‘It’s Okay To Be Smart’ Explores the Science Behind Laughter and What Makes Humans and Other Animals Chuckle

Any of you know how to throw a space party? Well I guess you just planet.

In a recent episode of the PBS Digital Studios series It’s Okay To Be Smart, host Joe Hanson explores the science behind laughter and what makes humans and other animals chuckle. Hanson gives examples of situations that elicit laughter, and points out that humans rarely laugh at humor and are much more likely to laugh for other reasons.

Readers interested in the science of laughter and humor specifically may also be interested in the book The Humor Code by Peter McGraw and Joel Warner. That book goes into much greater detail about many of the same concepts and specific examples mentioned in this episode.