Touch Me: The Science of Touch Sensation

Explore the science of touch sensation, including:

• the molecular basis of touch sensation
• engineering touch sensation for robotics
• communicating emotion through touch

Doors open at 6:00 PM

6:30-8:00 PM – Late night show style interviews

1) Lydia Thé on the molecular basis of touch sensation. We know the molecular basis of temperature, pain, and chemical sensation, but touch sensation remains a mystery. The Bautista Lab at UC Berkeley has been using the star nosed mole, the snout of which is the most touch-sensitive organ known, to try to determine how touch is detected by the nerves in our skin.

2) Benjamin Tee on engineering touch sensation for robotics and prosthetics. Touch and motion must provide constant feedback to each other in order for us to perform intricate movements or delicate tasks. The Bao Lab  at Stanford have created flexible touch and pressure sensitive electronic skin that will allow robotics and prosthetics to detect surfaces and textures.

3) Daniel Cordaro on communicating emotion through touch. Touch can elicit powerful emotional responses, but did you know that touch can also communicate emotions as clearly as spoken language? The Keltner Lab at UC Berkeley has found that humans can communicate emotions such as gratitude and compassion with one-second touches to a stranger's forearm.

8:00-10:00 PM – Reception and exhibits:

• Enjoy snacks and bar with beer, wine, and sanshool infused margaritas
• View mutant worms that are unresponsive to touch – LegoScope
• Interact with touch sensitive robots
• Participate in a live experiment on communicating emotion through touch – Emotipedia