Decoding the Gurus

Yuval Noah Harari: Eat Bugs and Live Forever

05 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Yuval Noah Harari is a historian, a writer, and a popular 'public intellectual'. He rose to fame with Sapiens (2014), his popular science book that so...

Supplementary Material 3: Sand-worms, Anti-Capitalist Merch, and High Level Idea-Jacking

31 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We test the boundaries of the Supplementary format with a stacked third edition containing: Matt's Review of Dune 2 and the Three-Body ProblemHasan Pi...

Mini-Decoding: The Descent of Jordan B. Peterson

26 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We take a look at a recent conversation between Jordan Peterson and the streamer Steven Bonnell (AKA Destiny) and use the opportunity to reflect on Jo...

Supplementary Material 2: Dissident Dialogues, Bloodbaths, & Genocidal Debates

22 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The adventure in formatting continues with the second Supplementary Material episode, in which we:lament we don't command the same level of loyalty as...

Gurometer: Hasan Piker *PREVIEW*

15 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when you try to squeeze a muscle-bound Twitch streamer into a precise measurement instrument like the Gurometer? And can it even function...

Hasan Piker: A swashbuckling Bromance

13 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Avast Ye Harties! Yar! This week be the inaugural episode of a New Streamer/Academic Guru season. Join us as we set sail with a bang and embark o...

Supplementary Material 1: Cringe Immunity & Supplemental Ethics

07 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

An adventure in formatting, welcome to the inaugural Supplementary Material episode. Here we are trying to save you all from the ever-expanding intro ...

Interview with Kevin Mitchell on Agency and Evolution

06 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Matt and Chris converse with Kevin Mitchell, an Associate Professor of Genetics and Neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin, and autho...

Sean Carroll: The Worst Guru Yet?!?

02 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Controversial physics firebrand Sean Carroll has cut a swathe through the otherwise meek and mild podcasting industry over the last few years. Known i...

Mini-Decoding: Indulgent Monologuing

28 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes our intrepid Decoders like to focus on a specific rhetorical technique or recurrent pattern that can be observed across the Gurusphere. Here...

Sam Harris: Right to Reply

17 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sam Harris is an author, podcaster, public intellectual, ex-New Atheist, card-returning IDWer, and someone who likely needs no introduction. This is e...

The Passion of the Jordan and the Wisdom of the Bret

09 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes it's important to check in on old friends, just to make sure they're doing okay. That's the theme for today's episode. We felt it was necess...

Mini Decoding: Yuval and the Philosophers

30 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Join us for a mini decoding to get us back into the swing of things as we examine a viral clip that had religious reactionaries, sensemakers, and acad...

DTG's Face to Face Reflections 2024

19 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, our intrepid hosts embrace a rare opportunity for sincere self-reflection, spurred by a face-to-face meeting in an inspiring ryokan i...

Mini-Decoding: Huberman on the Vaccine-Autism Controversy

28 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Andrew Huberman, Stanford academic and host of a science-themed podcast, recently released an episode on Autism with guest Dr. Karen Parker. Consideri...

Sam Harris: Transcending it All?

24 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sam Harris is the subject today and a man who needs no introduction. Although he's come up and he's come on, we've never actually (technically) decode...

DTG Christmas Quiz 2023 with Helen Lewis

22 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Seasons greetings from Decoding the Gurus!Time to grab a hot chocolate, cosy up to the fire, and wrack your brain to see how much attention you've bee...

Red Scare: Bohemian Hipsterism x Reactionary Tradcaths

08 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In today's joyous episode, we saunter into the loft apartment, take a draw on our gauloise, and glance icily into a world of bohemian hipsters living ...

Interview with Daniël Lakens and Smriti Mehta on the state of Psychology

18 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We are back with more geeky academic discussion than you can shake a stick at. This week we are doing our bit to save civilization by discussing issue...

Andrew Huberman and Peter Attia: Self-enhancement, supplements & doughnuts?

09 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In a kind of meta cross-over with our Decoding Academia series, we're going to decode a journal club discussion between two well-known health optimise...

Interview with Julia Ebner: Extremist Networks & Radicalisation

16 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this week's episode, we have an extended interview with author and researcher, Julia Ebner. Julia is a Senior Resident Research Fellow at the Insti...

