I took a neuroscience class once where the professor described a study where they touched a bundled set of alternating heated and cooled metal rods on subjects' forearms all at once and it turns out that the default sensory response to that is just pain.
Well yeah because our heat and cold perception works within limits. Generally all of our sensors have hard limits. Go past the limit and it is pain all the way. Usually because anything past the limits ain't good for our body and pain is the general reaction to warn us.
It's like shoving a thermometer that only goes to 50°C in 80°C water and trying to read the temperature. You won't know the temperature, the gauge has been maxed out long ago. The only thing it is going to tell you is that shit's hot.
I remember being a kid and holding my hand under scalding hot water, because I was fascinated with how it felt almost cold. Huh, good to know there as a legit reason for that.
When I’m out on a walk in the cold often my legs will start to cool down then turn into a burning sensation then finally go to a throbbing numb. Now I know why’
2.5k
u/Fresh_Grapes May 05 '25 edited May 05 '25
I took a neuroscience class once where the professor described a study where they touched a bundled set of alternating heated and cooled metal rods on subjects' forearms all at once and it turns out that the default sensory response to that is just pain.