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Is there a language of laughter?

Do we all laugh at the same things or is there a language to learn first?

Laugh and the world laughs with you, or so you might think. But watch any good comedian on TV by yourself and chances are you鈥檒l laugh a lot less than if you were sat in a lively comedy crowd watching the same comedian in the flesh.

But why is that? Do people from different cultures and corners of the world all laugh at the same things? These are questions raised by CrowdScience listener Samuel in Ghana who wonders why he鈥檚 always cracking up more easily than those around him. Presenter Caroline Steel digs into whether it鈥檚 our personality, the people around us, or the atmosphere of the room that determines how much we giggle, following neuroscience and psychology on a global trail in search of a good laugh.

Producer: Richard Walker
Presenter: Caroline Steel

[Image: Two Women laughing. Credit: Getty Images]

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28 minutes

Last on

Mon 19 Sep 2022 03:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Fri 16 Sep 2022 19:32GMT
  • Sat 17 Sep 2022 01:32GMT
  • Sun 18 Sep 2022 01:32GMT
  • Mon 19 Sep 2022 03:32GMT

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