People unconsciously sniff their hands after handshakes, an investigation has revealed.
The previously unknown behaviour was discovered by scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, New Scientist reports.
Using covert filming they showed that humans are seemingly compelled to smell their hands after shaking hands with a member of the team. The study showed that airflow to the nose almost doubled shortly after the greeting.
New Scientist has the full story on the study, and what it might mean — researchers think humans use “chemosignalling” in a similar way to other mammals, including within the same sex, and that it might even be a “driving force in human behaviour”.
But the video below of the study is worth watching on its own: it's almost haunting, watching humans be... human. With all the disgusting smells, gestures and organic tomfoolery that implies.