Episodi
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Chris and Matt confront their inner demons, manifest their personal deities, and dive into the Onto-Logos.
Supplementary Material 24
00:00 Introduction
02:32 Matt's Surprise Shaming
06:39 Jordan Peterson's Inner Monologue Revealed
10:04 Trump on Ukraine
15:22 Sean Carroll explains US cuts to science funding
16:47 Bleak Prospects for the US
24:14 Aella vs. Arrogant Red Pill Man
37:22 Be wary of Overcorrecting
43:11 John Vervaeke meets Hermes
52:59 False Dichotomies of the Spirit
01:03:38 Entering into Dialogos with Matt's Inner Darwin
01:07:39 Perspectival and participatory phenomenological identity transformation.
01:09:20 Other ways of knowing spirits
01:13:45 Materialists and their Monological Mindsets
01:18:37 Welcome to the Onto-Logos
01:24:06 Bad Faith Commenters
01:29:35 Pageau and the Metaphysics of Pepe the Frog
01:36:32 Next Book Review: Other Minds
The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hr 41 mins).
Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus
Sources
Third 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
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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 23
02:47 Chris Williamson blows our minds!
08:57 Content Predator psychology and motivational posting
12:28 Balancing the Scales
14:07 Eric Weinstein the master of Rorschach Tweets
20:26 Modern Sages Reunited: Bret Weinstein and Joe Rogan
24:29 Open-Minded Joe Rogan
34:26 Maybe prescriptions are actually bad!
37:38 Andrew Gold expands into Race & IQ
46:47 4 Warning Signs of Radicalism
56:45 Monomaniacal Fixation vs. Pluralism
01:05:26 Rejoinder: What if it is a diagnostic?
01:09:43 Lex wants to join DOGE
01:10:31 Lex's next world leader interview: Modi
01:14:57 Matt's Final Thought: People contain multitudes
01:16:57 Outro
The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hrs 19 mins).
Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus
Sources
Eric 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.
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Episodi mancanti?
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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.
Links
CTMU 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
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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 32
00:00 Introduction
00:59 Matt's Close Shave with a Crocodile
03:15 Discussion on Crocodile Behavior
05:13 Introduction to the Academic Paper
06:18 Understanding Registered Reports
07:49 Details of the Replication Study
12:07 The Many Babies Study
18:23 Challenges in Developmental Psychology
20:35 Original Study and Replication Efforts
26:27 HARKing and the QRP problem in psychology
34:24 Discussing the Results
36:58 Exploring the Red Ball Experiment
39:38 Forest Plot Analysis
41:19 Infant Preferences and Social Evaluation
43:24 Failure to Replicate the Original Study
47:06 Exploratory Analysis and Moderators
50:03 Interpretations and Implications
54:21 Evolutionary Perspectives on Social Behavior
58:34 Prosocial Evolutionary Speculation
01:05:10 Psychopathic Baby Matt
01:06:28 Concluding Thoughts and Reflections
01:11:20 Comparative Psychology on Snake Hatred!
The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hrs 15 mins).
Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus
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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 Introduction
01:38 Reverse Culture Shock in Australia
11:01 Tim Tams and Food Progress
12:14 Russia Today endorses Lex's statements on Zelensky
19:20 Elon Musk's Controversial Gesture
38:31 Destiny's (Most Recent) Controversy
01:02:12 Bryan Johnson vs. Andrew Huberman: Civility Insights
01:14:21 Sacriligeous Sycophancy: Bill Ackman and Sam Altman
01:15:55 Jonathan Pageau's Stargate Theories
01:26:52 Escaping the Demon-Haunted World
The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hrs 30 mins).
Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus
Sources
Russia 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
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'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.
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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.
Links
Hoover 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
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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.
Sources
Lex 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
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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 21
00:00 Introduction and Farewell to America
01:43 Memorable Encounters and Experiences
03:48 Oldering & the Destruction of the Self
08:35 The American Understander Issues his Verdict
12:07 The Pageau Brothers, Jesus' Laugh & The Emergency Snake
19:01 Bryan Johnson has concerns about Vaccines
21:48 The High IQ Crowd and Trump's Greenland Plans
27:44 The PsyOps Cyclops Strikes Again
37:15 Huberman X Peterson: Optimising Christianity
39:22 Secret Prayers and Bible Conversations
43:34 Thougt = Secularised Prayer
48:56 Huberman's Intelligent Design Argument for God
55:49 Christian Optimising Stack
01:07:56 Marc Andreessen on Vigor, Pride and Achievement
01:13:30 Faux Heterodoxy
01:19:24 Plain Steaks are the best!
