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Placebos Work -- Even Without Deception

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the smoke-and-mirrors dept.

An anonymous reader writes "For most of us, the 'placebo effect' is synonymous with the power of positive thinking; it works because you believe you're taking a real drug. But a new study rattles this assumption. Researchers at Harvard Medical School's Osher Research Center and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center have found that placebos work even when administered without the seemingly requisite deception. The study was published on December 22 in PLoS ONE."

2 of 430 comments (clear)

  1. Homeopathic Medicine by Sonny+Yatsen · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If deception isn't necessary for placebos to work, does this mean the homeopathic medicine advocates can admit it's bullshit now?

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    1. Re:Homeopathic Medicine by happylight · · Score: 5, Insightful

      If it works, how can it be bullshit?