Alok Kanojia, better known as Dr. K, is a charismatic psychiatrist and online streamer who offers a unique blend of psychological, self-help, and spiritual advice to guide individuals through the complexities of modern life, aiming to help them become Healthy Gamers™. Join Matt and Chris as they embark on a multi-part journey through the diverse biomes of Dr. K's content and try to ascertain the meta.

In this first episode, Matt and Chris take a critical look at a 2019 video in which Dr. K discusses his views on Ayurvedic medicine, the problems with Western medicine, and the unacknowledged scientific evidence for Ayurvedic claims. We consider whether the evidence provided matches the rhetoric and relive youthful follies as we immerse ourselves in the all too familiar water of complementary and alternative medicine discourse.

So join us as we learn about the universal mind and single type of depression proposed by modern medicine, how a tripartite classification is actually incredibly individualistic, how the shape of your nose and kink in your hair predicts the food you should eat and the quality of your bowel movements, and the surprising benefits of drinking elephant milk.

In Part 2, we will delve into Dr. K's recent discussion/debate over Ayurvedic medicine with Dr. Mike, another popular YouTube doctor. And finally Part 3 will focus on the dynamics of Dr. K's long-form, somewhat controversial, mental health-themed interviews with influencers.

Links

• Dr. K's Healthy Gamer GG website
• Healthy Gamer GG- Ayurveda Pt. 1: Gunas, Cognitive Fingerprint, Personality
• Science is Dope: Should we adopt Ayurveda | An Indian's response | Dr. Mike vs Dr. K
• List of Studies mentioned in the episode
• Simon Singh's court case that Chris mentioned
• The Iced Coffee Hour: Harvard Psychiatrist on How To Get Ahead of 99.9% of People (Starting NOW)
• Some of Matt's related papers: 1) Thomson, P., Jones, J., Browne, M., & Leslie, S. J. (2014). Why people seek complementary and alternative medicine before conventional medical treatment: a population-based study. Complementary therapies in clinical practice, 20(4), 339-346. & 2) Browne, M., Thomson, P., Rockloff, M. J., & Pennycook, G. (2015). Going against the herd: psychological and cultural factors underlying the ‘vaccination confidence gap’. PLoS one, 10(9), e0132562.

We stare into the abyss and welcome darkness into our souls as we discuss:

• Feedback on the Žižek episode
• Middle Aged Men's Health Update
• Alina Chan and the newest round of Lab Leak Discourse
• Discourse Surfing Pundits
• Alex O'Connor cornering Jordan Peterson on the resurrection
• The philosophical and Marxist implications of Peppa Pig
• Potential Alternatives to Hipster Christianity and New Atheism
• Andrew Gold's Heretics Channel and Toxic YouTube Dynamics
• Editorializing and Responsible Criticism
• Balaji Srinivasan's Waffling Defence of Huberman
• The 'Elite Defector' Pose
• Verbal Fluency vs. Substance
• Heterodox and Anti-Vaxx Incentive Structures
• James Lindsay's most recent idiocy
• Desperate Call to Action

Links

• Alina Chan's NYT Article on the Lab Leak
• Our episode addressing Alina and Matt Ridley's points with relevant experts
• Jordan Peterson's Podcast: Navigating Belief, Skepticism, and the Afterlife | Alex O'Connor @CosmicSkeptic | EP 451
• Andrew Gold - Heretics: EXPOSED: I Didn't Show THIS in Viral 'Woke' Debate with Eni Aluko (4K)
• Balaji's huge Twitter thread defending Huberman
• Summary of Huberman's Math Meme
• Top Earning Substacks

The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1 hr 14 mins).

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

Join Matt and Chris as they plunge into the heady mental universe of Slavoj Žižek, the Slovenian philosopher known for his eclectic and provocative ideas. The duo parses Žižek's 'unconventional' takes on ideology, consumerism, and revolutionary theory, peppered with his playful movie criticism of films like Jaws and a Clockwork Orange and even a few that he hasn't even watched.

We delve into snuffle-laced discussions of transgressive acts, revolutionary politics, moderate conservative communism, consumerist psychology, and musings on whether Jaws is really about a shark. Throughout all Žižek's dramatic flair is shining through, but is he actually as provocative and hated as he likes to suggest? Matt and Chris have some thoughts...

Expect to reconsider everything you thought you knew, listen to some edgy book blurbs, and finally collapse in a puddle with the deconstruction of your ideology.