01:24:47 Jordan Peterson's Diet Struggles
01:32:25 Lex Fridman's Interview with Zelensky
01:37:52 Lex plugs Rogan's comedy club
01:41:09 Elon Musk and Trump are anti-corruption!
01:44:27 Critique of Lex Fridman's Interview Style
01:46:07 Lex's dream and Russia's security guarantees
01:53:25 Lex's Strategic Naivety
02:05:12 Lex reads A LOT
02:11:40 Lex and Putin predictions
02:12:39 Lex will endure the attacks against him
02:14:56 Wrapping Up & Patreon Love Bomb
The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (2hrs 16 mins).
Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus
Sources
Chris' 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
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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/DecodingTheGurus
Curtis Yarvin: Gurometer
00:00 Introduction to Gurometry
02:27 Curtis Yarvin: The Man, The Myth, The Eejit
04:43 Galaxy Brainlessness
05:48 Cultishness
08:32 Anti-Establishmentarianism
09:55 Grievance Mongering
12:43 Self-Aggrandizement and Narcissism
13:30 Cassandra Complex
16:21 Revolutionary Theories
17:59 Pseudo-Profound Bullshit
19:43 Conspiracy Theories Galore
23:55 Moral Grandstanding
25:50 Gurometer Scores and Analysis
27:56 Bonus Point Attribution
34:03 Final Thoughts on Curtis Yarvin
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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 20
00:00 Introduction and Ethnographic Insights
01:38 Matt's Observations from Washington DC
05:50 Smithsonian Museums and Star Wars Memorabilia
07:48 Lego Creations and Gacha Collectibles
12:13 Social Media and Blue Sky 'Culture'
13:29 Matt's Contribution: Eric Weinstein's UFO Speculations
21:21 Graham Linehan, Andrew Doyle, Jordan Peterson & Recognising Past Errors
23:18 Jordan Peterson's Reflections on Vaccination
28:59 Huberman's Upcoming Vaccine Series
30:52 Taylor Lorenz and Stochastic Terrorism
32:31 The Hypocrisy of Glorifying Violence
36:29 The Problem with Political Violence
43:48 Tim Kennedy's Exaggerated Military Stories
55:09 Tim Kennedy's Response to Criticism
01:07:37 Prebunking Criticisms
01:17:20 Shane Smith at Vice is NOT A CONSPIRACY GUY
01:21:27 Final Thoughts on Populism and Vibes-Based Reasoning
01:25:18 Outro
The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hr 26 mins).
Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus
Sources
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
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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.
Links
Triggernometry: 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
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In this special festive episode, Chris and Matt are joined by seasoned decoder and quiz master Helen Lewis to discuss the myths around genius, extract her 2025 Guru predictions, and, of course, participate in that most sacred of DTG traditions: Helen's annual Guru Quiz.
Once again, the decoders must prove their mastery of the gurusphere’s esoteric knowledge, and once again, one decoder will come up short. Who will it be? You already know... but do your best to feign surprise!
But that’s not all!
Discourse/Discord creature and DTG Weinstein correspondent Dan Gilbert (Bad Stats online) also makes an appearance to enjoy another mystery quiz and a dystopian guru squad-building game. Play along at home and see if your chosen guru team can match the synergistic power of our curated champions.
Links
Helen Lewis on SubstackDan Gilbert on Twitter and YouTube
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In this truly epic-length supplementary material, we spin 70 critical paradigms simultaneously while trying to avoid the wily tricks of some hostile transdimensional forces. Do we succeed? Join us to find out!
Supplementary Material 19
00:24 Introduction: More American Insights(!)
13:12 Peterson Orbiters: The Pageau Brothers
17:41 Pageau & Rod Dreher: Aliens are transdimensional spirits
25:56 Pageau: Alex Jones was Right!
27:01 Peterson & Pageau's Lazy Christian Apologetics
44:17 Joe Rogan: Fuck Ukraine!
