Weekly Filet #235: The placebo effect is getting weirder. And more.
1. A radical new hypothesis in medicine: give patients drugs they know don’t work (Vox.com)
Placebo effects are a fascinating phenomenon already. But it gets weirder (and more fascinating): Experiments indicate that the placebo effect seems to work even if patients are told that they are given mere sugar pills. How is that possible? The medicine professor who conducted the experiments: «First of all, I have no idea.»
2. The Great Tax Robbery (ZEIT Online)
«At first, the challenge was to reduce the tax burden of rich clients to as close to zero as possible. But soon even that was considered to be no longer enough. Instead of paying no taxes, the goal became to take money away from the state.»
3. The Thoughts of a Spiderweb (Quanta Magazine)
Turns out humans are not the only species to have learned how to offload cognitive tasks to the web.
4. Climber Completes the Most Dangerous Rope-Free Ascent Ever (National Geographic)
Two months ago, I stood at the foot of this monumental 1000 metre wall in Yosemite. Looking up alone made me shiver. Not this guy.
5. Polluted Water Popsicles (Colossal)
You just found your least favourite summer refreshment.