Olson, now a doctoral student in psychiatry in the Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory lab led by associate professor of psychiatry Amir Raz (also a former magician), took a particular interest in the placebo effect.
Though placebos are inert, they often work even when people know they鈥檙e placebos. From his professional experience, Olson understands that the power of suggestion is strong, and figured that the context alone of a medical experience 鈥 the performance, if you will 鈥 could have a significant effect on healing.