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

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes259Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CultureScienceSocial Sciences

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Artwork for Decoding the Gurus

Latest Episodes

Are you tired, stuck, or inconveniently constrained by reality? Good news: you may simply be imagining the wrong one.

In Part One of our decoding of Mel Robbins, we explore the world of a self-help mogul who is also just a simple mother of three in ... more

Joe Rogan, the Great Khan of podcasting, is once again receiving a travelling jester at court. This time it is Jimmy Carr who arrives bearing gifts: pop evolutionary psychology, dubious history factoids, conservative "common sense", and an apparently... more

With the Trump administration’s newest political persecution of Anthony Fauci and three years after our first lab-leak special, now seemed like a useful time to return to the topic. Fortunately, you do not have to rely on our knowledge of viruses, as... more

We endure the ravages of time to deliver you this exhausted Supplementary Material. Bowed but never broken, the decoders persist.

The full episode is available to Patreon subscribers (Full Episode: 2hr 20 mins)

Join us at: www.patreon.com/D... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Jimmy Carr
British comedian featured on Rogan and various outlets
Episode: Jimmy Carr & Joe Rogan: The Jester & the Khan
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
Professor Jiang
Guest interviewee, online pundit who predicts geopolitical events
Predictive History channel
Episode: Professor Jiang, Part 1: Geopolitical Pantomime
Lafayette Ron Hubbard
Founder of Scientology
Scientology
Episode: L. Ron Hubbard: Sleeping with Bandits, Hunting with Pygmies And So On
Alex O'Connor
Guest on the topic of McGilchrist's theories and related metaphysical claims
YouTuber/Philosopher (Catholic/atheist discussions)
Episode: Iain McGilchrist, Part 2: Hemispheres, Culture, and Cosmic Consciousness
Ian McGilchrist
British psychiatrist, philosopher and neuroscientist; author of The Master and His Emissary and The Matter with Things
Ralston College (USA)
Episode: Iain McGilchrist, Part 1: Right-Brain Thinking

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
  • 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
    Spaina month 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 States2 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 Kingdom2 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 Kingdom3 months ago
  • Frustrating cynicism

    They have total blinders as to the fact that they indeed, have a very specific worldview and are not arbiters of any sort of “truth” beyond this worldview.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Jakobd1212
    United States4 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
#205
Australia/Society & Culture
Apple Podcasts
#90
New Zealand/Society & Culture
Apple Podcasts
#181
Finland/Society & Culture
Apple Podcasts
#245
Spain/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

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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. Robert Wright's Nonzero
4. QAA Podcast
5. Blocked and Reported

How many episodes of Decoding the Gurus are there?

Decoding the Gurus launched 6 years ago and published 259 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. Jimmy Carr
2. Joe Rogan
3. Michael Worobey
4. Eddie Holmes
5. Kristian Andersen
6. Professor Jiang
7. Lafayette Ron Hubbard
8. Alex O'Connor

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