Inner Cosmos with David Eagleman Ep137 "Do cures ever create the next crisis?" with Thomas Goetz
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Jan 19, 2026 
In this discussion, Thomas Goetz, a science journalist and author focused on medicine, dives into the complex reality of medications. He explores how modern diseases, like obesity and anxiety, may be products of our environment rather than just individual flaws. With a fascinating look at GLP-1 drugs, Goetz debates the societal implications of dependency on pills versus structural influences on health. He emphasizes the unintended consequences of medications and the evolving relationship between society and pharmaceutical solutions.
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Drugs Are Controlled Perturbations
- Drugs are controlled perturbations into complex biological systems and often produce unintended ripple effects.
- Many side effects only appear after millions of doses, so prescribing is inherently uncertain.
Mismatched Diseases And Modern Life
- Modern diseases like obesity and anxiety often reflect mismatches between ancient biology and a rapidly changed environment.
- Treating those conditions pharmacologically can mask upstream social and design problems rather than solve them.
Peanut Guidance Fueled EpiPen Demand
- Thomas Goetz recounts how misguided pediatric guidance to avoid peanuts increased food allergies and boosted EpiPen demand.
- EpiPen then became infamous for dramatic price hikes and political backlash.
