Steeped in ritual, with an almost-omniscient knowledge of children's morality and sleeping habits, should Santa be considered a god?
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Does pill packet branding change the placebo response, or is this just another placebo myth?

How expensive a pill packet looks is said to influence the size of its placebo effect but, once again, the evidence is sorely lacking

Studying the promotion of health misinformation by the Bolsonaro government

As Brazilian leader, Bolsonaro was prolific in pushing health misinformation, making him a perfect model for researching how those in power can distort truth

Huge social media accounts glorify ancient architecture, while whitewashing the past

Social media accounts dedicated to ancient architecture too often glorifying the building while ignoring the circumstances of its construction

From the archive: The man who invented the flying saucer

From the archives in 1990, Roger Ford looks at Ray Palmer, the man often considered to be the father of the flying saucer

Left-wing conspiracy theories and ‘missing’ votes in the wake of Trump’s election win

In the wake of Trump's election win, conspiracy theories around a 'missing 15m' votes were easier for the left to accept than Harris simply losing

Will we soon face AI-related risks? Maybe, but they are probably overestimated

AI poses an unprecedented challenge for scientific integrity, but AI is just a tool. Its value, good or ill, comes from people using it

It’s far to soon too tell patients platelet-rich plasma injections can treat infertility

Platelet-rich plasma might one day be a viable treatment infertility, or it might be a plausible treatment that fails to pan out - right now, we simply don't know

From the archive: Memory, fantasy and past lives – reflections on past life regressions

From the archives in 1990, psychiatrist Dr Mike Heap looks at what might really be going on in reports of past life regressions