Triggernometry's Big Moment: Entering the Guru Galaxy

03 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In modern online ecosystems, attention and download metrics reign supreme. Sadly, the gurus are not immune to these incentives, with even the most suc...

Interview with the Conspirituality Trio: Navigating the Chakras of Conspiracy

19 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Back in the early days of the podcast, we tried to take a rest from the wearisome repetition of polemical partisan gurus by covering JP Sears- an alte...

Andrew Huberman: Forest Bathing in Negative Ions

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We are back with a moderate-sized Decoding that focuses on Andrw Hubernman a baritone podcaster and neuroscientist at the Stanford University School o...

Noam Chomsky: Lover of linguistics, the USA... not so much

18 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

OK, so we're finally getting around to taking a chunk out of the prodigious, prolific, and venerable Noam Chomsky. Linguist, cognitive scientist, medi...

The Science and the Art of Gurometry

22 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The casual listener, who might possibly not be a loyal Patreon subscriber, or might hypothetically not listen devotedly to every Gurometer scoring epi...

Mick West & Eric Weinstein: UFO Tango

14 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We are back with a double-bill decoding! That's right like moths to the flame, or aliens to a Unified Geometric Field drive, we are back in Weinstein ...

Interview with Jonathan Howard on Covid Contrarians

23 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The pandemic was a confusing time with public health messages from officials and institutions that were sometimes confused, conflicting, or misreprese...

"Mini" Decoding of Michael Shermer's Advice on Conspiracy Theories

21 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Shermer, a professional skeptic, recently appeared on the noted apolitical podcast Triggernometry to outline his advice on How to Spot a True ...

Interview with Mick West: UFOs, Aliens, and Conspiracy Psychology

17 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

UFOs are all the rage now, and it's certainly a topic that excites many of our gurus *cough* <Eric Weinstein>. Hidden mysteries, advanced techno...

Eliezer Yudkowksy: AI is going to kill us all

10 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Thought experiment: Imagine you're a human, in a box, surrounded by an alien civilisation, but you don't like the aliens, because they have facilities...

Interview with Renée DiResta: Online Ecosystems, Disinformation, & Censorship Debates

20 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We are joined by Renée DiResta a writer and researcher at the Stanford Internet Observatory. Renée has done a lot of interesting work on disinformat...

Christopher Hitchens: Rhetoric, Religion, and Ramadan

15 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Our short-lived Christopher Hitchens ends in our second episode and full-length decoding of the punchy Brit. This time we are examining one of his wel...

Interview with Matt Johnson on Christopher Hitchens

09 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We are back for an interview with the author and independent writer Matt Johnson discussing the New Atheist hero and legendary debater, Christopher Hi...

Oprah Winfrey: Self Actualising Your Destiny

16 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Oprah Winfrey is someone who truly needs no introduction. She's a legend of daytime television, a warm and charismatic juggernaut who steam-rolled her...

"Mini" Decoding of Matthew Goodwin & Interview with Paul Bloom

08 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Apologies everyone, we've been compelled to break our 'golden rule' of interspersing decoding episodes with interview episodes. However, the opportuni...

Interview with Travis View: QANon & Modern Conspiracies

25 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you have managed to avoid the phenomenon of QAnon up until now, then congratulations! Your life is likely better for not knowing. Sadly many of us ...

Interview with Worobey, Andersen & Holmes: The Lab Leak

11 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The question of the SARS-CoV-2 origin: whether it was a zoonotic spillover from a wet market, or an engineered virus that escaped from the Wuhan Insti...

Dave Rubin: A Pointless Partisan Pundit

08 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dave Rubin has always sought out a career in the spotlight, beginning with stand-up comedy and then becoming a pundit (of sorts) on shows like the You...

Bill Maher: A boozy, stoned, liberal take on classic anti-vax tropes

25 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Bill Maher is an American comedian, political commentator, and television host from the tail end of the baby-boomer generation. He's principally a cen...

Daniel Dennett: It's Evolution Baby

02 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we take a bit of a detour from current trends and examine a talk by the philosopher Daniel Dennett on evolution. Dennett rose to publ...

