Rephonic
Artwork for Decoding the Gurus
Jordan Peterson
Conspiracy Theories
Donald Trump
Joe Rogan
Elon Musk
Capitalism
Stefan Molyneux
Naomi Klein
Covid-19
Ayurveda
Artificial Intelligence
Vaccines
Philosophy
Eric Weinstein
Anti-Establishmentarianism
Curtis Yarvin
Hasan Piker
World War II
Bret Weinstein
Sam Harris

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 curt... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes263Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CultureScienceSocial Sciences

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Artwork for Decoding the Gurus

Latest Episodes

The rumours of the Gurometer's demise have been greatly exaggerated. We were simply collecting enough gurus to feed three into the sacred instrument at once. In this special Triple Threat edition, Professor Jiang brings angel-informed psychohistory, ... more

Two academic windbags attempt brief discussions of the controversy at Nature, Bret’s newest conspiracy theory, and the latest vibe sessions in Podcastistan. It goes about as well as expected.

The full episode is available to Patreon subscribers (1hr... more

In Part Two of our decoding of Mel Robbins, things take a practical turn. But before we get to preoccupied with all that, why don't you pause, take a breath, and, in the context of your body, write down ten ways to make a bad situation worse. Your fo... more

We return from our holidays with an indulgent episode that starts light and ends up very dark as we turn to the unavoidable Jason Arday discourse.

The full episode is available to Patreon subscribers (Full Episode: 1hr 40 mins)

Join us at: https://... more

Key Facts

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Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Professor Jiang
Professor Jiang, depicted as a self-styled expert with “Angel Informed Psycho History” and grand theories
Episode: Gurometer Triple Threat: Professor Jiang, Mel Robbins & Jimmy Carr *Patreon Preview*
Jimmy Carr
Comedian turned pundit, alleged to blend humor with controversial takes
Stand-up comedian, media personality
Episode: Gurometer Triple Threat: Professor Jiang, Mel Robbins & Jimmy Carr *Patreon Preview*
Mel Robbins
Self-help author and motivational speaker, associated with self-help branding and monetization
Self-help / motivational speaking
Episode: Gurometer Triple Threat: Professor Jiang, Mel Robbins & Jimmy Carr *Patreon Preview*
Cassandra Vieten
Researcher in mindfulness and imagination
Center for Mindfulness at UC San Diego / San Diego Centers for Integrative Health
Episode: Mel Robbins, Part 1: The Hard Science of Manifestation
Joe Rogan
Host of The Joe Rogan Experience, public commentator
Episode: Jimmy Carr & Joe Rogan: The Jester & the Khan
Michael Worobey
Professor and head of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
Episode: Lab Leak Groundhog Day: COVID Origins in 2026 with Worobey, Andersen, and Holmes
Eddie Holmes
NHMRC Leadership Fellow and Professor of Virology at University of Sydney
University of Sydney
Episode: Lab Leak Groundhog Day: COVID Origins in 2026 with Worobey, Andersen, and Holmes
Kristian Andersen
Professor at Scripps Research with multiple appointments
Scripps Research
Episode: Lab Leak Groundhog Day: COVID Origins in 2026 with Worobey, Andersen, and Holmes
Lafayette Ron Hubbard
Founder of Scientology
Scientology
Episode: L. Ron Hubbard: Sleeping with Bandits, Hunting with Pygmies And So On

Hosts

Chris Kavanagh
Northern Irish anthropologist and co-host focused on debunking guru claims and scientific misinformation.
Matthew Browne
Australian psychologist co-host, known for critical, patient, and humorous analysis of guru figures.

Reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars from 3.7k ratings
  • Glib, trite, in bad faith

    These “academics” are really dogmatic charlatans with their scientific method, empirical evidence and critical analysis. These absolute quacks even trust institutions! Clearly they have the woke mind virus. I more so find the hosts frustrating due to their general likability, humility and prolific research output. Stop being so cool and smart! But the last straw has been their most recent attack on metaphors involving dragons. What kind of sound intellectual doesn’t think dragon metaphors are th... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    cells518
    United States24 days ago
  • addictive

    I have discovered these two only recently, thanks to an appearance on Flint Dibble. Now I have a lot of listening to do because I don’t want to miss any of the old episodes! Careful, they are addictive!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Ela123445
    Spain2 months ago
  • Fact checking

