nautil.us
Open in
urlscan Pro
151.101.131.52
Public Scan
URL:
https://nautil.us/placebo-science-is-rooted-in-witch-hunts-787338/?_sp=fbc76f9d-7c5c-4f2c-b4e7-19b9077bafa8.172492...
Submission: On August 29 via manual from DE — Scanned from US
Submission: On August 29 via manual from DE — Scanned from US
Form analysis 6 forms found in the DOM
GET https://nautil.us/
<form role="search" method="get" class="search-inp-wrap responsive-search" action="https://nautil.us/">
<label>
<span class="screen-reader-text"></span>
<input type="search" class="form-control" placeholder="Search Nautilus..." value="" name="s">
</label>
<button type="submit" class="search-submit" value="Search">
<img src="https://nautil.us/wp-content/themes/nautilus-block-theme/images/icons/search-dark.svg" class="icon-search" alt="search icon" width="28" height="28">
</button>
</form>GET https://nautil.us/
<form role="search" method="get" class="search-form" action="https://nautil.us/">
<label>
<span class="screen-reader-text">Search for:</span>
<input type="search" class="search-field" placeholder="Search …" value="" name="s">
</label>
<input type="submit" class="search-submit" value="Search">
</form>POST
<form enctype="multipart/form-data" method="post" class="frm-show-form frm_js_validate frm_ajax_submit frm_pro_form " id="form_speedbump-block-default-form" data-token="522b2f11bba8907fab4474d0f27eb7bd" style="overflow-x: visible;">
<div class="frm_form_fields ">
<fieldset>
<legend class="frm_screen_reader">NL – Article speedbump</legend>
<div class="frm_fields_container">
<input type="hidden" name="frm_action" value="create">
<input type="hidden" name="form_id" value="86">
<input type="hidden" name="frm_hide_fields_86" id="frm_hide_fields_86" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="form_key" value="speedbump-block-default-form">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[0]" value="">
<input type="hidden" id="frm_submit_entry_86" name="frm_submit_entry_86" value="b61a648fab"><input type="hidden" name="_wp_http_referer" value="/placebo-science-is-rooted-in-witch-hunts-787338/"><input type="hidden" name="item_meta[750]"
id="field_js_utm_id86" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[751]" id="field_js_utm_source1" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[753]" id="field_js_utm_medium1" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[752]" id="field_js_utm_campaign1" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[754]" id="field_js_utm_term1" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[755]" id="field_js_utm_content1" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[757]" id="field_nl_lp_rid86" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[758]" id="field_ucvvj" value="16:14:45" data-frmval="16:14:45">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[759]" id="field_7xafb" value="714" data-frmval="714">
<div id="frm_field_742_container" class="frm_form_field form-field frm_required_field frm_none_container frm_two_thirds">
<label for="field_y56x4" id="field_y56x4_label" class="frm_primary_label">Email <span class="frm_required" aria-hidden="true">*</span>
</label>
<input type="email" id="field_y56x4" name="item_meta[742]" value="" autocomplete="email" placeholder="Enter your email" data-reqmsg="Email cannot be blank." aria-required="true" data-invmsg="Email is invalid" aria-invalid="false">
</div>
<div id="frm_field_743_container" class="frm_form_field form-field frm_third">
<div class="frm_submit frm_third">
<button class="frm_button_submit frm_final_submit" type="submit" formnovalidate="formnovalidate">Sign up for free</button>
</div>
</div>
<input type="hidden" name="item_key" value="">
<div class="frm__655bb6eca1eeb">
<label for="frm_email_86"> If you are human, leave this field blank. </label>
