Why are some body parts more Ticklish than others?

Summary

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Podcast Summary: "Why are some body parts more Ticklish than others?"

Podcast: Who Smarted?
Date: October 27, 2025
Host: Trusty Narrator (Atomic Entertainment / Starglow Media)
Guests/Characters: Tickle Monster, Granny, Trusty Sister and Brother

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Main Theme & Purpose

This episode of "Who Smarted?" delves into the science and silliness of ticklishness, exploring questions like:

• Why are we ticklish?
• Why are some people and body parts more ticklish than others?
• What happens in our bodies and brains when we’re tickled, and why do we laugh?
• Can tickling be useful (or even harmful!), and do animals laugh when tickled too?

Through comedic banter with the Tickle Monster and playful storytelling, the episode transforms giggly experiences into curious science, making it accessible and fun for kids.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Opening Anecdote: Ticklish Confessions

• [00:00 – 01:29] The trusty narrator shares a family secret: as a kid nicknamed "Ticklepits," he was the only ticklish member of his family, subjected to relentless tickle attacks from his Granny.

What Is Ticklishness?

• [05:02 – 06:10] The Tickle Monster introduces the "Encyclopedia of Tickling" and explains:

  • Ticklishness is the body's response when certain sensitive areas (like sides, stomach, feet, neck, armpits) are touched.

  • Nerve endings in these “tickle spots” send signals to the brain, activating the cerebellum (the part coordinating movement).

    “When you’re tickled in these areas, nerve endings in your skin alert your brain and activate your cerebellum... Sort of like when you have an itch and you have to scratch.” – Trusty Narrator [05:43]

The Two Types of Tickles

• [06:16 – 07:20]

  • Gargalesis: Intense tickling (like during tickle fights or belly laughs).

  • Knismesis: Light tickling (like a feather or a bug crawling).

  • These categories were defined by psychologists Arthur Allen and G. Stanley Hall in 1897.

    “What I just demonstrated was a type of tickle known as gargalesis, which is an intense tickling that usually makes your belly laugh...” – Tickle Monster [06:44]

Can You Tickle Yourself?

• [07:20 – 08:20]

  • You can't tickle yourself to start a tickle fight (gargalesis), but you can induce mild tickles (knismesis) by lightly touching your own skin.

  • This is because the cerebellum predicts your own touch, eliminating surprise.

    “When you tickle yourself, your brain can predict your touch, so it doesn't feel ticklish.” – Tickle Monster [08:03]

Why Were We Born Ticklish? (Theories)

• [08:56 – 09:43]

  • Defense Reflex: Ticklishness may help protect vulnerable body parts.

  • Social Bonding: Darwin theorized that tickling brings people together (e.g., parents tickling babies).

    “One theory is we evolved to become ticklish as a reflex to defend the most vulnerable parts of our body from attack. Another theory... tickling encourages social bonding.” – Tickle Monster [09:07]

Why Are Kids So Ticklish?

• [09:41 – 10:03]

  • Children’s nervous systems are still maturing and they have less body hair, making their skin sensitive.

  • Nerve sensitivity lessens with age.

    “Kids are usually more ticklish than adults because their nervous systems are still developing...” – Tickle Monster [09:41]

If Tickling Is So Fun, Why Do Some Hate It?

• [10:07 – 10:51]

  • Everyone’s brain reacts differently—tickling stimulates the hypothalamus (in charge of emotions, pain, and fight/flight).

  • Physiological responses to extreme tickling can resemble pain.

    “Scientists have found being tickled stimulates your hypothalamus, an area of your brain in charge of emotional reactions, and your fight or flight and pain responses.” – Trusty Narrator [10:12]

Tickling in History: Tickle Torture

• [10:58 – 11:47]

  • Ancient Romans punished criminals by having goats lick salt off their feet—tickling them into confession!

  • Other "tickle punishments" were myths used for the episode’s trivia.

    “Ancient Romans would have goats lick salt off the feet of someone accused of a crime to Tickle them into confessing.” – Tickle Monster [11:47]

Are Animals Ticklish?

• [11:58 – 12:43]

  • Many animals feel light tickles and use it to brush away bugs.

  • Laughter-like tickling (gargalesis) is rare:

    • Some primates (apes) respond to tickling with play and even laughter-like sounds.
    • Rats produce high-pitched giggles when tickled, though humans can’t hear these sounds.

