Why do we laugh? What other animals laugh? What does laughter mean? How do our brains respond to laughter?
According to science, laughter can be classified into different types ranging from genuine and spontaneous to simulated (fake), stimulated (for example by tickling), induced (by drugs) or even pathological. But the actual neural basis of laughter is still not very well known – and what we do know about it largely comes from pathological clinical cases.
Laughter and the appreciation of humour are vital components of adaptive social, emotional and cognitive function. Surprisingly, they are not uniquely human. Primates and apes also enjoy a good chuckle. This may have evolved because it helps them survive. Laughter is, after all, a communal activity which promotes bonding, diffuses potential conflict and eases stress and anxiety. But it loses its momentum quickly when indulged in alone (solitary laughter can have ominous connotations).
We tend to associate laughter with comedy and humour, but human laughter is based on a much older mammalian system which has more to do with social bonding than jokes, and which plays a highly complex role in human communication. Sophie Scott will explore this by addressing the evolution, perception and development of laughter in humans, and by considering how this can go wrong.

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