Decoding the Gurus

In this episode, Matt and Chris try to get from where they are to where they want to be, accepting their hidden strengths and dismantling their egos as they immerse themselves fully in the wild world of Matthew McConaughey's burgeoning self-help empire. Join them as they uncover the true Art of Livin' and learn how it is that an Academy Award-winning Hollywood star finds himself sharing life advice alongside the likes of Tony Robbins and Dean Graziosi.With bongos, heartfelt confessions, and a sales pitch that'll make your wallet quiver, we break down the one-and-only event where journaling and wet dreams are your ticket to self-actualisation. Brace yourself for some heavy-duty motivational speeches, meaningful shared stories, and just a pinch of canned audience responses, as we ride shotgun on this once-in-a-lifetime self-help seminar.And how much will all this cost you? You ask? It should be $3000, but for today only, we give it all for free.LinksMcConaughey's segment from the The Art of Livin' EventKeyasWorld: Matthew McConaughey's self-help event WAS INSANEKeyasWorld: Is Matthew McConaughey Starting a Cult?Rolling Stone: Matthew McConaughey Will Dispense ‘Lyrics of Livin' in New Weekly NewsletterThe Monastery in the DesertMikhaila Peterson: #32 Matthew McConaugheyLex Fridman: Matthew McConaughey: Freedom, Truth, Family, Hardship, and Love | Lex Fridman Podcast #384

Welcome to another enlightening episode of Decoding Academia. In this bonus preview of our highly secretive Patreon content, we are discussing a controversial paper by Dorsa Amir and Chaz Firestone that challenges the established notion of the Müller-Lyer illusion being a product of cultural environments. Prepare yourself for some high-level discussions of the visual processes of guppy fish and bearded lizards, as well as the remarkable lengths that psychologists will go to in order to get people to complete their tests. Will our seasoned scholars unravel the illusion, or is this debate another eye-catching mirage? Sources(forthcoming) Amir, D., & Firestone, C. Is visual perception WEIRD? The Müller-Lyer illusion and the Cultural Byproduct Hypothesis. Psychological Review.Dorsa's summary thread on the paperJoe Henrich's critical thread on the paperChaz's response to the Joe Henrich threadPaul Bloom's Substack articles on Nature vs. Nurture debates and clever experiments

We venture into the darker corners of the gurusphere and marvel at some very, very brave individuals, their valiant efforts to play devil's advocate, and some world-class discourse surfing skills. Join us, won't you?Supplementary Material 31: Aquatic Nightmares, Strategic Obliviousness, & Race Realists00:00 Introduction & Ol Squeaky Cameo02:57 Matt's Aquarium Trauma & Stress Dreams09:45 RFK Jr's war on science continues11:17 Robert Malone & other 'Covid Contrarians' rewarded under Trump14:35 The LA Protests, Riots, and Anti-Immigrant Narratives20:12 Flint Dibble calls out Joe Rogan25:24 Joe Rogan is a polemical ideologue and anti-vaccine advocate27:34 Cassandra Kavanagh?32:37 If Books Could Kill on Lab Leak35:10 Popular Perceptions of the Covid Pandemic vs Reality38:38 Debating COVID-19 Measures38:59 Clarifying the Role of Sam's Manager42:56 Discussing Trump, Musk, and DOGE's Political Impact47:12 The Meaning Crisis and the Comfort of Religion50:35 The Effects of Social Media53:15 Matt and Chris Friendly Shadowboxing56:19 The horror of directly stating your opinions58:14 Sam Harris' Preparation for Conversations01:05:02 Strategic Obliviousness01:12:26 A little bit of TRT Discourse01:16:17 Lex's Insufferable Tweet:  Celebrating Humanity and Responding to Critics01:18:46 The Bravery of the All In Podcast Besties01:20:33 Elon Musk and Donald Trump: A Complex Relationship01:23:42 Mike from PA and Dunking Safely Online01:26:10 Scientific Racism and Controversial Podcasts01:34:02 Paul Bloom and Subjective Redlines01:41:10 The Neo-Nazi Smoke in the Race Realism World01:48:36 Daniël Lakens on Bryan Johnson on Mortality Salience01:50:16 Matt's Foodie Corner01:52:21 OutroThe full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hr 54 mins).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurusSourcesBBC- RFK Jr appoints new US vaccine advisers after sacking committeeFlint Dibble's New Video: Joe Rogan's Cult of Fake ArchaeologyLex Fridman's Insufferable TweetSam Harris EPISODE 419 "More From Sam": Elon vs. Trump, Religion, Jordan Peterson, & Rapid Fire QuestionsThe All In Besties being cowardsThe Guardian: Harvard author Steven Pinker appears on podcast linked to scientific racismSteven Pinker on AporiaHope Not Hate's investigation into Aporia and related race science networksIf Books Could Kill: The Lab Leak Goes Mainstream

The Decoders welcome back cognitive anthropologist Manvir Singh for a continued exploration into the social and cognitive dimensions of shamanism. Building upon their earlier conversation, this episode involves further discussion of the psychological mechanisms and cultural patterns that make shamanic practices a recurring feature across human societies. Drawing from Singh's latest book, Shamanism: The Timeless Religion (2025), the discussion addresses how these ancient practices persist and adapt in modern contexts.Taking our standard meandering conversational journey with Manvir, we traverse topics such as whether Jesus and the Buddha were shamans, the parallels between the Siberian tundra and Silicon Valley, the potential emergence of AI-driven shamans within virtual reality environments, and whether dialogos with Hermes counts as a soul flight.Something for all the family!LinksShamanism: The Timeless Religion by Manvir Singh (2025)Prof or Hobo websiteNew Yorker: The President Who Became a ProphetOur first interview with ManvirBuckner, William. 2022. "A Deceptive Curing Practice in Hunter–Gatherer Societies" Humans 2, no. 3: 95-103. https://doi.org/10.3390/humans2030007

There's been a disturbance in the Gurusphere. Two of its central objects of worship are feuding. The guru's guru, Elon Musk, and the MAGA God-King, Donald Trump, have finally turned on each other, trading blows on social media. In this mini supplementary episode, Matt and Chris survey the shockwaves rippling through the Gurusphere as these titanic egos collide.It's more slapfight than substance, but that hasn't stopped gurus and sycophants from picking sides or admiring the sheer brass balls on display. Look out for Lex Fridman's outside-the-box solution, Eric Weinstein's cryptic mutterings, and some hilarious takes from the comedic genius Francis Foster. Strap in. It's petty, it's absurd, and it's all happening.Trump vs. Elon: The Gurusphere Reacts00:00 Elon and Trump00:26 Introduction: Elon and Trump are feuding07:10 A little bit of context13:11 The Gurusphere reacts14:32 O'Fallon & Lindsay saw this coming16:01 Eric's Trademark - Both Sidesing Obscurantism20:38 The Big Dog's Take24:01 Lex suggests we need a podcast!27:10 Maculinity Hot Takes29:50 Sensemakers Take Flight31:17 Taleb's reasonable take!32:14 Konstantin Climbs the Ladder of Chaos36:37 The strategic Gaadfather & Scott Adams37:28 Tech Bros praying for peace39:25 The Red Scare MAGA Loyalist40:36 Conspiratorial Narcissists and their Public Feuds45:48 Sycophantic praise heals everything47:07 OutroThe full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (49 mins).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus

Prepare for a hearty mix of culinary tips, avoidance of hypothetical scenarios, and the usual guru grievances. Will Jordan Peterson ever admit he's a Christian? Is it ever truly possible to understand Sam Harris AND still disagree with him? And where does Joe Rogan's primal hate for owls come in? Tune in for at least some of the answers to these pressing questions in this bubbling broth of an episode.Supplementary Material 3000:00 Introduction and Culinary Corner12:29 The Buddhism Book cometh14:09 Joe Rogan on Astrology25:22 Rogan's Christian Conversion?32:18 Rogan on Owls...43:09 Jordan Peterson vs 20 Atheists48:55 Is JBP a Christian?54:34 It depends what you mean by believe...01:00:22 Jordan Peterson vs. hypotheticals01:13:54 Hancock Orbiters continue to be terrible01:19:58 Sam Harris' Business Manager is kinda bad01:26:22 Sam is being misinterpreted again01:35:11 The Fundamentalist Impulse01:38:09 Post-Debate Weinstein Activity01:40:32 Sam Harris is still mad with Ezra Klein01:48:39 OutroThe full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hr 49 mins).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurusSources- A good Irish Stew recipe- The Buddhism Book!- Joe Rogan Experience #2323 - Guy Fieri- Jubilee: Jordan Peterson vs 20 Atheists | Surrounded- Dan Richards' charming tweet to Flint- Professor Dave: Dan Richards is a Pointless Troll- "More From Sam": Religion, Deportations, Douglas Murray vs. Rogan, & Bill Maher's Dinner with Trump- “More From Sam”: Trump & Israel, Corruption, Free Speech Violations, the Democrats, & Ezra Klein- Sam Harris' Substack: What Whataboutery?- Sam and Ezra's email exchange- Vox: Charles Murray is once again peddling junk science about race and IQ. Podcaster and author Sam Harris is the latest to fall for it.

