There are many forms of touch in the human vocabulary, like caresses, squeezes, slaps, and pinches. Yet there’s only one type of touch known to routinely elicit laughter: tickling. From the time we’re ...

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 ...

NIJMEGEN, Netherlands — Ever try to tickle yourself? Go ahead, stroke your own armpit or foot sole right now. Feel absolutely nothing? That’s because your brain is playing a fascinating trick on you — ...