This scientist deliberately subjects himself to the world’s most painful stingers.

“I’m interested in what the chemicals are behind pain and how they interact with our bodies to create that pain,” Dr Sam Robinson explains to me in a casual, nonchalant tone.

“Obviously I’m writing down the intensity of the pain and how long it lasts, but also the type of pain and other symptoms, like inflammation.”

“For a long time people thought that the long-lasting pain was because of the little spines from the leaves or stems stuck in the body - like fibreglass. But we now know that that’s not the case because we’ve figured out what the toxin is in those stinging trees, and how it causes pain,” says Sam.