<input id="frm_email_86" type="text" class="frm_verify" name="frm__655bb6eca1eeb" value="" autocomplete="off">
</div>
<input name="frm_state" type="hidden" value="KlvCIRs9PrcBc/SyV6Q92+Pz7c5r9eSpW7OdQdnzNVH6XXBX6wl+oa1lxeu/bsk/lFT36iN86waAkSC6QSrpwzzc26VYYXSksY4ForBkgidZAYlj5W8xdGzVexfVj27aUCaQ0QgcowTrKUXzMxpk5tZwcxO3dhMqg7Fxh6OQmKV+R6bEbfJUsyoJm2JFd5lO">
</div>
</fieldset>
</div>
</form>POST
<form enctype="multipart/form-data" method="post" class="frm-show-form frm_js_validate frm_ajax_submit frm_pro_form " id="form_newsletter-signup-in-page-mobile" data-token="522b2f11bba8907fab4474d0f27eb7bd" style="overflow-x: visible;">
<div class="frm_form_fields ">
<fieldset>
<legend class="frm_screen_reader">NL – In Page Mobile</legend>
<div class="frm_fields_container">
<input type="hidden" name="frm_action" value="create">
<input type="hidden" name="form_id" value="60">
<input type="hidden" name="frm_hide_fields_60" id="frm_hide_fields_60" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="form_key" value="newsletter-signup-in-page-mobile">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[0]" value="">
<input type="hidden" id="frm_submit_entry_60" name="frm_submit_entry_60" value="b61a648fab"><input type="hidden" name="_wp_http_referer" value="/placebo-science-is-rooted-in-witch-hunts-787338/">
<div id="frm_field_463_container" class="frm_form_field form-field frm_required_field frm_top_container">
<label for="field_email2" id="field_email2_label" class="frm_primary_label">Email: <span class="frm_required">*</span>
</label>
<input type="email" id="field_email2" name="item_meta[463]" value="" placeholder="Enter your email address" data-reqmsg="Email: cannot be blank." aria-required="true" data-invmsg="This is not a valid email." aria-invalid="false">
</div>
<div id="frm_field_464_container" class="frm_form_field form-field frm_none_container">
<label for="g-recaptcha-response" id="field_f02yo2_label" class="frm_primary_label">Captcha <span class="frm_required" aria-hidden="true"></span>
</label>
<div id="field_f02yo2" class="frm-g-recaptcha" data-sitekey="6LcIGuUpAAAAABhqlni-ytDG0olfnt-0G0s_5u09" data-size="invisible" data-theme="light" data-rid="0">
<div class="grecaptcha-badge" data-style="bottomright"
style="width: 256px; height: 60px; display: block; transition: right 0.3s; position: fixed; bottom: 14px; right: -186px; box-shadow: gray 0px 0px 5px; border-radius: 2px; overflow: hidden;">
<div class="grecaptcha-logo"><iframe title="reCAPTCHA" width="256" height="60" role="presentation" name="a-typnf08sdshm" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"
sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation allow-modals allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-storage-access-by-user-activation"
src="https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LcIGuUpAAAAABhqlni-ytDG0olfnt-0G0s_5u09&co=aHR0cHM6Ly9uYXV0aWwudXM6NDQz&hl=en&v=i7X0JrnYWy9Y_5EYdoFM79kV&theme=light&size=invisible&cb=ckn88mtvfsgz"></iframe>
</div>
<div class="grecaptcha-error"></div><textarea id="g-recaptcha-response" name="g-recaptcha-response" class="g-recaptcha-response"
style="width: 250px; height: 40px; border: 1px solid rgb(193, 193, 193); margin: 10px 25px; padding: 0px; resize: none; display: none;"></textarea>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[465]" id="field_js_utm_id3" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[466]" id="field_js_utm_source3" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[467]" id="field_js_utm_medium3" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[468]" id="field_js_utm_campaign3" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[469]" id="field_js_utm_term3" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[470]" id="field_js_utm_content3" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[471]" id="field_nl_lp_rid2" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[531]" id="field_xyc35" value="16:14:45" data-frmval="16:14:45">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[537]" id="field_yntmy" value="2698" data-frmval="2698">
