/oss/taxonomy/term/1810/all en /oss/article/health-and-nutrition-trotter-public-science-symposium/laughter-best-medicine <p>“Laughter is the best medicine!” That’s an old adage, maybe even dating back to the biblical era. The book of Proverbs in the Old Testament proposes that “a  merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” An intriguing concept! Is there any science behind it? It seems there is. The body and the mind are connected. And that is just what we are going to explore in this year’s “Trottier Public Science Symposium” with speakers Drs. Marla Shapiro, Amir Raz and Patch Adams. Let’s get you started with a little laughter right here.</p> Thu, 19 Oct 2017 15:39:43 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 5925 at /oss /oss/article/quackery-trotter-public-science-symposium/get-ready-trottier-public-science-symposium <p>When John Milton wrote in Paradise Lost that the mind can make a heaven of hell and a hell of heaven, without realizing it, he was talking about the “placebo” and the “nocebo” effect. “Placebo” comes from the Latin “I will please” and refers to a situation whereby a beneficial effect on the body comes about as a result of mental activity. The classic example is relief of pain from a sugar pill when the patient believes that a real medication has been administered.</p> Mon, 16 Oct 2017 15:44:44 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 5358 at /oss