Right to Reply: A Dialogos about Sensemaking with Alexander Biener
We are joined by Alexander Beiner, current founder of Kainos and former co-founder of Rebel Wisdom, to grapple with that eternally slippery concept: sensemaking. Naturally, this leads us through interdisciplinary adventurism, reflections on the (il)legitimacy of academia, and the recurring “meaning crisis” that haunts our times. Sense will be made, unmade, and possibly reinvented along the way.LinksAlexander's Substack: KainosAlexander's recent documentary: LeviathanOur original episode that mentions KainosA related discussion we had a while back on the StoaOur previous episode with Jamie Wheal
3 Marras 1h 12min
Supplementary Material 39: Bad Guys, Panpsychists, and Sensemakers
Chris and Matt walk into a bar with an atheist sensemaker, an Ayurvedic Guru, and a Christian Apologist, and predictable frivolities ensue. Featuring not one but two good-natured, robust exchanges of opinion between our two hosts.The full episode is available to Patreon subscribers (1 hour, 42 minutes).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurusSupplementary Material 39: Panpsychics, Sensemakers, and Bad Guys00:00 Introduction01:17 AI and the Music Industry05:34 Is Chris a Bad Guy?10:44 Vibe Physics with Travis Kalanick16:10 Efforts to Falsify and AI21:02 Gordon Pennycook with Sean Carroll: Vibes vs Analysis32:44 Libertarianism and Personal Beliefs35:10 A mini-debate on internal consistency42:49 Matt's Personal Philosophy44:16 Philosophical Feedback on the Sensemakers55:06 Atheist vs Christian vs Spiritual Thinker57:03 Dr. K's Role in the Discussion01:09:01 Alex's Stance on Purpose01:12:31 Dr. K's Perspective on Purpose01:23:45 Dr. K and the Atheist pose01:34:29 Philosophical Musings on Panpsychism01:41:18 OutroSourcesAngela Collier: Conspiracy physics and you (and also me)All In Podcast: Travis Kalanick talks about AI (July 11, 2025)333 | Gordon Pennycook on Unthinkingness, Conspiracies, and What to Do About ThemPennycook, G., Cheyne, J. A., Barr, N., Koehler, D. J., & Fugelsang, J. A. (2015). On the reception and detection of pseudo-profound bullshit. Judgment and Decision Making, 10(6), 549-563.The Diary of a CEO: Atheist vs Christian vs Spiritual Thinker: Is Not Believing In God Causing More Harm Than Good?!
1 Marras 37min
Required Readings: The Genius Myth by Helen Lewis
In another exciting Required Reading episode, Chris and Matt offer their penetrating, high IQ thoughts on the latest book by journalist and podcast quizmaster, Helen Lewis. Titled 'The Genius Myth: The Dangerous Allure of Rebels, Monsters, and Rule Breakers', the book tears into some of the long-enduring myths surrounding historical and contemporary geniuses from Picasso to Elon Musk. It's a critical dissection of gurus and devoted fans, so very on topic! And yes, it is better than Cod...Full episode is available to Patreons on the Revolutionary Genius tier! (1hr 13 mins).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurusLinksThe Genius Myth: A Curious History of a Dangerous Idea by Helen LewisSnippy Review at The Philosophers MagazineLess snippy review at the ObserverRequired Reading: The Genius Myth00:00 Book Review: Genius Myth04:11 The Genius Myth: Book Thoughts!07:02 Exploring the Concept of Genius08:49 IQ Tests and High IQ Societies10:55 Social Perception of Intelligence12:20 Elon Musk and Modern Genius16:08 Historical Perspectives on Genius18:42 The people behind the Geniuses25:15 The Role of Context and Luck27:44 Mythmaking and Cultural Icons45:01 The Flawed Genius Stereotype50:50 What about Tim Robinson?52:51 The deranging impact of attention01:03:33 Overall Thoughts01:12:44 Better than Cod
29 Loka 16min
Discussing Nazis and Gurus with Al Murray
We welcome Al Murray, the comedian who might just be your new favourite historian, to Decoding the Gurus. In a crossover you probably didn’t expect, we discuss World War II, Wehraboos, gurus, and the contemporary comedy scene... something for all the family.Along the way, we touch on British nostalgia, military fetishism, and self-styled “truth tellers”. A chat about history, humour, and hubris, not necessarily in that order.LinksWe Have Ways of Making You Talk – Al Murray & James HollandAl Murray’s YouTube channelFollow Al on X (Twitter)
28 Loka 1h 7min
Keith Raniere: The Serpent and the Cognitive Fog
Kicking off cult season, Chris and Matt take a dip into the manipulative world of NXIVM founder and self-proclaimed 200-IQ “Vanguard,” Keith Raniere, as he talks with his then-disciple and ex-Hollywood actress, Allison Mack. Through a haze of pseudo-profound musings and decorative scholarship, Raniere sermonises on creativity, authenticity, and the human spirit, all while orchestrating a coercive sex cult built on obedience, sleep deprivation, and... volleyball.Matt and Chris lament how his wordy self-help cosmology mirrors the rhetorical habits of secular gurus: the cultivation of parasocial intimacy, the disdain for anything mainstream, and the promise of “revolutionary” insights that will reveal your true self (for a fee). From the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle to “authentic soulfulness”, it’s a masterclass in generating pseudo-profound semantic fog, where love and pain blur into one transcendent teaching.By the end, you may find yourself sharing Raniere’s final revelation about what it truly means to feel… nauseated.SourcesYouTube: Keith Raniere, Ringleader of NXIVM Sex Slave Cult, Interviewed by Allison Mack, Top Cult Member
