Book 1, Question 26 · Video
Why Can't You Tickle Yourself? Your Brain Saw It Coming!
Go ahead and try to tickle yourself. It does not work! Tickling needs surprise, and your brain is a super predictor that knows the movement, speed and pressure of your own hand. Be
Read the full answer →What Crafty Clover says in this video
Intro
Hi! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. Why can't you tickle yourself?
The Big Idea
Hey there, curious minds! Have you ever tried to tickle yourself? It just doesn't work! But when someone else tickles you, you giggle like crazy. Let's go on a quick science adventure inside your brain, in three steps!
Needs Surprise
Step one: a tickle needs surprise! A tickle feels giggly because it's unexpected. When something tickles you, it catches your brain off guard. That's the aha feeling!
Brain Predicts
Step two: your brain predicts your own touch! When you try to tickle yourself, your brain already knows what's coming. It's a super predictor! It knows the exact movement, speed, and pressure of your own fingers.
Cancels the Aha
Step three: the prediction cancels the aha! Because your brain saw it coming, the surprise disappears. Your brain sends a signal that says, nothing new here! So the tickle feeling gets turned down. No surprise, no tickle!
A Closer Look
Let's watch your brain in action! When you move your finger, your brain predicts the touch, before it happens. A part at the back of your brain, called the cerebellum, makes the prediction. Then the touch happens, and it matches the prediction exactly. So the surprise is canceled!
Quick Facts
Quick facts! Scientists built a delay gadget, a robot that moves a tickler a tiny bit after you do. That tiny delay brings back a bit of surprise, and a little tickle feeling! Some people feel ticklish just seeing fingers coming toward them. And rats giggle too, with squeaks too high for us to hear!
Think Like a Scientist
Now, think like a scientist! Try this with a partner. First, tickle your own palm, with a certain pressure. Then have your partner tickle your palm with the same pressure. Which feels more tickly? Why do you think so? Be a scientist. Observe. Compare. Discover!
Outro
So your brain is amazing! It tunes out what it expects, so it can notice what's new. Remember, Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!