Science Says: Nocebo Is In E-F-F-E-C-T

“Arne May’s team at the University of Hamburg, Germany, applied heat to the arms of 38 volunteers over six days. Half of them were told the heat would get more intense, and they reported constant pain levels. The rest felt less pain as they got used to the sensation. The first group also had increased activity in a brain area involved in pain perception.” So reports New Scientist’s Jessica Hamzelou about an interesting phenomenon with an excellent name that I didn’t know existed: the “nocebo effect,” which, just like it sounds, “describes any case where putting someone in a negative frame of mind has an adverse effect on their health or well-being.” Up until today, I would have thought the nocebo effect was California police code for silencing gangsta rap through parole stipulations that violate First Amendment rights.

And since it’s August:

Oh, and: