i recently read this on msnbc or something...
"1. What causes goose bumps?
Goose bumps (scientific name: piloerection) pop up when you're cold or afraid. A tiny muscle at the base of each body hair contracts; together, they appear as naked bumps on the flesh. They made sense eons ago, when humans still had a natural "fur coat." Back then, fluffing your ruff would warm the body by trapping an insulating layer of air between the hairs. And standing your hair on end was intimidating to predators or enemies (picture a cat facing off with a dog). Evolution has since stripped humans of their pelts. Now goose bumps are, of course, no medical issue. If you're uncomfortable showing off your vestigial physiognomy, dress warmly, place yourself in calm environments, and avoid horror flicks."
rubbish, rubbish, rubbish and more rubbish. ok sure people may get goosebumps from fear or the cold, but that does not cover it.
you see, i have been moved to goose bumps when i see a touching commercial or hear epic music. why ive been moved to goose bumps watching a morbidly obese woman trying her damndest to drop the pounds on biggest loser. ive been moved to goosebumps watching a trailer for a batman movie. ive been moved to goosebumps watching a burned woman speak of forgiveness to the man who caused her disfigurement. to me these goose bumps speak something beyond the physical. it is like my soul is being moved. no sir, there is no fear and i am not cold. vestigail physiognomy, yeah right. keep trying.
8 comments:
The bottom line, is that you get them when you are in distress, whether it be physical or mental, and yes too, when you are in a state of major confusion or uncertainty, it does not matter. It is the "old brain" taking over; the core part of the brain (hypothalamus) that determines the "fight or flight" reaction to a stressful situation. Glad I could clear this up for you!
Sure, you can get them when in distress, but as I argued, you can get them without being distressed as well, and that is what is not encompassed within the circular reasoning of the article's explanation.
Indeed, 88, in fact, it could be argued that not only does the goose pimplage spawned by moments of inspiration make mincemeat of this silly theory, but, more forcibly, that it also points to the fact that there is more to us than animalia - quite the opposite of their original thesis. (Perhaps that was your very point). It does seem to seem to be a rather interesting omission. Of course, that's what many scientists and scholars do when they want to make a point - omit that which doesn't go along with their preconceived theories.
On a side note, I must say that I still have my pelt, and it's getting thicker. What does that mean, evolutionary regression?
OK, now to get away from emotions on the subject to entertain objective science:
Goose bumps (AE), also called goose pimples, goose flesh (BE), chicken skin (Hawaiian Pidgin), or cutis anserina, are the bumps on a person's skin at the base of body hairs which involuntarily develop when a person is cold or experiences strong emotions like fear. The reflex of producing goose bumps is known as horripilation, piloerection, or the pilomotor reflex. It occurs not only in humans but also in many other mammals; a prominent example are porcupines which raise their quills when threatened.
Goose bumps are created when tiny muscles at the base of each hair, known as arrectores pilorum, contract and pull the hair erect. The reflex is started by the sympathetic nervous system, which is in general responsible for many fight-or-flight responses.
Goose bumps are often a response to cold: in animals covered with fur or hair, the erect hairs trap air to create a layer of insulation. Goose bumps can also be a response to anger or fear: the erect hairs make the animal appear larger, in order to intimidate enemies. This can for example be observed in the intimidation displays of chimpanzees[1], in stressed mice[2] and rats, and in frightened cats. In humans, it can even extend to piloerection as a reaction to hearing nails scratch on a chalkboard or listening to awe-inspiring music.[3]
Piloerection as a response to cold or fear is vestigial in humans; as humans retain only very little body hair, the reflex now serves no known purpose.
In humans, goose bumps are strongest on the forearms, but also occur on the legs, back, and other areas of the skin that have hair. In some people, they even occur in the face or on the head.
Piloerection is also a (rare) symptom of some diseases, such as temporal lobe epilepsy, some brain tumors, and autonomic hyperreflexia. Goose bumps can also be caused by heroin withdrawal. A skin condition that mimics goose bumps in appearance is keratosis pilaris.
Goose bumps can occur only in mammals, since other animals do not have hair. The term "goose bumps" is therefore misleading: the bumps on the skin of a plucked goose technically do not qualify as piloerection. Birds do however have a similar reflex of raising their feathers in order to keep warm.
The Latin horrere is the root of words such as "horrific" or "horror"; it means "to stand on end" and refers to the standing hairs of goose bumps. In other languages, the "goose" may be replaced by other kinds of poultry. For instance, "hen" is used in both French and Chinese (la chair de poule,
bless your heart.
you went and found a more complete definition. so you do in fact agree that the original definition was incomplete. and all along i thought you were debating me.
youll note in this definitin they at least acknowledge my point:
"In humans, it can even extend to piloerection as a reaction... listening to awe-inspiring music."
while failing to explain this particular goose bump reaction, at least they don't call it vestigail physiognomy.
Some people are actually born hairless, in which case, they cannot experience goosebumps. Does this make them not human then?
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