Imagine That Your Friend Comes Down with a Cold and After

question 39

Essay

Imagine that your friend comes down with a cold and after being sick for a few days takes a supplement called "essence of wormroot" and gets better soon afterward. She then credits the supplement for her recovery. Based on what you know about the likely mechanism of how placebos work, what is the likely explanation for her recovery?

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Definitions:

Reject Low Frequencies

Describes a filter's ability to attenuate or eliminate signals below a certain frequency threshold, allowing higher frequencies to pass.

High-pass

A filter that allows frequencies higher than its cutoff frequency to pass through while attenuating frequencies below the cutoff.

Radio Station

A service that broadcasts audio content through radio waves to be received by the public, typically including music, news, and other entertainment.

Separator

In electrochemical cells, a separator is a membrane that allows the flow of ions but prevents direct contact between the cathode and anode, thus avoiding a short circuit.