Decoding the Gurus cover art

Decoding the Gurus

Written by: Christopher Kavanagh and Matthew Browne
  • Summary

  • 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 puzzle our way through and talk some smart-sounding smack about the intellectual giants of our age, from Jordan Peterson to Robin DiAngelo. Are they revolutionary thinkers or just grifters with delusions of grandeur? Join us and let's find out!
    Copyright 2024 Christopher Kavanagh and Matthew Browne
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Episodes
  • Interview with Flint Dibble on Pseudo Archaeology and Science Communication
    May 2 2024

    In this episode, join Matt and Chris as they enjoy a stimulating discussion with the archaeologist Flint Dibble. Flint recently appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience to discuss the evidence (or lack thereof) of advanced ancient civilizations facing off against the famed pseudoarchaeologist Graham Hancock. The episode was a four-and-a-half-hour tour de force in science communication and effective debunking, thanks to Flint's efforts.

    We talk to Flint about his experience on the show, the extensive preparation involved, his thoughts on how to effectively engage with pseudo-archaeology and strategies for enhancing broader science communication. Additionally, Flint discusses the significance of authentic archaeological work and the crucial role of academic participation in public discourse.

    We enjoyed this one a lot and hope you will too!

    Links

    • Flint's YouTube Channel
    • Flint on X
    • Joe Rogan Experience #2136 - Graham Hancock & Flint Dibble
    • Flint's Guardian Article: Lost civilisations make good TV, but archaeology’s real stories hold far more wonder
    • Critical YouTube series on Hancock's Netflix Show Ancient Apocalypse
    • Flint's Conversation Article: With Netflix’s Ancient Apocalypse, Graham Hancock has declared war on archaeologists
    • Flint's Cardiff University Profile
    • Atun Shei Review: An Archaeologist Debated Graham Hancock. I Have Thoughts
    • Medium Article by Chris that talks a bit about Graham Hancock's Book

    Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus

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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • Supplementary Material 5: Spiritual UFOs, Alternative Theories of Evolution, and Atlantean Grievances
    Apr 26 2024

    We watch in awe as the guru-sphere grapples with a host of 'alternative' theories:

    • Bret promotes pseudoscience on Polio and alternative theories on evolution
    • The Gurusphere collides with Tucker's takes on evolution
    • Rogan and Tucker praise Alex Jones' prophetic abilities
    • Tucker's views on spiritual UFOs
    • Hasan endorses Lex Fridman as the most genuine centrist
    • Contrasting Destiny and Hasan's transparency
    • World War 3 Warnings
    • The Great Archaeology Debate: Dibble vs. Hancock
    • Graham Hancock- A Grievance Mongering Masterclass
    • Intentional Misrepresentation
    • White Supremacy angers Great Joe
    • The Cass Review Controversy: A lesson in misinformation

    Links

    • The Untold Story of Polio – Forrest Maready on DarkHorse
    • Jerry Coyne's old takedown of Bret's confused theories about evolution
    • Bret's tweets defending Tucker
    • Joe Rogan Experience #2138 - Tucker Carlson
    • Joe Rogan Experience #2136 - Graham Hancock & Flint Dibble
    • The Iced Coffee Hour- Confronting Hasan Piker on Socialist Grift, Hypocrisy, and How “The Top 1%” Keeps You Poor!
    • The Iced Coffee Hour- Destiny on Debating Ben Shapiro, Toxic Wokeism and Getting Divorced
    • A comparison of the reactions to Iran's missile launches
    • More or Less (BBC)- 98%: Is misinformation being spread about a review of trans youth medicine?
    • The Cass Report
    • Systematic Reviews from the Cass Report

    The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1 hr 51 mins).

    Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus

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    44 mins
  • Destiny: Debate King and/or Degenerate?
    Apr 22 2024

    In this episode, Matt and Chris dive deep into the world of online streamers, focusing on the pioneering and controversial figure Steven Bonell II, better known as Destiny (AKA Mr Borelli). As seasoned explorers of sense-making jungles, Petersonian crystalline structures, and mind-bending labyrinths in Weinstein World, they thought they were prepared for anything. However, the drama-infused degeneracy of the streamer swamps proves to offer some new challenges.

    Having previously dipped their toes in these waters by riding with Hasan on his joyous Houthi pirate ship (ignoring the screams of the imprisoned crew below decks), Matt and Chris now strip down to their decoding essentials and plunge head-first into streamer drama-infested waters as they search for the fabled true Destiny.

    Destiny is a popular live streamer and well-known debater with a long and colourful online history. He is also known for regularly generating controversy. With a literal mountain of content to sift through, there was no way to cover it all. Instead, Matt and Chris apply their usual decoding methods to sample a selection of Destiny's content, seeking to identify any underlying connective tissue and determine if he fits the secular guru mould.

    In so doing, they cover a wide range of topics, including:

    • Destiny's background and rise to prominence in the streaming world
    • How much of his brain precisely is devoted to wrangling conservatives?
    • What's it like to live with almost no private/public boundaries?
    • What are the ethics of debating neo-Nazis?
    • The nature of the Destiny's online community
    • Whether murder is a justified response to DDOS attacks?

    Whether they succeed or fail in their decoding will be for the listeners to judge, but one thing is certain: if this is your first exposure to the streaming world, you are in for a bit of a ride.

    Links

    • The Institute of Art and Ideas: Destiny and the new world of Internet politics | Steven Bonnell full interview
    • End of the Leftist Arc? - Destiny Addresses the Recent Drama
    • Iced Coffee Hour: Destiny on Debating Ben Shapiro, Toxic Wokeism and Getting Divorced
    • Helpful Reddit thread with a bunch of relevant videos and summaries
    • Documentary on Destiny Lore by Dingo: The Steven "Destiny" Bonnell II Iceberg
    • Destiny's Positions page on his dedicated Wiki
    • Destiny's Manifestos
    • MrGirl's anti-Destiny 'Report'

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    3 hrs and 16 mins

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