What memorable animal encounters did Erik Vance have as a field biologist?

Prior to becoming a journalist, Erik Vance had several strange experiences, including attempting to catch porcupines in South Africa for a BBC documentary. This involved habituating the animals by talking to them for hours, often about his personal life.

What was Erik Vance's most unusual reporting assignment?

One of Erik's earliest and most unique assignments was writing about a scientist who studied the smell of pig manure in Iowa. This involved visiting the lab, experiencing a 'smelly pen' test, and even having a device stuck on his nose to analyze pig manure components, which resulted in him smelling farmyard for days.

How did growing up in Christian Science influence Erik Vance's interest in the placebo effect?

As a Christian Scientist, Erik Vance did not visit a doctor until he was 18, and experienced a 'healing' from a serious childhood illness through prayer. This upbringing fostered a strong belief in the mind's power over the body, which later connected directly to his research into how belief and expectation drive the placebo effect.

Can the placebo effect occur even if a person knows they are receiving an inert substance?

Yes, for many people, the placebo effect is subconscious and tied to classical conditioning. Even if someone is explicitly told they are receiving an inert placebo pill, their brain can still trigger internal drug responses based on learned associations with taking medicine.

What is the nocebo effect, and how does it relate to curses?

The nocebo effect is the opposite of the placebo effect, where negative expectations lead to negative outcomes. Erik Vance explored this by hiring a witch doctor in Mexico City to curse him. He discovered that curses often rely on the nocebo effect, requiring the cursed person to be informed of the curse and believe in its power. His personal 'curse' experience led to his pregnant wife experiencing contractions, which he initially attributed to the curse before realizing it was food poisoning.

Can negative expectations diminish the effectiveness of real medicine?

Absolutely. Negative expectations (nocebo effect) can erode the efficacy of active pharmaceutical treatments. Studies, including early dental research, have shown that if patients are told a real painkiller would make them worse, they experienced more pain and less relief.

Why does the placebo effect work for Parkinson's disease but not Alzheimer's?

Parkinson's disease often responds well to placebos because it involves a deficiency in dopamine, a neurotransmitter linked to reward and expectation. The placebo effect can trigger the brain's own dopamine release, improving symptoms. Alzheimer's, however, involves fundamental degenerative brain damage that cannot be reversed by expectation or dopamine modulation.

Are there ethical concerns when studying the nocebo effect?

Yes, studying the nocebo effect is ethically challenging because it involves intentionally causing negative symptoms or distress through suggestion. It is considered unethical to tell participants that a substance will make them seriously ill or kill them, making research in this area limited compared to placebo studies.

How can individuals harness the placebo effect in their own lives?

Erik Vance suggests that individuals can harness the placebo effect by embracing suggestibility and cultivating strong belief (certainty, not just hope) in their healing narrative. This can involve products, ancient mysticism, or modern technology that resonates with them, while adhering to rules like not causing harm, going broke, or using endangered animals.

What are 'active placebos', and why are they used?

Active placebos are inert substances that, despite having no direct therapeutic effect, cause a noticeable physical sensation like tingling or skin flushing. They are used in some products (like supplements with niacin or beta-alanine) to create the perception that 'something is happening,' thereby boosting the user's expectation and the placebo effect.

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Key Moments

TL;DR

Erik Vance explores the science of suggestion, placebos, curses, and the brain's power to heal and deceive.

Key Insights

The placebo effect demonstrates the profound biochemical impact of belief and expectation on the body, influencing pain and other physiological responses.

The nocebo effect, the negative counterpart to the placebo, highlights how negative expectations can trigger harmful physical reactions.

Cultural and personal narratives significantly shape the efficacy of placebos and nocebos, demonstrating the power of psychological framing.

The human brain's inherent suggestibility is an evolutionary trait that can be harnessed for healing, but also carries risks if misused.

Understanding the placebo/nocebo mechanism offers potential for enhancing well-being and managing conditions like pain, depression, and anxiety.

The distinction between placebo and nocebo effects is important, with the latter being harder to ethically study but potentially more potent.

FROM BIOLOGY TO SCIENCE JOURNALISM

Erik Vance transitioned from a contemplative life as a biologist to a career in science journalism after realizing his passion lay in communicating scientific discoveries. Initially drawn to "binoculars biology" and fieldwork, he found the rigorous demands of scientific research challenging. A pivotal moment came at age 27 when he discovered science communication programs, leading him to UC Santa Cruz. There, he learned to frame complex scientific information into compelling narratives, understanding that stories need characters and arcs to resonate with audiences, a significant shift from the precise, jargon-filled language of scientific papers.

