Forget discrete droplets. This is how sweat really forms

Six volunteers became sweaty, overheated burritos for science

A closeup of a woman's face that's covered with sweat.

Sweat often looks at first glance like individual droplets seeping from the skin. But a new study shows the drops are an illusion, and sweat first saturates the skin, and then forms tiny, nearly flat puddles before spreading into a film.

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It’s summer and a telltale drop of sweat tickles down your back.