Links

• Novara Media: Our World Is Coming To An End | Aaron Bastani Meets Slavoj Žižek | Downstream
• The Pervert's Guide to Ideology (2012) - Slavoj Žižek
• Jacobin: Žižek’s Left-Wing Case for Christian Atheism
• Philosophize This- Episode #196 - The Improbable Slavoj Zizek - Pt. 1 (Also, there are three other Žižek episodes in this series!)
• Article on the speech Žižek gave at the Frankfurt Book Fair

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

We curse the dark omens emerging from the Gurusphere as we consider:

• The Illusion of Disciplinary Boundaries
• Flint Dibble Feedback and Rays of Hope
• Russell Brand and Bret Weinstein: Guru One-upmanship
• Bret Weinstein loves MOINNNNK
• Hard Ad Pivots and Peasants Popping out of Wells
• Ken Klippenstein and Populist Rhetoric
• Questioning mainstream narratives and their so-called 'experts'
• QAnon Anonymous missing Left Wing Populism?
• Alex O'Connor, Jordan Peterson and the costs of indulgent podcasting
• Chris reaching across boundaries to Jonathan Pageau
• Our only comment on the Drake and Kendrick Feud
• The beautiful ballet of reaching across the aisle
• Terence Howard on Rogan

Links

• Russelling with God | Russell Brand on DarkHorse
• Ken Klippenstein- Why I'm Resigning From The Intercept
• A Farewell To Bad News feat Ken Klippenstein (E278)
• Navigating Belief, Skepticism, and the Afterlife | Alex O'Connor @CosmicSkeptic | EP 451
• Terrence Howard is Legitimately Insane

The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1 hr 13 mins).

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

Matt and Chris jump into the world of debates, dramas, and online personas with the ever-controversial streamer, Destiny (Steven Bonnell). We discuss our Decoding episode a little bit but mostly broader issues including the value of 'debate porn', edginess & Twitter bomb-throwing, reality TV orbiter drama, and the perils of hero worship and parasocial relationships.

As you might anticipate, we also cover various 'hot-button' issues including Destiny's involvement in Israel-Palestine discourse, the ethics of engaging with extremists, and whether Destiny was genuinely arguing for the right to murder the DDoS kid. Finally, we wrap up with some discussion of media literacy, the challenges of navigating online discourse, and strategies for laypeople to better engage with research.

Links

• Our Decoding episode on Destiny
• Destiny's Gurometer Episode
• Destiny's Positions as summarised on his Wiki
• Discussion with a Lawyer about the DDoS kid

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

We do bonus episodes every month that are focused on analysing academic content or discussing research and we thought it might be useful to let new listeners know! So find attached a preview...

In this episode of Decoding Academia, Matt and Chris delve into a paper that explores the complex world of dark personality traits and their impact on authenticity. They examine how traits like narcissism and psychopathy might intersect with the concept of the true self, and consider whether cultural differences in self-conception play a significant role. The episode also features reflections on Logan Roy from Succession and a friendly disagreement between Matt and Chris about labels in psychology.

Paper referenced: Bulbuc, A. A., & Visu-Petra, L. (2024). Shedding a light on authenticity in high dark trait individuals: A morally grey territory? Personality and Individual Differences, 224, 112632.

The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers at the Revolutionary Genius tier (1 hr 9 mins).

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

We shake our heads in despair at some truly terrible Guru crossovers:

• Old Man Health Routines: Jogging, Diets, and the Pursuit of 'Wellness'
• Jordan Peterson and Russell Brand offer the apotheosis of indulgent Christian-themed sensemaking
• Taylor Lorenz and activist journalism
• Are Twitch Streamers the Future of Journalism? No.
• Huberman gets himself in hot water over Marijuana episode
• The Value of Debating Pseudoscience with Huberman
• Casey Means: Cramming all the pseudoscience red flags into a single Tweet
• When Red Scare met Steve Sailer: Ironic Hipsterism X Old Skool Scientific Racism

Links

• JBP Podcast: The Collective Unconscious, Christ, and the Covenant | Russell Brand | EP 444
• Washington Post: Twitch streamers become go-to news source for campus protest coverage (Taylor Lorenz)
• Red Scare: Sailer Socialism w/ Steve Sailer
• Huberman Lab: Dr. Casey Means: Transform Your Health by Improving Metabolism, Hormone & Blood Sugar Regulation
• Casey Means Red Flag filled Pinned Tweet
• New York Magazine: The Man Who Invented Identity Politics for the Far Right

The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1 hr 43 mins).

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

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