Discourse Lab

In this episode the boys are joined by Esther Krakue. Esther is a Ghanaian-British writer, broadcaster, and political commentator. She has interviewed prominent figures like Nigel Farage and Douglas Murray, and her work has been featured in outlets such as The Daily Mail, The Daily Express, and The Free Press.

Listen to this episode to hear Esther describe her unique political journey, as well as get her takes on males in women's sports, immigration in the U.K., and much more!

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In this episode Clay is joined by Alex DeVitry. Alex is currently studying international conflict resolution, foreign policy and diplomacy, and the Middle East at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). He also writes excellent articles on the many nuances of political violence in the 21st century on his Substack. 

Alex is a man with an outstandingly fascinating and unique origin story. He was raised in a fundamentalist sect of Islam, and at the age of 16 moved to Saudi Arabia to study Arabic language and Islamic theology. Tune in to this conversation to find out m...

In this episode the boys are joined by Colin Braman. Colin is a PhD Student studying program and policy evaluation. He also has a background in psychology, statistics, and research design. However, you might know him better by his Instagram handle, Liberty Evaluation. Liberty Evaluation is an instagram page where Colin posts wonderfully insightful videos explaining the principles of free market economics. 

Listen to this episode if you want to know what makes nations rich, why tariffs probably aren’t a good idea, why AI might not be the job killer that many fear it will be, and...

In this episode the boys discuss the recent ICE killing in Minneapolis. How do we make sense of it? Was it justified? 

Anthony sheds some light on what it's like dealing with people online when you have a lot of followers (or "disciples" as Clay puts it).

Finally, the lads take a little time to discuss what they've been writing about recently. Check out their Substacks!

Mentioned in this episode:

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In this episode the boys are joined by Carlos Egaña. Carlos is a Brooklyn-based Venezuelan writer, teacher, and rising social media personality. He has written about fine arts, Latin-American politics and pop culture for various Venezuelan and American publications.

Calros also has four books in Spanish in print: a novel titled Reggaetón and three poetry collections, mínima antología desde la rabia, hacer daño and Los Palos Grandes. 

In addition to his writing, Carlos has taught courses at several New York academic institutions, as well as the...

In this episode the boys are joined by Dr. Rob Henderson. Rob is a writer, public intellectual, and veteran. After serving in the U.S. Air Force he attended Yale University, where he studied psychology. He then went on to get his PhD in Psychology from Cambridge University. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a Contributing Editor at City Journal, and a member of the board of Advisors for The University of Austin. On top of all that, he publishes a twice-weekly newsletter on substack, appropriately titled Rob Henderson’s Newsletter. 

I...

In this episode the boys are joined by Aum Desai and Nikos Mohammadi. Aum is a student at Columbia College studying Political Science and Economics. He is the president of The Columbia Open Discourse Alliance (CODA), a senior editor at the Columbia Political Review, and a board member for the Columbia Hindu Students Organization.  Nikos is also a student at Columbia College, where he is majoring in American Studies. He's a staff writer at Sundial and the vice president of CODA. 

Listen to this episode to learn why the protests at Columbia have died down, hear about th...

In this episode the boys are joined by not one, but TWO returning guests: Jonas Du and Daniel Idfresne. They discuss the what Zohran Mamdani's recent victory means for NYC, whether or not it's a sign of things to come across the nation, and what the heck happened in the surprisingly cordial meeting between the mayor elect and Trump. 

Mentioned in this episode:

To see more from Daniel, follow him on X and In...

In this episode the boys discuss the fringe right, with a special focus on Nick Fuentes' recent interview with Tucker Carlson. They also touch on the fact that Candace Owens has completely lost the plot. The far right is going very, very wrong. 

Mentioned in this episode:

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In this episode the boys are joined by Joe Nucci. Joe is a psychotherapist, social media influencer, and writer who recently published his first book, Psychobabble: Viral Mental Health Myths & the Truths to Set You Free.

Listen to this episode to hear Joe's thoughts on ADHD, the overuse of the word "trauma," the relationship between therapy and politics, and much more!

Be sure to follow Joe on Instagram and YouTube, sign up for his free newsletter on Substack, and subscribe to his podcast Psychobabble.

Please don't forget to follow us on social media...

In this episode the boys are joined by Erin Hagood. Erin is a History PhD student at Columbia University and president of the Platypus Affiliated Society. Erin is a wealth of knowledge regarding the history and philosophy of the left. Listen to this conversation if you want to learn about the origins of leftism, the definition of Marxism, and much more!

If you walk away from this episode with more questions than you started with, that's ok! We cover A LOT in a relatively short period of time. After we stopped recording we all agreed Erin would...

In this episode the boys discuss Greta Thunberg’s claim that she was tortured in Israeli custody, why they think Israeli statehood is legitimate, the recent “Young” Republicans group chat leak, and more!

Mentioned in this episode:
- Politico article about the leaked YR group chat

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- Follow us on social media, and rate and review us on your podcast player of choice.
- Buy from our recommended reading list!

Note: There was a ~20 minute section toward the end that the lads decided wasn't very good and would have b...

In this episode the boys discuss why it's difficult for the pro-Palestine crowed to get excited about the possibility of peace in Gaza, the merits of the Chiles v. Salazar conversion therapy case, and wether or not "woke right" is a real thing.

Mentioned in this episode:
- This is what the Woke Right is by Ani O'Brian

Please don't forget to follow us on social media, and rate and review us on your podcast player of choice.

In this episode the boys discuss the recent Gaza peace plan and the newly released AI video generator, Sora II. They also give you their book recommendations!