<input type="hidden" name="item_key" value="">
<div class="frm__655bb6eca1eeb">
<label for="frm_email_60"> If you are human, leave this field blank. </label>
<input id="frm_email_60" type="text" class="frm_verify" name="frm__655bb6eca1eeb" value="" autocomplete="off">
</div>
<input name="frm_state" type="hidden" value="KlvCIRs9PrcBc/SyV6Q92+Pz7c5r9eSpW7OdQdnzNVH6XXBX6wl+oa1lxeu/bsk/lFT36iN86waAkSC6QSrpwzzc26VYYXSksY4ForBkgidZAYlj5W8xdGzVexfVj27aUCaQ0QgcowTrKUXzMxpk5tZwcxO3dhMqg7Fxh6OQmKV+R6bEbfJUsyoJm2JFd5lO">
<div class="frm_submit">
<button class="frm_button_submit frm_final_submit" type="submit" formnovalidate="formnovalidate">Sign up for free</button>
</div>
</div>
</fieldset>
</div>
</form>POST
<form enctype="multipart/form-data" method="post" class="frm-show-form frm_js_validate frm_ajax_submit frm_pro_form " id="form_newsletter-signup-footer" data-token="522b2f11bba8907fab4474d0f27eb7bd" style="overflow-x: visible;">
<div class="frm_form_fields ">
<fieldset>
<legend class="frm_screen_reader">NL – Footer</legend>
<div class="frm_fields_container">
<input type="hidden" name="frm_action" value="create">
<input type="hidden" name="form_id" value="61">
<input type="hidden" name="frm_hide_fields_61" id="frm_hide_fields_61" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="form_key" value="newsletter-signup-footer">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[0]" value="">
<input type="hidden" id="frm_submit_entry_61" name="frm_submit_entry_61" value="b61a648fab"><input type="hidden" name="_wp_http_referer" value="/placebo-science-is-rooted-in-witch-hunts-787338/">
<div id="frm_field_472_container" class="frm_form_field form-field frm_required_field frm_top_container">
<label for="field_email3" id="field_email3_label" class="frm_primary_label">Email: <span class="frm_required">*</span>
</label>
<input type="email" id="field_email3" name="item_meta[472]" value="" placeholder="Enter your email address" data-reqmsg="Email: cannot be blank." aria-required="true" data-invmsg="This is not a valid email." aria-invalid="false">
</div>
<div id="frm_field_473_container" class="frm_form_field form-field frm_top_container">
<label for="g-recaptcha-response" id="field_f02yo3_label" class="frm_primary_label">Please check the box below to proceed. <span class="frm_required" aria-hidden="true"></span>
</label>
<div id="field_f02yo3" class="frm-g-recaptcha" data-sitekey="6LcIGuUpAAAAABhqlni-ytDG0olfnt-0G0s_5u09" data-size="invisible" data-theme="dark" data-rid="1">
<div class="grecaptcha-badge" data-style="none" style="width: 256px; height: 60px; position: fixed; visibility: hidden;">
<div class="grecaptcha-logo"><iframe title="reCAPTCHA" width="256" height="60" role="presentation" name="a-iigxod5rxbp8" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"
sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation allow-modals allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-storage-access-by-user-activation"
src="https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LcIGuUpAAAAABhqlni-ytDG0olfnt-0G0s_5u09&co=aHR0cHM6Ly9uYXV0aWwudXM6NDQz&hl=en&v=i7X0JrnYWy9Y_5EYdoFM79kV&theme=dark&size=invisible&cb=693cqtvr950n"></iframe>
</div>
<div class="grecaptcha-error"></div><textarea id="g-recaptcha-response-1" name="g-recaptcha-response" class="g-recaptcha-response"
