Hey head squeezers, I hope you're well.
Check this one out from Harry B who asks, What are goosebumps?
Well Harry, they are actually evidence of our hairy past.
We are known as the naked apes and you can kindof see a little bit why.
But even more so if you look at our primate relative who are a particular furry bunch.
Cool fact for you, most of the hair we have in the past we still have now.
It's just been highly miniaturised.
If you have a look at each hair follicle connected to each one is a piloerector muscle.
Now if we feel cold or if something goes bump in the night and we feel intensive fear then
that piloerector muscle shoots that hair out.
Why?
Well again we need to look at our primate friends for this.
If we feel cold, the hair stands up on end, and for our little guy there, that traps a
layer of air around his skin.
Essentially a layer of insulation.
Not much use to us really anymore, we just pop on a jumper or a fleece if that happens.
What about the fear?
Well the adrenalin response fires up those hairs and it actually makes the animal look
a bit bigger so the predator that was attacking it goes huuhhhhh???
And in that little moment of time they can either run off or they can launch an attack
on their predator.
It's the fight or flight response.
Again, not really that useful for us anymore we just end up looking like the last plucked
turkey in the shop window at Christmas.
So there you go Harry, I hope that answers that one, I hope you enjoyed it.
If you got any ideas for any of the other head squeeze strands, you want the guys to
do?
Maybe a big experiment?
Or something like that?
Pop it below.
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And until next time happy head squeezing.