In this medium-decoding episode, Matt and Chris turn their attention to an unlikely venue for cutting-edge theoretical physics: Piers Morgan Uncensored. There, Eric Weinstein, renegade genius and uber guru, squares off with Sean Carroll, an actual physicist and popular science communicator, in what might generously be called a “debate.”Eric brings his usual mix of personality-focused historical revisionism, intentional technobabble, and performative outrage, complete with a conspiratorial tale of how physics was hijacked in 1983 by a single lecture (that Eric was naturally present at) and how Eric is the unacknowledged creator of Seiberg-Witten equations. Sean Carroll, meanwhile, does his best to explain in simple terms how scientific research works, what is lacking in Eric's 'theory', and why appearing on podcasts is not a replacement for publishing papers and peer review.Expect to hear one academic earnestly trying to summarise complex scientific topics, while one culture war celebrity / professional podcast guest decries how he has been constantly maligned, silenced, misunderstood, and generally ignored by the mainstream scientific establishment. And just when you think it is all over, prepare to be astounded by Piers Morgan's ultimate argument for God...SourcesPiers Morgan Uncensored: “Don't Talk About Physics Fight Club” Eric Weinstein vs Sean Carroll Science SHOWDOWNEric's Geometric Unity paperTim Nguyen & Theo Polya's Response to Geometric UnityCurt Jaimungal: Eric Weinstein's Theory of Everything "Geometric Unity" ExplainedDecoding the Gurus: Mick West & Eric Weinstein: UFO Tango

We enter the ontological in-between to try and spin up our paradigms to understand the next stage in relationship technology, the horrific damage of modern medicine, how Lucifer connects with wokeness, and the joys of bonding over outgroup hate. This one is a doozy...Supplementary Material 2800:00 Introduction - On Dogs and Dough04:37 Next Required Reading: The Buddhism Book!07:50 Jordan Peterson, James Lindsay & Woke Lucifer15:06 Aubrey Marcus' Sensual Sensemaking34:10 Jordan Hall's Sensemaking Origin Story39:09 Bret and Heather discuss cancer cures44:10 The Miracle Cure of Ivermectin46:07 Bret denounces ALL of modern medicine49:26 Community Notes has Fallen to Goliath!50:11 Theo Von, GSP, and the conspiratorial hell world58:04 Dan Bongino gets what he deserves01:05:57 Scott Adams has prostate cancer01:07:20 Joe Biden's Cancer and Taylor Lorenz's Edgy Responses01:09:13 Does Joe Biden hate affordable health care?01:13:31 Hasan joins the fray01:19:36 Genetically Modified Skeptic denouncing outrage mongering and radicalisation01:22:38 The totally hinged Zei Squirrel01:24:25 Owen Jones vs Zei Squirrel01:27:15 Unmasked by the Subreddit01:31:42 The Heterodox Social Science Conference 202501:33:16 Stephen Pinker making bad choices01:37:03 Jordan Peterson gets OUTRAGED over Harvard01:41:13 The Anti-Establishment Two-Step01:47:13 OutroThe full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hr 47 mins).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurusSources- Next Required Reading- Buddhism: A Journey through History- Jordan Peterson: When the Right Goes Too Far | Dr. James Lindsay | EP 544- Jordan Peterson: A Dialogue So Dangerous, It Just Might Bring You Wisdom | John Vervaeke and Jordan Hall | EP 532- Bret and Heather discussing cancer treatments- Bret denounces all of modern medicine and conspiracy hypothesises about community notes- Aubrey Marcus: A New Pattern Of Sacred Relationship Emerges | Vylana, Alana Beale, Dr. Marc Gafni- The Hill: Patel, Bongino dismiss Epstein conspiracy theories: ‘He killed himself'- Genetically Modified Skeptic: The Alt-Right Pipeline Almost Got Me. Here's Why It Failed- Taylor Lorenz's Biden cancer tweet- Vice: Joe Biden: It Would Be an Insult to My Dead Son for Everyone to Have Healthcare-

Fresh from unbuckling their seatbelts on the Gliding Guru luxury jet and mooring the show's mega-yacht, our decoders are feeling an unexpected surge of empathy for their last decoding subject, Gary Stevenson. It turns out that a bit of jet-lagged decadence really hones one's sensitivity to wealth inequality. Or maybe it's just the natural response to voluntarily subjecting yourself to the truly insufferable world of the All-In podcast.That's right, this week you can vibe to the philosophical musings of a couple of Silicon Valley moguls, Chamath Palihapitiya, David Sacks, Jason Calacanis, and David Friedberg or as they call themselves: the Dictator, the Rainman, the Moderator, and the Sultan (yes, really).Revel in their tales of private jets, $500K club memberships, and their noble quest to cut food stamps while engaging in hyper-elitist MAGA cheerleading. Plug in for a first-class tour through cognitive dissonance, private-jet populism, and your regular prescription of alternative media grievance mongering and conspiracy hypothesising.Perfect for anyone who enjoys listening to the top 0.01% share their insights and deep connection with the common man's struggles. Enjoy... because we certainly did not!SourcesAll-In Podcast: Trump's First 100 Days, Tariffs Impact Trade, AI Agents, Amazon Backs DownAll-In Podcast: Trump wins! How it happened and what's nextAll-In Podcast: The Great Tariff Debate with David Sacks, Larry Summers, and Ezra KleinAll-In Podcast Website

We exercise our ethnographic muscles as we revel in the esoteric dynamics of Australian Pool Culture, the mysteries of Eric Weinstein's theories as revealed by Curt Jaimungal, and the contradictions of MAGA cultists.Supplementary Material 2800:00 Matt's Ethnography of Australian Swimming Culture06:19 Pool Etiquette and Social Dynamics08:46 Mutual Humiliation and Blackmail08:51 Reciprocal Humiliation12:01 Patreon Question of the Week13:37 Curt Jaimungal explores Geometric Unity19:12 The Weinsteinian Iceberg26:38 Eric's Response to Curt28:40 A potential doomsday device?29:55 The wisdom of genuine seekers35:00 The Pseudo Profundity Mask38:19 Pandering to anti-'mainstream' science audiences40:37 Earnest Fans43:54 Passive consumption at YouTube University46:21 Independent Learning and  the Pitfalls of Self-Taught Knowledge49:53 The Illusion of Easy Learning56:00 Credentials vs. Actual Knowledge59:46 Media Criticism & the Fifth Column01:02:47 Priorities in the Media Business01:04:29 Why is strong criticism so taboo?01:08:25 Brand Building in the Alternative Media01:12:02 Batya joins the Fifth Column01:16:37 Debating Tariffs01:22:46 A rare instance of REAL disagreement in alternative media!01:25:58 Sensitive MAGA Cultist Sycophancy01:32:10 The Working Class don't want iPhones01:41:06 OutroThe full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hr 43 mins).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurusSources- The Fifth Column #502 - The Second Battle of Batya (w/ Batya Ungar-Sargon)- The Fifth Column #503 - Mea Minima Culpa- The Fifth Column Members Only #258 - We Don't Talk About Fight Club (Mostly)- Curt Jaimungal - Eric Weinstein's Theory of Everything "Geometric Unity" Explained- Curt Jaimungal - Chris Langan: The Most In-Depth Interview with the World's Smartest Man- Eric's Twitter response to Curt- Josh Rogin's (mild) criticism of Bill Maher

The podcast arrives at 'late stage' Gary discourse as Matt and Chris attempt to enter the man, the myth, and the legend, Gary Stevenson, into a reductive classification system (that once again includes no mention of inequality). The gurometer was not built to handle this level of elite education and trading acumen, and has often been dismissed by arrogant elites due to its scrappy nature and lack of fancy credentials... but it persists. Just remember, an attack on the Gurometer is ultimately an attack on you, your family, and all you hold dear.SourcesReddit thread asking us to do betterJacobin: Portrait of the Trader as a Young RebelRichard Murphy's analysis of Gary's EconomicsTax Policy Associates' analysis of some tax reform proposalsGary on Twitter explaining that traders understand the economy a lot better than economists like Piketty and StiglitzThe full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (47 mins).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurusGurometer of Gary01:02 Gary Stevenson: Other Opinions07:31 Gary's Wealth Tax Proposal12:21 Guru Features and Scoring13:11 Galaxy Brainness15:34 Cultishness18:04 Anti-Establishmentarianism20:04 Grievance Mongering23:15 Self Aggrandisement and Narcissism24:25 Cassandra Complex25:40 Revolutionary Theories28:12 Pseudo Profound Bullshit30:07 Conspiracy Mongering32:21 Excessive Profiteering34:24 Moral Grandstanding36:14 Guru Scoring and Analysis37:34 Quick Fire Guru Bonus Points40:37 Matt's confusing Binary Measure