style="width: 250px; height: 40px; border: 1px solid rgb(193, 193, 193); margin: 10px 25px; padding: 0px; resize: none; display: none;"></textarea>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[474]" id="field_js_utm_id4" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[475]" id="field_js_utm_source4" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[476]" id="field_js_utm_medium4" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[477]" id="field_js_utm_campaign4" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[478]" id="field_js_utm_term4" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[479]" id="field_js_utm_content4" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[480]" id="field_nl_lp_rid3" value="">
<div id="frm_field_741_container" class="frm_form_field form-field ">
<div class="frm_submit">
<button class="frm_button_submit frm_final_submit" type="submit" formnovalidate="formnovalidate">Sign up for free</button>
</div>
</div>
<input type="hidden" name="item_key" value="">
<div class="frm__655bb6eca1eeb">
<label for="frm_email_61"> If you are human, leave this field blank. </label>
<input id="frm_email_61" type="text" class="frm_verify" name="frm__655bb6eca1eeb" value="" autocomplete="off">
</div>
<input name="frm_state" type="hidden" value="KlvCIRs9PrcBc/SyV6Q92+Pz7c5r9eSpW7OdQdnzNVH6XXBX6wl+oa1lxeu/bsk/lFT36iN86waAkSC6QSrpwzzc26VYYXSksY4ForBkgidZAYlj5W8xdGzVexfVj27aUCaQ0QgcowTrKUXzMxpk5tZwcxO3dhMqg7Fxh6OQmKV+R6bEbfJUsyoJm2JFd5lO">
</div>
</fieldset>
</div>
</form>POST
<form enctype="multipart/form-data" method="post" class="frm-show-form frm_js_validate frm_ajax_submit frm_pro_form " id="form_newsletter-signup-emailgate" data-token="522b2f11bba8907fab4474d0f27eb7bd" style="overflow-x: visible;">
<div class="frm_form_fields ">
<fieldset>
<legend class="frm_screen_reader">NL – Emailgate</legend>
<div class="frm_fields_container">
<input type="hidden" name="frm_action" value="create">
<input type="hidden" name="form_id" value="74">
<input type="hidden" name="frm_hide_fields_74" id="frm_hide_fields_74" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="form_key" value="newsletter-signup-emailgate">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[0]" value="">
<input type="hidden" id="frm_submit_entry_74" name="frm_submit_entry_74" value="b61a648fab"><input type="hidden" name="_wp_http_referer" value="/placebo-science-is-rooted-in-witch-hunts-787338/">
<div id="frm_field_602_container" class="frm_form_field form-field frm_required_field frm_none_container">
<label for="field_email6" id="field_email6_label" class="frm_primary_label">
<span class="frm_required">*</span>
</label>
<input type="email" id="field_email6" name="item_meta[602]" value="" style="width:302px" placeholder="Enter your email address" data-reqmsg="This field cannot be blank." aria-required="true" data-invmsg="This is not a valid email."
class="auto_width" aria-invalid="false">
</div>
<div id="frm_field_603_container" class="frm_form_field form-field frm_none_container">
<label for="g-recaptcha-response" id="field_f02yo6_label" class="frm_primary_label">Check the box below to proceed. <span class="frm_required" aria-hidden="true"></span>
</label>
<div id="field_f02yo6" class="frm-g-recaptcha" data-sitekey="6LcIGuUpAAAAABhqlni-ytDG0olfnt-0G0s_5u09" data-size="invisible" data-theme="dark" data-rid="2">
<div class="grecaptcha-badge" data-style="none" style="width: 256px; height: 60px; position: fixed; visibility: hidden;">
<div class="grecaptcha-logo"><iframe title="reCAPTCHA" width="256" height="60" role="presentation" name="a-dd1jnv8v4mrf" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"
sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation allow-modals allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-storage-access-by-user-activation"
src="https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LcIGuUpAAAAABhqlni-ytDG0olfnt-0G0s_5u09&co=aHR0cHM6Ly9uYXV0aWwudXM6NDQz&hl=en&v=i7X0JrnYWy9Y_5EYdoFM79kV&theme=dark&size=invisible&cb=enlbzm54zeb6"></iframe>
</div>
<div class="grecaptcha-error"></div><textarea id="g-recaptcha-response-2" name="g-recaptcha-response" class="g-recaptcha-response"