"Mini" Decoding of Konstantin Kisin's Oxford Union speech

21 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Recently the Oxford Union (based in Oxford but distinct from the university) hosted a debate on "whether woke culture has gone too far". A very fresh ...

Interview with Coffeezilla on Cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and modern scammers

14 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we are joined by the irrepressible "Coffeezilla" (aka Stephen Findeisen), a man who is, it's fair to say, kind of a big deal on YouTu...

Elon Musk: The Techno Shaman

29 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

So here we are rounding off 2022 with a Guru of the moment, Elon Musk.Trust us, we want to stop hearing about him as much as you do but we have long h...

DTG Christmas Special 2022 with Helen Lewis

27 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Join us for this special festive episode in which we initiate the fledgling Gurologist (and occasional journalist and author) Helen Lewis into the dee...

Guru Right to Reply with Jamie Wheal

10 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today we are joined by Jamie Wheal, who comprised a full one-third of the subjects covered on our prior "Sensemaking Cubed" episode also featuring Dan...

Interview with Manvir Singh on Gurus & Shamans

17 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We are back with another academic-themed interview with the evolutionary/cultural/cognitive anthropologist Manvir Singh. That's right two anthropologi...

Robin DiAngelo: Matt and Chris struggle with their fragility

02 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Racism is all around. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds white people together. And if you try to deny it, it only makes it stronger. That's ...

Interview with Konstantin Kisin from Triggernometry on Heterodoxy, Biases, and the Media

16 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

An interesting one today with an extended interview/discussion with Konstantin Kisin co-host of the Triggernometry YouTube channel and Podcast and aut...

Peterson, Murray & Pageau: Transcendent Tableware

01 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this bitesize decoding, a conservative columnist, a religious icon carver, and a tortured ex-psychologist walk into a Daily Wire studio and try to ...

Interview with Neil Levy on Intellectual Virtue Signalling

27 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Fellow decoders: a few weeks ago Chris and Matt were invited to virtually attend a lecture at Macquarie University that promised to be of interest for...

Daniel Schmachtenberger, Jamie Wheal & Jordan Hall: Making Sense about Making Sense of Sensemaking

14 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It's finally here! In what has to be our most meta episode to date, Matt and Chris tackle the meta-philosophy / meta-spirituality / meta-science that ...

Interview with Helen Lewis on culture wars and religion, that Jordan Peterson interview, and gurus generally

03 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today Chris and Matt are visited by Helen Lewis, a journalist, editor, and writer with what could very fairly be described as a rather distinguished c...

Interview with Dan Friesen from Knowledge Fight on Alex Jones, the Sandy Hook Trial, and conspiracy ecosystems

27 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A special crossover episode (long anticipated- at least by us) with one-half of the Knowledge Fight podcast. Specifically, we have Dan Friesen on to e...

John Vervaeke & Jonathan Pageau: Decoding the Demons

21 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ahead of the forthcoming sense-making full course decoding of Jordan Hall, Daniel Schmactenberger, and Jamie Wheal (see here!), we offer a bite-sized ...

Interview with Elgen Strait on the Unification Church and the assassination of Shinzo Abe

20 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is a little bit of this and a little bit of that.The main portion of the episode features an interview with returning guest, Elgen Strait...

Special: Guru Right to Reply with Robert Wright

31 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As per Section 7, paragraph 3, item 2 in the Gurometer Constitution and User Manual states, "All covered gurus shall have a Right to Reply" and Robert...

Recoding Jordan Peterson: Think again, Sunshine!

24 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt and Chris are back in the headspace of the Alchemical Lemon, Jordan Peterson, with what was supposed to be a shorter format decoding episode. Yo...

*Patreon Preview* Lex and Haidt: Gurometer Ratings

10 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What's this? Another episode?Well, sort of...Providing both a tantalising peak behind the Patreon curtain and an apology for the delayed release, we d...

Lex Fridman & Jonathan Haidt: The Techno Monk & The Social Scientist

08 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

First, we apologise sincerely for the delayed-release. Matt and Chris have been busy beavers splicing together this decoding which proved particular ...

Interview with Nathan Allebach on Online Brands, Weird Twitter & that Steak Umms Account

11 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In a way, we're all managing our personal brand in the infosphere aren't we? But Nathan Allebach, in a far more tangible way, really does manage brand...

Jaron Lanier: Fear of an Algorithmic Planet

30 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The season of tech is upon us! Hold on to your hats and press those non-fungible tokens tightly to your bosom, because we are getting into the thick o...

*Patreon Preview* Decoding Academia 8: Monkey see, Monkey do?

24 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ahead of the Jaron Lanier episode a special preview episode of our ongoing Decoding Academia series.This week Matt and Chris take a look at a classic ...

Interview with Michael Inzlicht on the Replication Crisis, Mindfulness, and Responsible Heterodoy

20 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It's been a while but don't worry the DtG elves have been hard at work and a veritable bounty of content is on its way. The long-promised Jaron Lanier...

Very Bad Gurus with David Pizarro & Tamler Sommers

29 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the most ambitious crossover since the Fraggles met the Muppets, this week we have a special joint episode with moral psychologist David Pizzaro an...

Interview with Timbah Toast on his Tim Pool Documentary & Scooby Doo Partisans

23 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week's episode we have an extended interview with an independent decoder, the YouTube documentary maker, Timbah-on-Toast. A kindred spirit in man...

Reverend Sun Myung Moon: Absolute Decoding

09 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week we return one more time to the disturbing world of Reverend Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church, also known as the 'Moonies', this time with...

Interview with Elgen Strait on growing up in the Moonies & cultish manipulation

31 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is the first of two linked episodes in which we delve into the disturbing world of Reverend Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church also know...

Interview with Julian Walker on Conspirituality, Conspiracies and (Global) Culture Wars

26 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Another interview episode - we've had a flurry recently but don't worry, we'll be returning to a good ol' fashioned decoding episode very soon. This w...

Interview with Josh Szeps, The Rumble from Downunder

17 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Hot on the heels of our Joe Rogan Trilogy, the big red phone at Decoder HQ rang with an intriguing proposal. Well, it was more of a DM, and it said,"H...

James Lindsay & Michael O'Fallon: Eating bugs for Feminist Glaciology

06 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is an important episode. 2022 you needs to realise what 2020 you could not and what 2030 you is ready to tell you. Confused? You will be.On this ...

Interview with Liam Bright on Scientific Orthodoxy, Reform Efforts & DTG's Philosophy

03 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today we have a little mid-week treat, ahead of our next decoding episode, a discussion with the philosopher and Leverhulme Prize Winning Twitter sens...

Interview with Virginia Heffernan on Edge, the dangers of Scientism, & Culture Wars

26 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On this week's show we have a broad ranging discussion with the well known journalist and author Virginia Heffernan. Virginia has written a bunch on t...

Robert Wright: A Cosmic Journey Across the Bob-o-verse

19 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt and Chris finally leave the Rogan-verse behind, activate their Infinite Improbability Drive, and blast off for the Bob-o-verse. In an off-again /...

Interview: Debunking (Antivaxx) Funk with Dr Dan Wilson

11 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week we speak to fellow traveller, kindred spirit, and vaccine misinformation debunker, Dr Dan Wilson. Yes, we know we've talked SO much about an...

Special: Joe Rogan 'Sorry, not Sorry'

04 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

To cap off our impromptu mini-series focusing on the Rogan-verse we take a critical look at Joe's short (non) apology video responding to the Spotify ...

*Patreon Preview* Malone & McCullough: Gurometer Ratings

28 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week a bonus Gurometer episode has sneaked out from behind the golden curtain of the DTG Patreon pay wall.We aren't out of the Rogan-verse yet. O...

Robert Malone & Peter McCullough: A litany of untruths

13 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt and Chris return to the Joe Rogan-verse much quicker than they would have liked to take a critical eye to two recent episodes (6 more hours!!!) o...

*Patreon Preview* Decoding Academia #2: False Positive Psychology

30 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The New Year is upon us and the gurologists thought they should contribute to the holiday cheer in the only way they can... releasing a rambling podca...

Joe Rogan: Just an average Joe?

18 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Joe Rogan is a world famous podcaster, a martial artist, a stand-up comedian, a MMA commentator, co-founder of the Onnit supplement company, the ex-ho...

