All in the Mind

29/05/2012


Listen Later

At the 2000 Sydney Paralympics ten members of the Spanish basketball team were stripped of their gold for pretending to have a learning disability. For the first time since that scandal athletes with learning disabilities can compete again in this year's games. British psychologist, Professor Jan Burns is the Head of Eligibility for the International Sports Federation for Persons with Intellectual Disability. She tells Claudia which sports and which athletes will be eligible.

In 2007 the Harvard political scientist, Robert Putnam published a paper stating that ethnic diversity in a community is associated with more mistrust. His paper was influential with governments, both in the UK and the US. Claudia is joined by one of Britain's leading social psychologists, Professor Miles Hewstone from Oxford University, about his new research which finds Putnam's bleak conclusions about society are wrong.

Clinical microbiologist, Graham Rook from University College London is hopeful that one day there might be a vaccination against depression. He's basing his ideas on two things: the finding that some people with depression are found to have higher levels of inflammation in the body and the idea that inflammation could be controlled by our exposure to contact with certain worms and bacteria - the so-called hygiene hypothesis. Professor Rook tells Claudia why he thinks with more research there could one day be a vaccine. The link between depression and inflammation in a proportion of people with depression is established, but is a vaccine for all really possible and would it be a useful avenue to explore for preventing the condition? Nick Craddock is Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Cardiff and explains why he is critical of the idea.

Producer: Pam Rutherford.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

All in the MindBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5

4.5

56 ratings


More shows like All in the Mind

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,877 Listeners

More or Less by BBC Radio 4

More or Less

854 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,074 Listeners

Woman's Hour by BBC Radio 4

Woman's Hour

393 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,576 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,801 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,766 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,041 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,960 Listeners

Desert Island Discs by BBC Radio 4

Desert Island Discs

2,005 Listeners

Lives Less Ordinary by BBC World Service

Lives Less Ordinary

584 Listeners

Health Check by BBC World Service

Health Check

93 Listeners

The Food Programme by BBC Radio 4

The Food Programme

263 Listeners

BBC Inside Science by BBC Radio 4

BBC Inside Science

407 Listeners

Science Weekly by The Guardian

Science Weekly

426 Listeners

All In The Mind by ABC Australia

All In The Mind

768 Listeners

The Life Scientific by BBC Radio 4

The Life Scientific

231 Listeners

Sliced Bread by BBC Radio 4

Sliced Bread

148 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,215 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

790 Listeners

The Bomb by BBC World Service

The Bomb

1,014 Listeners

Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley by BBC Radio 4

Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley

206 Listeners

Life Changing by BBC Radio 4

Life Changing

65 Listeners

What's Up Docs? by BBC Radio 4

What's Up Docs?

106 Listeners

Complex with Kimberley Wilson by BBC Sounds

Complex with Kimberley Wilson

5 Listeners