Chronic pain is a debilitating condition for millions of people worldwide. But what role does our brain play in processing pain? Cognitive neuroscientists are gaining a better understanding of how our brain processes pain. Using advanced imaging techniques, they can now measure and model brain systems linked to our pain and emotions. This is shedding new light on interventions for people who suffer from chronic pain.In this How on Earth episode, Jill Sjong speaks with Tor Wager, Distinguished Professor in Neuroscience at Dartmouth College, and formerly Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at CU Boulder. Jill also speaks with Charlie Merrill, a Boulder-based physiotherapist and Clinical Advisor at Lin Health, a digital integrative pain clinic. Charlie Merrill works extensively with local athletes, many of whom suffer from chronic pain.
Host: Jill Sjong
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Engineer: Maeve Conran
Listen to the show:
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:00 — 38.3MB)
Subscribe: RSS
Beth and Angele discuss the pros and cons of mask wearing as protection against the novel corona virus. You can see the 
This week on How on Earth, we speak with Professor Catherine Donnelly, of the University of Vermont, about her book, 
This week on How on Earth, we are still producing off site. Beth and Angele give an update on treatment and transmission of the corona virus and Shelley interviews CU Boulder scientists Anushree Chatterjee and Prashant Nagpal who explain the pros and cons of using old medicines to fight Covid-19, and they describe some new “medicines” in the future, and how to speed up their development.
This week How on Earth adjusts to the restrictions imposed by the corona virus by replaying a previous feature on the chemistry of beer brewing. First Beth gives an overview of some proposed treatments for corona virus. Then, the featured interview with author Pete Brown. When the New York Times reviewed Miracle Brew, the reviewer said: A magisterial tour of fearsome science and vast brewery history leavened with cheery anecdotes, humor, vivid you-are-there prose and a clever eye for personality . . . His rhapsodies about the meaning of life and the meaning of beer are stirring. . . .His expertise and insight will leave you with a glimmer of infinity every time you hold a bottle of it in your hand.
This episode talks about research about COVID-19, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), and targeted therapies, and our feature is an interview with 
This week on How on Earth we start with an update on the corona virus, focusing on treatments and vaccines. At 12 minutes, we begin our interview with Bob Frank, author of Under the Influence, Putting Peer Pressure to Work. This book explains how we could redirect trillions of dollars annually in support of carbon-free energy sources, all without requiring painful sacrifices from anyone. Dr Frank has developed some novel strategies relying on peer pressure to get people to change their actions so as to reduce carbon emissions and climate change. He also details many prior and successful examples of this type of peer pressure. You can see more at the publisher’s 
