Decoding the Gurus

We end the futile struggle, embrace the toxins, and become one with our mould brethren. The full episode is available to Patreon subscribers (2 hours, 38 minutes). Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus Supplementary Material 38 00:00 Intro 02:54 Boomer Matt reacts to Twitter videos 07:31 Shellenberger and Tucker discuss the 9/11 Files 12:42 Eric's Google Ngram Investigations 17:08 Vindication on the Elephant Graveyard 22:00 Eric's ARC lecture goes viral 25:24 Andrew Huberman is NOT a phrenologist... 29:06 Eric Weinstein vs. Piers Morgan 33:44 Everyone knows Eric is a serious thinker 46:09 Peterson is taken out of the Gurusphere by Demons and Toxic Mould 52:09 Gurus and Bespoke Alternative Health 57:00 Social Contagion Hypocrisy 01:02:55 Toxic Mould Symbiosis? 01:04:46 Pewdiepie, Diogenes, and the Seeker Mindset 01:16:14 The Wisdom of the Ancients 01:21:01 The Meaning Crisis and Christian Pivots 01:22:29 Konstantin Kisin's surprising Christian pivot 01:25:17 The best person Konstantin ever met (not Francis) 01:30:22 The Fifth Column Agrees with Megyn Kelly 88% of the time 01:33:07 Megyn Kelly explains how the Democrats crossed the line and must pay 01:41:35 Intellectual Clerics for MAGA 01:43:16 Slightly Adversarial libertarians for hire 01:47:00 Drew Pavlou and Fluid Populism 01:50:17 Two Varieties of Online Derangement: Noah Smith's Hot Takes 01:53:57 Need for Attention = Desire for Virality 01:57:23 Status Seeking Networkers vs Paul Bloom 02:01:27 Reflecting on the Al Murray Interview 02:02:22 The struggle of podcasters 02:04:52 Paul Bloom: The best person in the world? 02:06:00 Mike Israetel's Thesis Controversy 02:10:30 What does a PhD mean? 02:16:55 David Deutsch visits Curt Jaimungal 02:22:32 The Dangers of Doubling Down: Pirate Software 02:23:32 Hasan Piker and Shock Collar-gate 02:27:15 Matt's Take on Shock Collars 02:33:51 Dystopia Update: Putin wants Trump to win the Nobel Prize 02:37:11 Outro Sources Shellenberger and Tucker discuss the CIA’s role in 9/11Grok pressing Eric to get specificThe Elephant GraveyardViral post about Eric’s ARC speech on scienceHuberman’s phrenology endorsementJordan Peterson’s Health Update from MikhailaChris Williamson: It’s time to talk about my health.Chang, C., & Gershwin, M. E. (2019). The myth of mycotoxins and mold injury.Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology, 57Mold and human health: A reality check.Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology, 52

Matt and Chris once again take up their oars and plunge deeper into the recursive whirlpools of contemporary sensemaking. Picking up where Part 1 left off, having grappled with conscience, touchstones, hierarchies, and normativity, we return to the sensemaking labyrinth to see just how many more words and concepts the combined powers of Peterson, Vervaeke, and Hall can stretch to breaking point. This second leg of the voyage allows us to chart more of the universal sensemaking grammar, with its biblical scaffolding, liberal use of metaphors, and frequent exhortations to ascend Jacob’s ladder. But alongside Peterson's predictable biblical musings, you can also thrill at unexpected treats like John Vervaeke unveiling how finite transcendence connects to inexhaustible intelligibility and Jordan Hall explaining that even silence can be a form of sensemaking. Expect symbolic snakes, dangling ropes, and ecological psychology refashioned for mystical ascent, Augustine rediscovered through Plato, and culture reframed as an alcoholic parent. Or if you prefer, enjoy detours into atheists and their Luciferian egos, the sacred role of play, and the profound revelations that can be drawn from childhood disappointments at McDonald’s and grandfathers complaining about Nixonian duplicity So join us for the final leg of the Sensemaking Odyssey. Sharpen your mind, get ready to traverse through 3D space, and prepare for an encounter with the Logos... in the context of listening to a podcast. Sources A Dialogue So Dangerous, It Just Might Bring You Wisdom | John Vervaeke and Jordan Hall | EP 532