    Keith Raniere was found hy authorities in MX, not Brasil. A quite cursory understanding of NXIVM would reveal this fact. It’s NXIVM 101.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Portlander from Louisiana
    United States3 months ago
  • Wearing thin

    This is amusing for a while but wearing thin rather quickly. While the basic criticism of the secular gurusphere is sound, Kavanagh and Browne have perfected the art of preaching to the choir and walloping in smugness - hardly a formula for winning over those who have lost faith in the scientific enterprise and its institutions. What is worse, in some ways they fall foul of what they criticise in their targets, including instances of shockingly sloppy argument. As a STEM academic I have very lit... more

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Boogie Moscovitch
    United Kingdom3 months ago
  • Decoding or just disagreeing?

    What gives these two academics the intellectual and conceptual high ground? From another academic also a left-leaning liberal, I’m not convinced these guys go on for hours but there’s not much self-reflection on their own epistemological position - which is sort of what scholars are supposed to do. A bit of self-reflection please otherwise this is just a left version of the manosphere (and interestingly, they rarely discuss women and ideas).

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Redbucher
    United Kingdom4 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Strong analytical take on controversial figures and ideas.
Audio quality and consistency could be improved in some episodes.
Engaging, rigorous, and entertaining critique of complex topics.
Well-produced discussions with thoughtful guests and clear skepticism.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#166
Ireland/Society & Culture
Apple Podcasts
#189
New Zealand/Society & Culture
Apple Podcasts
#198
Spain/Society & Culture
Apple Podcasts
#204
Singapore/Society & Culture

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Iain McGilchrist, Part 1: Right-Brain Thinking
Q: Could you give us perhaps three better words for each side of the brain to approximate what they are responsible for?
McGilchrist provides a nuanced distinction: the left is oriented toward narrow, explicit, rule-based processing, while the right is attuned to implicit connections, context, and the broader meaning of things; both are needed, and neither side operates in isolation.
Decoding Academia: Moral Entrepreneurs, Measurement Issues, & Screentime with Andrew Przybylski (Patreon Preview)
Q: So what did you actually find about screen time and well-being when you looked at these large datasets?
We found that the publicly available data, used responsibly, generally show small or mixed effects with internet access and well-being, and that self-reported screen time is a poor proxy for actual behavior, with many confounds and measurement issues reducing the strength of any observed relationships.
Stefan Molyneux, Part 1: A fun guy, who is here to help...
Q: What is the scariest, most frightening insight and philosophy that you've come across?
The refusal to think troubles me.
Lab Leak Fever with Philipp Markolin
Q: Can you give a summary of the evidence for the zoonotic origin vs lab leak?
While the lab leak is a reasonable hypothesis, all evidence strongly points towards a natural origin for the virus.
Lab Leak Fever with Philipp Markolin
Q: What drove you to write the book on the Lab Leak?
A social media interest and personal moral obligation to correct misinformation regarding the lab leak narrative and give scientists a voice.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
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Professions
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Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Decoding the Gurus

What is Decoding the Gurus about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A competitive duo examines influential figures and ideas at the fringes of science, psychology, and politics, often challenging mainstream narratives. Recent episodes scrutinize SARS‑CoV‑2 origins debates, weighing lab leak versus natural spillover with input from respected virologists, while other installments critique secular guru culture, media sensationalism, and the dynamics of intellectual authority. The show combines rigorous critique with witty banter, aiming to illuminate how claims are constructed and how audiences are influenced by visuals, rhetoric, and celebrity status. Notably, the format repeatedly probes the ethics of expertise, the politics of science communication, and the economics of being a public intellectual, which ma... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Decoding the Gurus?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Decoding the Gurus:

1. Conspirituality
2. Very Bad Wizards
3. QAA Podcast
4. Robert Wright's Nonzero
5. Posting Through It

How many episodes of Decoding the Gurus are there?

Decoding the Gurus launched 6 years ago and published 263 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Decoding the Gurus?

Recent guests on Decoding the Gurus include:

1. Professor Jiang
2. Jimmy Carr
3. Mel Robbins
4. Cassandra Vieten
5. Joe Rogan
6. Michael Worobey
7. Eddie Holmes
8. Kristian Andersen

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