It’s an episode that raises many questions.
How well does the many experimental results claimed stack up for reproducibility?
What would the evolutionary purpose of using e.g. 25% of our “capacity” be?
Still very interesting, albeit too much of a monologue at times.
Although some ideas of Prof. Langer sound quite interesting, I am very sceptical about the health claims she makes. Sounds like complete BS. If such claims sound too good to be true, they usually aren't. Problems with her work have been pointed out before. sciencebasedmedicine.org/eminent-harv...
Coincidentally the most recent episode of the podcast “Skeptics with a K” did a rather telling piece about Ellen Langer’s work. I appreciate that Sean is willing to explore ideas beyond his field, but this Langer interview left me very frustrated.
Ellen is a pioneer in the psychology of mindfulness. Her recent book is The Mindful Body: Thinking Our Way to Chronic Health. www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/705365...
