Placebo: Why ‘fake’ treatments can have real power

A sugar pill shouldn't work as well as a real drug ... except sometimes it does. In this episode, we explore the fascinating science of the placebo effect and how expectations can shape biological outcomes. From open-label placebos and AI healthcare chatbots to the nocebo effect, we unpack what scientists know, what they still don't understand, and why the placebo response is still largely mysterious. 

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A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.

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