Why are we never invited to these dinners? We wonder if it was something we said or if our invitation just got lost in the mail, as we endure the inevitable discourse wave that followed in the wake of Charlie Kirk's murder. The full episode is available to Patreon subscribers (2 hours, 21 minutes). Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus Supplementary Material 37 00:00 Introduction 01:10 Cooking Gurus? 05:39 Sensemaking Overindulgence 07:19 Feedback on The Elephant Graveyard Segment 14:07 Gary is awarded an Honorary Doctorate by SOAS 19:15 On the Murder of Charlie Kirk 24:49 Murder is Bad & Charlie Kirk was a Polemicist 38:07 Hypocritical Calls for Violence: Elon Musk and Tommy Robinson 41:32 The Superficial Celebrations of Luigi Mangione 44:52 Michael Shermer is an entirely non-skeptical partisan 47:16 Eric Weinstein and the rush to post 49:48 Joe Rogan argues with his friend on vaccines 58:11 Predictable Pivot 01:05:30 Blocked and Reported discuss the Interpersonal Psychodramas of the Heterodox 01:07:07 The Thick Skin of Michael Shellenberger 01:11:41 Being Bret Weinstein's +1 01:13:39 Dave Rubin does not appreciate public criticism 01:16:29 A Heterodox DM encounter 01:21:01 Money and Macro's Video on Gary's Economics 01:27:56 The DTG approach vs Debunking 01:29:43 The Nature of Expertise and Criticism 01:31:17 Researching Guru Claims 01:36:37 Destiny invokes the Prisoner's Dilemma and Tit for Tat strategies 01:40:59 Generous Tit for Tat 01:46:28 Konstantin Kisin's warning about alternative media 01:54:26 Konstantin's "Consistency" 02:01:44 Next Gurus and Fake Outro 02:03:44 Decoding the Gamers: Caves of Qud and Two Point Museum 02:08:11 Retro School Games: Drug Wars, Beachhead and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? 02:11:53 Real Outro Sources SOAS honorary awardees for 2025What did Elon Musk say at far-right UK rally and did his remarks break the law?“We Either Fight Back or Die” – Elon Musk's Fierce Speech at London 'Unite The Kingdom' Rally | APTShermer's tweet after Charlie Kirk's murderJoe Rogan and Bryan Callen on vaccinesHe Had One Product, $80K in Funding, and One Influencer - And Unilever Just Acquired His Company for 9 FiguresMichael Shellenberger Mixed Up Two Guys With Sorta Similar Names And Falsely Told His Readers — And Congress — One Of Them Might Be A Spy As A ResultBlocked and Reported Premium: Taylor Lorenz And The Perils Of Journafluencing (Part...

Join Matt and Chris as they enter an intellectual labyrinth of recursive sensemaking featuring the combined insights of Jordan Peterson, John Vervaeke, and Jordan Hall. You will learn about many, many deep and complex concepts and puzzle over definitions of conscience, the vertical hierarchy, value, normativity, goals & ideals, quests, the ultimate unifying meta-narrative, self-sacrifice, and touchstones. With frequent excursions into a wild assortment of biblical stories, Platonic philosophy, Jungian psychology, Martial Art stances, and much, much more! This is a voyage through the refracted and refracting philosophical frameworks of three contemporary sensemaking powerhouses. So get your oars ready and prepare your mind to taste the Dialogos, vis-à-vis Moses... Sources A Dialogue So Dangerous, It Just Might Bring You Wisdom | John Vervaeke and Jordan Hall | EP 532

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In this packed supplementary episode, we tackle all of the urgent global issues, ranging from Epstein file conspiracies to Matt’s immense love of a fantasy game where dwarves punch ducks for fun. Along the way, we’re joined by a stellar cast of commentators, including some old favourites. Strap in… it’s a long one. Supplementary Material 33 00:00 Introductory Banter: Old Squeaky and Matt's Wall 04:16 Mecha Hitler's rampage 07:22 Grok's Controversial Behaviour 10:48 Linda Yaccarino's grinning departure from X 12:41 Elmo's anti-semitic conspiracy tirade 13:47 Connor McGregor taints the timeline 14:39 Eric joins Diary of a CEO to give some advice 22:43 The Weinstein enigma 27:47 Eric Weinstein on Jeffrey Epstein 32:38 Eric vs. Mick West Round 2 34:51 Plastic Bag Wearing Philosophers, Pornographic AI Companions, and Neo-Liberalism 41:21 Weinstein vs Sean Carrol: Further Developments 43:33 Professor Dave's New Video on Eric with Christian Ferko 50:20 A Physicist's View of Geometric Unity 53:42 Debating Prof. Dave on Eric's Motivations 58:40 Peter Thiel and Ross Douhat on the Antichrist 01:15:04 Professor Dave Summarises Eric 01:17:21 Bribery Accusations 01:20:35 Perimeter Institute Conspiracies 01:25:28 Mockery and Different Styles of Criticism 01:29:57 Jeffrey Epstein Scandal Introduction 01:32:48 Trump's Response and Conspiracy Theories 01:35:57 Andrew Schulz's Cognitive Dissonance 01:43:11 Trump's Deep State Assassination Attempt 01:44:40 Megyn Kelly has another explanation 01:50:54 The Court Intrigues of MAGA 01:54:41 The Epstein Online Economy 02:02:33 Tim Pool's spin: It's the Democrats! 02:05:05 Destiny and Contrapoints get Conspiracy Theories 02:06:32 The Weinstein takes on Epstein: Welcome to the Infinite Truman Show 02:08:12 Scott Adams' Take: A Commander In Chief Issue 02:09:21 Epstein: The Foreign Agent? 02:11:59 Coffeezilla's Anomaly Hunting 02:16:26 Destiny Reacting to Coffeezilla and the Fluidity of Conspiracies 02:22:45 Doing Your Own Research on the Acosta Quote 02:25:08 Epstein Takes From QAnon Anonymous to Red Scare 02:29:57 Critical Evaluation of Claims: Consulting Reports on Epstein's Suicide 02:40:34 Hasan demonstrates responsible Conspiracy Hypothesising 02:44:13 New Conspiracy Lore 02:46:57 Tribal Matters 02:48:10 Matt's Gaming Grotto 02:58:18 Matt's Sick Mind 02:59:35 Outro The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (3hrs 2 mins). Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus Sources Jeremy Howard’s TweetMecha Hitler Twitter (The Guardian)Elmo Hacked (The Guardian)Conor McGregor Shares Unsolicited Pics (Daily Mail)Stephen Bartlett Reprimanded by ASA (Marketing Week)Eric Being Mysterious with Mick West (Twitter)

