There is nothing quite like the joy of playing fetch with an exuberant dachshund thrilled at the sight of a new toy. Or the glee of zapping someone with a lucky roll of the dice at Ludo! The ancient Egyptians too had a board game, discovered in King Tut's Tomb, a clever game that makes one sweat in anticipation of falling in the water, as the opponent sets a trap.
Humans have been enjoying games for thousands of years. And so have animals. More recently though, scientists have unearthed something fascinating in an experiment - the mechanism behind play. They have uncovered what some might call a 'playfulness switch'.
As the stresses of today seem only to increase, it is important to have a way for the body to handle them. It turns out play is not only vital for child development, but has also been shown to help adults in coping with stress.
In addition to mammals, playfulness has been exhibited in all kinds of creatures including birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, cephalopods, and insects. Evan wasps like to play!
There are individual differences among species though. For instance, "gifted" dogs, who are able to learn a large vocabulary - a skill rare in dogs - are also more playful than other dogs.
So what is this 'playfulness switch' and how was it found? Scientists used a game of tickle and chase. Rats love to be tickled. When tickled they squeal at a frequency of 50 kilohertz, a sound we cannot hear with the human ear. The researchers discovered that neurons in the periaqueductal gray (PAG) region of the brain were active when the rats played. Blocking activity in those neurons caused the rats to stop giggling when tickled.
The next logical question might be, can we somehow turn on the tickle cells in those who need them most? Maybe this is just what depressed patients are lacking.
And for those who are already ticklish or love games, maybe adding a game of cards to the end of the work day may help to cope with whatever life throws one's way. The kids were right all along... perhaps what they really need is more play and less homework. After all, the world's most brilliant Border Collie is playing fetch!
After a stressful day, there is no better way to wind down than to pick up a pack of cards, open up that Monopoly set, or head out for a game of tennis. And if a friend is feeling blue, maybe what the doctor ordered is not a pat on the back, but a childlike tickle. We are, after all, not too different from our furry friends...
This Christmas, when your dog wags his tail as he sniffs out those squeaky toys under the tree, remember his wisdom. He's reminding you to bring out games of your own too. There is no better way to enjoy a holiday.
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