Tickling may seem like child's play, but scientists are beginning to see it as something much deeper—a complex puzzle tied to human touch, laughter, and brain development. The sensation of being ...

Scientists have developed a new method to investigate the long-standing mystery of how tickling works, an advance that could have big implications for our understanding of brain development. Humans ...

At parties and bars, he introduces himself as a “rat tickler.” The title makes Shimpei Ishiyama sound like he belongs in some forgotten guild of yore, with the Victorian “pure-finders,” who collected ...

It turns out rats are ticklish. Which is exactly what Disney movies have been trying to tell us for years. Although we are pretty sure they don’t walk upright and wear tiny outfits. Not only are rats ...

Remember having knock-down-drag-out tickle fights as a kid? At the time, they seemed like a normal part of play. But for most adults, the thought of being tickled is annoying at best. And yet, it’s ...

I have just discovered a profoundly human, evolutionarily crucial fact about the new baby in our house: He likes to be tickled. This isn’t a joke. For centuries, the deepest of thinkers — Aristotle, ...

I have just discovered a profoundly human, evolutionarily crucial fact about the new baby in our house: He likes to be tickled. This isn’t a joke. For centuries, the deepest of thinkers—Aristotle, ...

Maura Hanrahan, the primary investigator on the project, says it's an experiment using cheap, simple technology that may solve some of Black Tickle's waters woes. About 140 people live in Black Tickle ...

Socrates wondered 2,000 years ago, and Charles Darwin also racked his brains: what is a tickle, and why are we so sensitive to tickling? ‘Tickling is relatively under-researched,’ says neuroscientist ...