A survey of 149 Chinese, 150 Dutch and 149 Greek speakers found that tickling works the same way across these cultures: the same people tend to be tickled and to tickle, and the same body areas are ticklish. The most ticklish spots are the armpits, stomach and soles of the feet. Ticklishness is strongest where people are touched least often, and the brain dampens sensations you produce yourself, which is why you cannot tickle yourself. Chimpanzees, gorillas and rats also respond to strong tickling, suggesting an ancient, shared mechanism.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.