Is there a transcript available for this episode?

I would be interested in someone covering the placebo effect as it relates to the sponge and water that seems to be a panacea for all ailments in international soccer games.

I have always been amazed at the power of the sponge to immediately regurgitate a soccer player writhing about on the pitch.

Does the audio play for anyone? I can't stream it, and when I tried to download it, the file had zero bytes. I listened to this one a few years ago and wanted to re-listen.

The placebo effect is a form of mind control, and as such, its effects can be either positive or negative. Something works because someone believes it works.

Placebo is why witchcraft works. It’s real for those who believe it’s real.

I am a christian and I always find "healing" very suspicious. I do believe in the power of faith and I believe in the power of God. I also believe in a God that has the ability to heal and that perhaps people through faith can be healed of all kinds of illness. But to state that sickness is the devil living in you or that one may be sick because of lack of faith is unbiblical. This belief is just another silly thing that a small amount of christians believe but seems to get a lot of media attention, mainly because it is so mindless (a common theme that the media portrays Christians to be). We live in a world full of disease caused from all different things not because some one is possessed or the devil is attached to their spine and causes a curve. I would encourage people to take that segment lightly as the majority of Christians would not agree with what was reported on. Every church I have ever attended would never encourage someone to substitute medicine with prayer. Prayer is for faith, to grow closer to God, not to replace a doctor.

On the placebo effect where you compared soldiers to ordinary folks. The soldiers were generally much younger (recruits) and have been in physical training for a year or two, andthey have had it drilled into their heads that nthey may be shot. They were conditioned fore th epain. On the other hand the ordinasry peoplewere probably older, not in great physical shape, and they were not at all perpared for being shot. I believe this Radio Lab story was sophomoric.

It is troubling, and saddening to hear a religious ritual occurring in a medical training facility. Well, to hear it anywhere really.

I wonder if it would have invoked comment from the producers if the prayers had been offered to Zeus or Thor.

Likewise, you should have felt compelled to make some inquiry into the belief system of the woman who experienced the alleged faith healer. Yes, you were trying to maintain continuity of context, but the difference in how we form the stories that make possible the interactions of medical personnel, and those of charlatans should have been distinguished by your reporting. One way to have done that would have been to simply inquire of that woman if she wondered why Christ died for cures, and not for preventions. Oversight?

Prof. Riffs - I was at a UC medical conference where an award was presented to the doctor whose researched proved for certain the efficacy of the placebo effect. This was after a doctor received an IgNobel award for the same conclusion. The power of the mind is the new frontier in science, and that is why all neurologists and psychiatrists need to study both. Nobody knows for sure how to distinguish between neurological impulses and behavioral manifestation. http://psychologyofpain.blogspot.com/2008/10/ig-nobel-prize-for-study-on-placebo.html

Before the library of Alexandria was burned there was just as much reason as when Ben Franklin started playing with kites. We just forgot. Check out the ancient discoveries series. there are six episodes this one is about robotics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TFN3aAPJLU

RE: the doctor who lost his confidence after a respected elder physician told him his claim of curing the boy of his skin problem was impossible:

My mother had a heart attack in 1974 and the cardiologist who treated her told her that she had about 10 years to live. (I found out from my sister after she died).

She had a heart attack and died two days past the 10th anniversary of her initial heart attack. (The kind of which is routinely treated in emergency rooms today).

I have long attributed this to the fact that my mother, not having graduated high school, put a lot of trust in people who were more educated than she. In effect, the doctor said she had 10 years, and she did as she was told.

Regarding the warts---I know someone who, as a child, had warts and they disappeared after she gave them to her friend (!) as per her doctor's instruction. Soon her warts were gone and her friend had them!

During the discussion of the color of sleeping pills, it was mentioned that in every country in the world, blue sleeping pills work for men - except in Italy. The explanation was that the Italian national football team is called The Blues (Gli Azzurri) and that the color represented the excitement of a game, thus preventing sleep. The problem with that reasoning is that right next door, in France, the national football team is also called The Blues (Les Bleus), so why do the pills work there? The French are just as passionate about their football as the Italians. Somewhere there must be a different reason for the failure of the pills in Italian men.

I found the faith healing section very hard to listen to. I have scoliosis and hearing that it was "a sign of the devil" upset me to the point that I now avoid this episode. I don't think its bad! I personally just find it hard to listen to.

