Can we cure loneliness with diluted extracts of the Berlin Wall? Or COVID with diluted arsenic? This is the story of how a maverick medic from eastern Germany harnessed the placebo effect and exported it worldwide. A journey across two centuries and three continents, from doctors’ surgeries to supermarket shelves and right into government.

Don't Drink the Milk – The curious history of things

Homeopathy: Can sugar pills fill the holes in modern medicine?

We trace the unexpected backstories of everyday things – things that have traveled the world, by force, by chance, or by choice. How did this item or idea change as it moved through different cultures and eras on its way to you? And what surprising truths does its story reveal about our world today?