56:28 Peter Thiel has questions about Vaccines and Autism
01:03:20 Big Rogan's CENSORSHIP CAMPAIGN against Flint Dibble
01:09:07 Nassim Taleb vs. Colin Wright: Seed Oils
01:23:10 Taleb and Squid Ink Flounces
01:32:40 Conspirituality & the issues with extended analogies
01:50:27 Leftist Millenarianism?
01:56:06 Cultish Spectrums
02:02:34 Critical Feedback: Decoding the Decoders
02:08:30 You were not allowed to talk about this!
02:21:56 Signing Off
The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (2hrs 24 mins).
Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus
Sources
Free Press- Peter Thiel and the Triumph of the Counter-ElitesJonathan Pageau - Living in Wonder - with Rod DreherJordan Peterson - Beyond Dawkins | Jonathan Pageau | EP 496Taleb's Twitter Rampage with Colin Wright on Seed OilsConsumer Reports: Do Seed Oils Make You Sick?Conspirituality: Brief: Post-Election Online Survivor Group DynamicsBe Scofield: A Critical Review of Amanda Montell's "Cultish"A Public Letter to Joe Rogan from Flint DibbleJoe Rogan Experience #2231 - Jimmy Corsetti & Dan RichardsKyiv Independent: Ukrainians react to Joe Rogan’s rant on Ukraine
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In this special episode, we return to the forboding Dragon's Den of the Peterson-verse and enjoy a rather punchy conversation between Jordan Peterson and Richard Dawkins, facilitated by Alex O'Connor.
As always, the discussion is dense with abstract symbolic interpretations, evasive answers to direct questions about biblical events, and highly speculative claims. So Matt and Chris don their best decoding armour, steel their resolve, and prepare to face down endless waves of indulgent analogies and the constant conflation of mythological and scientific truths.
Important insights from Matt on American public toilets, shower technology, and stories of Chris' previous life as a coal-shovelling street urchin are also included.
Links
Dawkins vs Peterson: Memes & Archetypes | Alex O’Connor Moderates | EP 491The Times: We Who Wrestle with God by Jordan Peterson review — rambling, hectoring and madThe Guardian: We Who Wrestle With God by Jordan Peterson review – a culture warrior out of his depth
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Still in the land of the free and restocked with important new insights from his US travels, Matt is confronted with the Gurusphere's predictably depressing reaction to the election. And what's that we hear in the distance... is it a honking car?
Supplementary Material 18
00:00 Matt's American Ethnography
10:59 Eric Weinstein is waiting for the call
14:32 Huberman, Krauss, and MAGA Sycophancy
18:39 Boghossian and other would-be Intellectual Clerics of the MAGA regime
22:52 Sam Harris criticises Elon Musk, Joe Rogan, and MAGA
32:05 The Fifth Column, The Free Press and World Weary Both Sides-ing
53:19 Election Reflections: Macro and Micro Causes
01:04:40 Longer Term Trends
01:10:08 Sarah Haider and the Hip Vibe of the New Right
01:24:00 Richard Dawkins Dual Nature
01:31:08 A Plea to Sean Carroll and our Listeners
01:33:06 An important note on Bouldering
The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hr 36 mins).
Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus
Links
Eric's phone is not ringingHuberman making his pitchKrauss being a sycophant to ElonBoghossian's lack of interest in protests in HungarySam Harris Making Sense 391: The ReckoningA Special Place in Hell: Adios Amigos: The Special Place FinaleThat graph mentioned about the loss of support for incumbent regimesDawkins being a fool on TwitterThe Fifth Column: #234 - Come On and Zoom! (Wagnerian Opera Edition)
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In this highly non-topical episode, Matt and Chris dive into the entertainingly gruff world of Sabine Hossenfelder, the German theoretical physicist and popular YouTube science communicator. Known as a joyful science curmudgeon, Sabine excels at making complex science accessible to a wide audience. Yet, there's another side to her content: one that's increasingly steeped in the YouTube algorithm’s culture-war-fueled clickbait, complete with prolific both-sidesing and even hints of her own brand of science-denialist rhetoric.
We can already imagine Sabine’s response: tone policing from establishment scolds who are trying to silence a fearless truth-teller for exposing academia’s dark underbelly. Perhaps that’s all it is—maybe Matt and Chris are aligned with BIG PHYSICS, out to quash any dissent about supersymmetry, string theory, or the academic publishing machine.