In this episode of "Decoding Academia: Required Readings", Chris and Matt take a joint stroll through the history of Buddhism through Donald S. Lopez Jr.'s latest book, 'Buddhism: A Journey Through History.' We discuss the unexpected historical and cultural facets of Buddhism, how modern interpretations can often romanticise ancient practices, and whether Matt's mind has been blown. We also consider important issues like the Buddha's retractable penis, incredibly long tongue, and just how strongly we should condemn monks scribbling pictures of their would-be brides. So join us in the cycle of samsara as we strive to earn some merit and at least crawl a little closer to enlightenment. Book Reviewed Required Readings - Buddhism A Journey Through History 00:00 Introduction to Decoding Academia 01:51 Current Book Selection: Buddhism a Journey Through History 02:56 Initial Impressions and Apologies 06:00 Buddhism's Complexities and Contradictions 07:59 Western Perceptions vs. Historical Realities 11:27 The Historical Buddha? 17:09 Buddhist Approaches to Texts 22:09 Comparisons with Other Religions 26:38 Orthopraxic Buddhism 29:53 Petty Buddhism 34:20 Matt's Religion Hot Take 37:17 Ashoka: The Buddhist King? 39:02 Buddhism's Syncretic Nature 39:35 The Syncretic Approach 42:49 Anti-Colonial Buddhism 43:44 Buddhist Modernism and Science 46:58 The Buddhist Canon 51:26 Matt's History Thoughts 53:06 Buddhism's Cultural and Social Role 55:55 Gods and Supernatural Beings 56:48 The Attitude towards Women 59:36 The Value of Buddhism 01:03:35 Religions as Cultural Technologies with Social Functions 01:05:54 Monastic Issues 01:12:51 Religious Motivations 01:14:38 Outro The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hr 17 mins). Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus

In this academic-themed interview episode of Decoding the Gurus, Matt and Chris sit down to chat with Dorsa Amir and Chaz Firestone (@chazfirestone) about their recent paper 'Is Visual Perception WEIRD? The Müller-Lyer Illusion and the Cultural Byproduct Hypothesis.' In a conversation that serves as a welcome tonic to the endless lamentations of the gurus about academic groupthink and closed-minded silos, Dorsa and Chaz discuss the interdisciplinary nature of their work, debates around universal vs. culturally specific psychology, and the strength of evidence that visual perception varies between cultures. We also learn about the dangers of being STUPID: Studying Topics Uninformed by Prior Investigations in the Discipline, and attempt to uncover just how much Chaz enjoys popping balloons. A fun one that might even leave you a little bit more optimistic than usual! Links Amir, D., & Firestone, C. (2025). Is visual perception WEIRD? The Müller-Lyer illusion and the cultural byproduct hypothesis. Psychological Review.Dorsa's HomepageMind and Culture LabChaz's Perception & Mind Lab Homepagehis BJJ victory videoDecoding Academia 33: The Great Müller-Lyer Debate from Fish Tanks to Eye OperationsMickey Inzlicht's Substack on the Paper and the Debates around it.Henrich, J., Heine, S. J., & Norenzayan, A. (2010). The weirdest people in the world?. Behavioral and brain sciences, 33(2-3), 61-83.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.