Special: Guru Right to Reply with Chris Williamson

10 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Listeners might remember Chris Williamson from our episode on Gad Saad. He was the former love island contestant who interviewed Gad and appeared to h...

Decoding Academia: Matt on his ENTIRE research career *Patreon Sample*

03 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

So, what even IS the deal with Matt? Is he a proper psychologist or does his past conceal something darker, aside from his bronzed skin-tone? Until no...

Brené Brown: Matt and Chris courageously embrace their vulnerability

26 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Brené Brown is an American professor, lecturer, author, storyteller researcher, and podcast host. She's made it her life's work to help peo...

Decoding Academia: Chris on Religion & Ritual *Patreon Sample*

23 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It had to happen eventually. As Matt and Chris listen week in and week out to the world's greatest gurus pontificating on the mysteries of the univers...

Interview with Annie Kelly on Vaccines, Conspiracies, & Misinformation

07 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Annie Kelly is a writer, researcher, and the British correspondent for the well and deservedly praised podcast QAnon Anonymous. Her PhD research wa...

Special: Interview with Sam Harris on Gurus, Tribalism & the Culture War

30 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sam Harris probably needs no introduction in our neck of the info-sphere as he is seemingly never far from the spotlight... or the occasional controve...

Mikhaila Peterson: The Marvelous World of Meat

26 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The hosts are certainly in no position to criticise someone for what they eat, with Matt unable to resist a Fosters and shrimps on a barbie, and Chris...

Interview with Stuart Neil on SARS CoV-2

09 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You might have noticed there's been a bit of talk recently about a certain virus. A virus that may or may not have a vaccine that is very safe and eff...

Special Episode: Interview with Stuart Ritchie on Hunter Gatherers in the 21st Century, covid skeptics, and bad science

24 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week we have an engaging interview with the scientist, author, and public science communicator Stuart Ritchie. Stuart wrote the excellent 'Scienc...

Jordan Hall: Sensemaking, or the superficial pitter-patter on the neocortex?

11 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is about sense-making... if you are not sick of that term yet, trust us, you soon will be.To get things rolling, Matt and Chris launch th...

Special Episode: Welcome to Weinstein World with special guest David Pizarro

27 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Weinstein brothers have been busy bees over the past few weeks/months(!) and it left Matt and Chris with a conundrum. How do they cover them as pa...

Gad Saad: Oh my Gad, it's the Saadfather!

20 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Gad Saad is a Professor of Marketing at Concordia University, author of The Consuming Instinct and, more recently, The Parasitic Mind: How Infectious ...

Special Episode: Interview with Robert Wright on crackpots, gurus, and modern media ecosystems

13 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week we welcome the author, journalist, and podcaster Robert Wright. Robert wrote the popular (and provocative!) book 'Why Buddhism is True' and ...

Special Episode: Interview with Evan Thompson on Buddhist Exceptionalism

30 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We class up the podcast this week with another special interview with a philosopher specialising in Asian philosophical traditions, cognitive science,...

Carl Sagan: My God, it's full of stars

23 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the second instalment of the personal gurus season we take a look at Matt's childhood science guru: the famed astronomer and science communicator C...

Special Episode: Interview with Daniel Harper on the Far Right & IDW Criticism

15 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we have an engaging discussion with Daniel Harper host of the anti-fascist podcast 'I Don't Speak German' about his experience coverin...

Special Episode: Interview with Amanda Montell on Cultish Linguistics

02 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Amanda Montell is an author, linguist, and podcaster with a new book 'Cultish' on "how cultish groups from Jonestown and Scientology to SoulCycle and ...

Anthony DeMello: The Bob Ross of Spiritual Gurus?

26 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Well, the hosts have had a good long taste of the culture wars and friends, it is a bitter, bitter draught. As a palette cleanser, we return to a simp...

Special Episode: Interview with Jesse Singal on Quick Fix Psychology

18 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Another week and another extra special interview with journalist, podcaster, and Twitter outrage lightning rod, Jesse Singal.We discuss his new book o...

Special Episode: Interview with Tim Nguyen on Geometric Unity

12 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Despite promising to leave Weinstein world for an overdue holiday, Matt and Chris have been lured back by a world shattering theory with a cosmic visi...