“What attracted me most was that things are questioned”

2020/02/07 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Elkarrizketak
• Berdintasuna
• Giza zientziak
• Etika
• Medikuntza
• Anatomia/Fisiologia

Izar Agirresarobe Pineda is a philosopher who soon begins to study a topic of great scientific interest: placebo. Asking how these two worlds, philosophical and scientific, intersect in him, he has taken a small gap to think before answering: "Philosophy reflects on the nature of things and analyses concepts. And we see that some of the problems that arise around concepts affect in practice. In science, on the other hand, it is possible to generate ideas from these conceptual debates to put them into practice." Therefore, Philosophy and Science are interrelated to the Archive itself.

But this link has come later. In fact, before taking the university entrance test, he planned to study psychology. However, he did not get enough notice for it and began to do Philosophy. And there, in the first division, he realized that it was his vocation: "What attracted me most was that things were questioned. In the studies carried out until then it seemed that things were as they taught us, and no attention was paid to the debate and questions. And I really like knowing how many ways to see and investigate one thing."

Interest in science prompted him to third in the subject of Philosophy of Science. He recognized that his previous view of science was another: "I was related to mathematics, physics... and it seemed somewhat rigid to me." Then he saw that it is not so, and that there is also philosophy of mathematics, for example.

He discovered the placebo when he visited Elhuyar to perform the practices. "Professor Agustín Arrieta Urtizberea Sendabide or deception. In the alternative medicine test I recommended the book and discovered the placebo while working with Elhuyar." He was so curious that he also chose this topic for the final degree work.

He then focused on the pre-university idea and decided to do Psychology. Although at first he did not find it useful to investigate placebo and the placebo effect, he has over time realized that he has learned some subjects, such as neuropsychology or health psychology, now comes well. In fact, he returns to philosophy and placebo.

Placebo and placebo effect in depth

He has just started his doctorate in a placebo research project within the IAS-Research group. "I'm interested in researching the relationship between placebo and the placebo effect, because it intuitively seems that placebo always produces a placebo effect, but some authors doubt it. In addition, some authors propose the elimination of the word placebo and I would like to analyze the consequences that derive from it. And on the other hand, the methodological basis of the use of placebo and the ethical rules of regulation of the use of placebo."

He wants, therefore, to analyze several aspects, but the fundamental question would be, in the words of Agirresaroeu: "Whether placebo is something that arises from within or comes from outside. Or what relationship exists between the internal and the external to generate placebo effect."

For his research he has had the collaboration of the IAS-Research Group and a grant from the Basque Government for the realization of the doctorate. Therefore, it does not hide your satisfaction and illusion. The road has come out well equipped and strong.