Consider these terms together: "placebo effect," "spontaneous remission," "will to live," "expectation of getting better," and then consider that you don't explain anything by giving it a name.

WISH THERE WAS A PLACEBO FOR HOT FLASHES!!!!

harvard just started a program to research the placebo effect, website is www.programinplacebostudies.org

I love the fact of the history on this topic.Medical trials still go on today with the placebo.Are you scared or is it your belief to judge this episode ?

Maybe the worst episode of Radiolab. The placebo effect is quackery extreme... I can see no reason to give it this much positive attention.

I laughed when I heard the story of the lady's faith healing: I know how that trick works. You can try it yourself. First, the control: form an "O" between you thumb and forefinger, with your wrist straight. Try to pull through your thumb and forfinger with the other hand - I know I can't. Now form the "O" with your wrist bent at 90 degrees; this time it's easy to pull through the thumb and forefinger.

I'd bet a large Easter egg that that's how the faith healer did it. When the wrist is bent, the finger grip is significantly weaker.

Source: Practicing Aikido regularly.

Finally! We sail beyond the domain of the merely scientific! This is the stuff leaps in knowledge are made of! But don't let anyone convince you that "we don't know why this works." We know plenty about why it works.

The placebo affect is the only reason homeopathic hucksters can make a buck. They sell a "remedy" that is so diluted that it doesn't have ANY active ingredient. Don't get taken for a ride by these quacks. Be an educated and demanding consumer!

The part about the hypnosis reminds me of kungfu the legend continues where cain says something about how when the spirit is in control the body obeys. this is when he fell and hurt his hand and it healed because his mind commanded his body

Maybe there should be a follow-up given this info:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1Q3jZw4FGs&feature=player_embedded
Dr. Ben Goldacre does a stand-up routine about medicine, the placebo effect, and the mysteries of the human body at Nerdstock.

This is so cool! I was so excited when I heard this just a couple of days ago. I have to do a science project for my biology class, and I didn't realize it but it was closely related to placebos! I'm entering into the science fair. Hope I get to nationals!

Another placebo effect: A study published in JAMA reported that SSRI antidepressants are no better than placebo for most cases of depression. The authors reviewed 30 years of data and concluded that "the benefit of antidepressant medication compared with placebo may be minimal or nonexistent in patients with mild or moderate symptoms". ref JAMA 2010;303(1):47-53)

For more:

http://jeffreydach.com/2010/01/21/jama-says-ssri-antidepressants-are-placebos-by-jeffrey-dach-md.aspx

jeffrey dach md

Here is an interesting story on NPR about placebos that work even when the patient knows what they are!

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2010/12/23/132281484/fake-pills-can-work-even-if-patients-know-it

where can i find those picturs of the buy with the warts on his arms

I hope the story about the boy with one arm healed had been checked, because in another interview it was the left arm that was healed:
"So I hypnotised him and told him that the warts would go from his left arm, and sent him away."
http://www.melanie-klein-trust.org.uk/masoninterview.htm

i am fairly new to radio lab, and so i will listen to the podcasts over and over to make sure i gather all of the information and interpret it well... i thought this was a wonderful "article", however i strongly disagree with the mention of the soldiers in the battle field and their way of thinking... soldiers do not think about the awards they may receive or the parades that may be had- they are trained to work as a unit and their mind set was more likely to be a thought of "someone else needs the morphine" or even that their body was naturally "high" on adrenaline with a raised level of endorphins. i relate the comradeship closely to mother and child. soldiers are willing to die for each other, much like a mother would do for her child. they bond in ways that are unimaginable. they are faced with a life and death situation and they know that the actions as a unit will win the battle, actions as an individual will lose the battle and likely the life of yourself and others.

The last part of the podcast mentions an old lady and her wrist problems. In the story, the lady said that the dude massaged her wrist. Not a lot of people know that massages can temporarily cure arthritis.

the old lady was tricked...

Bob, you said it all and effectively cut this debate short. Congrats, you earned an Honorable Mention at the International Contest of Compact Statements which Cut Discussions Short. Heh heh heh. . .

Belief may heal but ignorance kills.

Just an anecdote:

I saw a chiropractor for many, many years for low back problems. I would have said that the treatments seemed to work. Then I moved and stopped seeing a chiropractor. Now, 4 years later, I can say my back is better than ever, with NO manipulation.
I had a similar experience with glucosamine - it seemed to work, but when I stpped taking it I could see no difference.

