How does the human brain respond to pain? Journalist Nicola Twilley offered to be a test subject for Irene Tracey, who calls her Oxford lab the “torture chamber.” Researchers stuck needles in Twiley’s calf, burned the back of her hand with a laser, and applied a cream to her shin, which contained capsaicin, the chemical responsible for the burning sensation in chili peppers.
How much pain can the human brain handle?
From this Episode:
Credits
Human brain illustrated with millions of small nerves courtesy of ra2 studio.
Host:
Madeleine Brand
Producers:
Sarah Sweeney,
Michell Eloy,
Amy Ta,
Christian Bordal,
Quinn O'Toole,
Yael Even Or,
Alexandra Sif Tryggvadottir