Why does a caress from a loved one feel so different from a hug from a stranger? Why is a hot bath soothing and relaxing on a cold winter night, but not on a steamy summer evening? The human sense of touch begins with a vast and complex array of sensors throughout our skin and hair follicles. But our experience of pleasure, pain and intimacy combines the mysteries of the mind with wiring of the brain. Kojo talks to neuroscientist David Linden about what we know about touch and how it impacts our everyday lives.

Guests

  • David J. Linden Professor of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; author, "Touch: The Science of Hand, Heart, and Mind" (Viking)

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