26 Loka 3h 8min
Lab Leak Fever with Philipp Markolin
Join Matt and Chris as they dive into the controversy-ridden world of the lab leak theory, accompanied by biochemist-turned-author Philipp Markolin. Philipp details his journey into the abyss of lab leak lore and sensationalist media, documenting how thorough research was pushed aside in favour of conspiratorial discourse. For those who dream of a world where science triumphs over sensationalism, this episode is your bittersweet symphony.LinksPhilipp's SubstackLab Leak Fever Book SiteNew Documentary Movie about the Lab LeakOur previous episode on the Lab LeakBad Boy of Science: Sam Gregson's channel that includes many interviews with Philipp and relevant scientists
18 Loka 1h 13min
Supplementary Material 38: Toxic Mould Symbiosis, Mild Phrenology, and the Best People in the World
We end the futile struggle, embrace the toxins, and become one with our mould brethren.The full episode is available to Patreon subscribers (2 hours, 38 minutes).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurusSupplementary Material 3800:00 Intro02:54 Boomer Matt reacts to Twitter videos07:31 Shellenberger and Tucker discuss the 9/11 Files12:42 Eric's Google Ngram Investigations17:08 Vindication on the Elephant Graveyard22:00 Eric's ARC lecture goes viral25:24 Andrew Huberman is NOT a phrenologist...29:06 Eric Weinstein vs. Piers Morgan33:44 Everyone knows Eric is a serious thinker46:09 Peterson is taken out of the Gurusphere by Demons and Toxic Mould52:09 Gurus and Bespoke Alternative Health57:00 Social Contagion Hypocrisy01:02:55 Toxic Mould Symbiosis?01:04:46 Pewdiepie, Diogenes, and the Seeker Mindset01:16:14 The Wisdom of the Ancients01:21:01 The Meaning Crisis and Christian Pivots01:22:29 Konstantin Kisin's surprising Christian pivot01:25:17 The best person Konstantin ever met (not Francis)01:30:22 The Fifth Column Agrees with Megyn Kelly 88% of the time01:33:07 Megyn Kelly explains how the Democrats crossed the line and must pay01:41:35 Intellectual Clerics for MAGA01:43:16 Slightly Adversarial libertarians for hire01:47:00 Drew Pavlou and Fluid Populism01:50:17 Two Varieties of Online Derangement: Noah Smith's Hot Takes01:53:57 Need for Attention = Desire for Virality01:57:23 Status Seeking Networkers vs Paul Bloom02:01:27 Reflecting on the Al Murray Interview02:02:22 The struggle of podcasters02:04:52 Paul Bloom: The best person in the world?02:06:00 Mike Israetel's Thesis Controversy02:10:30 What does a PhD mean?02:16:55 David Deutsch visits Curt Jaimungal02:22:32 The Dangers of Doubling Down: Pirate Software02:23:32 Hasan Piker and Shock Collar-gate02:27:15 Matt's Take on Shock Collars02:33:51 Dystopia Update: Putin wants Trump to win the Nobel Prize02:37:11 OutroSourcesShellenberger and Tucker discuss the CIA’s role in 9/11Grok pressing Eric to get specificThe Elephant GraveyardViral post about Eric’s ARC speech on scienceHuberman’s phrenology endorsementJordan Peterson’s Health Update from MikhailaChris Williamson: It’s time to talk about my health.Chang, C., & Gershwin, M. E. (2019). The myth of mycotoxins and mold injury. Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology, 57(3), 449–455.Borchers, A. T., Chang, C., & Eric Gershwin, M. (2017). Mold and human health: A reality check. Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology, 52(3), 305–322.<a...
14 Loka 49min
A Sense-Making Odyssey, Part 2: Jordan Peterson, John Vervaeke & Jordan Hall
Matt and Chris once again take up their oars and plunge deeper into the recursive whirlpools of contemporary sensemaking. Picking up where Part 1 left off, having grappled with conscience, touchstones, hierarchies, and normativity, we return to the sensemaking labyrinth to see just how many more words and concepts the combined powers of Peterson, Vervaeke, and Hall can stretch to breaking point.This second leg of the voyage allows us to chart more of the universal sensemaking grammar, with its biblical scaffolding, liberal use of metaphors, and frequent exhortations to ascend Jacob’s ladder. But alongside Peterson's predictable biblical musings, you can also thrill at unexpected treats like John Vervaeke unveiling how finite transcendence connects to inexhaustible intelligibility and Jordan Hall explaining that even silence can be a form of sensemaking.Expect symbolic snakes, dangling ropes, and ecological psychology refashioned for mystical ascent, Augustine rediscovered through Plato, and culture reframed as an alcoholic parent. Or if you prefer, enjoy detours into atheists and their Luciferian egos, the sacred role of play, and the profound revelations that can be drawn from childhood disappointments at McDonald’s and grandfathers complaining about Nixonian duplicitySo join us for the final leg of the Sensemaking Odyssey. Sharpen your mind, get ready to traverse through 3D space, and prepare for an encounter with the Logos... in the context of listening to a podcast.SourcesA Dialogue So Dangerous, It Just Might Bring You Wisdom | John Vervaeke and Jordan Hall | EP 532
25 Syys 2h 36min