We wallow in the mud with some of the worst gurus of the gurusphere. Join us and lament the guru paradise that we all live in. Supplementary Material 32 00:00 Introduction and Banter 01:22 Old Squeaky and Daily Life 03:53 Matthew McConaughey Episode Recap 08:13 The Liver King Controversy 16:14 Nazi Propaganda on YouTube 21:11 Historical Revisionism: Darryl Cooper and David Irving 27:46 Huberman's very public hardcore research 32:25 Huberman sells out 34:32 Chris Langan: The Bottom (Racist) Tier of Gurudom 36:03 Langan on Weinstein 42:21 Langan's grievances against Elon Musk and Jordan Peterson 49:47 Matt Goodwin visits London 55:59 Gary Stevenson hates Graphs and Data 01:10:33 Gary compares himself to Russell Brand 01:15:12 THEY won't let you talk about the economy 01:17:22 Matt invokes Goodwin's Law 01:25:08 The All In Podcast Besties launch a Tequila Brand 01:28:32 Matt's Modest Utopian Plan 01:31:12 Lab Leak Discourse continues at the Guardian 01:35:55 Matt attacks the Mainstream Media 01:39:11 Dugin's Forum of the Future 2050 and the Guru Horseshoe 01:45:57 Extended Outro The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hr 50 mins). Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus Sources 2Lazy2Try: The Liver King Gets Arrested For Trying To Hunt Down Joe RoganRob Mohr tweets out an iconic photo of HubermanScott Carney: Documenting Andrew Huberman's LiesChris Langan's thoughts on Eric WeinsteinChris Langan's thoughts on Elon Musk & Jordan PetersonMatt Goodwin's visit to LondonDespolarisa: #89 GARY STEVENSON - Economics, Trading, Inequality, Wealth, Populism, Tax, DepolarizeThe All-In Podcast guys being bastardsTsargard Institute: The Forum for the Future 2050

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. Links McConaughey'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 debatesclever 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 Realists 00:00 Introduction & Ol Squeaky Cameo 02:57 Matt's Aquarium Trauma & Stress Dreams 09:45 RFK Jr's war on science continues 11:17 Robert Malone & other 'Covid Contrarians' rewarded under Trump 14:35 The LA Protests, Riots, and Anti-Immigrant Narratives 20:12 Flint Dibble calls out Joe Rogan 25:24 Joe Rogan is a polemical ideologue and anti-vaccine advocate 27:34 Cassandra Kavanagh? 32:37 If Books Could Kill on Lab Leak 35:10 Popular Perceptions of the Covid Pandemic vs Reality 38:38 Debating COVID-19 Measures 38:59 Clarifying the Role of Sam's Manager 42:56 Discussing Trump, Musk, and DOGE's Political Impact 47:12 The Meaning Crisis and the Comfort of Religion 50:35 The Effects of Social Media 53:15 Matt and Chris Friendly Shadowboxing 56:19 The horror of directly stating your opinions 58:14 Sam Harris' Preparation for Conversations 01:05:02 Strategic Obliviousness 01:12:26 A little bit of TRT Discourse 01:16:17 Lex's Insufferable Tweet: Celebrating Humanity and Responding to Critics 01:18:46 The Bravery of the All In Podcast Besties 01:20:33 Elon Musk and Donald Trump: A Complex Relationship 01:23:42 Mike from PA and Dunking Safely Online 01:26:10 Scientific Racism and Controversial Podcasts 01:34:02 Paul Bloom and Subjective Redlines 01:41:10 The Neo-Nazi Smoke in the Race Realism World 01:48:36 Daniël Lakens on Bryan Johnson on Mortality Salience 01:50:16 Matt's Foodie Corner 01:52:21 Outro The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hr 54 mins). Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus Sources BBC- 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! Links Shamanism: The Timeless Religion by Manvir Singh (2025)Prof or Hobo websiteNew Yorker: The President Who Became a ProphetOur first interview with ManvirHumanshttps://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 Reacts 00:00 Elon and Trump 00:26 Introduction: Elon and Trump are feuding 07:10 A little bit of context 13:11 The Gurusphere reacts 14:32 O'Fallon & Lindsay saw this coming 16:01 Eric's Trademark - Both Sidesing Obscurantism 20:38 The Big Dog's Take 24:01 Lex suggests we need a podcast! 27:10 Maculinity Hot Takes 29:50 Sensemakers Take Flight 31:17 Taleb's reasonable take! 32:14 Konstantin Climbs the Ladder of Chaos 36:37 The strategic Gaadfather & Scott Adams 37:28 Tech Bros praying for peace 39:25 The Red Scare MAGA Loyalist 40:36 Conspiratorial Narcissists and their Public Feuds 45:48 Sycophantic praise heals everything 47:07 Outro The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (49 mins). Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus