logo
episode-header-image
May 2020
45m 5s

Why can’t you tickle yourself?

Bbc World Service
About this episode

This week the kids take over. Our younger listeners are as curious as their parents, it seems, so presenter Marnie Chesterton seeks out the finest minds and attempts to answer a raft of their science questions, including why can’t you tickle yourself? Why don’t our eyebrows grow as long as the hair on our heads? Not content with humankind, these whizz kids have been pondering deeply about other animals. Ava, 9, from the UK wants to know if any other animals kill for fun, like some humans do. Not limited by planet Earth, these little thinkers have been contemplating even weightier questions. Joshua, 13, from Kenya wonders if our Solar System rotates around anything. And Seattle-based Michael, 10, puzzles over what would happen if a black hole collided with a wormhole. These and other mysteries are uncovered by Marnie and her experts. Presenters: Marnie Chesterton & Arlo Byrne Producer: Dom Byrne

[Photo: Children Tickling each other, Adorable laughter. Credit: Getty Images]

Up next
Yesterday
Are right-handed people more creative?
CrowdScience listener Nyok, in South Sudan, is right-handed and has always felt very creative. He's also noticed that left-handed people seem to be more logical. He's wondering if this has anything to do with the idea that different sides of your brain can be dominant for differe ... Show More
26m 29s
Oct 23
How do insects hear?
CrowdScience listener Lauren from Belgium has near-complete hearing loss in one ear, because all the sensory hair cells in her inner ear have died. This got her thinking about how complicated the human ear is and whether there are other animals with simpler ears, in particular in ... Show More
28m 10s
Oct 16
Why don't we lay eggs?
Some animals lay eggs, and their young hatch out of them. Other animals give birth to live young. But which strategy is best? That’s the question that’s been bothering CrowdScience listener Sameer in Canada. Is giving birth to live young a good reproductive strategy? It takes a l ... Show More
29m 19s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2022
Your mysteries answered
Why do flies eat poo? Why, when I touch something, do my atoms not merge with the object? Are we living in a computer simulation? All season we've been trying to answer the top mysteries that have baffled scientists for centuries. Now, we're answering yours! Ask a question of you ... Show More
20m 55s
Nov 2025
MIDWEEKLY: Why Is The Moon Called... The Moon?🌕🌌
This week’s big questions!You’ve been sending in your curious questions, and this week… 💧 Jonah wants to know why we sweat.🤧 Raphael is wondering why we close our eyes when we sneeze.🐸 Robbie is curious about why frogs croak.🌕 Arla wonders why the Moon is called the Moon.⛽ An ... Show More
12m 44s
Nov 2023
Scary science
In the week where many celebrated Halloween we are wondering about that tingle down your spine, the dryness in your mouth, the racing pulse - might it actually be good for you? We also look into a special frequency of sound, just below our human hearing range, that might cause ra ... Show More
50m 16s
Oct 2019
210: Chest Moose Tattoo (w/ SciShow Tangents!)
What's going on with microbes? What happens when an astronaut sneezes in space? Why do we have toes? Should I dress fancier? Why aren’t there drones on Mars? Do you get lighter every time you fart? What do I do about the poster I don’t understand? Why do animals live for differen ... Show More
34m 1s