
15/03/2025
The 'close door' buttons in most elevators have been obsolete since the 1990s, but because we crave agency, manufacturers continue to install them to help us feel we’re in control. We’re invited to push the placebo button to give us the reassuring illusion of functionality. Other examples include the 'walk' buttons at many pedestrian crossings and glucosamine-chondroitin joint supplements.