A simple question with a surprisingly complex answer – understanding laughter means understanding fundamental issues of human nature.
More about LAUGHTER: http://www.scoop.it/t/science-news?tag=laughter
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Are you really, truly capable of laughing at yourself? If so, it's a good sign that you have an optimistic personality and a good sense of humor, a new study suggests.
More on LAUGHTER: http://www.scoop.it/t/science-news?tag=laughter
Via Lesley Rodgers 
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Here’s a short and interesting introduction to the topic of laughter by UCL professor Sophie Scott. It’s interesting that laughter seems to have an evolutionary heritage that goes way way back, since other animals appear to do it too, but more interesting to me is what goes on in the brain when we hear laughter, and how the brain seems to prepare for it. I’ll let you watch the video to get the rest, it’s only five minutes and time well spent if the title catches your interest at all. Articles about NEUROSCIENCE: http://www.scoop.it/t/science-news?page=1&tag=neuroscience
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According to the BBC, researchers in the UK have essentially invented for themselves what might be the greatest job in the world: ticklin' for science. Their focus has been on how gorillas at a local wildlife park vocalize in response to some well-placed fingertip rub downs in order to learn more about how laughter may have evolved in humans. What they found were more similarities than differences, says Dr. Marina Davila-Ross of the University of Portsmouth.
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In their 2011 book Inside Jokes: Using Humor to Reverse-Engineer the Mind, Matthew M. Hurley, Daniel C. Dennett and Reginald B. Adams, Jr. explain the tight link between brain development and humor that cognitive neuroscientists have found.
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Laughter, an expression of amusement and joy, is found in many mammals and associated with tickling, play and conversation at distinct stages in our lives. Neurally, our brains are primed to echo laughter, and this response is stronger in people with keener ears for laughter. This makes laughter a vital social emotion which we use skillfully to make and maintain social bonds. Articles about LAUGHTER: http://www.scoop.it/t/science-news?tag=laughter
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Laughter is seriously complex. It can convey meaning more effectively than words and is a language in itself. After crying, laughter is the next big communicative milestone in human development and evolves from a baby's giggle into a social tool. But what is laughter, what is its purpose and are humans truly the only creatures with the ability to laugh? Not according to Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience Robert R Provine.
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Laughter is such an interesting phenomenon. Think about it: why DO we laugh? I mean, sure it means something's funny...but why do we LAUGH? ...
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