    “Actually, apes do. Some primates play tickle games with one another and respond to being tickled with an almost human like laugh.” – Tickle Monster [12:27]
    “That high-pitched chirp is the sound of a rat giggling at 50 kilohertz, which is out of our range of hearing.” – Trusty Narrator [12:54]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• The Tickle Monster's Rules:

  “Never tickle a tickly if the tickly does not want to be tickled. Okay, not everyone likes being tickled...” – Tickle Monster [04:09]

• Tickle Monster’s (Bad) Joke:

  “Do you know how many times you have to tickle an octopus to make it laugh? Tentacles. Get it? Ten tickles. Tentacles, right.” – Tickle Monster [13:10]

• How to Stop a Tickle Attack:

  “If you ever want to stop a tickle attack, try putting your hand on top of the tickler’s hand. Yeah, this might trick your brain into thinking you are tickling yourself.” – Tickle Monster [08:33]

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Important Segments & Timestamps

• Ticklish Family Secret – [00:00 – 01:29]
• What is Ticklishness & How it Works – [05:02 – 06:10]
• Types of Tickles (Gargalesis & Knismesis) – [06:16 – 07:20]
• Can You Tickle Yourself? – [07:20 – 08:20]
• Evolution & Purpose of Tickling – [08:56 – 09:43]
• Why Are Kids So Ticklish? – [09:41 – 10:03]
• Tickle Responses: Pain or Pleasure? – [10:07 – 10:51]
• Tickle Torture in History (Romans & Goats) – [10:58 – 11:47]
• Animals and Ticklishness (Primates, Rats) – [11:58 – 12:54]
• Tickle Monster Joke (Tentacles/Ten Tickles) – [13:10]

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Conclusion & Takeaways

"Who Smarted?"'s tickling episode blends laughter and learning—literally. Kids discover that tickling is rooted in fascinating science:

• Certain body parts are ticklish because of nerve density and the element of surprise;
• There are two main types of tickles;
• Ticklishness might have evolved for protection or for bonding with others;
• Not everyone likes tickling, and respect and consent matter, even in giggly games.

And yes, rats really do giggle when tickled—science says so!

Overall, this episode perfectly encapsulates the show’s mission: turning everyday curiosities (and giggles) into fuel for learning and family fun.

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Transcript

[A]

And now it's time for who Smarted? Psst. Hey, smartypants. Want to hear a secret? Ooh, you like secrets. Me, too. Even though I'm not always the best at keeping them. Like the time Chet Nickerson told me he once saw. Wait a second. He swore me to secrecy. See? I almost blabbed it. But that's okay. I trust you with my secret. Although, I have to admit, it's slightly embarrassing, so please don't tell anyone. Okay, my secret is. Before I was the trusty narrator, I had another nickname my grandma used to call me. It all started back in my hometown of Smartyville. You see, whenever we visited my grandma, she always insisted on tickling us. There was just one problem. I was the only ticklish kid in a family that was not ticklish at all.

[B]

Tickle, tickle, tickle.

[A]

I'm not ticklish, Grandma. That was my trusty sister.

[B]

Tickle, tickle, tickle.

[C]

Grandma, chill. I'm not even ticklish.

[A]

And that was my trusty brother. And then there was me.

[B]

Tickle, tickle, tickle. Who wants Piggly Wiggly Toe Tickles? And a Tummy Wummy Tickle. Oh, and my favorite, a double armpit tickle attack. Tickle, tickle, tickle.

[A]

As you can hear, Granny loved getting the giggles out of me. She's also the one who gave me my slightly embarrassing nickname, who's my little Ticklepits? Yep, that was me. Ticklepits. Yep, I said it. Since then, Ticklepits. I mean, your trusty narrator has always wondered, why are you ticklish? Why are some people more ticklish than others? Why are some parts of your body more ticklish than others? Like the bottoms of your feet or your armpits? And why does being tickled make you giggle?

[B]

Tickle, tickle, tickle.

[A]

Yep, it's time for a slightly embarrassing whiff of tickly science on who smarted.

[B]

Who's smarted?

[C]

Who's smart? Is it you? Is it me? Is it science? Or history? Listen up, everyone. We make smarting lots of fun. Who's smarted?

[A]

Hey there, smartypants want even more who smarted? And less ads. Introducing WhoSmarted Plus More who Smarted?

[C]

Yay.

[A]

That's right. With WhoSmarted plus, you unlock an extra new episode every week. Zero ads. Plus our special segment, Smartyqs, where we tackle your curious questions, like, why is this sky blue? Exactly. And guess what? There are even more surprise bonuses from me, your trusty narrator.

[B]

Wow.

[C]

How much?