Or… maybe it’s something else. Maybe Sabine has pivoted to pander to the (so-hot-right-now) anti-establishment YouTube crowd, declaring that modern science has achieved nothing of value in 50 years and claiming that scientists (especially climate scientists) are too scared to challenge ideological dogmas for fear of jeopardizing their careers or funding.
It’s certainly one of those things.
Whatever the case, join Matt and Chris as they tackle this perplexing case of rhetorical indeterminacy, unpack YouTube audience dynamics, and delve into Sabine's unexpected alignments with Eric Weinstein and her 'sharp' critiques of Tucker Carlson.
Links
Sabine Hossenfelder: The crisis in physics is real: Science is failingSabine Hossenfelder: Fossil Fuels Don’t Come From Fossils? Tucker Carlson Fact CheckSabine Hossenfelder: My dream died, and now I'm hereSabine Hossenfelder: Theories of Everything [Music Video]Professor Dave Explains: The Problem With Sabine HossenfelderProfessor Dave Explains: No, Sabine, Science is Not Failing
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Matt and Chris dip their toes into the fetid, guru-infested swamp surrounding the 2024 U.S. election. Straining to see what lurks in the murky depths, they encounter dark shapes, including Eric Weinstein pledging his services to whoever wins (or will give him a call), Joe Rogan conspiracy hypothesizing with Donald Trump, the Free Press hosting a truly heterodox election party, Michael Moynihan pulling no punches, and finally, Jordan Peterson’s shockingly sycophantic psychological assessment of Donald Trump and his cohort.
Join Chris and Matt as they navigate the election discourse swamp and the ever-unsettling convergence of internet personalities and political power, examining how these online figures function like the courtiers of old—gathering around their would-be kings, flattering them with pseudo-profound or sycophantic praise, and vying to secure their place in the new order.
All very cheerful stuff, we’re sure you’ll agree!
Links
A Psychological Analysis of Trump’s Personality by Dr. Jordan B. Peterson | EP 492Professor Dave Explains: The Problem With Sabine HossenfelderMatt Johnson's article on Joe Rogan: A Conspiracist for the Trump EraJoe Rogan Experience #2219 - Donald TrumpMoynihan on Triggernometry: The Most Important Election in History - Michael MoynihanQAnon Anonymous: Episode 211: Tulsi Gabbard P1 (The Cult) feat Mike Prysner
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In this episode, Chris and Matt open the lid on Matt's adventures in America. Basking in the land of the free, Matt is forced to consider YouTube dynamics, indulgent podcast conversations, potential Russian influence campaigns, and the environmental toxins that sound him.
We will return soon with another SM election special and a better mic for Matt!
Content
00:00 Introduction
03:20 Matt's American Insights
10:41 Flint Dibble, Graham Hancock & a silly racist
19:21 YouTube & Audience Capture with Andrew Gold
27:35 Justin Trudeau accuses Jordan Peterson of being Russian Funded
34:29 Bernie Sanders & Lex Fridman: What's the point?
47:24 Huberman's Latest PSA
52:20 Environmental Toxins and Modern Health Concerns
58:58 Outro
The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hr 3 mins).
Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus
Links
Express article on Hancock's work being used by racistsNational Post article on Peterson's response to Trudeau's accusationsHuberman's Twitter PSA on microplasticsBernie Sanders Interview | Lex Fridman Podcast #450
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In this special international episode of Decoding the Gurus, Chris and Matt jump on the hottest online topic and devote an hour to reviewing Richard Dawkins' influential work from the 1970s, The Selfish Gene. This book influenced Matt and Chris when they were teenage decoders, but how does it hold up now that they have evolved into (quasi)adult forms?
Based on their rereading of the book they discuss its contribution to the public understanding of evolution, the academic and public controversies it sparked, and Dawkins' broader contributions to science communication and... the culture war. Consideration is given to the criticisms raised by figures like Stephen Jay Gould and Mary Midgley, the implications of seeing humans as meat machines constructed by genes, and what should be understood as the book's core message.
So join Chris and Matt as they confront their true nature as gene propagators but also argue that it is possible to simultaneously recognise the importance of human cultural & social development and our genetic & biological legacies.
Links
Dawkins, R. (2016) The Selfish Gene (40th Anniversary edition)
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