• Question: Why do you cry?

    Asked by Jess Brown to Theo, Philip, Kerry, Ali, Alex on 17 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Alex Pool

      Alex Pool answered on 17 Nov 2014:

      Great question – we actually have three different types of tears – basal, reflect and psychic. The basal tears are the ones that keep your eye moist and make sure they don’t dry out. The reflect ones come in to play when you get something in your eye, or it’s irritated – so the tears you get when you cut an onion are these ones. Then there’s the psychic tears, these are the ones we cry when we’re emotional.

      There’s a part of your brain that activates when you’re upset and that releases a chemical which in turn makes you cry.

    • Photo: Philip Ratcliffe

      Philip Ratcliffe answered on 17 Nov 2014:

      Alex answered in more detail than I could. On the psychic tears I would just add that many think that crying has a cathartic effect that is it’s a way of releasing the negative thing that is causing it; e.g., the physical pain and damage of say a kick in the shins or the emotional pain of failing an exam ;^)

    • Photo: Alison Thomson

      Alison Thomson answered on 18 Nov 2014:

      The guys pretty much covered all the bases there, and I agree with them!!!
      I cried a few psychic tears at the John Lewis christmas advert!

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