Recent headlines claim we 'finally know' how placebos work, thanks to a trial that is little more than Pavlovian conditioning. No wonder the public is confused
Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer's research claims powerful mind-over-matter effects, based on small studies with implausible outcomes - we should be skeptical
Randomisation ensures treatment and control groups are as similar as possible when beginning a study - placebo controls ensure they are similar during a study
The 'powerful placebo' is a seductive myth that Kathryn T. Hall's "Placebos" can't resist, even though her grand claims clearly misinterpret what the best available evidence says
