Science Weekly: The Placebo Effect

This week, James Randerson is joined in the pod by Ian Sample and Nell Boase to discuss placebos and panaceas, including the new evidence that Prozac and other SSRI antidepressants are little better than sugar pills.

Also in the show, Andy Lewis from the Quackometer website updates us on his battles to expose charlatans and hocus pocus. In the latest edition of Thought for the Pod, Polly Toynbee gives us her take on the politics and ethics of organ donation. And we hear from our friends at Null Hypothesis who have just hosted GeekPop08 - an online concert showcasing some of the best sci-pop songs around.

Listen to the show here

You can also listen to a recording of this year's annual Sense About Science lecture by Alan Sokal on the science of enquiry.