What is humour?
The science behind what makes us laugh
We Brits are famous for our sense humour but what exactly is it that makes us laugh and why? Laughter is a universally shared human response that is intrinsically linked with culture and communication styles. How does humour help us build relationships and resolve conflicts and can we be taught to be funny?
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Science of laughter
(44 mins)
Brian Cox and Robin Ince return for a new series of The Infinite Monkey Cage with a science/comedy chat. They are joined on stage, by comedian Frank Skinner, as they look at the science of what makes us laugh, why we laugh at all, and whether humour and laughter are uniquely human traits. Joining the panel are experts in what makes us chuckle, Prof Sophie Scott and Professor Richard Wiseman.
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PODCASTS
What makes us laugh? The psychology of humour
(52 mins)
Two Shrinks tackle humour. Dr Hunter Mulcare & Amy Donaldson agree with toddlers that wearing underpants on your head is indeed hilarious, snort over funny words and discuss the role of feedback in enjoyment of cartoons. They also chat about the role of humour in therapy – where can it help and when does it go too far?
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What is this, British Humour?
(54 mins)
What is British Humour? Is it funny? Does it even exist? How does it relate to our communication style and culture? Luke Thompson discusses with Amber Minogue the definition of British humour, the way it works, how it’s different or similar to other humour in other places, and some examples of typical humour in the UK.
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VIDEOS
The Skill of Humor
(19 mins)
Humor is something that transcends most barriers. It is a common unification; a concept understood by all. Despite this, there exists a large portion of the population that does not think they can utilize humor. Andrew Tarvin shows that everyone can use humor.
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Getting a Laugh: How to Make Something Funny
(11 mins)
Tips for comedy writing from Casually Explained. If you’re looking for the answers to life’s questions and Wikipedia was under scheduled maintenance, look no further.
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ARTICLES
The Science of Humor Is No Laughing Matter
+Laughter is universal across human cultures and even exists in some form in rats, chimps, and bonobos. Like other human emotions and expressions, laughter and humour provide psychological scientists with rich resources for studying human psychology.
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Building Resiliency in Children Through Humour
+What are the first things that come to your mind when you think about what you want in a friend or in a life partner? Many people say they want in a partner is a good sense of humour. But is this something we think of instilling in our children?
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Encouraging Your Child’s Sense of Humor
+Kids with a well-developed sense of humor are happier and more optimistic, have higher self-esteem, and can handle differences (their own and others’) well.
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Is humour the way to keep an office happy?
+In workplaces around the world a bit of humour can go a long way towards making it a more enjoyable place to spend eight or so hours a day. But for every genuinely funny employee or boss, there are others whose unfunny or inappropriate jokes make colleagues wince.
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