style="width: 250px; height: 40px; border: 1px solid rgb(193, 193, 193); margin: 10px 25px; padding: 0px; resize: none; display: none;"></textarea>
</div><iframe style="display: none;"></iframe>
</div>
</div>
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[604]" id="field_js_utm_id9" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[605]" id="field_js_utm_source9" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[606]" id="field_js_utm_medium9" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[607]" id="field_js_utm_campaign9" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[608]" id="field_js_utm_term9" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[609]" id="field_js_utm_content9" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[610]" id="field_nl_lp_rid6" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[611]" id="field_2926n3" value="16:14:45" data-frmval="16:14:45">
<input type="hidden" name="item_meta[612]" id="field_md9f43" value="5455" data-frmval="5455">
<div id="frm_field_756_container" class="frm_form_field form-field ">
<div class="frm_submit">
<button class="frm_button_submit frm_final_submit" type="submit" formnovalidate="formnovalidate">Sign up for free</button>
</div>
</div>
<input type="hidden" name="item_key" value="">
<div class="frm__655bb6eca1eeb">
<label for="frm_email_74"> If you are human, leave this field blank. </label>
<input id="frm_email_74" type="text" class="frm_verify" name="frm__655bb6eca1eeb" value="" autocomplete="off">
</div>
<input name="frm_state" type="hidden" value="KlvCIRs9PrcBc/SyV6Q92+Pz7c5r9eSpW7OdQdnzNVH6XXBX6wl+oa1lxeu/bsk/lFT36iN86waAkSC6QSrpwzzc26VYYXSksY4ForBkgidZAYlj5W8xdGzVexfVj27aUCaQ0QgcowTrKUXzMxpk5tZwcxO3dhMqg7Fxh6OQmKV+R6bEbfJUsyoJm2JFd5lO">
</div>
</fieldset>
</div>
</form>Text Content
*
*
*
* Channels
* Topics
* About
* Contact us
* Newsletter
* Become a member
* Shop
Channels
Art+Science
Biology + Beyond
Cosmos
Culture
Earth
Life
Mind
Ocean
One Question
Quanta Abstractions
Science Philanthropy Alliance
Spark of Science
The Porthole
The Reality Issue
The Rebel Issue
Women in Science & Engineering
Topics
* Anthropology
* Arts
* Astronomy
* Communication
* Economics
* Environment
* Evolution
* General
* Genetics
* Geoscience
* Health
* History
* Math
* Microbiology
* Neuroscience
* Paleontology
* Philosophy
* Physics
* Psychology
* Sociology
* Technology
* Zoology
ALREADY A MEMBER? LOG IN
*
*
* Join
Close
Search for:
Log in Join
Physics
When Reality Came Undone
Physics
How Teacups and Demons Help Demystify Physics
Arts
The Harrowing and the Beautiful
Psychology
Out of Your Head
Neuroscience
When Reality Feels Unreal
Communication
The Reality Issue
Technology
In the Beginning, There Was Computation
Physics
Confessions of a Theoretical Physicist
Philosophy
A Hermit’s Reality
Physics
When Reality Came Undone
Physics
How Teacups and Demons Help Demystify Physics
Arts
The Harrowing and the Beautiful
Psychology
Out of Your Head
Neuroscience
When Reality Feels Unreal
Communication
The Reality Issue
Technology
In the Beginning, There Was Computation
Physics
Confessions of a Theoretical Physicist
Philosophy
A Hermit’s Reality
Physics
When Reality Came Undone
Physics
How Teacups and Demons Help Demystify Physics
Arts
The Harrowing and the Beautiful
Psychology
Out of Your Head
Neuroscience
When Reality Feels Unreal
Communication
The Reality Issue
Technology
In the Beginning, There Was Computation
Physics
Confessions of a Theoretical Physicist
Philosophy
A Hermit’s Reality
ADVERTISEMENT
Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now .
* Sociology
PLACEBO SCIENCE IS ROOTED IN WITCH HUNTS
How we learned to sort true from false in medicine.
* By Kristen French
* August 27, 2024
* Add a comment
* Share
Facebook Twitter Pocket Reddit Email
Sign up for the free Nautilus newsletter:
science and culture for people who love beautiful writing.
