Pod Insights The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week Check it out: 'Ask Us Anything' from Popular Science. On this episode, GOOSEBUMPS About this episode Popular Science answers your most outlandish, mind-burning questions—from the everyday things you’ve always wondered to the bizarre things you never thought to ask.
On this episode: Goosebumps are a valuable tool for many animals. They keep mammals with thick fur warm by trapping air near their skin, or help make them look bigger when facing off against a rival. However, in humans a wide range of emotions can also induce goosebumps. BUT WHY? Join PopSci Editor Sarah Durn and Editor-in-Chief Annie Colbert as they explain the science AND chat with Goosebumps legend, RL Stine.
Read the full story that inspired this episode: https://www.popsci.com/science/why-goosebumps-happen/
If you have a question for a future episode, go to: PopSci.com/ask
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Transcript 2,556 words · 11 speakers
0:04 Speaker 00 Hey weirdos, it's your producer Jess and I have a really cool announcement. Popular Science is relaunching the Ask Us Anything podcast and we're dropping the first new episode in the weirdest thing feed, right here, right now. This episode is all about goosebumps, what they are and why we get them. It also features a very special appearance by the king of goosebumps himself, R.L. Stine. And if you're interested in human composting, and come on, who isn't, there's a second new episode available right now. So subscribe and follow Ask Us Anything wherever you get your podcasts. Join host and pop sci editor Sarah Dern alongside the rest of the team as they answer your most outlandish, mind-burning questions. Without further ado, enjoy learning all about goosebumps.
0:49 Speaker 01 So we want to know, what gives you goosebumps?
0:53 Speaker 02 Touching the corduroy with the back of my hand?
0:56 Speaker 03 Biting into cold fruit? It sort of gives your teeth that jolt, but also I don't like it.
1:03 Speaker 04 I get goosebumps on airplanes when I look out the window and kind of see this view of the world that like, so many people, not even that long ago, never got to see.
1:12 Speaker 05 Listening to music in the dark by myself on really good headphones.
1:18 Speaker 03 The cold.
1:23 Speaker 01 Welcome to Ask Us Anything from the editors of Popular Science, where we answer your questions about our weird world. From, why can't we just chuck all our garbage into the sun? To, are cats really scared of cucumbers? No question is too outlandish or too mundane. I'm Sarah Dern, an editor here at Popular Science.
1:43 Speaker 06 And I'm Annie Colbert, editor in chief at Popular Science. This week, we're talking all about goosebumps. What are they? And why do we get them? So Sarah, I have to know. What gives you goosebumps?
1:55 Speaker 01 Well, I mean, I definitely get them when I'm cold. But also when I'm listening to like a full symphony orchestra or listening to like, especially Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata will get me.
2:06 Speaker 06 Yes.
2:06 Speaker 01 There's something about, I guess, classical music. How about you?
2:09 Speaker 06 So I definitely get goosebumps in cold weather or if the air conditioner is blasting like directly on me in the office or big moving sports moments like the Olympics. I also definitely watched way too much unsolved mysteries as a kid and am therefore very paranoid and get goosebumps when I'm scared, like if I feel a sense of danger.
2:31 Speaker 01 Oh, yes. I mean, like horror movies do it for me, too. So I actually edited a story on this from one of our freelancers for PopSci, RJ McKinsey. And our story came about because I was watching a scary movie and wondering why the heck you get goosebumps when you're scared. It's not like you're in real danger, you know?
2:48 Speaker 06 Yes, no, totally. Okay, so why do we get goosebumps?
2:51 Speaker 01 Yeah, so basically it's our fight or flight response kicks in. Our nervous system tells our muscles to contract, creating those tiny little bumps, which causes the hair on our body to stand on end.
3:03 Speaker 06 Yeah, okay, that makes sense. Our nervous system is basically our body's communication network. It's wild, though.
3:09 Speaker 01 Right? Now, before we jump into the ins and outs of this primal reflex, listeners, we want to know, what questions are keeping you curious?
3:17 Speaker 06 If there's something you've always wondered, submit your questions through popsci.com/ask. Again, that's popsci.com/ask. We might even feature it in a future episode. And remember, nothing is too strange or too simple for us to answer.
3:32 Speaker 01 We can't wait to hear all your ideas.
3:34 Speaker 06 So up next, we're going to dive deeper into the biology of goosebumps. That's coming up after this quick break.
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4:41 Speaker 06 Welcome back. So, let's talk goosebumps.
4:44 Speaker 01 Let's do it.
