Library

The nocebo effect: when expecting harm makes us feel unwell

If we expect a drug to give us a headache or tiredness, we often feel them, even when the drug contains no active substance. This is the nocebo effect.

3 November 2026 / 5 min read

The placebo effect: what expectation can do, and what it cannot

A sugar pill does not cure a disease. But it can change how we experience pain or fatigue. It is one of the clearest pieces of evidence for the link between mind and body.

3 November 2026 / 5 min read

The Pygmalion effect: do teachers’ expectations affect pupils?

At a school in California, teachers were told that some pupils would soon "bloom". In fact, the names had been chosen at random. What happened eight months later?

2 November 2026 / 5 min read

The law of attraction: what is true and what is not

The idea that our thoughts attract the events in our life is very widespread. Science does not support it. But there are some true things inside it worth keeping.

26 October 2026 / 5 min read