The Agile Daily Standup - AgileDad We Still Don’t Know How Tickling Works But a New ‘Tickle Lab’ at a University is Finding Out
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Jun 6, 2025 Ever wondered why you can't tickle yourself? Discover the intriguing reasons behind varying ticklishness among people, including unique responses in those on the autism spectrum. Dive into the fascinating research being conducted in a new tickle lab at Radboud University, where experts aim to unravel the mysteries of this playful phenomenon. From ancient philosophers like Socrates to modern neuroscientists, the quest to understand why tickling evokes joy and connection continues.
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Complex Nature of Tickling
- Tickling involves complex motor, social, neurological, developmental, and evolutionary aspects.
- Understanding tickling at the brain level could provide insights into neuroscience and child brain development.
Brain Predicts Self-Tickling
- You cannot tickle yourself because your brain predicts the sensation and suppresses the response.
- What happens in the brain when tickled by others is still unclear.
Standardizing Tickling Experiments
- Scientific research lacks a clear definition of "tickling," especially differentiating between hard and light tickling.
- A new standardized experimental setup uses a mechanical stick to tickle soles, enabling consistent measurement and brain activity recording.