In this episode, Matt and Chris take a look at one of the UK's most compelling economic crusaders: Gary Stevenson, aka Gary's Economics. A millionaire trader turned YouTube firebrand, Gary's message is simple and potent: wealth inequality is spiralling, the ultra-rich are hoarding everything, and economists and politicians are either complicit or clueless.Gary's story has all the trappings of a mythic arc: from humble East London roots to Citibank's trading floor, where he made millions betting against the poor during the financial crisis. Now he claims the system is so broken that only someone like him, working class and mathematically gifted, someone who entered the high-power world of financial trading and took on the system, could see it. As Gary puts it, a sort of economic Copernicus, who brought a revolutionary message that was dismissed by a stultifying orthodoxy.With his righteous critique comes a hefty dose of swagger, whether it is in considering himself like a Usain Bolt of trading or in the frequent laments about how exhausting it is to be a lone voice of truth facing bad-faith hit pieces. Gary straddles an odd tension: self-effacing underdog one moment, saviour-on-a-soapbox the next. He rails against academia, dismisses journalists as clickbait merchants, and urges people not to heed critics, due to their ulterior motives.Our hosts explore the contradictions of a millionaire revolutionary who's not even bothered but also a bit miffed the phone isn't ringing; a tireless advocate for the poor but also someone who seems to frequently drop in his elite credentials and just how rich he is.So strap in for a deep dive into charisma, critique, and class warfare economics. Is Gary the economic truth-teller we need, or a populist guru-in-the-making with revolutionary zeal and a finely tuned YouTube brand?SourcesGary's Economics- Understand the Economy Part 3: Why is Inequality Ignored?Gary's Economics- Signing off: How close are we to winning higher taxes on the rich?Novara Media- Everything They Tell You About the Economy is WRONG | Aaron Meets Gary StevensonGary Stevenson (2024). The Trading Game: A ConfessionFinancial Times: Gary Stevenson claims to have been the best trader in the world. His old colleagues disagreeFinancial Times: He made millions betting against economic recovery. Now he wants to fix thingsThe Daily Mail's hit piece on GaryReddit thread discussing Gary's ThesisPlain Bagel - The Canadian Housing Crisis ExplainedPatrick Boyle on the Pandemic Real Estate BubbleAsianometry on an...

We immerse ourselves in the dark waves of the discourse to bring you treasures beyond mere mortal ken. Supplementary Material 2700:00 Introduction & Australian Holidays03:53 James Lindsay's New Revelations07:20 Michael O'Fallon's Conspiracy Hipsterism09:41 Trump, Bukele, and Transparent Conspiracies11:53 The Whitehouse declares the Lab Leak is a FACT14:42 The conspiracy leak treadmill: UFOs, RFK assassination, and lableak21:26 The Rise of the Idiots: Grimes on Transformers Cinematography29:17 Lex vs. Flint: The mask slips33:21 The Iron Curtain falls on Lex's Subreddit35:18 Subreddit Moderation Choices41:46 Douglas Murray on Joe Rogan46:36 Darryl Cooper's Nazi Apologetics, the Role of Experts and JAQs57:25 Strategic Disclaimers & Convincing Apologetics01:03:28 The Rogansphere and Media Power01:07:30 Murray on the Lab Leak01:12:19 Murray's Anti-Establishment Hypocrisy01:19:10 Standards in Journalism01:22:42 Alternative Media's Double Standards01:28:33 Douglas Murray joins Sam Harris01:29:26 The Psychology of Religious Extremism01:36:04 Radicalisation and Extremism01:41:24 Murray's 'Criticism' of MAGA01:44:32 What is even the Right Wing?01:55:11 What about Elon Musk?02:05:40 AfD isn't that bad, and Elon has promoted Douglas too!02:16:10 Rogan and the Moon Landing02:17:16 Sam is still a bad judge of character02:19:29 Isn't everyone a hypocrite?02:23:16 Free Speech Debates02:26:58 The role of Moderation02:31:37 OutroThe full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (2hr 32 mins).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurusSourcesSam Harris Episode 410 Douglas Murray: The Whole CatastropheJoe Rogan Experience #2303 - Dave Smith & Douglas MurrayFlint's post about Lex FridmanGrimes on Transformers' cinematographyJames Lindsay on being used by NazisNathan Barley on YouTubeWhitehouse website on the Lab LeakJoe Rogan Experience #2307 - Tim Dillon

In this episode, Matt and Chris pour themselves a stiff drink and slip into the fever‑dream crossover of Jordan Peterson and Michael Shellenberger, a conversation that opens with the claim that Western Europe is now the single greatest threat to free speech; yes, croissants and GDPR apparently out‑authoritarian China and Russia. According to Shellenberger, we can now rest safe as free speech has been restored and “America Is Back!” thanks to God-Emperor Trump and the living avatar of honest utterance, Elon 'Horus' Musk.Our hosts marvel as Shellenberger insists USAID is a rogue soft‑power leviathan that somehow staged January 6th, sabotaged the 2020 election, and deserves to be nuked from orbit... although he can't quite prove any of that YET​. Alongside the conspiratorial drivel there is also a heavy serving of Peterson's obscurantist mythicism and dinner‑party anthropology as he explains how Hungary is a model democracy, the US nation beset by parasites, and that this is all inevitably connected to how people are not paying enough attention to Jesus​.But that is not all! You will also learn about Manly Men vs. Gentlemen, Musk's “move fast and break government” ethos, and the revelation that free speech is not a nice‑to‑have but a must‑have—unless you are a lawyer, journalist, or student on the wrong side of the Trump administration. So buckle up for an hour of dystopian déjà vu, as two self‑styled rebel intellectuals morph into state propagandists, cheerleading every single action of Trump and Musk while lecturing the rest of us on free thought.Sources“Trump, Musk, Kennedy: The Dawn of Transparency,” The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast, Ep. 526.Shellenberger's Substack, including gems like "Why Trump's Victory Is, For Millions Of Us, Cathartic" and "Both USAID And The CIA Were Behind The Impeachment Of Trump in 2019"Taibbi & Shellenberger testify to the House Judiciary Committee to help uncover "the Biden-Harris Administration's unconstitutional censorship campaign"Singal-Minded articles detailing Shellenberger's sloppy journalism and conspiracy theories

In this stunning crossover episode, Matt and Chris are joined by Australian 'media personality' and podcast host Josh Szeps for a joyful discussion of podcasts, gurusphere, and general media dynamics. As you might imagine, we discuss issues around the heterodox sphere, cultures of criticism, and the issues involved with 'platforming' controversial figures. We discuss the constantly surprising popularity of Lex Fridman and his unique interview style, how the heterodox respond to criticism, and rampant hypocrisy. Also, Matt is finally held to account for his food takes, and we find out the real story behind the Olympic mascot, Olly the Kookaburra.SourcesJosh's Substackistan podcast

We project our insecurities onto the gurusphere, wallowing in our inadequacy to bond over shared hatred of outgroups, and interview Flint Dibble along the way.Supplementary Material 2600:00 Introduction and Greetings01:53 Ol' Squeaky and Lex's horny poems05:11 Eric Weinstein is still waiting for the call09:26 Interview with Flint Dibble11:05 Introduction and Catching Up12:19 Joe Rogan and Public Perception14:57 Hypocrisy and Slander16:05 Graham Hancock and Neo-Nazi Connections22:08 Upcoming Exposé on Joe Rogan23:03 Pyramids of Giza: New Claims24:45 Debunking the Mega Structures Theory25:20 The Researchers Behind the Claims28:21 Scientific Methods and Evidence31:58 Conclusion on Pyramids and Science35:13 Gurusphere Dynamics37:47 Pseudo-Archaeology and Public Perception46:11 Mr. Beast's Egypt Adventure50:36 The Role of Pseudo-Archaeology in Conspiracy Theories58:50 Post-Interview Discussion59:53 Trump's Tariffs and Economic Impact01:04:30 The Amazing Tariff Formula01:09:45 Geoffrey Miller's 9D Chess Theory of the Tariffs01:13:30 Contrapoints Conspiracy Video01:14:55 Some things Matt will not mention on Tariffs01:17:35 QAnon Anonymous on Graham Hancock01:22:33 Some Other News covers Joe Rogan01:30:13 Ryan Beard's Destiny Content Nuke01:32:33 The Studies Show covers Conspiracies01:33:53 Hasan argues for tariffs01:37:40 Back to Rogan and Chris Williamson01:39:21 Critically Reviewing Cory Clark's Study01:47:58 Incestuous Bro Podcasts and Legacy Media Struggles01:53:00 Bonding over outgroup hatred and Criticism Capture02:02:04 USAid is funding the attacks on Tesla!02:07:56 Trump's Badass Son humilates Biden02:10:28 Tribal Hypocrisy02:11:52 Joe Smashes All Your Paradigms!02:14:59 The villain, Sam Harris criticizes the hero, Lex Fridman02:20:18 Does Lex speak to EVERYONE?02:23:44 Concluding Thoughts from Maladjusted HatersThe full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (2hr 25 mins).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurusSourcesArchaeology with Flint Dibble- Megastructures under Giza Pyramids⁉️ ARCHAEOLOGY REWRITTEN or viral

In this very special decoding, Matt and Chris revisit the wisdom of the internet's favourite philosopher-warrior/political theorist, Lex Fridman, as he dives once again into the complex realities of the Ukraine war. Joining Lex is IDW hero and conservative commentator Douglas Murray, who actually offers some sensible insights on the specific topic of Ukraine. Fear not, though, Lex ensures his signature 'non-partisan' approach remains intact, framing Zelensky as a potentially corrupt leader who is emotionally driven, and responsible for prolonging the conflict to evade the inevitable investigations. Meanwhile, Putin remains a tragically misunderstood patriot whose greatest crime is that he loves his country a little too much.Lex is in rare form, reaching new heights of weaponised naiveté, and bravely defending himself against the legions of online "grifters, drama-farmers, liars, bots, sycophants, and sociopaths." Expect generous servings of geopolitical delusions, questionable polemics, and heartfelt serenades to Joe Rogan—all delivered with Lex's characteristic humility and wisdom as a love-filled Man of Peace. We are genuinely sorry to drag you back into Lex's world, but someone has to keep an eye on his Ukraine takes.Sources Lex Fridman- Douglas Murray: Putin, Zelenskyy, Trump, Israel, Netanyahu, Hamas & Gaza | Lex Fridman Podcast #463DTG: Lex Fridman's Take on the Zelensky Interview: The Wounded Bird and Ukrainian Bot FarmsDTG: Douglas Murray: Can indulgent dinner conversation save OUR civilisation?

We embrace our hybridity, stare down Lovecraftian Donkey-Dragon hybrids, and enter into true Dialogos.Supplementary Material 2501:06 DTG Grievance Mongering02:25 Book Club Reflections04:09 Important Health and Lifestyle Updates09:51 Andrew Huberman's Trail of Death17:14 Jeff Bezos and Media Control25:04 Another exciting round of Lab Leak Discourse!31:17 Scientific Evidence vs. Public Discourse38:28 Matt and Chris' Respectful Debate44:05 Rewriting of Covid History47:04 Conspiracies and Political Pressure50:40 Eric Weinstein is STILL Waiting for the Call59:41 Pageau considers the Lovecraftian Horrors of Sesame Street01:07:17 Sarah Haider (Re)Invents 'Pioneer Traditionalism'01:11:36 Chris Williamson's annual pilgrimage to the Khan01:12:37 Fact Checking Bullshit with Eric Weinstein01:17:16 Breathless Reactions to New Pyramid Theories01:22:59 Credulity Checking with Matt's Son01:24:40 Cruel Racist Attacks on Poor Graham Hancock from the Devil Flint Dibble01:31:44 The Insane Hypocrisy of Alternative Media: Corrupt Academics are being controlled!01:37:21 Soaring Rhetoric, Petty Tribalism, and Obvious Hypocrisy01:39:19 No Charity for evil Flint Dibble01:43:35 OutroThe full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hr 46 mins).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurusSourcesNew York Times- Zeynep Tufekci: We Were Badly Misled About the Event That Changed Our LivesKristian Andersen's BluSky thread about the articleKristian Andersen's article about the emails/slack messages, etc.Huberman's lamentations for his dead friendsThe Rubin Report: Analyzing Trump's Tactics | Eric WeinsteinJoe Rogan Experience #2293 - Chris WilliamsonFlint Dibble: Megastructures under Giza Pyramids⁉️ ARCHAEOLOGY REWRITTEN or viral

In this very special episode, Matt and Chris, despite swearing off any further Dr. K content after their previous three-part series, find themselves bleary-eyed and once again tumbling into the familiar depths of the K-Hole.Yes, they're back with Dr. K, everyone's favourite enlightened Twitch non-therapy therapist, now emerging from a self-declared midlife crisis with some powerful new revelations. Chief among them: while enlightenment may not technically be for sale, you can certainly pay to “level up your propensity for it.”After years of humble-bragging about undercharging for his mental health guides, Dr. K has boldly pivoted to defending high-priced spiritual initiations. If you thought enlightenment involved effort, introspection, and maybe a bit of humility, think again—it turns out you can outsource your spiritual growth to a guru, who will do the grinding for you. Great news for Elon Musk.Join Matt and Chris as they machete their way through a jungle of surreal analogies—landscaping contracts, parental down payments, Bluetooth enlightenment, and monetised spiritual energy transfer—all in service of a worldview where the real obstacle to self-actualisation is your reluctance to wire $10,000 to a spiritually enriched craftsman for a golden amulet.So fill up your chakras, empty your critical thinking cup, and enjoy this trip through the mystic marketplace—where your spiritual awakening is just one overpriced relic away.LinksSqueex: Indian Hate on the Internet (A Discussion w/ Dr. K)DTG- Dr. K (Part 1): OPed Ayurvedic Medicine vs. Nerfed 'Western' AllopathyDTG- Dr. K (Part 2): Rhetorical Judo FlipsDTG- Dr. K (Part 3): Therapeutic Non-Therapy

In the wake of our Naomi Klein episode, the masses have spoken. And like the responsible Gurometricians that we are, we've taken your feedback to heart and thus open this episode with a series of scientific and spiritual recitations. Then it's straight back into the sweet science—and mystical art—of Gurometry, as we test how well it measures up to Naomi Klein's anti-capitalist spirit. Fun for the whole family!P.S. Don't worry—Chris Langan's Gurometer has not been forgotten and will be arriving very soon!The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hr 4 mins).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurusGurometer: Naomi Klein00:00 Introduction01:29 Sponsor Shoutouts!03:29 Naomi Klein Feedback05:03 Podcast Format Limitations and Reading the Book!11:37 Consistency in Standards of Evaluation20:21 Evaluating the Arguments Independent of the Conclusions24:53 The Importance of Disconfirming Evidence26:28 Differing Definitions Cross-Culturally29:36 The Gurometer29:59 Galaxy Brainness32:03 Cultishness34:02 Anti-Establishmentarianism38:12 Grievance Mongering38:55 Self-Aggrandizement41:29 Cassandra Complex44:06 Revolutionary Theories46:53 Pseudo Profound Bullshit49:25 Conspiracy Mongering53:57 Excessive Profiteering54:48 Moral Grandstanding56:04 Final Scores and Reflections58:52 Quickfire Guru Bonus Points

In this episode, your favourite neoliberal Decoder shills take a break from managing the decline of late-stage capitalism to examine the insights of famed writer and renegade activist Naomi Klein. The focus is her latest literary offering, Doppelganger, where Klein wrestles with the existential dread of being confused with Naomi Wolf and uses that mix-up as a gateway to explore the "Mirror World" of conspiracy theories and online gurus (a landscape our listeners know all too well).Along the way, Matt and Chris discover Klein's views on Steve Bannon's dubious charm (and what percentage he gets right), the cause of Russell Brand's descent, the real agenda behind conspiracy theories, and why neoliberal capitalism remains the root of all evil. Plus, special guest interviewer Ryan Grim parachutes to 'just ask questions' about the lab leak, vaccine side effects and other forbidden topics that the people were not allowed to talk about!So, whether you're a champagne socialist, a crypto libertarian, a neoliberal shill, or just here for the popcorn, join Matt and Chris as they parse Klein's content and consider: is Klein speaking truth to power, or just preaching to the choir?SourcesPenguin Books: How did conspiracy theories become mainstream? | Naomi Klein | Big QuestionsNaomi Klein. Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World.Politics and Prose. Naomi Klein — Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World - with Ryan GrimTHIS- The Rebel Sell: If we all hate consumerism, how come we can't stop shopping?Ryan McBeth: Exposing the Military Industrial Complex

