Watch the RiAus-Heartbreak event

Is the heart more than just a muscle for pumping blood? Incredible stories from around the world appear to suggest that the heart is a far more complex and mysterious an organ than was ever thought. Is it really possible to die from a broken heart and do the experiences of transplant patients prove that the heart is capable of storing memories?

Heartbreak is a fascinating popular science documentary that investigates some of the world’s most intriguing heart mysteries and follows the scientists on the frontline of heart science.

With heart disease now the number one killer in the world today we’re about to look at the body’s most important muscle in a revolutionary new way. From incredible new connections between the heart and the mind to an intriguing system of neurons dubbed “the little heart in the brain”, this is the secret life of the human heart.

Turning the tables on accepted medical opinion, Heartbreak explores whether people can die of a broken heart, whether our minds can cause heart disease and whether the heart could share some of the brain’s crucial functions.

It seems the poets were right after all - our minds and bodies are in fact closely linked and the phrase "broken-hearted" contains a literal truth as well as a metaphorical one.

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