paul Bloom 02:01:27 Reflecting on the Al Murray Interview 02:02:22 The struggle of podcasters 02:04:52 Paul Bloom: The best person in the world? 02:06:00 Mike Israetel's Thesis Controversy 02:10:30 What does a PhD mean? 02:16:55 David Deutsch visits Curt Jaimungal 02:22:32 The Dangers of Doubling Down: Pirate Software 02:23:32 Hasan Piker and Shock Collar-gate 02:27:15 Matt's Take on Shock Collars 02:33:51 Dystopia Update: Putin wants Trump to win the Nobel Prize 02:37:11 Outro SOURCES __
Matt and Chris once again take up their oars and plunge deeper into the recursive whirlpools of contemporary sensemaking. Picking up where Part 1 left off, having grappled with conscience, touchstones, hierarchies, and normativity, we return to the sensemaking labyrinth to see just how many more words and concepts the combined powers of Peterson, Vervaeke, and Hall can stretch to breaking point. This second leg of the voyage allows us to chart more of the universal sensemaking grammar, with its biblical scaffolding, liberal use of metaphors, and frequent exhortations to ascend Jacob’s ladder. But alongside Peterson's predictable biblical musings, you can also thrill at unexpected treats like John Vervaeke unveiling how finite transcendence connects to inexhaustible intelligibility and Jordan Hall explaining that even silence can be a form of sensemaking. Expect symbolic snakes, dangling ropes, and ecological psychology refashioned for mystical ascent, Augustine rediscovered through Plato, and culture reframed as an alcoholic parent. Or if you prefer, enjoy detours into atheists and their Luciferian egos, the sacred role of play, and the profound revelations that can be drawn from childhood disappointments at McDonald’s and grandfathers complaining about Nixonian duplicity So join us for the final leg of the Sensemaking Odyssey. Sharpen your mind, get ready to traverse through 3D space, and prepare for an encounter with the Logos... in the context of listening to a podcast. SOURCES __ __
Why are we never invited to these dinners? We wonder if it was something we said or if our invitation just got lost in the mail, as we endure the inevitable discourse wave that followed in the wake of Charlie Kirk's murder. The full episode is available to Patreon subscribers (2 hours, 21 minutes). Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL 37 00:00 Introduction 01:10 Cooking Gurus? 05:39 Sensemaking Overindulgence 07:19 Feedback on The Elephant Graveyard Segment 14:07 Gary is awarded an Honorary Doctorate by SOAS 19:15 On the Murder of Charlie Kirk 24:49 Murder is Bad & Charlie Kirk was a Polemicist 38:07 Hypocritical Calls for Violence: Elon Musk and Tommy Robinson 41:32 The Superficial Celebrations of Luigi Mangione 44:52 Michael Shermer is an entirely non-skeptical partisan 47:16 Eric Weinstein and the rush to post 49:48 Joe Rogan argues with his friend on vaccines 58:11 Predictable Pivot 01:05:30 Blocked and Reported discuss the Interpersonal Psychodramas of the Heterodox 01:07:07 The Thick Skin of Michael Shellenberger 01:11:41 Being Bret Weinstein's +1 01:13:39 Dave Rubin does not appreciate public criticism 01:16:29 A Heterodox DM encounter 01:21:01 Money and Macro's Video on Gary's Economics 01:27:56 The DTG approach vs Debunking 01:29:43 The Nature of Expertise and Criticism 01:31:17 Researching Guru Claims 01:36:37 Destiny invokes the Prisoner's Dilemma and Tit for Tat strategies 01:40:59 Generous Tit for Tat 01:46:28 Konstantin Kisin's warning about alternative media 01:54:26 Konstantin's "Consistency" 02:01:44 Next Gurus and Fake Outro 02:03:44 Decoding the Gamers: Caves of Qud and Two Point Museum 02:08:11 Retro School Games: Drug Wars, Beachhead and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? 02:11:53 Real Outro Sources __ Blocked and Reported Premium: Taylor Lorenz And The Perils Of Journafluencing (Part...
Join Matt and Chris as they enter an intellectual labyrinth of recursive sensemaking featuring the combined insights of Jordan Peterson, John Vervaeke, and Jordan Hall. You will learn about many, many deep and complex concepts and puzzle over definitions of conscience, the vertical hierarchy, value, normativity, goals & ideals, quests, the ultimate unifying meta-narrative, self-sacrifice, and touchstones. With frequent excursions into a wild assortment of biblical stories, Platonic philosophy, Jungian psychology, Martial Art stances, and much, much more! This is a voyage through the refracted and philosophical frameworks of three contemporary sensemaking powerhouses. So get your oars ready and prepare your mind to taste the Dialogos, vis-à-vis Moses... SOURCES __ __
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 __
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 __ Nathan Baker: Keith Raniere, Ringleader of NXIVM Sex Slave Cult, Interviewed by Allison Mack, Top Cult...
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 __ __
In this episode, we immerse ourselves in the potent juices of the manosphere with British journalist and author James Bloodworth. James recently published 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 __ __
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 __
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 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 __ __
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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiFYcuoK490 - Sabine Hossenfelder: Do we need a Theory of Everything? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdu9KvLxHFg - Decoding the Gurus: Sabine Hossenfelder: Science is a Liar ... Sometimes https://decoding-the-gurus.captivate.fm/episode/sabine-hossenfelder-science-is-a-liar-sometimes - Professor Dave Explains: Sabine Hossenfelder Joins the Eric Weinstein Damage Control Parade https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EERX9QyS-Xc - Sabine cheers on Bryan Johnson on Twitter https://x.com/skdh/status/1948020384244080928 - Tim Nguyen discusses Sabine's response on Twitter https://x.com/IAmTimNguyen/status/1946151197078909042 - Dr. Brian Keating: What Is A Theory of Everything? Featuring Sabine Hossenfelder, Lee Smolin, & Eric Weinstein https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saamEkrBZfM
