
The Placebo Effect
From Citation Needed by Citation Needed Media
March 25, 2026 · 41 min · Season 1 · Episode 467
About this episode
This episode discusses the concept of the placebo effect and its implications in medicine.
A placebo ( / p l ə ˈ s iː b oʊ / pluh-SEE-boh ) is a medicine or treatment intended to appear genuine to its recipient, but which has no pharmaceutical effect. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] Common placebos include inert tablets (like sugar pills), inert injections (like saline ), sham surgery , [ 3 ] and other procedures. [ 4 ]
Topics covered
- placebo effect
- medicine
- treatment
Keywords
- placebo
- inert tablets
- sham surgery
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