My new article in Science News for Students explores the fascinating fact that pills or treatments that contain no medicine can help people feel better.
Discovering the power of placebos
Science News for Students, September 9, 2021
When the story came out, I sent it to my sources, as I always do. One of them wrote back.
“This is better than anything I’ve seen written for adults. Much clearer and much more accurate,” said Ted J. Kaptchuk.
Kaptchuk directs the Program in Placebo Studies & Therapeutic Encounter at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School in Boston. His team’s research has shown that the placebo effect can still occur even if the patient knows that he or she is taking a fake pill. They call this an open label placebo. Before writing this article, I never would have guessed that was possible!
I’m so glad he liked the article and I’m even happier to make cutting edge science fun and accessible for kids and teens.
