The strange powers of the Placebo Effect

Everyone's heard of the Placebo Effect -- that curious phenomenon where taking a substance that has no known medicinal value makes us feel better. This video takes a look at the many strange effects of placebos ("sugar pills"), as well as the effects of our perceptions on their efficacy: pill size or number of pills swallowed, pill colour, packaging, delivery method (pills versus injections, for example), our symptoms, where in the world we live ... and yes, it's possible to become addicted to placebos! The government even uses the Placebo Effect: if a new drug can't outperform a placebo there's no proof it's effective.