Saturday, October 04, 2008

Smart Slime, Ovulating Strippers Among 2008 Ig Nobels

Smart Slime, Ovulating Strippers Among 2008 Ig Nobels: "Generics and Jerks

Duke University business professor Dan Ariely, author of Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions, took home the Ig Nobel Prize for medicine.

In one study covered in the book, a group of people took placebos—fake pharmaceuticals—that they were told were expensive. Another group took the same pills but was told the drugs were inexpensive.

The 'expensive' pills were found to be more effective pain relievers than the 'cheap' ones.

The study could have implications for patients given generic, instead of brand-name, medications."

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