4:45 Speaker 06 So first, a little fun background. The name goosebumps came about because when we get them, our skin looks a little bit like a plucked goose skin, which I've never actually seen a plucked goose, so I cannot verify that resemblance. And in German, the same phenomenon is called Genzehaut, which means goose skin. In French, they're called Chardonnay, or literally chicken skin. And in Russian, they're called Marushki, which means little ants. And I apologize for any pronunciation missteps there.
5:13 Speaker 01 Little ants isn't something I would have thought of. Do you want to know another fun fact?
5:17 Speaker 06 Always.
5:18 Speaker 01 Well, geese and chickens don't actually have bumpy skin. When their feathers are plucked, their feather follicles become slightly raised, and that's what gives their skin that bumpy look.
5:27 Speaker 06 Ooh, so of course, I must know. Can geese get goosebumps?
5:32 Speaker 01 Because they have feathers and not hair, it's a little different. But they can make their feathers stand on end when they're scared. So they do have like a similar response.
5:40 Speaker 06 Ah, so they were also watching Unsolved Mysteries as children? I'm kidding. Okay, so I know humans aren't alone in getting goosebumps. Like, lots of furry animals get them too. Like dogs, and cats, and even hedgehogs. They'll fluff up to trap heat and make themselves look bigger when they're threatened. I've definitely seen my cat potato fluff up when a loud truck drives by the front of our apartment. But Sarah, let's go back to the original question of why do we get them? Like, what's actually happening inside our bodies?
6:07 Speaker 01 Yeah, so it all starts with our nervous system. Goosebumps, or as scientists like to call them. Pilo erection happen when tiny muscles in your skin contract. These muscles are called erector pili muscles and they're connected to your hair follicles. So when those muscles shrink and tighten, your skin gets little bumps, which in turn causes your body hair to stand on end.
6:29 Speaker 06 Interesting.
6:30 Speaker 01 Right? There's a quote I love from our story that talks about how our skin is constantly responding to the world. It's stretching, squishing, getting thicker, getting thinner, moving our hair around to regulate our body temperature and keep things in and out.
6:43 Speaker 06 Skin, it does so much.
6:45 Speaker 01 It really does.
6:46 Speaker 06 So how does our nervous system initiate goosebumps in the first place? What is it reacting to?
6:50 Speaker 01 Yeah, so your nervous system is basically your body's command center, right?
6:54 Speaker 06 Exactly.
6:55 Speaker 01 It runs everything. Some things you consciously control like movement or speech and others, you don't even think about like your heartbeat or digestion. Goosebumps are specifically triggered by your autonomic nervous system. This is the part of the nervous system that controls all the things in your body you aren't consciously aware of, like sweating or in this case goosebumps.
7:15 Speaker 06 Because when we get goosebumps, we aren't sitting there thinking, "Okay, body, make my hair stand on end and cover me in tiny bumps." It just does it automatically?
7:24 Speaker 01 Right, so one obvious trigger for goosebumps is the cold. When your skin senses a drop in temperature, your autonomic nervous system springs into action. Those tiny muscles in your skin contract, your hair stand up and bumps appear. For our furrier ancestors, this is actually pretty important. By standing on end, our hairs would trap a layer of air close to the skin, which acted like insulation to keep your body warm.
7:47 Speaker 06 Ooh, that sounds cozy.
7:48 Speaker 01 Yeah, and even though most of us don't have enough body hair for this to make a big difference anymore, the reflex is still wired into our system.
7:56 Speaker 06 Right, so why do we get goosebumps when we're afraid then?
8:00 Speaker 01 Yeah, I mean, it's the same process, basically. Your autonomic nervous system still triggers goosebumps. But the reason behind why we get them when we're afraid is a little different. Instead of trying to trap heat, now it's about survival. Back when our ancestors faced threats like predators, having your hair stand on end made you look bigger and more intimidating. Even though most humans don't have enough body hair for that to work today, the reflex still fires. It's part of that fight or flight response.
8:27 Speaker 06 Gotcha. I'm always choosing flight, I think, by the way. And what about situations when you're not actually in danger? Like when you're watching a scary movie or, you know, Unsolved Mysteries when you're only about seven?
8:39 Speaker 01 Yeah, so to your autonomic nervous system, the adrenaline surge you get from a jump scare or a job interview isn't any different from a real-life predator. Your body still registers that as a serious threat, even though you, you know, aren't in any real danger. So your nervous system is still going to tell your skin to get bumpy and your hair to stand on end, so you look as big and intimidating as possible.
