“The work Laughology is doing is great, its really is important to laugh and keep you sense of humour through life’s ups and downs. It was something that kept me going after my surgery recently and why I am using humour and laughter to help raise money for the wonderful team of people that helped look after me.”
Ricky Tomlinson
The secrets of laughter
July 2010
We all like a good laugh. But how many of us know why? Is laughing a uniquely human state, and why, if we hear someone laughing, do we want to join in?
In this special edition of The New Scientist Kate Douglas and David Robson put on a straight face and look for the answers. Meanwhile, acoustician Trevor Cox invites you to participate in an online experiment to answer another burning question: can we make a computer laugh convincingly?
