Tizzw Magazine cntided “An Uncommon Inquiry Into the Nature of a Common Phenomenon, ” 1

My dog Taffy smiles. It usually happens when 1 see her after a long absence. As shc walks towards mc the ends of hcr mouth curve gently upward, and she really smiles. Taffy is nor unique; I've also seen this behavior in another dog. I'VCnever tried to convince anyone of the fact that dogs can smile, or even that animals other than man can smile; and 1've never seriously considered the possibility that scientific evidence would support my suspicion that my dog is really smiling-until a few months ago, when 1 came across an article in the New York Tizzw Magazine cntided " An Uncommon Inquiry Into the Nature of a Common Phenomenon, " 1 In the article, Boyce Rcnsberger, a Timej science reporter, tries to answer the question , " Why can't people tickle them-selves? " He asserts that, ''Science has no answer. A diligent search of the medics! and psychological Iitcraturc of the last quarter century has led m-to conclude that no respected authority knows why. " (As will be seen below, his use of ''dili-gent " is dubious, if not laughable.) So he advances his own solution to the pro-blcm, citing data from animal-behavior researchers. In short, he concludes that what appears to be laughter and smiling Number 47 in animals is really a fear reaction, and thar when humans arc tickled their reaction is similar to that of frightened animals they laugh. When you tickle yourself , there is no threat, no fear-and no laughter. Rensberger justifies this speculation with the statement that, " Where scientists fear to tread, science writtm readily speculate. " Although Rensberger's theory seems plausible enough on the surface , one thing bothered me: when my dog smiles it is not out of fear, Could Rensberger's " diligent search " of the literature have missed something? Yes. A follow-up search by lSl " staff has revealed much material which is di-rectIy relevant to Rcnsberger's " theory, " and much more which, though not directly relevant, is ncvcrthcless fascinating. As far back as 1873, Charles Darwin2 noted that in order for tickling to be pleasurable, the following requirements must be met: 1. The tickler must be a familiar person. .7. Someone other than the tickled must do the tickling, 3. The tickled part must be a body part not commonly touched. 4, The touch must bc light,