You’ve heard of the placebo effect – but what’s the nocebo effect? Is pain all in the mind?
The beneficial effect’s negative cousin is garnering more attention as Australian researchers say ‘social contagion’ is possible
October 2022
Placebos expert Kathryn T Hall: ‘The effect can rival painkillers like ibuprofen or even morphine’
The Harvard professor says we need to stop seeing dummy medicines as a novelty and instead make strides to understand them better and harness their power
November 2018
Clod Ensemble: Placebo review – medical science as hypnotic dance
Boundaries between fake and real are blurred and broken in this smart, contagious show that fuses science and art
October 2018
Observer TV reviews
The week in TV: Drowning in Plastic; Horizon – The Placebo Experiment; The Cry and more
Liz Bonnin’s documentary on plastic pollution was painful to watch; Michael Mosley probed the power of placebos; and The Cry was a worthy replacement for Bodyguard
August 2017
When surgery is just a stitch-up
With evidence mounting that many minor operations owe their success to the placebo effect, is it time to call a halt to some routine procedures?
June 2017
Many operations could be unnecessary, says leading surgeon
Certain types of elective surgery only benefit patients because of placebo effect, says Prof Andy Carr
May 2017
‘I knew they were sugar pills but I felt fantastic’ – the rise of open-label placebos
The controversy over statins has revealed something: the nocebo effect is real
Ann Robinson
November 2016
The placebo effect: is there something in it after all?
A study of the sometimes positive effects of taking drug-free pills suggests a biological factor at work
July 2016
It’s a pain to spend more money but it works
David Mitchell
An advert for Nurofen Joint and Back has been banned for misleading customers – but what if reassuringly expensive branding is all part of the cure?
March 2016
Science Weekly
How do placebos work? The science of mind over body - podcast
Jo Marchant, science journalist and author of Cure reveals the powerful and unexpected ways in which the mind can have a role in healing
November 2015
The Guardian view on homeopathy: the NHS shouldn’t pay
Editorial: Placebos can work magic. But that’s no argument for the health service to privilege a form of mock medicine that defies science and common sense
March 2013
George Osborne's sugar pills won't heal the pain, but Julia Gillard's may
Gaby Hinsliff
The placebo effect is present in every medical intervention
Philippa Perry
September 2012
Science Weekly
Science Weekly podcast: Jim Al-Khalili on the wonders of quantum biology
Subconscious cues can trigger the placebo effect, say researchers
April 2012
Notes & Theories
Why I changed my mind about homeopathy
Edzard Ernst: There can be no doubt – people get better after consulting a homeopath, and the reason is clear
March 2012
Pavlov and placebos could reduce the side-effects of drug treatments
Corrinne Burns
Corrinne Burns: A new study suggests patients can be conditioned to respond to a placebo in place of a drug, allowing doses to be reduced
November 2011
The nocebo effect: Wellcome Trust science writing prize essay
Penny Sarchet discusses research on the 'nocebo' effect in her winning essay for the Wellcome Trust science writing prize, awarded in association with the Guardian and Observer
August 2011
Notes & Theories
Detox: flushing out poison or absorbing dangerous claptrap?
The alternative-medicine version of detox has real-world side-effects that outweigh its imaginary benefits
