Laughter is an everyday reminder that we humans are animals. In fact, when recorded laughter is slowed down, listeners can't tell whether the sound is from a person or an animal.
Social Sciences
Jul 26, 2023
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4
Laughter and humor are potent tools that can significantly impact our well-being, according to researchers from the University of Warwick.
Social Sciences
Jun 26, 2023
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40
Here it is again: the merry, festive Christmas season with its glitter balls, tinsel and the typical "Ho Ho Ho!" Holding onto his red belly, Santa grins and laughs at us from everywhere. Like Halloween pumpkins and clowns, ...
Social Sciences
Dec 21, 2022
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15
A woman in labor is having a terrible time and suddenly shouts out: "Shouldn't! Wouldn't! Couldn't! Didn't! Can't!"
Social Sciences
Sep 23, 2022
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32
Can we infer someone's cultural group from their laugher, even when we do not know what they are laughing at? And what kind of laughter do we find most positive? A new study by researchers from the University of Amsterdam ...
Social Sciences
Nov 15, 2021
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51
A team of researchers from Leiden University, University College London and the University of Amsterdam, has found that human infants laugh in ways that are more like chimpanzees than adult humans. In their paper published ...
Human laughter is common, but it's a somewhat mysterious part of our evolution. It's clear to evolutionary scholars that we laugh as a part of play, signaling our cooperation or friendliness. But how did laughter evolve? ...
Plants & Animals
May 7, 2021
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5918
When you hear someone laugh behind you, you probably picture them on the phone or with a friend – smiling and experiencing a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. Chances are just the sound of the laughter could make you smile or ...
Other
Apr 28, 2017
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24
Laughter plays a crucial role in every culture across the world. But it's not clear why laughter exists. While it is evidently an inherently social phenomenon – people are up to 30 times more likely to laugh in a group ...
Evolution
Apr 14, 2016
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107
If you want someone to open up to you, just make them laugh. Sharing a few good giggles and chuckles makes people more willing to tell others something personal about themselves, without even necessarily being aware that ...
Social Sciences
Mar 16, 2015
3
24
Laughing is a reaction to certain stimuli, fundamentally stress, which serves as an emotional balancing mechanism. Traditionally, it is considered a visual expression of happiness, or an inward feeling of joy. It may ensue from hearing a joke, being tickled, or other stimuli. It is in most cases a very pleasant sensation.
Laughter is found among various animals, as well as in humans, although it is more rare in most mammals and animals overall. Among the human species, it is a part of human behavior regulated by the brain, helping humans clarify their intentions in social interaction and providing an emotional context to conversations. Laughter is used as a signal for being part of a group—it signals acceptance and positive interactions with others. Laughter is sometimes seen as contagious, and the laughter of one person can itself provoke laughter from others as a positive feedback. This may account in part for the popularity of laugh tracks in situation comedy television shows. Laughter is anatomically caused by the epiglottis constricting the larynx. The study of humor and laughter, and its psychological and physiological effects on the human body, is called gelotology.
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