Rotundus.com

When talking of medicine, a lot of people seem to forget about the placebo effect. An interesting study by Duke University now suggests that the cost attributed to the pill also is an important factor:

A 10-cent pill doesn't kill pain as well as a $2.50 pill, even when they are identical placebos, according to a provocative study by Dan Ariely, a behavioral economist at Duke University.

... In the full-price group, 85 percent of subjects experienced a reduction in pain after taking the placebo. In the low-price group, 61 percent said the pain was less.

The folks at Freakonomics took on the question is tooth cleaning a scam?

The review looked for evidence to answer two related questions:

The first is, do scale and polish procedures [having your teeth cleaned] lead to any difference in periodontal health compared with no scale and polish? Second, does the interval between these scale and polishing procedures make any difference?

The results were not heartening for those of us who have suffered through dozens upon dozens of cleanings. The meta analysis of qualifying studies suggested that the evidence was mixed, at best.

(HT: Evangelical Outpost)

I filled out the paperwork to obtain a passport about a year and a half ago, but have yet to be in a situation where I've required it. Thinking that that should change, over the past day or two I've thinking that Europe sounds like a decent place to head this summer.

Chatting with my supervisor yesterday, it seems that the coast is clear for me to head off for 2-3 weeks in June. I think that I'm going to try to latch on to one of these group tours of the lightening-quick variety. Not a whole lot of time in any one place - but call it an appetizer.

Now to get back to work... no more procrastinating with trip planning