All posts tagged: laughter

Why is laughter contagious? Blame your brain.

Why is laughter contagious? Blame your brain.

Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. I still remember the time I was sitting in class when the teacher asked me to read a passage out loud. Just seconds before, some classmates had started giggling about something, and it was contagious. As I read aloud, I tried to stay serious, but kept dissolving into fits of laughter. I knew our strict, no-nonsense teacher would not be impressed, but I couldn’t stop. You’ve probably been there, too: laughing when you’re not supposed to, trying to hold it in, and somehow that only making it worse. So why is laughter so hard to control? Laughter is not completely under your control Research suggests that there are two kinds of laughs: helpless, involuntary laughter (like the kind I was experiencing in that class) and polite, social laughter (like when your friend tells a joke and you laugh because you like your friend, not because the joke is funny). Different parts of the brain drive each type of laughter. …

Why scientists can’t get a laugh

Why scientists can’t get a laugh

A newly published survey of more than 500 science conference presentations across a two-year period set out to determine whether scientists are funny, which is itself funny, if not the most productive use of time. The results were about what you’d expect: two-thirds of attempts at humor garnered either polite chuckles or straight-up dead silence, and only 9% landed well enough to get most of the room laughing. The biggest laughs, also unsurprisingly, came from technical snafus, like slides malfunctioning and mics cutting out. (Nothing brings an audience together faster than watching something go wrong for someone else.) Anyone who has sat through a conference on any topic, anywhere, knows scientists don’t have a monopoly on bombing. Humor is hard to pull off in front of any audience that hasn’t been warmed up. Even SNL calls its opening segment a “cold open” — the audience hasn’t laughed at anything yet, which makes that first laugh the hardest one to get. Roughly 40% of the talks just avoided humor entirely, which is safe but probably makes …

The View audience bursts into laughter after guest host claims Trump ‘does not get coerced by other nations’

The View audience bursts into laughter after guest host claims Trump ‘does not get coerced by other nations’

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 The View guest co-host Sara Eisen defended Donald Trump’s decision to take the U.S. into war with Iran, prompting laughter from the audience and pushback from the panel. CNBC news anchor Eisen, 41, is standing in this week for regular co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin, who is currently on maternity leave. During Wednesday’s segment of the talk show, Eisen addressed the director of the National Counterterrorism Center’s recent decision to step down from his post. Joe Kent announced his resignation on X, writing he could not “in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran” because Iran posed “no imminent threat to our nation.” He added that it was “clear” that the U.S. war on Iran had been started “due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.” Reacting to Kent’s message, Eisen said: “I think it’s disrespectful and wrong to …

Lisa Kudrow Names Friends Season 8 Scene That Had Her Crying With Laughter

Lisa Kudrow Names Friends Season 8 Scene That Had Her Crying With Laughter

Lisa Kudrow has revealed that her Friends watch is still going strong. During an appearance on Wednesday’s edition of Jimmy Kimmel Live, the Emmy winner shared that she’s not long finished the hit comedy’s eighth season, admitting she has to “wait until my husband goes to sleep, because I’m too embarrassed” to watch herself on screen with him there. “I’m not watching it for myself,” she quickly insisted. “I just like a sitcom before bed.” Revealing how the classic show has her “laughing out loud” as she revisits the old episodes, Lisa recalled: “It was last night or the night before, Alec Baldwin was in the episode. We’re at the Gellars’ anniversary party, and Joey and Phoebe are talking, and Joey says ‘this is the worst party… it took forever to get to the buffet, and I get up there, and I almost slipped on a giant booger!’, and Phoebe had thrown an oyster on the floor. “And just the thought that Joey thought an oyster was a booger that came out of someone’s nose …

Crowd’s Reaction to BuzzFeed’s New AI App: Uncomfortable Laughter

Crowd’s Reaction to BuzzFeed’s New AI App: Uncomfortable Laughter

Sign up to see the future, today Can’t-miss innovations from the bleeding edge of science and tech BuzzFeed made an unfortunate announcement during its company’s earnings report last week, admitting that “there is substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern” and that it was “actively exploring strategic options” to address its “liquidity challenges.” The company remains neck-deep in debt, reporting a net loss of $57.3 million for 2025 — and, by most indications, it has yet to successfully reinvent itself to stop hemorrhaging money. The report came roughly three years after BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti first announced that the company was doubling down on AI, news that was met with a mix of reactions, ranging from skepticism to outright disgust. Then, during this year’s SXSW in Austin, Texas, the company made good on Peretti’s threat to bring a slew of “AI apps” to market, the culmination of years of chasing uninspired AI slop and gutting its Pulitzer Prize-winning BuzzFeed News division. BuzzFeed execs showed off demos for two products under the umbrella …

Laughter plays a unique role in building a secure father-child relationship, new research suggests

Laughter plays a unique role in building a secure father-child relationship, new research suggests

A recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology suggests that mothers and fathers are equally skilled at making their preschool children laugh using similar playful strategies. However, this shared laughter tends to play a more central role in building a secure emotional bond between fathers and their children. These findings provide evidence that joyful interactions are a meaningful part of family dynamics, though they might function differently for each parent. Attachment theory explores how children form emotional bonds with their primary caregivers to feel safe and protected. A secure attachment provides a firm foundation that allows young children to confidently explore the world and manage their emotions. Traditionally, scientists focus heavily on how parents respond to a child in distress, such as when an infant cries or feels frightened. Because of this traditional focus on negative emotions, the scientific community knows much less about how positive moments shape family relationships. Laughter is a powerful social tool that promotes closeness, reinforces positive feelings between two people, and activates reward centers in the brain. …

Neil Sedaka, singer of Breaking Up Is Hard To Do and Laughter In The Rain, has died | Ents & Arts News

Neil Sedaka, singer of Breaking Up Is Hard To Do and Laughter In The Rain, has died | Ents & Arts News

American singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka has died aged 86. In a statement, the family of the Breaking Up Is Hard To Do and Laughter In The Rain singer said: “Our family is devastated by the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather, Neil Sedaka. “A true rock and roll legend, an inspiration to millions, but most importantly, at least to those of us who were lucky enough to know him, an incredible human being who will be deeply missed.” Image: Sedaka and his wife Leba. Pic: AP The statement did not provide further details about his death. Sedaka was a key member of the Brill Building songwriting factory and teamed up with lyricist and boyhood neighbour Howard Greenfield on songs such as Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen, Calendar Girl and Oh! Carol. Image: Sedaka in 1992. Pic: Ralph Dominguez/MediaPunch/IPX/AP After an extended dry spell, he reemerged with hits such as Laughter In The Rain and Bad Blood. A cover of his Love Will Keep Us Together by Captain & Tennille topped the charts in 1975. …

Women report diverse symptoms ranging from laughter to foot pain

Women report diverse symptoms ranging from laughter to foot pain

A recent survey investigation indicates that many women experience unexpected physical and emotional reactions during sexual climax, ranging from uncontrollable laughter to foot pain. These occurrences, known as peri-orgasmic phenomena, appear to be diverse and often happen inconsistently rather than with every orgasmic experience. The findings were published in the Journal of Women’s Health. Medical understanding of the female orgasm typically focuses on standard physiological release and emotional satisfaction. Physiologically, an orgasm is generally defined as a brief episode of physical release that responds to sexual stimulation. Emotionally, it is usually perceived as a subjective peak of reaction to that stimulation. However, anecdotal reports and isolated case studies have historically hinted at a broader range of experiences that fall outside this expected norm. Existing medical literature on these unusual symptoms is limited and relies heavily on individual patient reports rather than broader data collection. The authors of this new paper sought to categorize these unique physical and emotional symptoms more systematically. They aimed to determine which specific symptoms women experience and how frequently these sensations …

A giggle a day, keeps the doctor away: The health benefits of laughter

A giggle a day, keeps the doctor away: The health benefits of laughter

Get the Well Enough newsletter by Emilie Lavinia and make sense of the wild world of wellness Get our wellbeing editor’s newsletter: Well Enough by Emilie Lavinia Get the Well Enough email by Emilie Lavinia Laughter has been a prescription for what ails us for thousands of years. Using humor to relieve pain and stress has roots as far back as the 14th century, Dr. Jane Riffe, a former West Virginia University Extension Specialist, told Michigan State University. And hospitals would bring in clowns to cheer up children who had fallen ill starting in the early 1900s. Since then, doctors have learned more about why and how laughter can be medicinal. Just a few minutes a day can make a difference, according to Dr. Michael James Sass Jr., a primary care physician at Geisinger Lewisburg. “There’s no downside to laughter,” he explained. open image in gallery Laughter can make a real difference to your mood and wellbeing (Getty/iStock) “This ‘medicine’ is quick, free and accessible anywhere, with no negative side effects,” Sass added. “Besides, it’s …

A giggle a day, keeps the doctor away: The health benefits of laughter

Is laughter the best medicine? How a good chuckle can improve your health

Get the Well Enough newsletter by Emilie Lavinia and make sense of the wild world of wellness Get our wellbeing editor’s newsletter: Well Enough by Emilie Lavinia Get the Well Enough email by Emilie Lavinia Laughter has been a prescription for what ails us for thousands of years. Using humor to relieve pain and stress has roots as far back as the 14th century, Dr. Jane Riffe, a former West Virginia University Extension Specialist, told Michigan State University. And hospitals would bring in clowns to cheer up children who had fallen ill starting in the early 1900s. Since then, doctors have learned more about why and how laughter can be medicinal. Just a few minutes a day can make a difference, according to Dr. Michael James Sass Jr., a primary care physician at Geisinger Lewisburg. “There’s no downside to laughter,” he explained. open image in gallery Laughter can make a real difference to your mood and wellbeing (Getty/iStock) “This ‘medicine’ is quick, free and accessible anywhere, with no negative side effects,” Sass added. “Besides, it’s …