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Christopher Kavanagh And Matthew Browne Podcasts

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Decoding the Gurus

Christopher Kavanagh and Matthew Browne

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An exiled Northern Irish anthropologist and a hitchhiking Australian psychologist take a close look at the contemporary crop of 'secular gurus', iconoclasts, and other exiles from the mainstream, offering their own brands of unique takes and special insights. Leveraging two of the most diverse accents in modern podcasting, Chris and Matt dig deep into the claims, peek behind the psychological curtains, and try to figure out once and for all... What's it all About? Join us, as we try to puzzl ...
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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 M…
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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 soci…
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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 …
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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 pr…
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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…
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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 28 00:00 Introduction - On Dogs and Dough 04:37 Next Requi…
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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 …
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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 28 00:00 Matt's Ethnography of Australian Swimming Culture 06:19 Pool Etiquette and Social Dynamics 08:46 Mutu…
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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 a…
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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 c…
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We immerse ourselves in the dark waves of the discourse to bring you treasures beyond mere mortal ken. Supplementary Material 27 00:00 Introduction & Australian Holidays 03:53 James Lindsay's New Revelations 07:20 Michael O'Fallon's Conspiracy Hipsterism 09:41 Trump, Bukele, and Transparent Conspiracies 11:53 The Whitehouse declares the Lab Leak is…
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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 Shelle…
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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 …
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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 26 00:00 Introduction and Greetings 01:53 Ol' Squeaky and Lex's horny poems 05:11 Eric Weinstein is still waiting for the call 09:26 Interview with Flint Dibble 11:05 …
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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 …
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We embrace our hybridity, stare down Lovecraftian Donkey-Dragon hybrids, and enter into true Dialogos. Supplementary Material 25 01:06 DTG Grievance Mongering 02:25 Book Club Reflections 04:09 Important Health and Lifestyle Updates 09:51 Andrew Huberman's Trail of Death 17:14 Jeff Bezos and Media Control 25:04 Another exciting round of Lab Leak Dis…
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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-declare…
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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 …
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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 …
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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 Beers 00:27 Introduction 05:57 Mickey's Sabbatical in Japan 12:13 Sensemaking…
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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 Ae…
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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 …
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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…
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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 …
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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…
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