Humans accurately detect their goose bumps only about one-third of the time

There’s a lot we still don’t know about goose bumps in humans

Though goose bumps can be associated with changes in skin temperature, the biggest gaps in our understanding are around measuring goose bumps from nonthreatening exposures. These bumps can often occur without our detection, and we have trouble correctly identifying them. The relationship between emotionally induced chills and goose bumps can also be tenuous.

Some of us can control our goose bumps

A small 2018 study examined the rare ability to control goose bumps. Researchers found some intriguing associations between having a particularly open and curious personality type and the ability to trigger this sensation—a link that they hope will be explored further in the future.

Goose bumps are often triggered by emotions

A physiologist and professor of zoology explains that the subconscious release of adrenaline, a stress hormone, causes a contraction of skin muscles. It’s released in several situations, including when humans are cold, afraid, or feel strong emotions. (Some readers may experience a paywall.)

Goose bumps require a surprisingly complex series of steps

Watch an anatomical breakdown of how goose bumps work—featuring real skin from a human cadaver, a segmented brain, and a detailed anatomical model of the skin—to learn about all the jargon behind goose bump science. (Warning: Includes graphic footage of cadaver skin.)

Scientists have unraveled new details about which nerve cells control goose bumps

Research in 2016 revealed that at least eight different types of neurons are associated with the sympathetic nervous system. One finding revealed that goose bumps and nipple erection are caused by neurons specialized to regulate these specific functions by controlling the erectile muscles in those tissues.

The anatomy of our hair follicles explains goose bumps

The arrector pili muscle contracts when we’re cold or scared, causing hairs to stand up and the skin to form the bumps known as goose bumps. This reaction is typically involuntary.

The brains of people who experience frisson have unique neural pathways

A small 2016 study aimed to investigate the behavioral and neural differences between 10 individuals who experience goose bumps when listening to music and 10 who typically don’t. Scientists reported that individuals experiencing musical chills had greater white matter connectivity in specific auditory, emotional, and social processing areas of the brain.

Long-term goose bumps are something to flag to your doctor

Although rarely a cause for concern, persistent goose bumps with no known cause could be a symptom of something to discuss with your doctor, including anxiety, a hair follicle blockage, or conditions that arise from an overreaction of the autonomic nervous system.

Artificial goose bumps could theoretically be used for information storage

Inspired by how fine hairs stand on the skin with goose bumps, researchers have recently created artificial skin that raises artificial goose bumps when exposed to a laser. This type of precise, localized, and controllable system could potentially fuel later development of programmable machines that could be used for information storage.

Audio and visual cues from "Titanic," Pink Floyd, and more can provoke goose bumps

These audio and visual snippets have been used in research studies to elicit goose bumps.

Research shows that, on average, humans correctly spot liars about half of the time

Polygraph tests, also known as lie detectors, are better at detecting lies than people, but they still aren't allowed in most courtrooms. That's in part because of mixed signals. For example, spikes in heart rate can be explained by the stress a person feels during interrogation rather than by their own deception. As a result, polygraph tests are prone to false accusations. Results are also unreliable when participants actually believe their lies, examiners have biases, and tricks are employed to help test-takers relax.

The "reminiscence bump" causes memories from adolescence to last

Research shows that the "reminiscence bump" phenomenon, which applies to memories formed between the ages of 10 and 30, contributes to songs from those ages triggering the most intense nostalgia. This may be due to biological and hormonal changes enhancing memory effectiveness during adolescence.

73% of people report they crave more physical touch in their lives

This figure came from a 2019 survey of 110 adults and examined what's formally called a "touch gap." Touch helps reduce stress, strengthening our immune system, and overall well-being. It can also improve children's health, adjustment, and IQ scores.

Humans are wired to pick up on each other's emotion, making laughter contagious

The reaction plays a key role in establishing interpersonal connections and relieving stress by releasing endorphins—feel-good hormones. A 2021 study identified at least 65 animal species that produce playful sounds, such as laughter.

Emotional crying is an important and cathartic process

Though babies don't initially produce tears when they cry, this podcast discusses how humans are hardwired to cry throughout life. Most crying research relies on self-reporting of crying and emotions. This podcast notes that there aren't neuroimaging studies of crying—they're quite expensive to complete. As a result, the brain precursors and processes during a bout of crying remain understudied.

Roughly one in every 250 has never remembered a single dream

Most people dream for about two hours every night and recall about two dreams per week, and memory encoding is especially fragile upon waking. Alarms can knock dreams right out of one's head, and dream recall may be influenced by personality, interest, and socialization.

A 2020 poll found around 50% of Americans believe ghosts and demons are real

Ghosts are typically represented as sad and still retaining some of their humanity. Demons are more associated with evil and the devil, without any connection to being human.

Recent research found that the brain doesn't seem to massively rewire following amputation—upending earlier beliefs about the cause of phantom limb pain.

Tinnitus estimates vary, but may occur in 10%-15% of the population

This video discusses the mechanisms underlying tinnitus and explores the knowns and unknowns about the condition. Tinnitus most commonly occurs among those with hearing loss, suggesting that cochlear damage may be a factor.