[A]

Less than $4 a month with an annual subscription. And, hey, Try it out with an adult's permission, with a one week free trial from Apple Podcasts or from WhoSmarted.com I'm in.

[B]

Let's get smarter.

[A]

Who's smarted? Plus, more to learn, more to love. Subscribe now. Okay, before we embark on our quest to get to the bottom of tickling, I'm going to try and make myself tickle proof by putting on this suit of armor. Next, we're going to enter a magical giggle forest to meet the preeminent tickle expert and a legend among imaginary creatures. Why, it's none other than the tickle monster. Yeah, I know, it's pretty silly. Just go with it. Oh, hey, is that the tickle monster I see?

[C]

Oh, yeah. How's it going, tickle pits?

[A]

Very funny. Did one of you smarty pants tell the tickle monster my secret? Anyway, I'm not Ticklepits anymore. I'm the trusty narrator.

[C]

That's not what your granny told me. Anywho, what can I do you for?

[A]

Well, I'm here with the smarty pants.

[C]

Oh, yeah, I see you, smarty pants. I think I know some of you. Have you ever laughed so hard that milk came spraying out your nose? Yeah. That's because of me. Anyway, before we talk tickling, I want to mention the Tickle monster code of conduct. Never tickle a tickly if the tickly does not want to be tickled. Okay, not everyone likes being tickled, but you. Tickle pits. I know you love it. Tickle, tickle, tickle. Hey.

[A]

Ha ha. Nice try, tickle monster. But I wore this suit of armor to protect me against just such a tickle attack. Anyway, let's just stick to tickle talk.

[C]

Fine.

[A]

Good. My first question for you is, why are people ticklish?

[C]

Good question. To answer them, I need to consult the Encyclopedia of Tickling. I wrote it myself, along with the Tickosaurus and a tictionary.

[A]

Impressive. Also, that book is huge.

[C]

Oh, yeah, it's very big and very heavy. Because all the great thinkers throughout history, including Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Galileo, Darwin, and many scientists today have all pondered that very question. Why are we ticklish? The exact reason is not fully understood, but there are theories. Here. Read this chapter on demystifying the tickle mystery.

[A]

Okay. It says ticklishness is a response to being touched in certain sensitive areas of the body, AKA tickle spots, like your stomach, sides, feet, neck and armpits. When you're tickled in these areas, nerve endings in your skin alert your brain and activate your cerebellum. The part of your Brain, which coordinates movement and tells your muscles what to do. Sort of like when you have an itch and you have to scratch. It's believed that this alert produces a tickling sensation.

[C]

Exactly. Let me demonstrate. Oh, right, you're tickle proof.

[A]

Nice try, tickle monster.

[C]

But if I can't tickle you, I can't demonstrate the two types of tickles.

[A]

Two types of tickles?

[C]

Oh, boy.

[A]

What do you think, smarty pants? Should I take off my armor and let tickle monster tickle me? Okay, okay. I sure hope this isn't a trick.

[B]

Tickle, tickle, tickle. Okay, okay, okay. Stop, stop.

[C]

Okay. What I just demonstrated was a type of tickle known as garglesis, which is an intense tickling that usually makes your belly laugh, like during a tickle attack.

[A]

I see.

[C]

And then there is.

[A]

Hey, is that a feather? Hey, that tickles.

[C]

Exactly. That's a kind of tickling known as nesmasis, which is a light tickle, like when a feather runs across your skin or a bug lands on you. Nesmesis tickles usually don't make you laugh too hard.

[A]

In your tickle book, it says psychologists Arthur Allen and G. Stanley hall to find these two different types of tickles back in 1897 for research purposes. Smarty pants, now that you know the two types of tickles, here's a tickle question for you. True or false? Can you tickle yourself? Well, let's see. Try tickling yourself, smarty pants. Maybe under your chin, your side, or your armpit. If you're really ambitious, you tickle your feet. Hmph. Not hearing many giggles. So the answer is.

[C]

That's tricky. See, while it's false that you can induce garglysis, it's true that you can lightly tickle yourself and induce nesmisis.

[A]

And why is that?

[C]

It's because your good old cerebellum can tell if you or someone else is tickling you. When you tickle yourself, your brain can predict your touch so it doesn't feel ticklish. When someone else tickles you, your brain is more stimulated, so you feel the tickle.

[A]

Ah. So the element of surprise is a key ingredient to tickle success.

[C]

Absolutely. In fact, I count on it.

[B]

Tickle, tickle, tickle.

[A]

You got me again.

