Skip to main content

Ticklish Trivia

In this episode - Ticklish Trivia . . .

In the distant annals of history, around the 4th century BC, the illustrious Aristotle, in his contemplative wisdom, mulled over a quirk of nature: the peculiar vulnerability of human beings to tickling. His reasoning? Humans have finely-tuned skin and an exclusive laughter privilege over animals. Though Aristotle's ideas may have veered off-course like a compass in a magnetic storm, they set the stage for a procession of thinkers like Descartes, Spinoza, Galileo, and Darwin to wade into the ticklish terrain.


Fast-forward through the ages, some 2,500 years of intellectual wrangling, we find ourselves still perched on the precipice of tickling enlightenment. A question persists: why, oh why, can't we tickle ourselves? It's a conundrum that's laughed in the face of time, and we're none the wiser. Theories as diverse as ticklish sensations emerge from this tapestry of tickling contemplation. One hypothesis paints tickling as a familial embrace, an evolutionary adhesive that bonds parent to child over generations – a heartwarming image indeed. Another envisions tickling as an aversion tutor, a stern mentor that jerks us away from potentially perilous body bits. A guardian of our vulnerabilities, if you will.


But let's not overlook the dual nature of tickling. Knismesis is a subtle caress of the senses that can be summoned by your hand or your fingertips' choreography. A solo performance. And then enters gargalesis, the uproarious belly laugh, the real deal, triggered only by the hands of another. You, my dear ticklee, cannot command this carnival of giggles. Try as you might, your brain has a knack for stifling the mirth when you tickle yourself – a self-preservation instinct, it seems.


Enter the brain scans, those modern voyeurs of our cranial symphony. They've unearthed a nugget of neurological wisdom – when you're tickled by someone else, your brain's "touch" and "happiness" centers throw a boisterous bash. But when you take matters into your own hands, your brain seems to shuffle its feet and hum a polite tune in the corner. But hold on, there's a delightful quirk. Schizophrenia, bless its convoluted neurons, might just shatter this rule. The self-other tickling divide might blur like the brain's playlist is a tad scrambled. A fascinating exception to the rule, indeed. So, when the tickle monster comes a-calling, be it an errant feather or a friendly jab, remember – your laughter isn't a stand-up comedy show; it's your body's whimsical defense mechanism, an involuntary reflex that joins the ranks of sneezes and hiccups.


And there you have it – a whirlwind tour of Tickling's historical rabbit hole, distilled into the essence of Bill Bryson-esque brevity. As you venture forth, armed with this ticklish trivia, relish those moments of shared merriment, for they're a dance with our curious biology and a nod to the quirks that make us quintessentially human.


I'm Patrick Ball; thanks for listening. See you in the next episode.

Comments

Most Popular of All Time

Mom Was Right

In this episode: Mom Was Right (Again!) . . . Remember that old saying, "Mom knows best?" Well, this week, it resonated profoundly. I vividly recall my mother's steadfast remedy for the common cold, which was ingrained in my 1960s childhood: "Rest in bed, drink plenty of fluids, and take aspirin to reduce pain and fever." . . . Or now that I think about it, this may have been a Bayer aspirin commercial–Simple . . . Fast-forward to the age of AI and endless medical information at our fingertips, and guess what? Not much has changed. Yet, somehow, this week, Lori and I were blindsided by a cold—the first in over five years. My incredulous "How could this be?" quickly morphed into a dawning realization. Our company's annual meeting, a melting pot of colleagues from Illinois, Texas, Vietnam, Colorado, Northern California, and the Central Valley, was a veritable petri dish of germs. And, oh, the germs found me! Getting sick, especially after a long str...

Whispers of Spring

In this episode, Whispers of Spring . . . Spring has a way of sneaking in when you’re not looking. One day, you’re shaking off the last chill of winter, and the next, you realize the light has shifted, stretching shadows just a little longer. It didn’t make a big fuss about it—no dramatic entrance, no trumpets—just a quiet unfolding, like an old dog settling into a sunny spot on the porch. Last week, Daylight Saving Time kicked in, which meant we all fumbled with our clocks, grumbled a bit, and then, like frogs taken aback by a warm rain, leapt forward into longer evenings. The sun now lingers, in no rush to set, hanging in the sky like a tossed coin that refuses to fall. With the extra daylight, we find ourselves drawn outside once again, migrating to the back patio like folks are drawn to a warm campfire. The lawn chairs are right where we left them, waiting like old friends. The air hums with wind chimes, their tuned cylinders catching the breeze and weaving together something that...

Special April Fools' Edition: Did You Fall For It?

In this episode: Special April Fools' Edition: Did You Fall For It? (And a Little Baseball Nonsense) Welcome, fellow baseball aficionados and purveyors of the peculiar, to a very special, dare we say unpredictable, issue of On the Fly! Today, the air is thick with . . . well, probably just regular air, but a specific mischievous something is buzzing around. Can you feel it? Does that tingling sensation make you double-check your shoelaces and suspiciously eye any unusual packages? Yes, dear readers, it’s April 1st! A day steeped in mystery, shrouded in playful deception, and frankly, a day where you shouldn't believe anything you read (except maybe this . . .maybe). But before we descend into a whirlwind of whimsical falsehoods (don’t worry, we’ll mostly keep it light!), let’s take a quick, slightly wobbly, historical flight through the origins of this most unreliable of holidays. Whispers from the annals suggest a few intriguing possibilities for why we dedicate this particula...

At 92–Don's Digital Daydream

Listen to the audio here. In a world of his own–lives, ole' Doctor Don, Not one world, but three, 'til the setting of the sun! There’s his Blog-World , so bright, with words all a-whirl, And Book-World , with stories of boy and girl! Then, Day-World , where legs didn't leap, didn't run, Just shuffled and creaked 'til each day is done. But his brain, oh, his mind, it’s zippy and keen, A most curious fellow that ever was seen! At ninety and two, with a twinkle so bright, He met Chatty and said, "What a strange delight!" This box with the answers, so quick and so bold, Of theology and stories, new truths to unfold!" "Integrity, relationships, where do they fit? This thing makes me wonder, bit by bit!" He ponders and pokes with laughter and a grin, "Til POOF! he has gone to a world from within! A world made of words, a fantastical place, Where limits of the body, left not a trace! He Soares, and he zooms, with a thought and a rhyme, Trans...