We don't know why astronauts get motion sick

Between 60% and 90% of astronauts get motion sick in space—and many also get motion sick during the first few days upon return. Motion sickness on Earth does not seem to correlate with whether or not astronauts get motion sick in space, so it's not possible to predict who will get ill.

Researchers believe the brain consolidates memories, processes emotions, and plans for the future during dream states

Humans can't smell the inside of their nose due to olfactory fatigue

Once a person is accustomed to a specific odor, their neurons have trouble continuing to respond to that smell because of that familiarity. That's why humans may not notice when their house smells like trash until they leave the house and then return to it.

Modern pregnancy tests detect a specific hormone in a woman's urine or blood

They pick up human chorionic gonadotropin, in either blood or urine. The hormone is produced by a woman's reproductive tissues during pregnancy.

Humans aren't the only mammals who go through menopause, but it's rare in the animal world

While scientists are unsure how many mammals actually experience menopause, they do know for sure that humans aren't the only ones. Orcas and some toothed whales (like belugas and narwhals) go through menopause. And a recent study found chimpanzees also experience the condition, though it's late in life.

Super recognizers may use specific facial features to commit faces to memory

Researchers believe that recognizing individuals seen only in passing, even decades later, is an ability of genetic origin and specific to facial recognition, rather than a result of better overall memory or perception. Applying eye tracking data from super recognizers to AI has led to improvements in facial recognition software.

Regular coupon users pay less attention to the actual price of what they’re buying

The psychology of coupon users can feel counterintuitive: Research suggests regular coupon users actually prioritize coupon availability over actual price comparisons.

AI models incorporate a randomness parameter when generating responses to prompts

AI models use this parameter to prevent repeated outputs by sometimes choosing less likely next words during sequential generation. However, this randomness—alongside insufficient data and training—may cause hallucinations of incorrect results.

Crows are believed to have intelligence on par with a seven-year-old child and demonstrate complex behaviors, from problem-solving with tools to recognizing human faces.

Animal phobias are likely the most common type of phobias, followed by an extreme fear of heights.

Clever Hans was a 1900s horse that was believed to be able to solve math equations, tell time, and read and comprehend German, until a psychology student discovered how he got his answers.

Human-to-human transmission of hantavirus remains extremely rare, so the 2026 hantavirus cruise ship outbreak doesn't mean we're facing a COVID-style pandemic risk.

Learn how your body is, scientifically, like a firework with its own slow, controlled burn.

Bone marrow (soft tissue found inside certain bones) generates roughly 500 billion new blood cells each day

Between 10 million and 50 million people in the US develop rashes from poison ivy, poison sumac, and poison oak each year.

Chaos theory—informally known as the butterfly effect—is the reason why weather forecasts are presented with probabilities rather than certainties.

44% of Americans say they pray at least once a day—discover how your state's religiosity stacks up against the rest of the country.

Hookworm infection, though risky, may help fight certain autoimmune conditions by tamping down the immune system's inflammatory response.

This site reaches millions of visitors who are tired of AI chatbots and seeking human connection. Pretend to be an AI chatbot and ask questions, provide answers, and draw for people in real time.

Scientists can determine Earth's past climate conditions by analyzing air trapped in microscopic bubbles within ice cores—columns of compressed snow layers that build up over hundreds of thousands of years.

How the most famous Ebola book, The Hot Zone, which sold 3.5 million copies and was translated into 30 languages, got aspects of the disease so wrong.

US housing costs have risen by roughly 175% between 1991 and 2026—but a growing number of Gen Zers are becoming homeowners anyway. In 2025, 4% of homebuyers were Gen Z, up from 3% the year before.

Georgia O'Keeffe's flower paintings are often assumed to be sexual, though the artist claimed she was simply interested in highlighting the beauty of flowers that most people neglect

As of 2025, the most cited papers in science include a review of graphene, methods to improve image recognition, streamlining electron density calculations, and optimizing protein studies.

Indefinite cloning of some endangered species may not sustain their longevity because cloning success rates decrease as genetic mutations accumulate.

Some coin denominations have ridges etched on their sides, partly to prevent counterfeiting, in a practice called 'reeding.'

Up to a million Girl Scouts sell about 200 million cookie boxes every spring, generating $800 million, largely because refusing a child is frowned upon

A pickleball's loud 'pop' sound can reach 120 decibels, which is equivalent to a hammer hitting a nail

In 2009, the nation was gripped by the story of a missing young boy who was believed to be floating over Colorado in a homemade balloon, until it was revealed that he was at home the whole time.

For centuries, Niagara Falls has been a magnet for daredevils seeking to conquer one of nature's most powerful wonders, with its 200-foot drop and water rushing at 32 feet per second with 280 tons of force.

See how Budweiser's famous Clydesdales spend their days at Warm Springs Ranch, where roughly 70 to 80 of the beer brand's giant horses can be found at any given time.