All posts tagged: laughter

Laughter therapy offers new hope for millions in UK with common lung condition

Laughter therapy offers new hope for millions in UK with common lung condition

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the Well Enough newsletter with Harry Bullmore for tips on living a healthier, happier and longer life Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Incorporating laughter therapy into treatment plans could help ease respiratory difficulties in patients suffering from a widespread lung condition, new research indicates. Scientists behind the study suggest that the “simple, low-cost” intervention performs on par with conventional breathing drills and may work to “complement existing care” for individuals living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In the UK alone, an estimated 1.7 million people suffer from COPD, including roughly 600,000 who remain undiagnosed. The clinical trial evaluated 63 patients diagnosed with COPD who were receiving care at Ankara Bilkent City Hospital in Turkey. Researchers assigned a third of the group to laughter therapy sessions, while the remaining participants were guided through pursed-lip breathing routines or received no specialised exercises. Rather than relying on an inhaler, people could turn to laughter therapy (PA) After being shown how to perform the techniques, patients …

What Else Makes a Laughter Theory Comprehensive?

What Else Makes a Laughter Theory Comprehensive?

Published by Jenni Sidey

In my last post, I shared some findings from an article titled “Essential Attributes of a Comprehensive Theory of Laughter” (Simon, 2020), which listed topics raised by modern laughter scholars in their peer-reviewed writings. I wanted to expose some of the difficulties investigators face when attempting to develop a single “unified” laughter theory, one capable of answering all the questions raised, some going back as far as Ancient Greece (Halliwell, 2008). Unfortunately, I had space to cover only about a third of the issues interested theorists must address, so here I’d like to add a few more examples. Previously reported themes Last month’s article covered these themes: the physiological basis of atypical laughter behaviors as they relate to various cognitive or emotional disabilities; the social consequences of laughter and humor, both positive and negative; precisely where in the brain laughter is initiated; what physical benefits, if any, laughter provides to the individual expressing it; how laughter and humor may help us cope with difficult circumstances; explaining the tremendous variation we see in people’s laugh response; …

Regina Hall: ‘I’ve had heartbreak and disappointments, and joy and peace and laughter’

Regina Hall: ‘I’ve had heartbreak and disappointments, and joy and peace and laughter’

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter In much of her work but in particular the Scary Movie franchise, Regina Hall is comfortably the funniest woman of 21st century cinema. In those horror spoofs, she specialises in immaculately smart-stupid, stupid-smart character work, clown by way of a mad scientist. To call her loud on-screen feels disrespectful. Outrageous, even more so. Think of her prime skillset as more like a kind of avant-garde insanity, built upon line readings (“Cindy, the TV’s leaking”; “Cindy, this is a skeleton! This is bones!”) that have been made immortal by memes, TikToks and YouTube compilations. I find Hall hilarious. Does she? “Hmm!” she exclaims, down the phone from her current base in New Jersey, where she’s been filming. “I know that my friends are funny. I have a funny family for sure.” I sense she’s thinking of it like mathematics. Funny person plus …

Differences in human and great ape laughter reveal clues to the origin of speech

Differences in human and great ape laughter reveal clues to the origin of speech

Published by skeptic

Humans are not the only animals that communicate. Birds sing to attract mates, dolphins use signature whistles that identify individuals, and many primates produce complex vocalisations that help them coordinate their social lives. By studying these communication systems, researchers can reconstruct some of the evolutionary steps that eventually led to one of our defining traits: language. Language doesn’t just mean making sounds – it requires an extraordinary ability to control them. Human speech demands precise coordination between breathing, the vocal folds across the larynx, and our tongue, lips and jaw. Humans’ closest living relatives – chimpanzees and bonobos – possess vocal tracts that are more similar to ours than scientists once believed. Yet they do not seem to have the same fine voluntary control over the structures – starting with our lips and tongue – that allow us to produce rapid sequences of speech and such diverse sounds. This raises an intriguing question: when did our ancient ancestors begin to acquire this remarkable vocal control? One possible clue comes from an unexpected source: laughter. The …

Couples Who Actually Like Being Around Each Other Usually Do These 6 Sweet Relationship Habits Together

Couples Who Actually Like Being Around Each Other Usually Do These 6 Sweet Relationship Habits Together

Published by Jenni Sidey

Quality time can get lost fast. Every relationship has responsibilities that compete for attention, from work and family obligations to chores, stress, and endless notifications. Yet some couples still genuinely like being around each other, even on a totally ordinary day. They don’t need elaborate date nights or constant excitement to feel connected. Whether they’re grocery shopping, folding laundry, or sitting together after a long day, couples who actually enjoy spending time together tend to share sweet relationship habits that make closeness feel simple and natural. While every relationship is different, research consistently shows that small, consistent behaviors often matter more than occasional grand romantic gestures. Couples who actually like being around each other practice these 6 sweet relationship habits together: 1. They have simple routines that help them stay connected Thirdman / Pexels The happiest couples usually have little routines that belong only to them, such as drinking coffee together every morning, taking a walk after dinner, watching one episode of a favorite show before bed, or sending each other funny memes throughout the …