FIELD ADVENTURES AND THE POWER OF OBSERVATION

Vance's early career involved unique field experiences, including a memorable expedition in South Africa to study porcupines for a BBC documentary. This involved unconventional companions and a steep learning curve about animal behavior and research logistics, like the necessity of gloves for handling porcupines. He also recounts an assignment studying the chemical compounds responsible for the smell of pig manure. This experience, though seemingly unglamorous, showcases his commitment to exploring unusual scientific topics and his ability to find fascination and narrative in unexpected places, highlighting the sensory science involved.

THE PLACEBO EFFECT: BELIEF AS MEDICINE

A central theme is the placebo effect, which Vance experienced firsthand during an experiment at the NIH involving electrical stimulation to measure pain. He learned how expectation alone could alter physical responses, demonstrating tangible biochemical changes in the brain, such as the release of natural opioids. This research challenges the notion that placebos only affect the gullible, showing measurable physiological effects that can be influenced by narratives, belief, and even classical conditioning, where the body anticipates a response based on past experiences with treatments.

THE NOCEBO EFFECT AND THE DARK SIDE OF EXPECTATION

Complementary to the placebo effect is the nocebo effect, where negative expectations can lead to adverse health outcomes. Vance explores this through his personal experiment with a self-imposed curse in Mexico. While initially skeptical, a stressful event for his pregnant wife triggered a strong fear of the curse's impact, illustrating the potent psychological influence on perceived causality. This personal anecdote underscores how strongly our minds can associate events and create powerful narratives of cause and effect, even when logically unfounded, demonstrating the brain's wired tendency towards fear and negative anticipation.

CONDITIONS INFLUENCED BY THE MIND

Vance details how conditions mediated by neurotransmitters like dopamine are particularly responsive to placebo and nocebo effects. Parkinson's disease, characterized by dopamine deficiency, often shows significant improvement with placebos due to this direct chemical link. Conversely, conditions like Alzheimer's, which involve severe neurodegeneration, tend to be less responsive. Other conditions influenced include depression, anxiety, nausea, and irritable bowel syndrome, highlighting the broad impact of psychological states on physical health and the potential for mental interventions to play a role in treatment.

HARNESSING SUGGESTIBILITY FOR WELL-BEING

The discussion emphasizes that suggestibility is a fundamental human trait, deeply entwined with evolution. Vance suggests that rather than fighting this trait, individuals can learn to harness it proactively. This involves cultivating belief, whether through active placebos, engaging narratives, or cultural rituals. He stresses the importance of finding methods that resonate personally without causing harm or financial ruin, acknowledging that not everyone responds equally. The key is to leverage the mind's power to influence healing, recognizing that belief, not just biological mechanisms, plays a crucial role in health outcomes.

Mentioned in This Episode

●Supplements

●Products

●Software & Apps

●Companies

●Organizations

●Books

●Drugs & Medications

●Concepts

●People Referenced

Common Questions

Erik Vance initially pursued field biology, but found he wasn't adept at the meticulous work required for a Ph.D. After a period of self-reflection, a Google search for 'science and writing' led him to discover the field of science journalism, which combined his love for scientific learning with his passion for writing and storytelling.

Topics

Mental Health & Psychology Human Performance Science & Mathematics Science Communication Pain Management Belief Systems Placebo Effect Human Suggestibility Parkinson's Research

Mentioned in this video

Books

Discover Magazine

A science magazine where Erik Vance is a contributing editor.

Nature

A very prestigious scientific journal that also publishes science journalism, to which Erik Vance successfully pitched a story about pig manure.

The Serpent and the Rainbow

A movie about zombies in Haiti, mentioned as possibly depicting the puffer fish venom theory for zombification.

The 4-Hour Body

A book written by Tim Ferriss, for which he used 99designs to create book cover prototypes; it became a New York Times bestseller.

Scientific American

A popular science magazine that has published Erik Vance's work.

The Chronicle of Higher Education

A magazine based in Washington D.C. that is highly respected among universities for its science writing, where Erik Vance worked on various cool stories.

Suggestible You: The Curious Science of Your Brain's Ability to Deceive, Transform and Heal

Erik Vance's latest book, which explores the power of the placebo effect, mental narratives, and the brain's influence on healing.

Concepts

Nocebo Effect

The phenomenon where negative expectations lead to negative physiological or psychological effects, often experienced as increased pain or adverse symptoms from an inert treatment.

COMPT gene

A gene involved with an enzyme that metabolizes dopamine, linked to individual differences in placebo response, often referred to as the 'Warrior Gene'.

Homeopathy

An alternative medicine system based on the belief that 'like cures like,' mentioned in the context of it being a placebo that can still work even if one knows it's inert.

Kennedy curse

A purported curse on the Kennedy family, used as an example of 'post hoc ergo propter hoc' fallacy, where tragic events are retrospectively attributed to a single cause.

Christian Science

A religious philosophy that emphasizes the power of mind over body, believing that what one perceives is a construct of the mind and can be changed through belief for healing.

Companies

Wealthfront

An investing service that uses smart software for automated habits and strategies like tax-loss harvesting and portfolio rebalancing, offering low fees to clients.

Twitter

A social media platform where Erik Vance can be found and contacted.

Apple

A technology company mentioned as a place where technologists leading Wealthfront previously worked.

Legislation & Policy

SEC regulations

Regulations from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that prevent companies investing money from using client testimonials, affecting Tim Ferriss's ability to be a client of Wealthfront while also being sponsored by them.

Software & Apps

99designs

A platform for graphic design where businesses can get logos, websites, business cards, and other designs from designers worldwide.

Mass Spec Optometer

A device used by the Iowa scientist to break down substances like wine or pig manure into chemical components, allowing for simultaneous analysis by computer and human olfaction.

The Open Notebook

A website for science writers that features schematics of stories, allowing writers to analyze the structure of narratives.

People

Erik Vance

An award-winning science writer based in California and Mexico City, who worked as a scientist before becoming a journalist, focusing on science-based profiles.

Burkhard Bilger

A writer for The New Yorker whose story on youth rodeo programs Erik Vance tried to sketch out as an example of strong storytelling.

Richard Feynman

A Nobel Prize-winning physicist, often quoted for his emphasis on avoiding self-deception in science.

Lana Koka

An Italian researcher at NIH who conducted a placebo research trial that Erik Vance participated in, involving electrocution and demonstrating the power of expectation.

Peter Attia

A physician and podcaster, who discussed Alzheimer's disease with Tim Ferriss, noting that severe tissue damage might be irreversible.

Organizations

National Geographic

A global nonprofit organization and magazine publisher, where Erik Vance is a contributing editor and has published work, including a future story on peer pressure and placebos.

University of Cape Town

A laboratory in Cape Town, South Africa, where Erik Vance hooked up for a research project on aardvarks and burrow-dwelling animals.

NIH

A primary agency of the U.S. government responsible for biomedical and public health research, where Erik Vance participated in a placebo research trial involving electrocution.

BBC

A British public service broadcaster, which was doing a documentary program on aardvarks and the animals that live in their burrows, leading to Erik Vance's porcupine assignment.

UC Santa Cruz Science Communication Program

A renowned program Erik Vance attended in 2005, which helped him transition from scientist to science journalist and develop his storytelling skills.

New York Times

A prominent newspaper where Erik Vance's work has appeared.

Drugs & Medications

Ketamine

A dissociative anesthetic used to tranquilize animals like porcupines during field research; also mentioned as being fascinating to a recovering addict.

Puffer fish venom

A toxin mentioned as a theory for causing a 'catatonic' state, potentially related to the zombie phenomenon in Haiti.

Viagra

A pharmaceutical drug for erectile dysfunction, briefly mentioned in the context of marketing and pill characteristics influencing placebo effect.

Tylenol

A common over-the-counter pain reliever, used as an example to illustrate how people can experience a placebo effect before the active drug takes effect.

Products

PEZ

A candy dispenser and its compressed sugar candies, which Tim Ferriss's friend used to create placebo pills matching the color and shape of real tablets.

Media

Harper's Magazine

A general-interest magazine where Erik Vance's work has appeared.

The Power of One

A movie that Erik Vance enjoyed and which inspired him to go to South Africa, despite it being a casual decision.

The New Yorker

A magazine known for its journalism, where Burkhard Bilger published his story on youth rodeo programs.

Supplements

Niacin

A B vitamin that causes a tingling sensation, used as an example of an 'active placebo' in bunk supplements to create the illusion of effectiveness.

Beta-Alanine

An amino acid that causes skin flushing, used as an example of an 'active placebo' in supplements to create a physical sensation that boosts expectation.

Locations

Haiti

A Caribbean country mentioned for stories of people dying from curses and the well-known phenomenon of zombies in its history.