Just my .02.

what happened to the boy whose 1 arm was cured of Congenital Ichthyosiform Erythroderma? did the rest of his skin ever heal? or just the 1 arm? find him and do a follow up interview!

I found it interesting that the shaman story at the beginning of the show seems to contradict the conclusion of your hypnotist doctor, yet no mention is made of this on the show. The shaman-in-training knew he was a fake, and found he healed people anyway. This seems to undercut the medical hypnotist's opinion.

Chris, that's a terrible story, but I think you are overreacting to this broadcast. Radiolab and the people they interviewed acknowledged the limitations of the placebo effect.

Would you also fault them for exploring the wonders of Asprin merely because it can't cure cancer?

again such a play with audio

greetings from Holland

Somewhat new to Radiolab, I had not heard this broadcast before. I didn't perceive this article as being about healing per se, or as espousing placebo treatments in particular, but as a conversation about what is known, and becoming more consciously known, about one of the elegant complexities of the mind. And about how we experience these phenomena daily, moment by moment, and this knowledge is reflected outright in our languages and cultures to the point that it is usually unnoticed among what we consider the conscious, logical landscape of life. Thank you, Radiolab for, again, agitating the mixture so that intriguing bubbles may surface.

Also, I've been going to PT and chiropractic for 3 months. Chiropractic is only half of the story. The only way to permanently change the way the spine is going to align is to strengthen it. A lot of doctors know this and will strictly not to physical therapy so that they can hold on to a patient longer.

Chris,
You have a great point about pseudoscience but you can't dismiss chiropractic medicine entirely. After a violent car accident, your spine can be seriously damaged. As in, the force of the wreck can cause muscles and bones to shift in ways that cause extreme discomfort. Also, some people develop scoliosis after childhood which can cause severe pain and discomfort.

Some chiropractors are all too happy to crack the bones of young children, pregnant mothers, and those of us too weak to realize that we're being ripped off. It's unfortunate that the system can be abused for money that way.

On the other hand, chiropractic can be extraordinarily helpful for a large amount of people. I hurt my back at work and was told by two doctors that I probably fractured or dislocated a rib. They didn't take X-rays but pumped me full of painkillers and anti-inflammatories. I went to a chiropractor based on a recommendation of a coworker. The doctor took an X-ray and my spine was seriously messed up. About my tailbone it started to curve left, then right, then at midback it curved left again. The curve is pinching nerves in various places, leaving me with really bizarre side effects.

For example, I can now tell how crooked my back is by how often I have to use the restroom. I know my bladder isn't full, but the nerves from my spine are being affected telling my bladder that it is full prematurely. Sometimes I'll go every two hours! I know it isn't related to any other disease because I am under 25 and when I go to physical therapy and chiropractic like I'm supposed to, the symptoms vanish. I haven't had trouble with that in a while since I've strengthened by back into holding its shape.

Applied properly, chiropractic can provide a wealth of relief to those with GENUINE problems. Any good chiropractor should have taken X-rays regularly on a patient being treated for a crooked spine. You can't tell what is going on by touch alone.

Also, if it takes 7 years to treat back pain... Perhaps 6 years ago a second opinion would have been a life saver. I don't mean any offense, I'm just saddened that these doctors sometimes put money ahead of people's lives and livelihoods.

I really am disappointed. I somehow had missed this episode in when it was originally puked out upon us. The disservice that you do is amazing.

Here is another story about who the placebo effect works. A man who went to a chiropractor for 7 years straight to receive some minor relief from the constant back pain he suffered from, was informed by the new owner of the practice that perhaps he should visit with a medical doctor. He chose to do so and after three X-rays and a CT scan, the cancer diagnosis that was now unstoppable was shared with him. Of course 7 years too late; he died and left his wife with 3 boys to raise.

Belief in pseudoscience kills good people.

These charlatans kill people. They propagate fear, they propagate mistrust, and you have turned around and propagated that mistrust of science and medicine. How many people will now not seek real treatment because of your lack of a proper education on the science of these alleged phenomena….how many will die because of your lack of responsibility?

This broadcast, for me, confirms the idea that thought holds more power than most people give it credit for. Just imagine how far we can go...

Oui. I as well...

Oh, shucky darns. A rebroadcast. Oh well.

I'm patiently waiting for two weeks from now. Verrrry patiently.
Season 6 was great. I'm hoping for a great follow-up in season 7.