The Thing That Actually Kept Our Marriage Together Had Nothing To Do With Love

The Thing That Actually Kept Our Marriage Together Had Nothing To Do With Love

Published by Jenni Sidey

Love wasn’t the only thing that kept our marriage together. Standing in my lacy white dress with a bouquet of roses, I saw a beautiful forever in his eyes as we said our vows. Visions of romantic walks along the beach, sweet kisses, and a lifetime of happy memories danced before my eyes as we stood before our family and friends. At the age of 23, I thought marriage would be the greatest blessing in life. Fast forward five years and the vision of perfection has melted away into screaming fights over dirty laundry and unfinished to-do lists. The walks along the beach have been traded for snoring, drooling naps on the sofa that desperately needs sweeping, and the sweet kisses are fewer and farther between. The promises of our “I do’s” are often forgotten in our screaming battles over money, chores, and day-to-day drudgery found in adult life. The thing that actually kept our marriage together had nothing to do with love Jennifer Lim-Tamkican / Unsplash RELATED: The Thing That Kept Our Marriage Together Had Absolutely …

Apes and humans share an ancient laughter rhythm dating back 15 million years

Apes and humans share an ancient laughter rhythm dating back 15 million years

Published by Jenni Sidey

A laugh can feel spontaneous, messy, almost impossible to pin down. But deep inside that burst of sound, researchers found a timing pattern so stable that it may have survived for 15 million years, long before humans began to speak. That pattern appears across all living great apes, according to a study in Communications Biology led by researchers at the University of Warwick. By comparing laughter from orangutans, gorillas, bonobos, chimpanzees, and humans, the team found that each species produces laughter with evenly spaced intervals between successive sounds. The finding points to a striking possibility. A basic rhythmic structure in laughter may already have been present in the common ancestor shared by all great apes, then preserved across millions of years of evolution even as species moved in different directions. “How did humans evolve the remarkable ability to speak?” said Dr. Chiara De Gregorio, an honorary research associate in the Department of Psychology at the University of Warwick. “Speech leaves no fossils, and complex language exists only in our own species. But we’ve found a …

Princess Anne left ‘roaring with laughter’ over adorable dog in royal moment you might have missed

Princess Anne left ‘roaring with laughter’ over adorable dog in royal moment you might have missed

Published by Daniella Wilson

Queen Camilla’s rescue pup, Moley, stole our hearts on Friday evening when she had a surprising starring role in the King’s birthday message to Sir David Attenborough. But there was another adorable royal moment that stole our hearts just hours before. Princess Anne had quite the interaction, which will have no doubt delighted royal fans when she attended the first garden party of the season earlier this week. © POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesVegas left Anne ‘roaring with laughter’ after she decided to ‘dig for truffles’ The Princess Royal, as well as King Charles, met two-year-old coker spaniel pooch Vegas, who serves as a hearing dog for the deaf. After greeting the royals by affectionately jumping up and licking their hands, Vegas was formally introduced by her owner, Kate Wilson, 52, from Horsham, West Sussex. Kate told the Princess, who is patron of Hearing Dogs for the Deaf charity,  that the cocker spaniel is her first hearing service dog. “And does she help you? That’s all working well?” Anne asked.”Oh, she really helps me,” Wilson agreed. “I …

You Can Figure Out The Kind Of Person Someone Is By What Makes Them Laugh

You Can Figure Out The Kind Of Person Someone Is By What Makes Them Laugh

Published by Jenni Sidey

Laughter can provide many quantifiable benefits, from calorie burning to stress relief. Additionally, a good belly laugh is a natural endorphin inducer and generally makes everyone feel good.  That said, humor isn’t universal. Some may shy away from certain types, like sarcasm, self-deprecating jokes, or jokes that make another person the punchline. And, adversely, those same jokes may make another person crack up.  That’s why personality plays a huge role in what makes someone laugh. In essence, you can get a sense of someone simply by what makes them laugh, from dark humor to dad jokes. Personality type expert Merrick Rosenberg is a firm believer in the theory that what makes people laugh is a good indicator of what kind of person they are.  You can almost always figure out the kind of person someone is by what makes them laugh, explains personality type expert. Merrick Rosenberg, an award-winning speaker, author, entrepreneur, CEO, and self-described “personality ninja,” shared in a TikTok video, “that joke you can’t stop laughing about is revealing who you are,” and psychologists …