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"Torture" means different things to different people. For some, it's a trip to the dentist. For others, a visit to the modern art gallery. But there are some things we all agree fall into the realm of "cruel and unusual punishment," like flaying, starvation, and waterboarding. On second thought... maybe we don't all agree.

But the science of torture is still a grey area. In extreme situations (and putting all those pesky questions of "morals" and "ethics" aside)... Does it work?

Science in Seconds pokes around.

_{Host: Brit Trogen}

_{Photo credits: Borsook D, Pavel Tcholakov, Karl Gunnarsson and public domain}

_References:

_{http://www.fas.org/irp/dni/educing.pdf}

_{http://www.livescience.com/history/071019-torture-history.html}