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 ...

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 ...