Episode 40

The seventh of several episodes in which Juliet and I ramble conversationally around a mind map I made. The six topics we randomly selected (not all covered in this episode) were "'solar' v. 'lunar' consciousness", "animal communication", "the Mayan calendar", "singularitarianism", "faster-than-light communication", "the Uncertainty Principle". A seventh, "rogue", topic was "'scientism' and materialism".

We discuss placebo effects, homeopathy, Rupert Sheldrake's "morphic resonance theory", the Gauquelin's "Mars Effect" and other controversial topics, in particular the way they've been handled by organised skeptics and the scientific establishment. This leads on to some insightful concluding remarks from Juliet, inspired by Wittgenstein's writings on the limits of language.

Some relevant links and references:

• Wikipedia's take on placebo effects
• A.K. Shapiro, "Placebo effect in psychotherapy and psychoanalysis", Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2:10 (1970) 73—78
• F.J. Evans, "Unravelling placebo effects: Expectations and the placebo response", Advances 1:3 (1984) 11—20
• H. Benson and D. P. McCallie, "Angina pectoris and the placebo effect", New England Journal of Medicine 300 (1979) 1424—1429
• L. White, B. Tursky and G. E. Schwartz, Placebo: Theory, research and mechanisms (Guildford Press, 1985)
• Wikipedia's take on homeopathy
• "water memory" controversy in Nature (science journal)
• Jacques Benviste (researcher at the centre of the "water memory" controversy)
• B. Dixon, "Criticism builds over Nature investigation" (The Scientist, 5 September 1988)
• homeopathy on the UK's National Health Service
• Rupert Sheldrake's home page
• Rupert Sheldrake: Wikipedia entry (as heavily edited by organised skeptics)
• Sheldrake's statement on the Wikipedia entry
• R. Sheldrake, "Morphic resonance and morphic fields: An introduction"
• Sheldrake on embryology
• CSICOP (now "Committee for Skeptical Inquiry")
• the Gauquelins' "Mars effect"
• G.L. Playfair, "Has CSICOP Lost the Thirty Years War? Part II: The Gauquelin Effect"
• Ludwig Wittgenstein
• serotonin
• ribbon eel (Rhinomuraena quaesita)