2008

New research published in the *Journal of the American Medical Association* explores the placebo effect, finding that its perceived effectiveness increases when people believe they are taking a more expensive pill. via Freakonomics

The creators of the TV show "The Wire" wrote a piece advocating for jury nullification in cases of nonviolent drug offenses.

via Reason.com - Free Minds and Free Markets.

Steve Chapman criticizes John McCain's stance on the Iraq war, arguing that his support for the invasion and surge was misguided.

Chicago is considering a ban on small plastic bags often used for selling drugs to curb drug dealing. via Reason.com

This gross post points out that April 18th is "Poop For Peace Day" and links to the website poopforpeace.com. via kottke.org

Google Health will allow patients to store their medical records and access them from any location, which is predicted to spark a debate around privacy concerns. via The source of this content is Freakonomics.