Reducing Guilt with Placebos

Today you’ll learn about how ancient Roman concrete can heal itself, the recent discovery of a virovore, and how a new study looks into whether or not we can control feelings of guilt through the placebo effect.   

Roman Concrete Magic   

• “Scientists may have found magic ingredient behind ancient Rome’s self-healing concrete” by Jacklin Kwan  
• “Why modern mortar crumbles, but Roman concrete lasts millennia” by ZAHRA AHMAD  

Virovore   

• “First "virovore" discovered: An organism that eats viruses” By Michael Irving  
• “The consumption of viruses returns energy to food chains” by John P. DeLong et al.  

Placebo Guilt  

• “Placebos reduce feelings of guilt – even when people know they’re taking one” by Jeremy Howick  
• “Deceptive and open-label placebo effects in experimentally induced guilt: a randomized controlled trial in healthy subjects” by Dilan Sezer, Cosima Locher & Jens Gaab  

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