From Andrew Huberman's Goop collab and Mel Robbins' protein shots to MAHA flipping the long-defunct food pyramid and making meningitis great again, the first full week of 2026 was off to quite a start. Derek covers the week that made heads spin. 
Show Notes
<a href="https://www.thecut.com/article/andrew-huberman-goop-turkey-chili.html">Andrew Huberman is Optimizing Turkey Chili</a>
<a href="https://www.thecut.com/article/mel-robbins-protein-shots.html">Mel Robbins is Selling Protein Shots</a>
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/well/childhood-vaccine-schedule-cdc-changes.html">What to Know About the New Childhood Vaccine Schedule</a>
<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2026/01/05/nx-s1-5667199/cdc-vaccine-schedule-children">Health officials slash the number of vaccines recommended for all kids</a>
<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/johns-hopkins-baltimore-vaccinations-maryland-cdc-flu/">Johns Hopkins doctor concerned over CDC's new child vaccine recommendations</a>
<a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/flu-season-already-rivals-last-winters-harsh-epidemic">Flu season already rivals last winter's harsh epidemic</a>
<a href="https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/06/fda-pulls-back-oversight-ai-enabled-devices-wearables/">FDA announces sweeping changes to oversight of wearables, AI-enabled devices</a>
<a href="https://www.medtechdive.com/news/oura-cmo-wearables-fda-pathway/808793/">Ōura’s Ricky Bloomfield proposes new regulatory pathway for wearable health features</a> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

291: My Chinese Buddhist Israeli AI Guru

Dismantling New Age cults, wellness grifters, and conspiracy-mad yogis. At best, the conspirituality movement attacks public health efforts in times of crisis. At worst, it fronts and recruits for the fever-dream of QAnon. As the alt-right and New Age horseshoe toward each other in a blur of disinformation, clear discourse, and good intentions get smothered. Charismatic influencers exploit their followers by co-opting conspiracy theories on a spectrum of intensity ranging from vaccines to child trafficking. In the process, spiritual beliefs that have nurtured creativity and meaning are transforming into memes of a quickly-globalizing paranoia. Conspirituality Podcast attempts to bring understanding to this landscape. A journalist, a cult researcher, and a philosophical skeptic discuss the stories, cognitive dissonances, and cultic dynamics tearing through the yoga, wellness, and new spirituality worlds. Mainstream outlets have noticed the problem. We crowd-source, research, analyze, and dream answers to it.