I’m a long-time fan of Dr. Ben Goldacre and his blog, Bad Science. Yesterday I finally got around to listening to the BBC Radio program Dr. Goldacre did in 2008 about the placebo effect. It’s a two-part program that takes us through many of the most intriguing experiments and philosophical implications of this truly amazing phenomenon.
Most people are generally familiar with the placebo effect and understand that expectations play a role in health and can affect our responses to various treatments. I think many would be surprised, however, just how dramatic this effect can be, and just how radically we may have to revise our current understanding of health and disease in light of the latest research findings.
You can also follow the interesting discussion about the program on Dr. Goldacre’s blog post, and also check out a couple of videos of Dr. Goldacre discussing the topic: