Tickling is strange because it does not feel optional. You do not decide to laugh. Your body just does it. The sound comes out before your brain has time to judge whether anything is funny. People ...

Don’t try this at home, but tickling a gorilla, orangutan, bonobo or chimp can inspire bursts of grunting sounds. Yes, that’s laughter, says Marina Davila Ross of the University of Portsmouth in ...

Tickling, a seemingly involuntary reflex, evolved not for humor but for connection. It targets exposed areas, triggering laughter when the touch is recognized as safe, signaling non-danger and ...