Mentioned in this episode:

Anthony's 5 books to help you master you emotions:

Clay's 5 books to help you understand the how the modern world order emerged:

In this episode the boys are joined by Tony Vanderhoef. Tony is currently studying at Florida State University College of Law, where he is specializing in constitutional law. When he's not hitting the books, he is posting  political news updates on his Instagram, or writing his newsletter, Common Ground (for which he has another Instagram). Tony's on a mission is to provide unbiased, reliable news, and to do his part to combat political polarization.  
 
Listen to this episode to get insights on the need for a more inclusive and centrist approach in politics, hear about the importance of...

In this episode, the boys are joined by Nadine Strossen. Nadine is a civil liberties lawyer, legal scholar, activist, and author who's notable accomplishments are too numerous to list in totality. However, she is perhaps most famous for serving as the first female president of the ACLU from 1991 to 2008. Her books include such titles as Hate: Why We Should Resist It with Free Speech, Not Censorship and, most recently, The War on Words: 10 Arguments Against Free Speech — And Why They Fail.

Listen to this episode to hear about the chilling effects of cancel culture, the nuances of fi...

In this episode the boys discuss the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk. They explore the reactions from both the left and right and the psychological underpinnings of political violence. Listen to this episode to also hear about the different types of empathy, the latest FIRE college free speech rankings, Jungian archetypes, and much more.

Don't forget to follow us on social media, and subscribe on YouTube and Substack!

In this episode the boys are joined by Nikos Mohammadi. Nikos is a rising sophomore at Columbia College and an aspiring writer. His work can be read in Sublation, Sundial, and the Substack Cracks in Postmodernity. Nikos offers insightful takes on Neoliberalism, Trump, Mamdani, and much more! 

Some examples of Nikos' writing include...
- MAGA Won. It Gave Us Zohran Mamdani.
- Deporting Mahmoud Khalil Is Anti-American
- How Ben Shapiro Lost My Generation

In this episode of Discourse Lab, the boys are joined by Mike Luso. Mike is a writer, content creator, and journalist. He hosts News Theory on YouTube, a video essay show that brings to light the different narratives and biases in media. Mike has also made several appearances on the Jubilee series Surrounded, most recently in a video titled 1 LGBTQ+ Activist vs 25 Conservatives (ft. Zander Moricz).

Listen to this episode to hear what it's like to be in a Jubilee video, learn what Mike thinks is wrong with modern media, and get his take on what it...

In this episode the boys are joined by Dr. Joe Duarte. Joe is a Social Psychologist who's work centers on political diversity, open inquiry, and methodological rigor in the behavioral sciences. He is perhaps best known for being the lead author of the 2015 paper Political diversity will improve social psychological science. Joe has been a prominent voice on how political bias undermines research outcomes and erodes public trust in science.

Listen to this episode if you want to hear what Joe thinks of the current state of social psychology, his opinions on so-called "microaggressions," why he believes...

If you want to support Ukraine please donate to Ukrainian Relief Fund.

In this episode the boys are joined by Sam Nahins. Sam is a writer and former Air Force drone operator. He is currently pursuing an MFA at Columbia University. Sam has been featured on Fox News, Newsmax, French 24, and other programs, where he has been outspoken about his views on Israel, Ukraine, and campus protests. In the Summer of 2025 he spent a month traveling around Ukraine to get a better sense of what life is like for soldiers and civilians alike.

Listen to...

In this Episode the boys are joined by Daniel Idfresne. Daniel is a moderate-conservative thinker and commentator who’s writing has been featured in Real Clear Politics, The Free Press, and The New York Post, among others. He’s also a native New Yorker and rising senior at Syracuse University. 

Tune in to hear Daniel’s opinion on NYC Charter Schools, rent control, Zohran Mamdani’s primary victory, and much more!

You can check out some of his writing here:

In the first part of this episode Clay flies solo. He humbly requests guest suggestions, and also offers a good faith response to some very critical instagram comments. In the second part the lads discuss the "Big Beautiful Bill" (finally!), or at least the parts of it that they found particularly interesting. This one is a bit long, so bonus points to anyone who makes it all the way to the end.

Please DM us on Instagram at @the_discourselab or email us at contactdiscourselab@gmail.com for guest suggestions (especially left-leaning ones)!

In this episode the boys are joined by Jonas Du, a Free Press Fellow and founder of Sundial, Columbia University's newest, most ideologically diverse student publication. Jonas shares his personal experience as a young conservative surrounded by mostly left-wing peers, and talks about what lead him to found Sundial. He also shares details about his latest article,Young, Hot, and Triumphant: Welcome to MAGA Summer. Tune in to get Du's takes on the rise of conservatism in Gen Z, the takeover of journalism by elites, and much more!

If you want to hear/read more from Jonas...

In this episode of Discourse Lab, the boys dive into how ideology distorts research, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of moral foundations theory, and struggle (but ultimately succeed!) to explain P-values and P-hacking. 

In this episode the boys explain why you're not getting a full length episode this week. Stay to the end to hear what Anthony and Clay love about the good ol' US of A! 

In this episode, Anthony and Clay discuss NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's socialist platform. Listen to this episode if you want hear about the merits of rent control (or lack thereof) , the psychological predisposition of the authoritarian left, the nuggets of gold in Zohran's platform, and much more! Sincerest apologies to Mr. Mamdani for mispronouncing his name on a number of occasions.

Oh, and the boys squeeze in a quick discussion about the innate differences between men and women in the last twenty minutes. Clay explains why he's recently become a bit more sexist, so listen until...

In this intro episode co-hosts Clay and Anthony introduce themselves and explain what they hope to do with Discourse Lab. Expect to learn why they stopped making The Columbia HxA Podcast, when new episodes will drop, why they chose the name "Discourse Lab," and more!