Human bodies do a lot of weird stuff. But goosebumps may be one of our strangest bodily functions.
Goosebumps are humanity’s near-universal reaction to the cold. But for some reason, those unmistakable, tiny bumps on the skin also appear when we’re scared or when we’re moved by something awe-inspiring.
What is it about these starkly different experiences that triggers a similar reaction on our skin? And why do we get goosebumps in the first place? The answers are rooted in our evolutionary history.
To modern humans, goosebumps probably don’t seem very useful. But long ago, scientists think they were practical for our ancestors.
Homo sapiens were once covered in fur — lots of it. And goosebumps, a phenomenon known as “piloerection,” provided early humans with some extra protection from the cold, functioning a bit like a built-in puffer jackets.
When we’re exposed to the cold, it makes tiny muscles at ...
