Episode 121

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Published on:

8th Mar 2025

Special Supplementary Material: Two Psychologists, One Anthropologist, Three Beers

In this special quasi-crossover episode, we stare deeply into the abyss while enjoying a beverage with renowned psychologist and occasional podcast co-host, Mickey Inzlicht.

P.S. The Decoding of Naomi Klein is coming next week!

Two Psychologists, One Anthropologist, Three Beers

00:27 Introduction

05:57 Mickey's Sabbatical in Japan

12:13 Sensemaking 3.0

25:25 Francis Foster's Bizarre Podcast Roast

34:38 Sabine Hossenfelder thinks Academia is Communism

36:11 The Irony of YouTube Incentives

39:34 Proper Criticisms of Academia

43:28 Is Academia Centrally Planned?

46:24 Culture War Pandering

53:53 Entering the Matt-rix

55:00 In Bed with the Russians notices the Red Scare Wounded Bird Pose

01:00:03 On the etiquette of Replications

01:06:17 Academic Debates on the Effect of Culture on Visual Illusions: Joe Henrich vs. Amir & Firestone

01:11:18 The Legend of Captain Cook: Sahlins vs Obeyesekere

01:12:58 Ideas vs People: Sarah Haider, Colin Wright and an epidemic of hypocrisy

01:17:19 Admitting Mistakes and Research Integrity

01:24:38 Interpersonal Relationships vs. Adversarial Systems

01:33:24 Wastage in Academia

01:39:49 Elon Musk, Pregnancy, and Modern Cults

01:49:01 Signing Off

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

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

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About the Podcast

Decoding the Gurus
A psychologist and an anthropologist try to make sense of the world's greatest self-declared Gurus.
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!
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About your hosts

Christopher Kavanagh

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A Northern Irish cognitive anthropologist who occasionally moonlights as a social psychologist. Chris has long standing interests in the psychology of conspiracy theorists and pseudoscience. His academic research focuses on the Cognitive Science of Religion and ritual psychology. He lives happily in Japan with his family.

Matthew Browne

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An Australian psychologist and numbers-guy. He does research on all kinds of stuff, but particularly enjoys looking into why people believe the things they do: religion, conspiracy theories, alternative medicine and stuff. He's into social media in the same way people slow down for car accidents.