Why do we laugh?

Tai Asks Why

CBC

Kids & Family

4.2 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 15 June 2022

⏱️ 26 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Laughing makes us feel real good, whether you’re in on the joke or not. But does it serve a specific purpose? Why do we find some jokes hilarious and others to be total groaners? In this episode, Tai peels the science and sociology of laughter down to its evolutionary roots. In this episode Tai talks to: - Sophie Scott, professor of cognitive neuroscience at University College London and stand-up comedian - Andrew Phung, actor, improv comedian and creator of the sitcom Run the Burbs

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is a CBC podcast.
0:04.6	So I have this one joke, I really love, but it's like, it's really bad.
0:09.4	I know it's really bad, but like, it's still so funny to me.
0:14.5	Oh, now you want to hear it?
0:18.3	Well, I warn you, it's really bad.
0:21.8	Like I told it to someone, and he told me that it made his day worse.
0:28.0	Yeah.
0:30.4	OK, if you're ready, then brace yourselves.
0:32.9	So what do you get when you make a harpoon and a spoon?
0:41.0	A harpoon?
0:44.0	Yeah.
0:46.2	Yeah, I told you it was bad.
0:50.0	Even my friends think it's terrible.
0:52.0	Do you have jokes like this where you know it's really bad, but you just, you can't
1:00.2	help smiling whenever you tell it?
1:03.0	I mean, there's got to be a reason we do this, right?
1:06.3	Like everyone laughs, and everyone tells jokes, and laughing feels great, even if you're laughing
1:12.3	at like your own joke, and you know exactly what the punchline is.
1:16.6	So why do we find some things funny?
1:19.6	And why do we laugh in the first place?
1:24.6	TIE
1:28.8	I'm TIE, and this is my podcast, TIE asks why.
	...

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