All of the senses have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, not because the senses have changed, but because the world has, writes a sensory historian.
We touch, therefore we know.
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With dreaded, invisible germs lurking on surfaces and in people, our surroundings are seen as a minefield – and we end up dulling one of our most valuable senses.
Designating an object with the movement of a finger is at the heart of human communication, yet precisely why we point isn’t clearly understood. A new paper indicates that it may be related to touch.
The sense of touch is generally measured by a sensor that can translate a pressure upon it into a small electrical signal.
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Our sense of touch lets us know how hard or soft something is, how solid or pliable it is to handle. That’s an important skill if you want robots to handle things safely.
If one of your hands is anaesthetised, the remaining one will be better at touch perception.
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The news is filled with stories about inappropriate touching by politicians. But touch by politicians was long important in the US, and Abraham Lincoln’s handshake helped engage and guide the nation.
New breakthrough in how to test proteins linked to touch and movement could have major implications for strokes, diabetes, spinal injuries and much more.
Ticklish?
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A soft and tender caress between two people can trigger a flood of emotions, and now we may have some idea why. Research [published in Neuron](http://www.cell.com/neuron/abstract/S0896-6273(14%2900387-0…