As if they didn’t have enough to study, scientists are now trying to figure out what makes something funny. One way to do this is to get a computer to create jokes–something a standup comedian (NOTE: Subscribers can still listen to this show) can do easily, but which is an almost impossible task for even the smartest machine.
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Especially when it comes to politics (with the state our Congress is in right now, what else is there to do?) But that shouldn’t surprise us: deep thinkers have always had a sense of humor.
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Laughter is catching and it’s also healing. Now it’s been discovered that when breastfeeding mothers of infants with eczema laugh, their babies have lower levels of reaction to the disease.
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A Japanese study shows that diabetics can process sugar better if they laugh during the meal. Laughter has also been shown to help high blood pressure, stimulate the nervous system, heighten the immune system, release natural painkillers and make the heart stronger.
During the study, Dr. Keiko Hayashi measured the blood glucose levels of 19 diabetics and five non-diabetics before and after they ate the same meal, on two separate days. On one day, participants listened to a 40-minute lecture, which was “monotonous” and “without humorous content.” On the second day, participants were part of an audience of 1,000 people who watched a Japanese comedy show. At the end of the show, “most” participants “considered that they laughed well,” according to Hayashi.
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