Based Camp | Simone & Malcolm Collins
Based Camp | Simone & Malcolm Collins
Based Camp is a podcast focused on how humans process the world around them and the future of our species. That means we go into everything from human sexuality, to weird sub-cultures, dating markets, philosophy, and politics.
Malcolm and Simone are a husband wife team of a neuroscientist and marketer turned entrepreneurs and authors. With graduate degrees from Stanford and Cambridge under their belts as well as five bestselling books, one of which topped out the WSJs nonfiction list, they are widely known (if infamous) intellectuals / provocateurs.
If you want to dig into their ideas further or check citations on points they bring up check out their book series. Note: They all sell for a dollar or so and the money made from them goes to charity. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08FMWMFTG basedcamppodcast.substack.com
Malcolm and Simone are a husband wife team of a neuroscientist and marketer turned entrepreneurs and authors. With graduate degrees from Stanford and Cambridge under their belts as well as five bestselling books, one of which topped out the WSJs nonfiction list, they are widely known (if infamous) intellectuals / provocateurs.
If you want to dig into their ideas further or check citations on points they bring up check out their book series. Note: They all sell for a dollar or so and the money made from them goes to charity. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08FMWMFTG basedcamppodcast.substack.com
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 13, 2026 • 56min
Trans People Are Almost Never Killed: WHY?!
They unpack a data paradox showing very low violent-death rates among many trans and non-binary people and probe why the numbers differ by race. They debate biological, social, and reporting explanations like hormones, isolation, and population estimates. They also examine an apparent overrepresentation in mass shootings and veer into tangents on AI hallucinations, hypnotism, and geopolitical strategy.
10 snips
Mar 12, 2026 • 1h 5min
China Doesn't Know What to Do (No One Thought This Could Happen)
They unpack sudden shifts in China’s behavior toward Taiwan and what halted sorties might mean. They spotlight Chinese weapons failing in real combat across Iran, Venezuela, and Pakistan. They trace how Iran’s attacks end up hurting China’s economy and why CCP purges and corruption matter for military competence. They weigh how regional responses and U.S. operations reshape the balance in the months ahead.
Mar 11, 2026 • 1h 3min
Neural Tissue Comp Now Cheaper Than Silicon! (This Changes Everything)
They unpack neuron-powered wetware that can run games and outcompete silicon on cost and power. They explore ethical alarms around lab-grown brains, pain pathways, and identity. They speculate about hybrid silicon-neural-quantum systems, spacefaring brain ships, and who gets left behind. Cultural and theological angles surface alongside wild thoughts on uploads, speciation, and new forms of intelligence.
Mar 10, 2026 • 44min
"Keep Fights Fair" Forced on the USA Military By Karens
They unpack strange US Rules of Engagement that tied troops’ hands and let enemies hide in homes, mosques, and schools. They trace how rigid legal limits and political optics changed battlefield choices and allowed adversaries to exploit safe zones. They discuss shifts toward tech-enabled precision and commanders’ judgment. The conversation ends with personal family anecdotes for a lighter finish.
Mar 9, 2026 • 1h 7min
Biggest Geopolitical Win In US History? (Iran, Venezuela, & Cuba in Three Months)
They chart sudden geopolitical shifts after targeted removals in Iran, Venezuela, and Cuba. They unpack covert strike tactics, regional alignments, and why many Muslim states stayed quiet. They trace how proxies like Hezbollah and Hamas were weakened and why partners like Israel and Gulf states matter. They also probe risks of overreach, new tech-enabled warfare, and strategic consequences for China, Russia, and North Korea.
Mar 6, 2026 • 1h 3min
The Ubermensch For Manic Pixie Dream Girls: Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
They contrast Nietzsche’s demanding Übermensch with Maslow’s feel-good self-actualization and how it became an elite-friendly moral shortcut. They critique therapy culture, the commodification of needs, and the rise of manic-pixie aesthetics. They argue for building your own moral framework and call out how prestige, memetics, and modern elites distort purpose.
Mar 5, 2026 • 1h 1min
Why Did Muslims Go from Debauched to Prude? (The Islamic World is Post-Apocalyptic)
They explore why parts of the Islamic world feel like living in ruins alongside forgotten palaces and citadels. They contrast historical elite excess—wine, harems, opium, cross‑dressing fashions—with today’s sharply enforced moral codes. They trace cultural shifts to Wahhabism, oil money, and institutional changes in religious interpretation. Light personal tangents sprinkle the conversation.
Mar 4, 2026 • 1h 6min
The Lindy Illusion: Why Old Things Suck
They unpack how Queen Victoria invented much of modern Scottish pageantry and why many “ancient” traditions are recent inventions. They challenge the Lindy Effect’s modern relevance and show how rapid technological and cultural change can invert longevity assumptions. They trace survivorship bias, shrinking corporate lifespans, and how fashion, foods, and rituals are often crafted, marketed, or reinvented rather than truly ancient.
Mar 3, 2026 • 1h 8min
Are Progressives Mutants Who Hate Society? (Understanding Spiteful Mutant Theory)
They discuss Edward Dutton’s “spiteful mutants” idea and how relaxed natural selection might shape modern behavior. Conversations cover progressive protester aesthetics, links between biology and political trends, and alleged ties between modernity, parasites, and shifting sexual norms. They end by weighing radical solutions like embryo selection, germline editing, or social engineering.
Mar 2, 2026 • 53min
The Lie That Underwrites Western Civilization: "Truth" Was Invented in 1953
They challenge the myth of "trust the science" and trace how peer‑review bureaucracy arose mid‑20th century. They highlight Nature's finding that papers and patents have become far less disruptive. They examine how citation metrics and incentives reward safe, incremental work. They spotlight independent researchers, Substacks, patrons, and tight‑knit cliques as the new engines of bold innovation.
