Sometimes we shiver even though it has nothing to do with our bodies. Sometimes we shiver because of our feelings!

Why was the baby jalapeno shivering?

He was a little chili.

Hello Kiddos, this is Professor Mordy Maven, Thinker, Wonderer, and Figure-Outer of all things Science-ish. What that basically means is I try really hard to figure stuff out. I do the hard work so you don’t have to!

Today, an interesting thing happened. I was sitting in my laboratory (well, actually, at my kitchen table), carefully adding liquid to a solution (okay, you got me. I was adding milk to chocolate syrup. But whatever!) for an important science experiment (you know, breakfast). I was deep in thought about something very important, when suddenly I began to shake all over. I immediately assumed it was an earthquake and jumped under the table to protect myself. Safety first! But after a few minutes squeezed under the table, I realized it wasn’t the earth that was quaking… it was me!

And that got me to wondering, what is that strange shaking and shivering sensation I sometimes get going up my spine and running across my arms and legs? Why do people get the shivers?

As I’m sure you already know, there are lots of reasons why people get the shivers. One of the most common reason is because you’re cold. You see, our bodies are really smart. They like to stay at a perfectly even temperature, not too hot and not too cold. When your body senses that you are too cold, it tries to warm you up. Shivering is the result of your muscles tightening and loosening really quickly. This movement helps increase your body temperature and makes you warm.

But right now it’s August and it’s 96 degrees outside… so being cold is probably not the reason for my shivers. What are the other reasons why someone might start shivering?