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Homeopathic overdose protest in Boots
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Squid Tempest
Squid Tempest
8761 posts

Re: Homeopathic overdose protest in Boots
Jan 29, 2010, 13:11
Merrick wrote:
Squid, I don't doubt that homeopathy's worked for your friend.

Squid Tempest wrote:
Apparently for her it really works, and in ways that it is hard to fit in with the placebo effect. real, physical differences.


I think you misunderstand what the placebo effect is. It *does* deliver real, physical differences. It really medically works for some people. Ben Goldacre's excellent article on placebo says there was even a study where people were told they were getting a placebo with no actual medicine in and some of them responded.

http://www.badscience.net/2008/03/all-bow-before-the-might-of-the-placebo-effect-it-is-the-coolest-strangest-thing-in-medicine/

Squid Tempest wrote:
Could it possibly be that there is something going on here that science has yet to suss out?


If it actually worked as actual medicine, tests would show that. WE don't need science to show *how* it works - there is a lot of mystery and much that we don't yet know - but trials do need to show that something *does* work. And the extensive trials of homeopathy show that it does not, beyond placebo.


Merrick, I don't misunderstand the placebo effect. I have a strong scientific background. I said "in ways that are hard to fit in with the placebo effect". In other words, way beyond what you would expect from a placebo. It might be possible for that to be attributable to a placebo, but the odds against it would be stacked high.

And don't place so much faith in "extensive trials". These have a habit of only "proving" what the person running the trial wants to prove. You've only got to look at the way cannabis has been re-assessed and re-assessed over the years, each trial "proving" something different.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still sceptical about homeopathy, but I intend to retain an open mind until I've seen some pretty conclusive proof for myself one way or the other.
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