eli5 why do goosebumps appear?
In: 7
It’s a leftover function from back when we were much hairier. Each hair follicle would stand on end. This would either make us look bigger (as the hair would puff up) or make us warmer (the puffed up hair would trap more warm air near the skin). So, the reaction would trigger when we were scared or cold.
We’ve lost the hair that makes the function useful, but the function remains.
Latest Answers