Placebos are commonly dismissed as "fake" treatments that have no real power on you or your body. But scientists are realizing more and more that placebos are more powerful than we realized. New research shows that while placebos may not cure diseases, they can reduce symptoms of our ailments like irritable bowel syndrome and even Parkinson's disease, and in the process actually make us feel better. Even traditional medicine takes advantage of the placebo effect, which could mean the placebo effect could play a significant role in treating diseases. On this episode we talk to Dr. Kathryn Hall, who appeared on Adam Ruins Spa Day, about how placebos can have such powerful effects on our brains and how placebos are changing the way we conduct science and treat patients. Kathryn is a molecular biologist and Director of Placebo Genetics at Harvard Medical School's Program in Placebo Studies.

Adam is on Twitter @AdamConover and you can find past episodes and bonus content from the TruTV show at AdamRuinsEverything.com.

Produced by Shara Morris for MaximumFun.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Ep 45: Dr. Kathryn Hall on the Surprising Power of Placebos

First, on the Adam Ruins Everything TV show, Adam Conover broke down widespread misconceptions about everything we take for granted. Now, join Adam as he sits down with the experts and stars from the show to go into even more detail.

Comedy

Adam has a brand new podcast! Factually! is a show full of fascinating facts that will make you see the world in an entirely new way. Adam sits down with experts, journalists, and Pulitzer Prize winners to talk about topics like big tech, trans issues, and gun control. If you liked this show, you're going to love Factually! Look up Factually! in your podcast app and subscribe now so you don't miss an episode.

Introducing: Factually! - Adam's new podcast

Do you remember all of those video games that were made for girls back in the 90s? Well they're not being archived the same way that stereotypical boy games are being preserved. They don't have value in the gaming community and many of these games are being forgotten even though they were just as creative and innovative for the industry. Our guest Rachel Weil is trying to change that by preserving these 'girl' games by going around the world and collecting these games and talking to the people who made them. She is a software developer for Microsoft and the founder of the Femicom Museum,  a hybrid physical/digital museum and archive dedicated to the preservation and reimagination of femininity, girlhood, and the aesthetics of cute within twentieth-century video games, computing, and electronic toys. Rachel did not appear on the Adam Ruins Everything TV show but her work reminded us of the themes we explored in our Adam Ruins Summer Fun episode. And since we're in the off-season of the TV show, we'll be inviting more guests onto the podcast whose work relates to themes we explored on the TV show or who are doing fascinating work or research that's worth discussing anyway. On the podcast Adam and Rachel had a lively discussion about gender expectations, the negative effects of marketing towards girls and boys, their favorite classic games and even their favorite savory breakfasts.

Adam is on Twitter @AdamConover and you can find past episodes and bonus content from the TruTV show at AdamRuinsEverything.com.

Produced by Shara Morris for MaximumFun.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Ep 47: Rachel Weil on Femicom and the Value of Preserving Classic 'Girl' Video Games

When we think of conducting science experiments on subjects, we immediately think of mice models. But today's guest, Dr. Azra Raza, who appeared on Adam Ruins Science, says there's a more effective way. On the TV show Dr. Raza discussed how the mouse model scientists use for their research is actually ineffective; even though a medicine might work well on a rodent, the results don't translate as well as we thought to humans - especially when it comes to cancer research which is what Dr. Raza studies. Even though humans and mice share over 90 percent of their DNA with one another, our bodies still differ in numerous ways; we metabolize food and medicine differently and humans are significantly bigger than mice in size. This wastes money from the limited amount of funding that already exists and encourages clinical trials that ultimately go nowhere. On the podcast, Dr. Raza proposes a different research method that she has used herself, to much success.

Dr. Raza is a Professor of Medicine and Director of the MDS Center at Columbia University in New York. Previously she conducted her research at Rush University, Chicago, Illinois in 1992, where she was the Charles Arthur Weaver Professor in Oncology and Director, Division of Myeloid Diseases.

Adam is on Twitter @AdamConover and you can find past episodes and bonus content from the TruTV show at AdamRuinsEverything.com.

Produced by Shara Morris for MaximumFun.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Ep 46: Dr. Azra Raza on Mouse Model Misconceptions & Other Ways We Can Improve Cancer Research

What once seemed like a fringe movement, conspiracy theories appear more pervasive than ever. Our guest Dr. Daniel Jolley points out, conspiracy theories have been around for centuries; social media, however, has given them a wider platform and megaphone. Believing in such theories can seem like harmless speculation. But if enough people accept ideas like the faking of the moon landing or 9/11 being a government inside job, they'll feel they have no agency. This can lead to very dangerous effects like lower voter turnout and less civic engagement at large. Daniel, who appeared on Adam Ruins Conspiracy Theories, explains why people believe in conspiracy theories in the first place, how people can believe in two contradictory conspiracy theories, and how we can combat these theories to create a healthier democracy. He studies conspiracy theories at Staffordshire University in the United Kingdom.

Adam is on Twitter @AdamConover and you can find past episodes and bonus content from the TruTV show at AdamRuinsEverything.com.

Produced by Shara Morris for MaximumFun.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ep 45: Dr. Kathryn Hall on the Surprising Power of Placebos

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