Most people readily list sight, taste, hearing, and smell. And then pause before remembering: touch.

"Touch is probably our most underrated sense," said psychologist Martin Arvidsson of Stockhom University in Sweden, whose research team has found that humans can perceive even smaller changes in surfaces than previously believed.

Touch matters, Arvidsson said.

He points to the importance of touch in understanding others: "Babies explore the world through touch and find comfort in human contact. The need for touch does not go away with age either: Think about affectionate touch such as hugs and kisses or sex." It can even be important in getting a job.

In a study published in today's Scientific Reports, the researchers report that humans can perceive miniscule changes