Science · Everyday life explained

Why do we get chills?

A chill from the cold and a chill from music do not tell the same story.

Body & emotions3 min read5 partsQuiz of 8 questions

Read in the app Available in 30 languages

Part 1 of 5 · freeIntroduction

You shiver when you step out into the rain. You also get chills when you hear a song that moves you. Same word, different mechanisms.

In both cases the body reacts fast. But one is mainly there to warm you up, while the other has more to do with pleasure and emotion.

The rest is in the Sophia app.The remaining parts, the open-book quiz and the full glossary. Free to start; Premium unlocks everything.

Open-book quiz8 questions whose answers are in the text.

Glossary7 terms explained in a tap.

30 languagesThe same course, from French to Japanese.

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Glossary

autonomic nervous system · concept: Part of the nervous system responsible for the body's automatic functions (digestion, heart rate, temperature) without voluntary control.
Chills · concept: A series of rapid and involuntary muscle contractions intended to produce heat or reflecting strong nervous excitement.
Dopamine · concept: Chemical neurotransmitter in the brain playing a central role in the reward circuit, pleasure, and motivation.
Hypothalamus · place: Structure located at the base of the brain that regulates vital functions such as hunger, thirst, or body temperature (the biological thermostat).

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A Sophia courseWritten by the Sophia editorial team, reviewed before publication, translated into 30 languages.See Sophia's authors

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