Can we really think ourselves healthy, and if so, how? In this talk, science journalist and documentary maker Thomas Breinholt explores the surprising effects of the placebo and its opposite, the nocebo, which can make us ill.
Drawing on his background as a documentary editor focused on illness, health and seemingly miraculous recoveries, Breinholt sets out what science says about the connection between mind and body. He has interviewed more than 40 leading researchers and worked through a wide range of scientific studies to separate what we can reasonably know from what we only suspect.
Expect answers to questions such as what happens when a placebo pill takes away pain, why loneliness can be deadly, and why people with cancer may survive longer when they are married. The talk also covers what research suggests we can do ourselves to activate the body's self-healing powers.