NL – Article speedbump
Email *
Sign up for free
If you are human, leave this field blank.
Explore
In 1599, a young woman in the Loire Valley of France began to suffer violent
outbursts, rolling around on the floor in convulsions, eyes rolled back in her
head, tongue lashing out, a tortured voice erupting from her stomach. Named
Marthe Brossier, she accused her neighbor of using witchcraft to cause a demon
to possess her, and she quickly became famous. Her family took her on tour from
town to town, and priests were called in almost daily to conduct exorcisms, with
large audiences drawn to the spectacle.
At the time, a violent conflict was afoot between Catholics and Protestants in
France. Brossier came from a Catholic community and her demon claimed, among
other things, that all Protestants belonged to Satan. Fearing political
consequences, King Henry IV sent a medical commission to study the girl in
private.
Powered By
10
How Fast Does Hair Grow?
Share
Next
Stay
Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now .
Royal physician Michel Marescot decided that the way to divine the truth would
be to bring both real and sham religious objects—unconsecrated water or wafers
held in a bottle or box normally reserved for holy ones—and compare Brossier’s
reactions to them. Over a period of 40 days, he and his cadre ran their tests
and found no discernible difference in the way the girl responded to the
different objects: When a sham relic was held against her skin, she would scream
as though it were made of fire. So Marescot and the other physicians concluded
that Brossier was not possessed. Other special investigations organized by
Catholic clergy, considered politically motivated, found the opposite, however,
and reports from the different teams made their way around Europe.
> Theology was the language of science, so to speak.
ADVERTISEMENT
Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now .
From our 21st-century perspective, of course, it comes as no surprise that poor
Marthe Brossier was not possessed. Still, Marescot’s trickery constitutes one of
the first ever placebo-controlled trials—centuries before we had a name for
them, says neuroscientist Karin Jensen, of the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.
Scholars have long held that the placebo control, as such, was invented during
the Enlightenment, or even in more modern times, after the Protestant
Reformation, says Jensen. But she and a medieval scholar named Racha Kirakosian
of Freiburg University were convinced there must be precursors. “During medieval
days, there were people with pretty advanced scientific thinking,” says Jensen.
Kirakosian suggested they look among the scholastics, a medieval school of
philosophy that relied on an Aristotelian form of analysis. These were early
skeptics like French theologian Jean Gerson, Italian Dominican friar and priest
Thomas Aquinas, and Italian bishop Saint Bonaventure. Back then, there was no
real separation between theology and science. “Theology was the language of
science, so to speak,” says Jensen.
Jensen and Kirakosian eventually found what they were looking for in medieval
texts about witch hunts. Together with Harvard University scholar of placebo
research Ted Kaptchuk, they published their findings earlier this year in the
Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine.
In the paper, they show that the royal physician Marescot was borrowing from the
writings of Gerson, a medieval public intellectual and Chancellor of the
University of Paris. In the late 14th century, divine revelations were in vogue.
Women were often the ones to claim that God was speaking through them, and their
pronouncements often contained bold ideas that had powerful social and political
influence. The women were talked about extensively during meetings at the
Vatican, says Jensen, and Gerson became obsessed with finding ways to tell when
a revelation was real and when it was a trick. Like other scholastic theologians
and philosophers, Gerson wrote a lot about divine and sham relics—how the
objects’ transformation happened and how difficult it was to tell the
difference. But he was the first to call for a rigorous look at divine
revelations in his writings, and these writings ultimately found a wide
audience.
ADVERTISEMENT
Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now .
Early medieval pre-scientific ideas were mainly spread in manuscripts that were
handwritten in monasteries, but when the printing press was invented, among the
very first books printed were Gerson’s texts explaining how to discern true from
false. Gerson’s books sat, together with manuals that discussed how to tell a
witch from a regular woman, on the desks of every judge and inquisitor in
Europe. Their influence was enormous. “That’s when the exorcisms started to
happen,” says Jensen. “The women who were allegedly possessed were, in the end,
assessed by physicians. And that’s the first time when we moved from this
religious realm to the medical realm.”