In this special quasi-crossover episode, we stare deeply into the abyss while enjoying a beverage with renowned psychologist and occasional podcast co-host, Mickey Inzlicht.P.S. The Decoding of Naomi Klein is coming next week!Two Psychologists, One Anthropologist, Three Beers00:27 Introduction05:57 Mickey's Sabbatical in Japan12:13 Sensemaking 3.025:25 Francis Foster's Bizarre Podcast Roast34:38 Sabine Hossenfelder thinks Academia is Communism36:11 The Irony of YouTube Incentives39:34 Proper Criticisms of Academia43:28 Is Academia Centrally Planned?46:24 Culture War Pandering53:53 Entering the Matt-rix55:00 In Bed with the Russians notices the Red Scare Wounded Bird Pose01:00:03 On the etiquette of Replications01:06:17 Academic Debates on the Effect of Culture on Visual Illusions: Joe Henrich vs. Amir & Firestone01:11:18 The Legend of Captain Cook: Sahlins vs Obeyesekere01:12:58 Ideas vs People: Sarah Haider, Colin Wright and an epidemic of hypocrisy 01:17:19 Admitting Mistakes and Research Integrity01:24:38 Interpersonal Relationships vs. Adversarial Systems01:33:24 Wastage in Academia01:39:49 Elon Musk, Pregnancy, and Modern Cults01:49:01 Signing OffThe full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hr 51 mins).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurusSourcesMickey's Substack: Speak Now, Regret LaterInzlicht, M., Cameron, C. D., D'Cruz, J., & Bloom, P. (2024). In praise of empathic AI. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 28(2), 89-91.Chicago. And a summary article by Mickey!Bad Boys Done Good vs Triggernometry host Francis FosterSabine Hossenfelder - Should we defund academia?Alexander Beiner - From Rebel Wisdom to KainosJoe Henrich's thread responding to the Dorsa and Chaz paperChris' old blog on Captain Cook and the second partAmir, D., & Firestone, C. (2025, January 25). Is visual perception WEIRD? The Müller-Lyer illusion and the Cultural Byproduct Hypothesis. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/y7mtfIn Bed with the Russians - Red Scared

Chris and Matt confront their inner demons, manifest their personal deities, and dive into the Onto-Logos.Supplementary Material 2400:00 Introduction02:32 Matt's Surprise Shaming06:39 Jordan Peterson's Inner Monologue Revealed10:04 Trump on Ukraine15:22 Sean Carroll explains US cuts to science funding16:47 Bleak Prospects for the US24:14 Aella vs. Arrogant Red Pill Man37:22 Be wary of Overcorrecting43:11 John Vervaeke meets Hermes52:59 False Dichotomies of the Spirit01:03:38 Entering into Dialogos with Matt's Inner Darwin01:07:39  Perspectival and participatory phenomenological identity transformation.01:09:20 Other ways of knowing spirits01:13:45 Materialists and their Monological Mindsets01:18:37 Welcome to the Onto-Logos01:24:06 Bad Faith Commenters01:29:35 Pageau and the Metaphysics of Pepe the Frog01:36:32 Next Book Review: Other MindsThe full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hr 41 mins).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurusSourcesThird Eye Drops: Encountering Higher Consciousness, The Daimon & The Paradox of Reality | Dr. John VervaekeDave Rubin's video of Peterson's speech at the ARC conferenceWhatever podcast: She Did 100 Men In 1 DAY?! 1,000 NEXT?! Lily Phillips, Eva Lovia, Aella, Andrew! | Dating Talk#227Aella's SubstackSean Carroll: Bonus Episode | Cuts to Science Funding and Why They MatterSabine Hossenfelder: Trump and Musk Take On AcademiaHuberman tweeting excitedly about the funding cutsJonathan Pageau: Supplement to the Metaphysics of Pepe Interview with Jordan Peterson

Chris and Matt have their models exploded, the maps ripped up, and their minds blown as the Gurusphere expands into exciting new territory.Supplementary Material 2302:47 Chris Williamson blows our minds!08:57 Content Predator psychology and motivational posting12:28 Balancing the Scales14:07 Eric Weinstein the master of Rorschach Tweets20:26 Modern Sages Reunited: Bret Weinstein and Joe Rogan24:29 Open-Minded Joe Rogan34:26 Maybe prescriptions are actually bad!37:38 Andrew Gold expands into Race & IQ46:47 4 Warning Signs of Radicalism56:45 Monomaniacal Fixation vs. Pluralism01:05:26 Rejoinder: What if it is a diagnostic?01:09:43 Lex wants to join DOGE01:10:31 Lex's next world leader interview: Modi01:14:57 Matt's Final Thought: People contain multitudes01:16:57 OutroThe full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hrs 19 mins).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurusSourcesEric Weinstein's profound tweet on history as we know itThe Joe Rogan Experience#2269- Bret WeinsteinAndrew Gold Heretics: CONTROVERSIAL: Are Some Races DUMBER? - Nathan Cofnas (4K)Lex wistfully imagines joining DOGE and thinks deeply about his upcoming interview with ModiRecent investigation of 'Race Realist' networks and outletsKruglanski, A. W., & Moskalenko, S. (2025). Psychology of the Extreme. Taylor & Francis.

In this episode, Matt finally gets his revenge on Chris by dragging him deep into the eccentric world of Chris Langan—the self-proclaimed possessor of a 200 IQ and creator of The Cognitive Theoretic Model of the Universe, yet another grand unifying theory of everything. Langan presents himself as an intellectual titan, offering mathematical, social, religious, and philosophical insights so profound that mere mortals can barely grasp them.Prepare to have the mysteries of the universe, God, anti-God, angels, and demons unveiled. Consciousness, determinism, and free will? All finally explained. But that's not all—somehow, it all connects to globalist plots, election conspiracies, vaccines, UFOs, and, of course, the devil pulling the strings.Join us for conservative pundit Michael Knowles' therapy session with one of his idols-a man who reassures him that he is a very smart boy and that his fundamentalist Christian beliefs are, in fact, completely correct.If you thought Eric Weinstein was something, imagine him cranked up to 12. That's Chris Langan...Also... get ready for Matt's double down on his Aussie food takes.LinksCTMU Radio: Chris Langan - The Interview THEY Didn't Want You To SeeMalcolm Gladwell interview discussing Chris LanganGood Reddit post on the problems of the MEGA IQ test

In this episode, Matt and Chris take a look at a recent developmental psychology paper on the social evaluation of young babies. Do they display a preference for agents who are nice to others or could they care less at the babbling age? This is a large-scale, multi-lab, preregistered replication effort of a rather influential paper so it ticks all of Chris' Open Science boxes, but how does Matt react? Is he stuck in his pre-replication crisis paradigms? Join us to find out and along the way find out about baby Matt's psychotic tendencies, how cats feel about cucumbers, and how Matt narrowly escaped being eaten by a big ol' crocodile.Paper Reference: Lucca, K., Yuen, F., Wang, Y., Alessandroni, N., Allison, O., Alvarez, M., ... & Hamlin, J. K. (2025). Infants' Social Evaluation of Helpers and Hinderers: A Large‐Scale, Multi‐Lab, Coordinated Replication Study. Developmental Science, 28(1), e13581.Original Study: Hamlin, J. K., Wynn, K., & Bloom, P. (2007). Social evaluation by preverbal infants. Nature, 450(7169), 557-559.Decoding Academia 3200:00 Introduction00:59 Matt's Close Shave with a Crocodile03:15 Discussion on Crocodile Behavior05:13 Introduction to the Academic Paper06:18 Understanding Registered Reports07:49 Details of the Replication Study12:07 The Many Babies Study18:23 Challenges in Developmental Psychology20:35 Original Study and Replication Efforts26:27 HARKing and the QRP problem in psychology34:24 Discussing the Results36:58 Exploring the Red Ball Experiment39:38 Forest Plot Analysis41:19 Infant Preferences and Social Evaluation43:24 Failure to Replicate the Original Study47:06 Exploratory Analysis and Moderators50:03 Interpretations and Implications54:21 Evolutionary Perspectives on Social Behavior58:34 Prosocial Evolutionary Speculation01:05:10 Psychopathic Baby Matt01:06:28 Concluding Thoughts and Reflections01:11:20 Comparative Psychology on Snake Hatred!The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hrs 15 mins).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus

We immerse ourselves in the Dark Side of the Gurusphere and come out forever altered by what we've seen and praying for an escape from this demon-haunted world.00:00 Introduction01:38 Reverse Culture Shock in Australia11:01 Tim Tams and Food Progress12:14 Russia Today endorses Lex's statements on Zelensky19:20 Elon Musk's Controversial Gesture38:31 Destiny's (Most Recent) Controversy01:02:12 Bryan Johnson vs. Andrew Huberman: Civility Insights01:14:21 Sacriligeous Sycophancy: Bill Ackman and Sam Altman01:15:55 Jonathan Pageau's Stargate Theories01:26:52 Escaping the Demon-Haunted WorldThe full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hrs 30 mins).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurusSourcesRussia Today tweeting about Lex and announcing his upcoming interview with PutinJoe Rogan Experience #2260 - Lex FridmanVideo comparing Musk's gesture with other politicians' gesturesPxie's statement about the lawsuit on her substack and Destiny's response on his subredditBryan Johnson and Huberman's Twitter ExchangeBill Ackman suggesting Trump's achievements are greater than God'sJonathan Pageau's thread on Stargates

'Tis a New Year (sort of), and amidst all the chaos in the world, we thought we'd offer a small glimmer of light by making this Patreon episode available to everyone! If you enjoy it, consider joining us on Patreon—or not, it's your call!In this episode, Matt and Chris scry through the portents and ponder the apocalyptic insights of the tech and finance titan Peter Thiel. We all know that Thiel is an urbane gentleman of great refinement with a collection of revolutionary ideas but does he make the Gurometer sing? Tune in to find out—and, as a bonus, learn more than you ever wanted to know about the intricacies of academic grading systems.

