AMOR Vincit Omnia – or Love Conquers All, as the saying goes, though I have never been especially convinced of that.

This may be partly due to the fact I don’t have a heart, according to some of my colleagues. They told me this because I didn’t shed a tear yesterday at the television footage of the rescued miners in Chile, while they did.

Anyway, love can also conquer pain, new research published today suggests.

Intense feelings of romantic love may block physical pain in a similar way to morphine.

Scientists in the US tested the theory on 15 male and female university students who were in the early passionate stages of a love affair.

They were shown photos of their partners while a computer controlled heat probe placed in the palms of their hands inflicted doses of pain.

Brain scans taken at the same time showed the effects of the photo could be compared with those of morphine or cocaine.

“When thinking about your beloved, there is intense activation in the reward area of the brain – the same area that lights up when you take cocaine or win a lot of money,” says one of the scientists.

So there you have it.

Best carry a picture of your loved one around with you at all times. You never know when you might need it.