Gerson’s ideas about placebo controls were later used to identify charlatans
like German physician Franz Anton Mesmer, for instance—who falsely claimed that
something called animal magnetism could heal tissues and disorders—and to debunk
miracle cures.
Today, placebo controls are used in almost every rigorous form of clinical
trial, to identify medicines that have a measurable biological effect from ones
that work primarily through suggestion, and to discern the role of the psyche in
healing. They remain one of the most clever ways we have in science to tell when
a medicine’s real power resides mostly in the mind.
Lead image: matrioshka / Shutterstock
ADVERTISEMENT
Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now .
* KRISTEN FRENCH
Posted on August 27, 2024
Kristen French is an associate editor at Nautilus.
GET THE NAUTILUS NEWSLETTER
Cutting-edge science, unraveled by the very brightest living thinkers.
NL – In Page Mobile
Email: *
Captcha
If you are human, leave this field blank.
Sign up for free
Zoology
Crows Are Even Smarter Than We Thought
Physics
When Reality Came Undone
Physics
How Teacups and Demons Help Demystify Physics
ADVERTISEMENT
View / Add Comments
*
Explore
WHEN REALITY CAME UNDONE
* By Philip Ball
* August 28, 2024
* Physics
100 years ago, a circle of physicists shook the foundation of science. It’s
still trembling.
*
Explore
HOW TEACUPS AND DEMONS HELP DEMYSTIFY PHYSICS
* By Patricia Palacios
* August 26, 2024
* Physics
The thought experiments illuminating black holes and other scientific
problems.
*
Explore
THE HARROWING AND THE BEAUTIFUL
* By Michael Hersch
* August 23, 2024
* Arts
In the darkest reality, this celebrated composer finds his voice.
*
Explore
OUT OF YOUR HEAD
* By Steve Paulson
* August 22, 2024
* Psychology
Exploring psychedelic experiences that seem wider than the brain.
*
Explore
WHEN REALITY FEELS UNREAL
* By Katherine Harmon Courage
* August 21, 2024
* Neuroscience
Why your life sometimes feels alien to you.
NAUTILUS: SCIENCE CONNECTED
Nautilus is a different kind of science magazine. Our stories take you into the
depths of science and spotlight its ripples in our lives and cultures.
GET THE NAUTILUS NEWSLETTER
Cutting-edge science, unraveled by the very brightest living thinkers.
NL – Footer
Email: *
Please check the box below to proceed.
Sign up for free
If you are human, leave this field blank.
QUICK LINKS
* Home
* About Us
* Contact
* FAQ
* Prime
* Ebook
* Shop
* Donate
* Awards and Press
* Privacy Policy
* Terms of Service
* RSS
* Jobs
* Newsletter
* Ethics Policy
SOCIAL
*
*
*
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2024 NautilusNext Inc., All rights reserved.
Enjoy unlimited Nautilus articles, ad-free, for less than $5/month. Join now
! THERE IS NOT AN ACTIVE SUBSCRIPTION ASSOCIATED WITH THAT EMAIL ADDRESS.
ALREADY A MEMBER? LOG IN
JOIN TO CONTINUE READING.
You’ve read your 2 free articles this month. Access unlimited ad-free stories,
including this one, by becoming a Nautilus member.
Join now
! THERE IS NOT AN ACTIVE SUBSCRIPTION ASSOCIATED WITH THAT EMAIL ADDRESS.
ALREADY A MEMBER? LOG IN
THIS IS YOUR LAST FREE ARTICLE.
Don’t limit your curiosity. Access unlimited ad-free stories like this one, and
support independent journalism, by becoming a Nautilus member.
Join now
Literary and always interesting.
To read this story, sign up for the free Nautilus newsletter: science and
culture for people who love beautiful writing.
NL – Emailgate
*
Check the box below to proceed.
Sign up for free
If you are human, leave this field blank.
Notifications