Podcast: The science and history behind the term “placebo effect”

pexels photo
Credit: Pexels

Sloppy by today’s standards, and maybe even back when it was published in 1955, Henry Beecher’s paper paved the way for sounder drug trials and pushed scientists to better understand how we process pain (Season 3, Episode 3).

This is Episode 3 of Season 3 of the Knowable Magazine podcast. Listen to Episode 1 (Scientists warned about climate change in 1965. Nothing was done.) and Episode 2 (The fossil that launched a dinosaur revolution).

Follow the latest news and policy debates on sustainable agriculture, biomedicine, and other ‘disruptive’ innovations. Subscribe to our newsletter.

A version of this article was originally posted at Knowable and has been reposted here with permission. Any reposting should credit the original author and provide links to both the GLP and the original article. Find Knowable on X @KnowableMag

{{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.singularReviewCountLabel }}
{{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.pluralReviewCountLabel }}
{{ options.labels.newReviewButton }}
{{ userData.canReview.message }}

Related Articles

Infographic: Global regulatory and health research agencies on whether glyphosate causes cancer

Infographic: Global regulatory and health research agencies on whether glyphosate causes cancer

Does glyphosate—the world's most heavily-used herbicide—pose serious harm to humans? Is it carcinogenic? Those issues are of both legal and ...

Most Popular

Credit: ACSH
Viewpoint: Who and what’s to blame for the surge in vaccine-preventable diseases?
ChatGPT-Image-May-28-2026-12_56_54-PM
Viewpoint: Vaccines' non-specific effects? The ‘shoddy’ Danish couple whose 'research’ inspires RFK, Jr.’s health delusion
Organic-Produce
Viewpoint: Why you should ignore organic food advocates’ advice to avoid ‘pesticide soaked’ conventional fruits and vegetables
Screenshot-2026-06-05-at-2.12.30-PM
Some plants can poison you. So how did humans figure out what is safe to eat?
ChatGPT Image Jun 3, 2026, 03_14_43 PM
Viewpoint: How Earthjustice became the poster child for the abuse of special interest activist funding
Screenshot-2026-06-08-at-11.05.51-AM
Can vaping lead to cancer? New ‘association study’ raises questions of “links"
Screenshot-2026-06-05-at-3.30.20-PM
Republican lawmakers spread misinformation claiming solar farms permanently destroy potato farms
ChatGPT-Image-Jun-5-2026-01_17_48-PM
GLP-1 weight-loss drugs may reshape our desires and emotions
Screenshot-2026-06-08-at-10.19.30-AM
‘Natural’ wellness supplements linked to liver injury
edb7f6d7-2370-418f-9578-74e29678e35c
Facts & Fallacies Podcast: Nicotine vaping—public health miracle, or risk to children? Professor Cliff Douglas
ChatGPT-Image-Mar-10-2026-01_39_01-PM
Viewpoint—“Miracle molecule” debunked: Why acemannan supplements don’t work
ChatGPT-Image-Jun-5-2026-02_48_23-PM
Viewpoint: How Dr.TikTok (falsely) convinced me that cortisol was running my health
glp menu logo outlined

Get news on human & agricultural genetics and biotechnology delivered to your inbox.