The Squishy, Slimey Science Of ASMR

Today, guest host Selena Simmons-Duffin is exploring a detail very personal to her: How the number of older brothers a person has can influence their sexuality.Scientific research on sexuality has a dark history, with long-lasting harmful effects on queer communities. Much of the ...  Show more

Paleontologists have often determined how old a dinosaur was by counting the growth rings in its bones. Just like with trees, it was thought that each ring corresponded to a single year of age. But researchers who studied crocodiles at an outdoor recreation center near Cape Town ...  Show more

Have you heard of ASMR? Whispery, clicky, crinkly videos are massive on YouTube - racking up millions of views. The idea is that these sounds elicit a certain tingly, calming sensation in some people. So what is ASMR and what does the science tell us about it? Is it real … or pse ...  Show more

ASMR is huge. People say these videos of someone whispering or making soft sounds can make them feel all tingly inside, and even help them feel calm and less anxious. So, what’s going on here? We talk to scientists who have looked into what’s happening in our bodies and brains wh ...  Show more

Hannah Fry mixes a mojito. This ASMR recording accompanies the episode of The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry on the science of ASMR. Listen to that first, then grab some headphones and let us know if it gives you the brain tingles by emailing curiouscases@bbc.co.uk. 

Shhhh! Some of us are listening intently to a certain tone, one that sends waves of pleasure down our spine. It's called autonomous sensory meridian response. Robert and Julie explore, and while they're at it, they'll find out if whispering exists among any non-human primates. ...