Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

'"Placebo" doesn't do it. Not for this level of change.'

Really, why do you say that?

The placebo effect has been confirmed and measured many times, and can be very effective. Any clinical trials of new treatments must be designed account for it. Normally about one third of the control group being given sugar pills for instance will see improvements and some will be cured entirely. Theres even quite a bit of evidence suggesting the placebo effect can cause death. Read a bit about it, its very interesting.

How is actually works is not understood afaik, but sugar pills, acupuncture, homeopathy, or just being told that something will happen by your local witch doctor can all cause the placebo effect. I think that salient fact here is that all the above fit into the same category.




ps.. Looks like me and others are really browbeating you over this. Sorry! I guess stuff like this is frustrating for me because there has been loads of good research done into things like the placebo effect and acupuncture, yet people who are otherwise rational seem to completely ignore it. We have the very useful tool that is the scientific method, and great medical researchers, lets not simply cast them off.




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: