One morning 10 years ago, psychologist Jaak Panksepp walked into his lab and made an unusual proposition to a research assistant: “Come tickle some rats with me!” Panksepp wasn’t just trying to ...

The way people laugh when tickled is “uniquely different” from other laughter such as when hearing a joke, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Amsterdam say both machines and ...

A team of scientists set out to answer the all-important question: why does tickling make us laugh? And they used rats to help them in their quest. (@angelikakade) has the story. A team of scientists ...

Tickling is strange because it does not feel optional. You do not decide to laugh. Your body just does it. The sound comes out before your brain has time to judge whether anything is funny. People ...

In 1994, researchers noticed that when rats anticipated an opportunity to play, they would let out a series of squeaky chirps. These were high-pitched, measured at 50 kilohertz. The researchers began ...

Tickling is a very strange sensation because it doesn't depend on your will. That's right, you don't decide whether or not to laugh; your body simply reacts. Your brain doesn't even have a chance to ...

Tickling, a seemingly involuntary reflex, evolved not for humor but for connection. It targets exposed areas, triggering laughter when the touch is recognized as safe, signaling non-danger and ...