From pain to autoimmune disease to surgery: are we missing a crucial piece of the mind-body puzzle?

Can our minds heal us? Alternative therapists routinely claim that our emotions and beliefs dramatically influence physical health, while sceptics say that’s dangerous quackery. But has medical science been too quick to dismiss the idea that our thoughts and beliefs can have measurable impact on our health? Jo Marchant went on a journey, tracking down seemingly extraordinary cases and evidence-based research that defy conventional scientific thinking.

Buy Jo Marchant’s book, Cure: A Journey into the science of mind over body https://www.waterstones.com/book/cure/jo-marchant/9780857868626

Follow Jo Marchant on Twitter https://twitter.com/jomarchant

Supported by the Wellcome Trust

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This episode might just change the way you eat forever.

Clean eating… no sugar … no gluten …no caffeine. We’re in the grip of panic over our food, but where is the evidence? Professor Tim Spector has spent the last decade looking at the real effects of the food that we consume, and he’ll be encouraging you to follow your gut.

At Latitude, Professor Spector explained the results of the UK’s biggest study ever in to gut health; and the answers he found are much more surprising - and fascinating - than we've been led to believe. The key to health and weight loss lies not in the latest diet, but in the microbes already inside us…

Want to know more?

Visit the websites for Professor Spector’s work, or buy a copy of his book, The Diet Myth.

www.mapmygut.com

www.tim-spector.co.uk

https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-diet-myth/tim-spector/9781780229003

Supported by the Wellcome Trust

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For something so extraordinarily complex, brilliant, and evolutionarily advanced, the human brain is a bit of an idiot. Neuroscientist Dr Dean Burnett’s new book, The Idiot Brain, illuminates the imperfections of the brain, and how these messy, mysterious flaws impact our every thought and action.

At Latitude 2016, Dr Burnett was joined by long-time friend of the festival, Robin Ince, to talk about his book, and explain to the audience just what the brain is really up to. We invited them in to the Latitude offices to tell you all about it.

Buy a copy of The Idiot Brain here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-idiot-brain/dean-burnett/9781783350810

Find Robin Ince & Josie Long’s Book Shambles podcast here http://cosmicgenome.com/shambles/

Supported by the Wellcome Trust

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Professor Elizabeth Stokoe is an expert in social interaction, and particularly conversation. She’s collected and analysed tens of thousands of recordings of conversation in the wild - from low stakes chit-chat with your best friend to a police officer’s negotiation with a suicidal person.

She sat down with Dr Jon Sutton, Editor of The Psychologist Magazine, to discuss how analysing the hidden organisation of conversation can fine tune our communications.

For more from The Psychologist, visit https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/

Watch Professor Stokoe’s TED talk here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtOG5PK8xDA

Supported by the Wellcome Trust

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Level Up Human – Live from Latitude

Elf Lyons judges suggestions from QI elf Stevyn Colgan and Dr. Joe Latimer with Simon Watt keeping tabs on everybody from the chair.

The panel discuss smart bacteria, sentient suitcases and what the 'G' in G-spot stands for. At one point, if you listen carefully, you can hear Simon suggest he's going to do something obscene to a yoghurt.

Theme music written and performed by Laurence Owen. Graphics by Theo Weedon, web design by Ian Bridgeman and support from the Wellcome Trust. The producer is Rachel Wheeley.

For more information, go to www.leveluphuman.com

Supported by the Wellcome Trust

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The Porn Perspective explores a variety of topics concerning modern-day pornography, including healthy exploration of pornography as well as addiction, the consumption of pornography and how it affects our sexual worldview, and the effects it can have on our mental and physical health. It's a fascinating discussion on a hotly debated topic that can be relevant to a variety of listeners.

Stay tuned for more podcasts coming soon!

Thank you to Dr Jack Lewis, Martin Daubney, Christopher Green and Dr Suzi Gage for making this podcast possible.

Live from Latitude Festival, we present film critic Mark Kermode in conversation with award-winning film and television director Ken Loach to discuss the state of the modern film industry. #LatitudePodcast

Supported by the Wellcome Trust

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Latitude Festival presents Dr Marius Kwint (University of Portsmouth, Creative & Cultural Industries) in conversation with Arthur I. Miller (Emeritus Professor of History and Philosophy of Science at UCL) on Creativity: How Cutting-edge Science is Redefining Contemporary Art.

Supported by the Wellcome Trust

Get more Latitude at:

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