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Ted Kaptchuk talks with the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health about the placebo effect and the therapeutic encounter, including the role of placebo in scientific research and what consumers should know about the placebo effect in their health care decision-making.

Can money buy happiness? The economics of happiness has been at the center of a vibrant debate. So much so, U.S. presidential candidate, Andrew Yang, included a plan for a universal basic income (UBI) as a major part of his campaign platform.

Happiness and wellbeing is something that is hard to define and yet we all have an understanding of what it is. A group of researchers is striving to better identify the mechanisms underlying the relationship between positive emotions and physical health.

We’ve all heard the phrase ‘survival of the fittest’, born from the Darwinian theory of natural selection. Keltner adds nuance to this concept by delving deeper into Darwin’s idea that sympathy is one of the strongest human instincts — sometimes stronger than self-interest.

Vandana Shiva is a modern day revolutionary, and for forty years has been fighting a heroic battle on behalf of humanity and the ecologically besieged natural systems that support us. But she is opposed by powerful multinational corporations invested in continuing their toxic though lucrative agricultural practices.

 Experts in preventive medicine and public health have long recognized that global wellness is a product of the vitality and sustainability of the Earth’s natural systems.