In this episode, Matt and Chris tackle the big ideas—or at least the ones rattling around in Peter Thiel's mind. Tech billionaire, venture capitalist, and political kingmaker, Thiel has long been a looming figure in Silicon Valley, known for his deep pockets, contrarian takes, and peculiar philosophical musings. But beneath the surface-level libertarian posturing, what does Thiel actually believe? And does it hold up to scrutiny?The decoders dig into Thiel's recent interview on Uncommon Knowledge, where he waxes biblical about end times, interprets the katechon with all the confidence of a medieval theologian, and seamlessly blends venture capitalism with prophecies of the Antichrist.Along the way, they explore Thiel's method of connecting historical dots with pure vibes, and his Jetsons Fallacy, the deep disappointment that the world looks more like The Office than a 1960s vision of the future. They dissect the Sensemaker Aristocracy surrounding him—with its reverent back-patting and strange mix of deference and obfuscation that turns tech moguls into prophets. They also highlight Thiel's bizarre leaps in logic, from citing biblical prophecies to warning about one-world free-trade Communist government conspiracies and his confusing stance on technological progress—simultaneously lamenting stagnation while fearing we're racing too fast toward Armageddon.Of course, no billionaire worldview would be complete without some COVID conspiracies, and Thiel delivers, crafting an elaborate Fauci Bioweapon Paradox in which the pandemic response was simultaneously overblown and also secretly justified because the virus was (obviously) engineered.So is Peter Thiel a visionary? A libertarian Cassandra? Or just a very wealthy man with a lot of half-formed ideas and a habit of mumbling them into microphones? Matt and Chris wade through the mess so you don't have to. Stay till the end for the Revolutionary Leprechaun Theory of Western Civilization… if you dare.LinksHoover Institute: Apocalypse Now? Peter Thiel on Ancient Prophecies and Modern Tech (Part 1)Hoover Institute: Apocalypse Now? Peter Thiel on Ancient Prophecies and Modern Tech (Part 2)WIRED article on the Thiel, Hogan, & Gawker business

In this episode, we look at a recently released segment by Lex Fridman, where he reflects on his interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.We examine Lex's self-presentation as a Christ-like figure—someone who is willing to suffer, feign naivety and ignorance, and even risk his life in the name of world peace—all while maintaining an eight-hour daily study regimen and enduring relentless, unfair attacks from Ukrainian bot farms and war-loving critics.Like true sensemakers, we also entertain an outlandish alternative hypothesis: what if Lex is, in fact, an arrogant and biased podcaster—dismissive of criticism, oblivious to his political leanings, and adopting a “wounded bird” persona to elicit sympathy from his audience?Join us as we sift through the Zelensky's (supposed) failures, the bot farms, and the wounded bird theatrics to determine whether Lex is a hero for peace—or just another podcaster lost in his own narrative.SourcesLex Fridman reflects on Volodymyr Zelenskyy interviewSupplementary Material 21: The emergency snake, thought = secularised prayer, and Love and WarChris' thread on Lex and his wounded bird poseLex Fridman Podcast- Volodymyr Zelenskyy: Ukraine, War, Peace, Putin, Trump, NATO, and Freedom | Lex Fridman Podcast #456

It's 2025, and the Gurusphere shows no signs of slowing down—so here we are, diving into some grim crossovers. This time, the bro-optimiser Andrew Huberman has teamed up with the chaos dragon himself, Jordan Peterson. Meanwhile, the ever-affectionate Lex Fridman finally scored an interview with Zelensky. Bret, however, remains preoccupied with Goliath's ongoing PsyOps.P.S. Matt broke his dongle so he's on the AirPods, we will be back to proper audio setup next episode.Supplementary Material 2100:00 Introduction and Farewell to America01:43 Memorable Encounters and Experiences03:48 Oldering & the Destruction of the Self08:35 The American Understander Issues his Verdict12:07 The Pageau Brothers, Jesus' Laugh & The Emergency Snake19:01 Bryan Johnson has concerns about Vaccines21:48 The High IQ Crowd and Trump's Greenland Plans27:44 The PsyOps Cyclops Strikes Again37:15 Huberman X Peterson: Optimising Christianity39:22 Secret Prayers and Bible Conversations43:34 Thougt = Secularised Prayer48:56 Huberman's Intelligent Design Argument for God55:49 Christian Optimising Stack01:07:56 Marc Andreessen on Vigor, Pride and Achievement01:13:30 Faux Heterodoxy01:19:24 Plain Steaks are the best!01:24:47 Jordan Peterson's Diet Struggles01:32:25 Lex Fridman's Interview with Zelensky01:37:52 Lex plugs Rogan's comedy club01:41:09 Elon Musk and Trump are anti-corruption!01:44:27 Critique of Lex Fridman's Interview Style01:46:07 Lex's dream and Russia's security guarantees01:53:25 Lex's Strategic Naivety02:05:12 Lex reads A LOT02:11:40 Lex and Putin predictions02:12:39 Lex will endure the attacks against him02:14:56 Wrapping Up & Patreon Love BombThe full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (2hrs 16 mins).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurusSourcesChris' thread on Lex and his wounded bird poseHuberman Podcast- Dr.Jordan Peterson: How to Best Guide Your Life Decisions & PathLex Fridman Podcast- Volodymyr Zelenskyy: Ukraine, War, Peace, Putin, Trump, NATO, and Freedom | Lex Fridman Podcast #456The Free Press: Bryan Johnson: How Not to Die in 2025Matthieu Pageau's thread on the Emergency Snake

Back once again with the dark art of Gurometry, we turn our sights to the bad boy of Silicon Valley—the mulleted maestro, the edgy eejit, Curtis Yarvin. A legend in his own mind, but how does he rank on the Gurosity scale? Join us as we dissect his essence across 11 factors, from his revolutionarily mundane and incoherent ideas to his dazzling absence of charisma. Tune in as we feed this 'dark enlightenment' thinker into the Gurometer and reveal his true colours.The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (34 mins).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurusCurtis Yarvin: Gurometer00:00 Introduction to Gurometry02:27 Curtis Yarvin: The Man, The Myth, The Eejit04:43 Galaxy Brainlessness05:48 Cultishness08:32 Anti-Establishmentarianism09:55 Grievance Mongering12:43 Self-Aggrandizement and Narcissism13:30 Cassandra Complex16:21 Revolutionary Theories17:59 Pseudo-Profound Bullshit19:43 Conspiracy Theories Galore23:55 Moral Grandstanding25:50 Gurometer Scores and Analysis27:56 Bonus Point Attribution34:03 Final Thoughts on Curtis Yarvin

In this end-of-year supplementary material, we unleash the hounds of war, battle through the discourse, and emerge alive but bloody and battered on the other side. Enlist now and join the fight.Supplementary Material 2000:00 Introduction and Ethnographic Insights01:38 Matt's Observations from Washington DC05:50 Smithsonian Museums and Star Wars Memorabilia07:48 Lego Creations and Gacha Collectibles12:13 Social Media and Blue Sky 'Culture'13:29 Matt's Contribution: Eric Weinstein's UFO Speculations21:21 Graham Linehan, Andrew Doyle, Jordan Peterson & Recognising Past Errors23:18 Jordan Peterson's Reflections on Vaccination28:59 Huberman's Upcoming Vaccine Series30:52 Taylor Lorenz and Stochastic Terrorism32:31 The Hypocrisy of Glorifying Violence36:29 The Problem with Political Violence43:48 Tim Kennedy's Exaggerated Military Stories55:09 Tim Kennedy's Response to Criticism01:07:37 Prebunking Criticisms01:17:20 Shane Smith at Vice is NOT A CONSPIRACY GUY01:21:27 Final Thoughts on Populism and Vibes-Based Reasoning01:25:18 OutroThe full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hr 26 mins).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurusSources Jordan Peterson: Europe Imploding | Andrew Doyle & Graham Linehan | EP 506Tim Kennedy: Setting the Record StraightPiers Morgan Uncensored: “Why The F*CK Are You Laughing?!” CEO Murder Arrest & Daniel Penny NOT GUILTYThe AntiHero Podcast: Ep 101: Tim Kennedy: The Book Of LiesValhalla VFT: Green Berets, Delta Force & Navy SEAL DENOUNCE Tim Kennedy Stolen Valor LIES