8:59 Speaker 06 Gotcha. But fear and cold aren't the only triggers, right? We talked about music and sports and art and even déjà vu, apparently? That can all give us goosebumps, so how does it work?
9:11 Speaker 01 You're totally right. Music, art, any feelings of awe or wonder can all trigger goosebumps in people. Scientists sort of think of that as a different phenomenon. Usually, they categorize those experiences as getting the chills, or what some scientists call frisions. When I get the chills from a full symphony orchestra, or you get the chills from watching Simone Biles win a gold medal, that spine-tingling, shivery sensation doesn't always mean you get goosebumps. About half the time, people report chills without any bumps at all. So goosebumps are the physical observable response, your skin muscles pulling on your hair follicles, while chills are more of the subjective emotional response.
9:53 Speaker 06 Ah, so even though I might feel chills while the national anthem plays at a minor league baseball game, that doesn't necessarily mean I get goosebumps?
10:01 Speaker 01 Yeah, exactly. And as for why you get goosebumps at a concert or when feeling awe, scientists don't really know. And here's another weird thing. If you put an ice pack on your thigh, goosebumps might appear all over your body, not just where it's cold. Tickling, on the other hand, tends to trigger goosebumps in only a specific localized area. So yeah, your skin is wild. There's a lot of things we don't know about why it reacts the way it does.
10:29 Speaker 06 There's always more questions.
10:31 Speaker 01 Always.
10:32 Speaker 06 I love that goosebumps are essentially a way for our nervous system to say, notice this, pay attention, something important is happening. It's a lot like my toddler, like wanting me to look at her before she leaps off of the sofa.
10:45 Speaker 01 Yeah, totally. And whether it's a cold wind, a terrifying movie scene, or musical climax causing your goosebumps, in that moment, you're totally aware.
10:54 Speaker 06 I love that. Goosebumps are like a reminder to pay attention to what you're feeling.
10:57 Speaker 01 Or at least grab a jacket.
10:59 Speaker 06 Well, if you want to learn more about goosebumps, frictions, or chills, check out our full story on Popular Science. You will find it linked in the show notes.
11:06 Speaker 01 Do it. It's a very fun one.
11:08 Speaker 06 And with that, we'll be back shortly with some thoughts from the man, the myth, the legend, R.L. Stine, the author, of course, of the Goosebumps book series.
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12:21 Speaker 01 Well, thank you again, Bob, for being here with us. So to get us started, where did the idea to call your series Goosebumps come from?
12:30 Speaker 10 Well, I was trying to find a name, and one day I was reading TV Guide magazine. And there was a tiny little ad on the bottom of a page. And it said, it's Goosebumps Week on Channel 11. And I just stared at it. Because I knew that was perfect. It's funny and scary. It was the perfect word. And that's really where Goosebumps came from, from that little ad.
12:54 Speaker 01 Wow, that's incredible. So if you wrote a new goosebump story inspired by the science of goosebumps, what would it be called?
13:01 Speaker 10 Well, we know that the real goosebumps are caused by tiny muscles that raise the hairs on your arm. And I never even really thought about that when we titled the book. But if I was going to write a Goosebumps book about that real process of goosebumps, I would probably call it, oh, A Hair-Raising Adventure? Or maybe something scarier like Skin Crawler?
13:28 Speaker 01 Ooh, I like that.
13:30 Speaker 10 That might work.
13:31 Speaker 01 Yeah, well, thank you so much for coming on the show today. Is there anything you have coming up in the pipeline that you'd like our audience to know about?
13:40 Speaker 10 I have something a little different. I'm going to write a thriller for adults next year. It's called Let's All Kill Rosalie.
13:48 Speaker 01 Hmm, I love that. I'll definitely be looking out for that. Thank you so much. It's been a joy talking to you.
13:55 Speaker 10 Oh, thanks, Sarah. I really enjoyed talking with you.
14:04 Speaker 01 And that's it for this episode. But don't worry, we've got another brand new Ask Us Anything episode live in our feed right now. Follow or subscribe to Ask Us Anything by Popular Science wherever you enjoy your podcasts. And if you like our show, leave a rating and a review.
14:19 Speaker 06 We care what you think, so please tell us. Our theme music was composed by Kenneth Michael Reagan, and our producer is Alan Habercheck. This episode was based on an article written for Popular Science by R.J. McKenzie.
14:31 Speaker 01 Thank you, team, and thanks, everyone, for listening.
14:33 Speaker 06 And one more time, if you want to have your own wonderments explained on a future episode, go to popsci.com/ask. Until next time, keep your questions coming.
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