Affective touch perception - why cuddling is so nice

In this lecture, we will explore the question of why touch is actually such an essential part of our interaction with other people. What does touch do to our bodies, why does a hug often feel so good - and why not? We look at touch across the globe and take a detour into the world of neuropsychology by answering the question of which nerve fibers and which regions of the brain encode human touch. And what actually happens when that doesn't work? Finally, we try to look ahead to what a low-touch society would mean for the way we live together.