[C]

You know, I shouldn't be telling you all my tickle trade secrets, but if you ever want to stop a tickle attack, try putting your hand on top of the tickler's hand. Yeah, this might trick your brain into thinking you are tickling yourself. Whoa. That's why doctors Sometimes ask you to put your hand on their hand when they're examining your belly so it won't tickle.

[A]

Ah, I'll remember that. Of course, I'm still wondering what the point of being ticklish is. Does it serve any purpose other than making us laugh or, in some cases, cry?

[C]

Truth be told, no one knows for sure. One theory is we evolved to become ticklish as a reflex to defend the most vulnerable parts of our body from attack. Another theory by Charles Darwin, the father of evolution back in 1872, was that tickling encourages social bonding, meaning it makes people feel, you know, connected. Which is why parents love tickling their babies.

[A]

And why Granny tickled me.

[B]

Tickle, tickle, tickle.

[C]

Kids are usually more ticklish than adults because their nervous systems are still developing, making them more sensitive to touch. They also have less body hair, which can make their skin more sensitive, too. As you get older, nerve endings in your skin can lose sensitivity. Plus, kids are usually more willing to play tickle games than adults. Except for you. Tickle pits.

[B]

Tickle, tickle, tickle.

[A]

Okay, that's enough. So why is it that some kids and adults hate tickling?

[C]

Well, the simple reason is we all have different tickle responses. Some people laugh while others squirm or push the tickler away. Scientists have found being tickled stimulates your hypothalamus, an area of your brain in charge of emotional reactions, and your fight or flight and pain responses.

[A]

So when you're being tickled, your brain could be getting mixed signals that tickling is fun or painful. Or maybe both.

[C]

Indeed, some scientists found that the body movements of someone being tickled are similar to those of someone in severe pain.

[A]

Right. Tickling isn't always a laughing matter, which is why you shouldn't just tickle someone, especially if you know they don't like it.

[C]

Did you know in ancient times, tickling was used as a form of punishment?

[A]

I did, smarty pants. Which of these ancient tickle tactics was used to punish people? A. Ancient Romans soaked people's feet in salt and then had goats lick the salt off with their tickly tongues.

[B]

B.

[A]

Ancient Egyptians put people in a limestone tickle machine filled with ticklish ostrich feathers. Or C. Ancient Greeks released a swarm of butterflies to attack the accused with tickly butterfly touches. The answer is coming right after this quick break. Now back to who smarted? So, smarty pants, the answer to our history question about tickle torture is a.

[C]

That's right. Ancient Romans would have goats lick salt off the feet of someone accused of a crime to Tickle them into confessing.

[A]

Speaking of animals, are they ticklish too?

[C]

Good question. Many animals respond to nesmosis, you know, light tickling, which helps them ward off creepy crawlies. You know, think of a horse flicking its tail at a fly and light tickling may even relax some animals, like your dog or your cat if they're in the mood. But it seems that garglesis, the kind of tickling that makes your belly laugh is pretty rare in animals.

[A]

Do any animals laugh when you tickle, tickle, tickle them? What do you think, smarty pants?

[C]

Actually, apes do. Some primates play tickle games with one another and respond to being tickled with an almost human like laugh. And scientists have discovered that another animal lets out an ultrasonic giggle when it's tickled.

[A]

Smarty pants, any guess which animal that is? Is it A, a hyena, B, a sloth, or C, a rat? The answer is C, a rat.

[C]

Shh.

[A]

Listen. Can you hear that? You probably can't. That high pitched chirp is the sound of a rat giggling at 50 kilohertz, which is out of our range of hearing.

[C]

Yep. And do you know how many times you have to tickle an octopus to make it laugh?

[A]

Hmm, I don't know.

[C]

Tentacles. Get it? Ten Tickles. Tentacles, right.

[A]

That wasn't very funny, tickle monster.

[C]

Oh yeah? Then why you laughing tickle pits. Tickle, tickle, tickle.

[A]

A super shout out to smarty fan Owen in Alamuche, New Jersey. You told us who Smarted makes your family laugh together and that smarting is fun. We couldn't agree more. Thanks for laughing and learning with us, Owen. This episode Ticklish was written by Laughing Leanne French and voiced by Adam the Tickler Davis. Indy Not Ticklish Schaffner, Max Kuchiku Kamasky and Jerry Colbert. Technical direction and sound design by Josh Ha ha. Who's Smarted? Is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room Studios. Our associate producer is Max Kamasky. The theme song is by Brian Stop Tickling Me Suarez. With lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex Davis. Who's Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colbert. This has been an Atomic Entertainment production.