Although it seems simple, feeling that something is wet has its merit, since the skin does not have receptors for the sensation of humidity. According to British researchers from Loughborough University and Oxylane Research, the perception of humidity comes from a combination of our ability to feel cold and various tactile sensations such as pressure and texture.
The truth is that sensitivity to moisture – sweat, a wet towel – plays an important role in many aspects of daily life. But since we don’t have specific receptors, the concept of wet is in part a perceptual illusion that our brain evokes from previous experiences of stimuli that we “know” are wet.
Thanks to this combination of stimuli registered in the memory, we can know if we are sitting on a wet chair or stepping on a puddle. The researchers analyzed the role of type A nerve fibers – those that transmit information about temperature and touch sensations from the skin to the brain – and found that the activity was lower in terms of the perception of humidity. Their hypothesis is that, since hairy areas on the skin are more sensitive to thermal stimuli, they should also be more receptive to moisture than bare skin – the palms of the hands and soles of the feet – which perceives better the tactile stimuli.
Study director Davide Filingeri exposed 13 healthy men to hot, cold and neutral moist stimuli. They found that the sensation of humidity increased as the temperature dropped , and that the subjects perceived cold humidity better than warm or hot humidity.
