Researchers did find a way, however, for people to tickle themselves. When volunteers activated a robot by remote control to tickle them after a short delay, the volunteers felt as if someone else were tickling them. It seems that the cerebellum sends a signal to disregard the forthcoming movement, then moves on to other things. Your brain "forgets" that you are tickling yourself—even with a delay as short as a fifth of a second. So it is possible to tickle yourself—but only by remote control. What will science discover next?
然而,研究人员也发现了可以替自己哈痒的方法。自愿者用遥控器操纵机器人,延迟片刻之后再让机器人为自己哈痒,自愿者就会觉得好像是别人在给他们哈痒。看来小脑在发出信号忽视即将到来的动作,然后将注意力转移到其它事物上。尽管只有零点二秒的时间差,脑部就会“忘记”你在替自己哈痒。所以自己给自己哈痒仍有可能,只不过需要依靠遥控器。谁知道接下来科学还会有什么新发现呢?