How high is your pain threshold? Pennie Latin considers her own tolerance and meets those who have developed ways to increase theirs. Doctors discuss what happens within our bodies, and try to determine if it is a physical or emotional response that is triggered.

Why do we cope better with pain in certain situations, and why does this threshold vary so much from person to person? We’ll hear how tactics like hypnotherapy and swearing can help.

Then we consider if pain is a necessary thing for our survival. Why are scientists building pain receptors into synthetic skin? And if we had no sensation of pain would our lives be easier or more difficult?