The best job in science

[Dragonsbain]

Look what I found,
Baby Tickler Named Best Job In Science

Submitted by Amy Munday on 2010-04-13


Popsci names "Multi-species Baby Tickler" as Best Job in Science. The study of tickling receives scientific attention like any other area of research. Laughter from tickling might be a genetic link that was created millions of years ago.

Marina Davila-Ross, a neuroscientist at the University of Portsmouth in England, spends her time winning over people's affections to then build a tickle trust.

Humans, baby chimps, bonobos, gorillas, a siamang and a gibbon don't like to be tickled by strangers. When Davila-Ross establishes a relationship with them, all of the animals, humans included, love to be tickled and have similar reactions.

"Apes are like us—many won’t be tickled by a stranger,” she explains.

Tickle-induced laughter is a playful trait that may have developed in one of our very early ancestors 10 to 16 million years ago. As for being the best job in science, it seems to win by a landslide. Especially when the worst job commonly involve snot or feces.

"It was fun,” Davila-Ross admits. “It’s play behavior, and everybody—apes and humans—enjoys that.”

Written by Amy Munday

 

[badreligion]

What the hell is wrong with you ? .

 

[KoocheeKoo]

Look what I found,
Baby Tickler Named Best Job In Science


"Apes are like us—many won’t be tickled by a stranger,” she explains.

What about rattlesnakes? 😀

 

[Dragonsbain]

Dear TMF members,
Nothing is wrong with me. Remember my degree is in biology. Zoology to be exact. So being in science the body is the best machine ever built. While I Totally Comperhend being swept away into a special, happy place at the hands of a trusted ler, I want to know why.
So when I post science's view of tickling it is not meant to offend. It is meant to share knowledge.
Health and Happiness

 

[SoleSearcher]

Scientifically speaking or not, that just sounded wrong on so many different levels.

 

[rhiannon]

Don't tell me you have never heard that scientists actually do experiment how similar apes are to us by tickling them? And that they actually found out that they laugh being tickled?

 

[SoleSearcher]

The thing that makes the whole thing sound so wrong is the "baby" reference...
"Popsci names "Multi-species Baby Tickler" as Best Job in Science..."

 

[milagros317]

Very interesting article. Thanks for posting it here, Dragonsbain. 😀

 

[rhiannon]

The thing that makes the whole thing sound so wrong is the "baby" reference...
"Popsci names "Multi-species Baby Tickler" as Best Job in Science..."

He was just quoting an article! Chill! And of course they are tickling baby animals, ever tried to tickle a full-grown mountain gorilla??

 

[Dragonsbain]

Thank you everybody. Like I said before, I don't intend to offend.

 

[pfromptown]

Try actually reading the article rather than jumping out of your seat at the sign of the word 'baby'...

Thanks for sharing.

 

[SoleSearcher]

Was just expressing an opinion. I wasn't attacking anyone/anything in my response. Last time I checked this was a discussion forum. LOL!

Since so much tickle talk is at least in some way sexually related to many people, I got a little creeped out. Not saying I was right to feel that way, just chiming in on the discussion. 😉

 

[seanwoj]

Interesting article. Thanks for sharing.