Itchy and Scratchy
Curious Cases
BBC
4.8 • 4.1K Ratings
🗓️ 15 June 2017
⏱️ 22 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
"What is an itch and how does scratching stop it? Why does scratching some itches feel so good?!" asks Xander Tarver from Wisborough Green in West Sussex.
Our doctors set off to probe the mysteries of itch, and discover that this overlooked area of medicine is revealing surprising results about the human brain. From why itching is contagious to why scratching is pleasurable, we get under the skin of this medical mystery.
The programme features interviews with neuroscientist Prof Francis McGlone from Liverpool John Moores University, and dermatologist Dr Brian Kim from the Center for the Study of Itch at Washington University. Yes, that is a real place.
You can send your everyday mysteries for the team to investigate to: curiouscases@bbc.co.uk
Presenters: Adam Rutherford, Hannah Fry Producer: Michelle Martin.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | I'm Dr Adam Rutherford. And I'm Dr Hannah Fry. And you are going to send us your everyday |
| 0:10.8 | mysteries. And we are going to investigate them using the power of science. Science. |
| 0:16.5 | I like it. Hello, welcome to... It's the curious cases. |
| 0:24.0 | It's the curious cases. I said that extremely excitedly. I liked it. |
| 0:27.1 | Did you? I even put my hands in the air and pointed to the ceiling. That's how excited we are |
| 0:31.8 | to bring the next curious case podcast. And you know that when you listen to the podcast as you are |
| 0:36.9 | doing now, that you're getting an extra 22% better content. How did you measure that 22%, |
| 0:44.1 | what are your error margins? That's what I want to know. If you add up the numbers and then do a maths |
| 0:49.8 | and then it comes out between 21 and 23, you would understand. Sure. If you say fat cloud enough, |
| 0:57.1 | it makes it true. It is. So do that. Fat. Fat. There we go. Now we want you to rate that extra 22%. |
| 1:05.8 | Now that we all agree that it's a fact. Exactly. Exactly. And using the podcast software that you are |
| 1:12.0 | currently using right now, which probably has some sort of way of rating this system thing, I don't |
| 1:17.6 | really understand. Basically at the moment, we've only got 22 reviews. And that sort of makes us feel |
| 1:22.0 | like only 22 people in the world have ever listened to us. And add and see go. My dad needs a bit |
| 1:30.0 | 3k. I'm not saying every now and then. I know it's true. So anyway, please do rate us on your usual |
| 1:36.7 | podcast provider. Other podcast providers are available from whichever one you're using at the moment. |
| 1:41.0 | No, they're not really. And when you rate it, make sure you put the top rating and not anyone |
| 1:46.8 | lower than the top rating or else we will find you. You know when people do this on YouTube, |
| 1:52.0 | it is definitely my least favorite bit of the YouTube thing. Don't forget to rate and subscribe. |
| 1:55.9 | I know. Don't forget to get punched in the face by me. Now face by me. |
| 1:57.9 | Calm those people. Just so you all know, this is not us. We didn't want to do this. Michelle is |
| 2:02.4 | insisting. Yeah. Should we tell them about what our show is about today? |
... |
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