In this long-anticipated episode, Matt and Chris venture into the peculiar world of Curtis Yarvin—a reactionary blogger, tech entrepreneur, and self-proclaimed monarchist. Known to his early followers by the pseudonym "Mencius Moldbug," Yarvin has become a prominent figure in the "dark enlightenment" and neo-reactionary circles. Some have even hailed him as an "intellectual powerhouse" of the modern far-right, with endorsements from influential figures like Peter Thiel and J.D. Vance.But what is Curtis really all about? In this episode, the decoders revisit the Triggernometry swamp to examine the political insights unearthed by the hard-nosed journalists Konstantin and Francis during their ferocious intellectual exchange with Yarvin.Prepare for thrilling revelations, including the historical figures and movements Yarvin has catalogued in his encyclopedic memory, his pick for the best Elizabethan monarch, and the surprising number of non-monarchs he believes are secretly running monarchical regimes. True to form, Yarvin's rhetorical style is nothing if not meandering. So get ready for a whirlwind tour through his "mind palace," exploring topics like Soviet Russia, Elizabethan England, Shakespearean conspiracy theories, and a fantasy world of reactionary and techno-libertarian musings—not to mention the obligatory lab-leak narratives.Is Yarvin an edgy intellectual, a provocative contrarian, or just a verbose windbag with run-of-the-mill conspiratorial takes and a moody teenager's perspective on history? Matt and Chris tackle these questions, striving to decode Yarvin's vision for society—and hoping, against all odds, that he might in the end just answer a single question.LinksTriggernometry: Curtis Yarvin- The Case Against DemocracyUnHerd: Curtis Yarvin: Welcome to the Dark EnlightenmentBehind the Bastards Part One: Curtis Yarvin: The Philosopher Behind J.D. VanceBehind the Bastards Part Two: Curtis Yarvin: The Philosopher Behind J.D. VanceThe Guardian: He's anti-democracy and pro-Trump: the obscure ‘dark enlightenment' blogger influencing the next US administration

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.LinksHelen Lewis on SubstackDan Gilbert on Twitter and YouTube

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 1900:24 Introduction: More American Insights(!)13:12 Peterson Orbiters: The Pageau Brothers17:41 Pageau & Rod Dreher: Aliens are transdimensional spirits25:56 Pageau: Alex Jones was Right!27:01 Peterson & Pageau's Lazy Christian Apologetics44:17 Joe Rogan: Fuck Ukraine!56:28 Peter Thiel has questions about Vaccines and Autism01:03:20 Big Rogan's CENSORSHIP CAMPAIGN against Flint Dibble01:09:07 Nassim Taleb vs. Colin Wright: Seed Oils01:23:10 Taleb and Squid Ink Flounces01:32:40 Conspirituality & the issues with extended analogies01:50:27 Leftist Millenarianism?01:56:06 Cultish Spectrums02:02:34 Critical Feedback: Decoding the Decoders02:08:30 You were not allowed to talk about this!02:21:56 Signing OffThe full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (2hrs 24 mins).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurusSources 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

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.LinksDawkins 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

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 1800:00 Matt's American Ethnography10:59 Eric Weinstein is waiting for the call14:32 Huberman, Krauss, and MAGA Sycophancy18:39 Boghossian and other would-be Intellectual Clerics of the MAGA regime22:52 Sam Harris criticises Elon Musk, Joe Rogan, and MAGA32:05 The Fifth Column, The Free Press and World Weary Both Sides-ing53:19 Election Reflections: Macro and Micro Causes01:04:40 Longer Term Trends01:10:08 Sarah Haider and the Hip Vibe of the New Right01:24:00 Richard Dawkins Dual Nature01:31:08 A Plea to Sean Carroll and our Listeners01:33:06 An important note on BoulderingThe full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hr 36 mins).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurusLinksEric'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)

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.LinksSabine 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

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!LinksA 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

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!Content00:00 Introduction03:20 Matt's American Insights10:41 Flint Dibble, Graham Hancock & a silly racist19:21 YouTube & Audience Capture with Andrew Gold27:35 Justin Trudeau accuses Jordan Peterson of being Russian Funded34:29 Bernie Sanders & Lex Fridman: What's the point?47:24 Huberman's Latest PSA52:20 Environmental Toxins and Modern Health Concerns58:58 OutroThe full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hr 3 mins).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurusLinksExpress 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

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. LinksDawkins, R. (2016) The Selfish Gene (40th Anniversary edition)

We return to the world of lost civilizations, pseudo-archaeology, and real archaeology with Cardiff University archaeologist Flint Dibble. Sadly the senior member of the Decoding team was absent for the interview but junior decoder Chris struggled on as best he could. This episode, recorded just before the release of Ancient Apocalypse Season 2 on Netflix and Graham Hancock's associated podcast PR tour, examines the appeal of myths like Atlantis, criticisms Flint has faced from Hancock and others, and the broader challenges of communicating good science online.The discussion covers whether debunking false narratives is effective, Flint's experiences post-Rogan with public engagement and social media harassment, and the importance of academics actively participating in public discourse to counter culture-war-fueled stereotypes.Finally, in a crushing blow, Chris also gets Flint to acknowledge that BIG ARCHAEOLOGY can't disprove his stunning new theory about ancient seaweed submarines.LinksOur first interview with Flint from just after his appearance on Rogan.Archaeology with Flint Dibble: The Aftermath of Talking to Graham Hancock on Joe Rogan: A Reply to the HatersArchaeology with Flint Dibble: The Top 6 Penis Bones in ArchaeologyNew Scientist article on Flint: The archaeologist fighting claims about an advanced lost civilisationReal-Archaeology Event!Graham Hancock's Response Video to Flint: Fact-checking science communicator Flint Dibble on Joe Rogan Experience episode 2136Bridges Podcast: Uniting YouTube Against Fake History Frauds | MILO ROSSI & FLINT DIBBLE | Bridges #21The Skeptic: Dr Flint Dibble wins 2024 Skeptical Activism Ockham awardHalmhofer, S. (2024) Manufacturing History: Atlantis, Aryans, and the use of Pseudoarchaeology by the Far-Right. Conspiracy Theories and Extremism in New Times (pp.53-81) Chapter: 3. Lexington Books.

That's right—we're back in the heady world of sense-making, but don't worry, we're just in time to witness the final resolution of the ever-looming 'Meaning Crisis.'Join Matt and Chris as they embark on an epic journey with the cognitively inclined philosopher John Vervaeke and none other than the uber-guru, Jordan Peterson, himself. Together, they navigate a vast semantic web of meaning that spans discussions of Power, Beauty, Love, Religion, and, of course... the Logos!Along the way, we'll probe the limits of complex wordplay and autodidactic insights, consider the ancient art of delegation, and ponder how the religious-shaped void might just be filled with engagement in Dialogos. On the more mundane level, we'll also explore the inner workings of Jordisan Academy, the logistics of the 'We Who Wrestle with God' tour, upcoming Sensemaking cruises, and the vital multivitamins every Responsible Man should be taking.So come along as Matt and Chris grapple with the Omega Rule, cast aside their reductive materialism, and bow down in horror and awe to worship the words that the eternal Logos issues forth.LinksThe Meaning Crisis: Resolution | Dr. John Vervaeke | EP 482The Stoa: Wisdom Signalling & the Wisdom of Criticism w/ John Veraveke, Chris M, Chris Kavanagh, & Matt BrowneA Bit of Fry and Laurie: A Bit of Fry & Laurie Concerning LanguageJohn Vervaeke: Awakening from the Meaning Crisis

We plunge ever deeper into the convoluted world of guru punditry and are dazzled at the theatrics at the 'Rescue the Republic' event, inspired by the profound insights of Eric Weinstein on political speeches, and thrilled at Michael Moynihan's hard knock interview with the moderate heterodox thinker Megyn Kelly. Join us won't you?00:00 Introduction and Health Check Adventures04:15 Exploring the GuruSphere and GuruCon08:57 Matt and Chris Debate Round 1: The Unholy Alliance16:35 Russell Brand and Jordan Peterson's Prayer Time24:51 Bret's Amazing Metaphor: David and the Phoenix36:01 Matt Taibbi's Speaking Truth to Power with the Bible40:24 Rage Against the War Machine43:25 Eric Weinstein's analysis of Kamala Harris58:44 Joe Rogan's Bias and Broken Conspiracy Prone Brain01:13:53 Michael Moynihan softballs Megyn Kelly01:26:11 Cynical Chris and Moderate Megyn: Alex Jones & Tucker are right!01:32:57 Hard Knock Heterodoxy01:47:35 Matt and Chris Debate Round 2: Left and RightThe full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (2 hr 1 min).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurusLinksRescue The Republic WebsiteRage Against the War MachineAll the videos from the Rescue the Republic eventEric Weinstein deciphers Kamala's speech for Chris WilliamsonMegyn Kelly Enjoys Watching Legacy Media Crumble | HONESTLY

