-
Do animals have a sense of humor?
Slate: Right now, in a high-security research lab at Northwestern University’s Falk Center for Molecular Therapeutics, scientists are tickling rats. Their goal? To develop a pharmaceutical-grade happiness pill. But their efforts might also produce some
-
A Quest to Understand What Makes Things Funny
The New Yorker: What would happen if Communism were introduced to Saudi Arabia? Nothing—at first. But soon there’d be a shortage of sand. This—one of many political jokes circulating inside the Soviet Union during the
-
What are you laughing at? New book explores what we find funny
CBS News: According to “The Humor Code” co-author and University of Colorado professor Peter McGraw, at the core of humor is one simple formula. “CBS This Morning” contributor Jamie Wax spoke with McGraw and his
-
Can comedy bring about real political change?
Slate: A few years ago, Palestinians turned on their televisions and watched Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announce, at long last, a peace deal with Israel—that is, Mahmoud Abbas the 13th, at a time 500
-
Why do humans laugh? (Hint: It’s rarely because something’s funny.)
Slate: On Jan. 30, 1962, three schoolgirls started giggling in a boarding school classroom in the northeastern corner of what is now Tanzania—and touched off a very strange epidemic. The three couldn’t stop laughing—and soon
-
The Dark Psychology of Being a Good Comedian
The Atlantic: Immediately after 9/11, comedy ground to a halt. The Daily Show went off the air for nine days. Saturday Night Live, whose 27th season started 18 days later, featured a somber cold-open with
