5. Why do we laugh?
We may not all find the same things funny but all cultures in the world laugh. Ella Al-Shamahi asks Professor Sophie Scott what鈥檚 the point of laughing?
Ella Al-Shamahi asks why do we laugh?
Some people might not have a sense of humour, you might even know someone who never laughs鈥� but there isn鈥檛 a culture out there, say a tribe, where people just never laugh. It does appear to be universal but how universal and how primal?
Many mammals and the great apes ( chimpanzees, gorillas and bononbos) laugh. Orangutans diverged from the other great apes including us about 12 million years ago and because we all laugh that suggests our shared common ancestor laughed. So what is the purpose of laughing? Ella talks to Professor Sophie Scott from University College London and stand-up comic Ria Lina.
On radio
Broadcasts
- Fri 21 Feb 2025 14:45大象传媒 Radio 4
- Sat 22 Feb 2025 05:45大象传媒 Radio 4
Podcast
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Why Do We Do That?
Ella Al-Shamahi investigates the origins of everyday human habits and behaviour.