There are many different systems for quantifying a person's essential essence. You could use an Ayurvedic questionnaire to determine your doshic levels, you could consult an astrologer to identify your most auspicious dates and the origins of your personality quirks, or you could even ask a psychologist to take a personality inventory and discover your OCEAN traits.But if you want pure insight, crystallised through something that is BEYOND science, you must find yourself that very rare and extremely precious instrument- a gurometer. Sought after by kings and queens, politicians and CEOs, athletes and inventors, the gurometer is your one-stop shop for quantifying your secular guru essence.Normally, due to the delicacy of the topic and the arcane, and, dare we say, dangerous, nature of Gurometry, we keep these insights locked behind the gilded Patreon gates. Still, sometimes we think the world deserves to know about how the science and art of gurometry are progressing.So, here is a little peek at the beautiful science in action as we attempt to quantify Dr. K according to our 11(!) Gurometer characteristics. Play along at home if you dare but remember Guromancy is not something to trifle in idly.Should you want more details about the art of Gurometry, please see this previous episode for more information and if you want to know more about Dr. K then look at any of our three previous episodes. Also, it is perhaps worth mentioning that Gurometer episodes for ALL previous gurus are available on Patreon.We will be back soon enough for some full-length decodings.

This is a preview episode to remind those who might be interested that we have a bonus Decoding Academia series, available at the Patreon at the Revolutionary Genius tier and above, which is now up to episode 30! On Decoding Academia we usually focus on specific papers and indulge our more nerdy and academic tendencies. It is almost like a journal club of two!In this episode, we take a look at a study exploring the connections between Dark Humour, online trolling, and Dark personality tendencies. This is right up the alley for two brooding Decoders with twisted dark mentalities. Expect shocking personality quizzes, dad jokes & dank memes, Bayesian sidetracking, and an inception-level discussion of alleged regressions. This is one for all the family!Paper examined: Voisey, S., & Heintz, S. (2024). Do Dark Humour Users Have Dark Tendencies? Relationships between Dark Humour, the Dark Tetrad, and Online Trolling. Behavioral Sciences, 14(6), 493.

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 revisionist takes on Winston Churchill, Hitler, and WWII, asking whether throwing in strategic disclaimers really makes it all okay.They also explore reactions from the wider comment-o-sphere, including the musings of libertarian firebrand/idiot Dave Smith, mainstream historians and history YouTubers, and the hosts of Triggernometry, Konstantin and Francis, as they try to unpack Niall Ferguson's sharp critique of Cooper. Along the way, Sam Harris enters the fray, on a search for grown-ups in the alternative media.But does Harris offer a mature critique, or is he engaging in his own cycle of grievance-mongering? Matt and Chris examine his response and consider if it rises above or contributes to the podcasting noise. Whether you are a staunch critic of Sam Harris or a devoted fan, we promise this episode has something to disappoint everyone!LinksTucker Carlson: Darryl Cooper: The True History of the Jonestown Cult, WWII, and How Winston Churchill Ruined EuropeThe History Underground: Was Churchill the Chief Villain of WWII??? A Response to Darryl Cooper & Tucker CarlsonCooper's follow up thread on X.Triggernometry: “Tucker Has Become an Enabler of Fascists” - Sir Niall FergusonDave Smith | Darryl Cooper | Part Of The Problem 1169Sam Harris: Episode 383 Where Are the Grown-Ups?Free Press: Sohrab Ahmari. Pseudo-Scholars and the Rise of the Barbarian RightSPLC: McInnes, Molyneux, and 4chan: Investigating pathways to the alt-rightVox: Ezra Klein. Sam Harris, Charles Murray, and the allure of race scienceVox. The Sam Harris Debate.Arthur Jensen Profile at SPLC. The researcher who contributed to the Neo-Nazi journal.The Churchill Project. Reply to Darryl Cooper: The Truth About World War II.The Bulwark: Robert Tracinski. The “Charlottesville Hoax” Hoax.Independent Article on the 'Cat' roasting video.

We rip off the unconvincing plastic mask to reveal the true gurus lurking underneath and discuss:Russian Propaganda and Influencer ScandalProfit Incentives in Alternative Media and the Need for DisclosureExcessive Profiteering and AdvertisingLex Fridman interviews Trump (with love)Trump and Anti-Vaxx Conspiracy TheoriesTrump and Kamala Debate Reactions and Heterodox TakesDestiny vs. the Low Bar of the Alternative MediaWhen Joe met BretRogan & Bret's Massive Projection and HypocrisyFinancial Incentives in Alternative MediaGabor Maté cites some Neuroimaging StudiesMatt's HUGE Correction on Twitter FundingThe University of Austin in Texas still exists!The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1 hr 47 mins).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurusLinksLegal Eagle video on the Tenet Media scandalKanai, R., Feilden, T., Firth, C., & Rees, G. (2011). Political orientations are correlated with brain structure in young adults. Current Biology, 21(8), 677-680.Boekel, W., Wagenmakers, E. J., Belay, L., Verhagen, J., Brown, S., & Forstmann, B. U. (2015). A purely confirmatory replication study of structural brain-behavior correlations. cortex, 66, 115-133.Joe Rogan Experience #2198 - Bret WeinsteinDonald Trump Interview | Lex Fridman Podcast #442The Guardian: We each have a Nazi in us. We need to understand the psychological roots of authoritarianism. Gabor Maté.

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 explored his promotion of Ayurvedic medicine and his use of the rhetorical strategies often seen in Complementary and Alternative Medicine spaces. This time, they tackle his more controversial work: the (non)therapy sessions with influencers, focusing particularly on his challenging and controversial conversation with the late streamer Reckful.The episode considers how Dr. K navigates the boundaries between professional therapy and public conversation, examines his response to an official reprimand from his governing body, and questions whether his justifications withstand scrutiny.Matt and Chris critically assess the validity of legalistic defences, the ethics of publicly streaming sensitive conversations with vulnerable individuals, and broader concerns about mixing mental health care with entertainment.It's a lengthy episode and features discussions on patient-therapist power dynamics, definitional debates, and the complexities surrounding regulatory oversight and professional/general ethics.We warn you this is not a very light episode and deals with sensitive issues related to suicide and mental health.LinksHealthyGamerGG: Talking Depression with ReckfulHealthyGamerGG: EthicsHealthyGamerGG: Ludwig and Dr. K's Journey of Death and ConsciousnessHealthyGamerGG: Tired of Work, Society, and Life... (featuring response to reprimand)Dr. K's official reprimand by the Medical BoardDr. Mike: Debating The Value Of Eastern Medicine (Ayurveda) | Healthy Gamer Dr. KCritical Video by MrGirl: Dr. K - RecklessCritical YouTube video by Koubitz: Dr. K's Hidden AgendaThe New York Times: The Gamer and the PsychiatristHealthyGamerGG Official Response to Reprimand on Reddit

World travels complete the Guru Decoders reconvene to examine how the Gurusphere has been behaving in their absence. Bad news abounds.Featuring:Introduction and Hosts' ReunionChris's Travel Tales Cultural Observations and ComparisonsHealth Concerns and Anti-Vax MovementRFK Jr. and Political EndorsementsQuarantine Measures in HistoryBret Weinstein endorses TrumpEric Weinstein's quasi-endorsementStephen Bartlett promotes Bret and gets in trouble for adsPlagiarism Allegations against Robin Di AngeloElon Musk's Twitter Investors RevealedKonstantin Kisin vs. a normal InterviewJonathan Pageau and 5G ConspiraciesSam Harris & Destiny ConversationSam's Analysis of Jordan PetersonSocial Media Derangement: Sam vs. DestinyOffline vs Online BehaviourFocus on the Far Left vs. the Far RightClosing Thoughts & Next EpisodeThe full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1 hr 36 mins).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurusLinksRFK endorsing TrumpDelusions, Right and Left: A Conversation with “Destiny” (Steven Bonnell) (Episode #381)Konstantin Kisin vs. NBC interviewerFortune: Elon Musk was just forced to reveal who really owns X. Here's the listBBC: Steven Bartlett nutrition adverts banned for being misleadingEric's quasi-endorsement of RFK Jnr. and TrumpBad Stats clip of Pageau from Peterson AcademyBret endorsing Trump and RFK Jr.Free Beacon: Robin DiAngelo Plagiarized Minority Scholars, Complaint Alleges