Science

News, commentary, critique, reviews, research and more from the world of science.

Placebo Effect

Hotels and houseplants: why we should doubt Ellen Langer’s mind-over-matter miracles

Mike Hall -
Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer's research claims powerful mind-over-matter effects, based on small studies with implausible outcomes - we should be skeptical
Climate Change

Toby Young’s Daily Sceptic and Free Speech Union are no allies of critical thinkers

Michael Marshall -
Toby Young's Daily Sceptic vociferously champions pseudoscientific conclusions, while his Free Speech Union defends those positions with which he agrees.
Science

The evidence from plant neurobiology for the sentience of plants is far from well-grounded

Georgy Kurakin -
Plant neurobiologists have come to promote the idea that plants have a form of rudimentary sentience, but the evidence is slim, and the explanation is unnecessary
Climate Change

Zero Hour for climate change: the time is now to back the Climate and Nature Bill

Peter Spring -
Given the need for climate action has never been more urgent, Zero Hour and Extinction Rebellion are putting climate change firmly on the political agenda
Reviews

Panpsychism revived, in James Bridle’s “Ways of Being”

Ted Lefroy -
"Ways of Being" argues that intelligence isn't a purely human phenomenon, but in doing so strays into a quasi-mysticism to explain the material
Science

“Big Pharma” has its flaws, but like all industries, it’s made up of people – some bad, some good

Syngen Grede -
It's easy to criticise Big Pharma as a monolith, but there are plenty of regular workers for pharmaceutical companies who are motivated to make medicines safer
Science

Did we really discover pain in insects? Maybe… but we can’t be sure they feel it like we do

Georgy Kurakin -
Studies have shown insects can detect negative stimuli that we would register as pain, but we can't assume that's the same as feeling pain
Health

Does a prohibition-based approach to drugs and disposable vaping make sense?

Clio Bellenis -
The government are often swift to ban recreational drugs, even without evidence of harm - but when it comes to disposable vapes, are they right?
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