Science Makes Everything Better

[tongodeon]

Over lunch this week I was talking with a cow-orker about alt-med therapy like acupuncture or reiki. He was already on board with me as far as whether it works (it does) and how it works ( via the placebo effect), but he felt that science was doing a disservice by discovering this because revealing a formerly respected technique as placebo prevents

Comments

[leighton]

The spouse just gave up on acupuncture to cure her sweaty palms (good thing she isn't on LJ, or I'd have sweaty palms typing this "in public"). It worked for a while, but she lost interest (faith?) in the treatment and costs while still going. Then it stopped working, so she stopped going.

The placebo effect for religion probably works the same way. Veyrons do not.

[tongodeon]

To be clear, I definitely did not intend to imply that the Bugatti Veyron was fast because of the placebo effect.

[leighton]

"We put two W8 engines together behind the seats, under that cover. Now, see if it cures your slowness".

[tongodeon]

Also, perhaps your spouse should read my LJ, especially since I can't spoil her fun since the acupuncture has already stopped working for her. My point is that *something* worked, but it probably wasn't the needles or the points or the custom-tailored treatment. Since sweaty palms are a common stress reaction it's possible that the experience of relaxing in a chair or on a table for a while is what did it. And she can do that at home for free, where she's got more control over the environment to be even more relaxed, plus it's free which means she's not stressing about whether it's worth the money.

[deeptape]

I read that as "virgins" do not. As in virgin sacrifice.