The science of laughter - Sasha Winkler

Explore the common scientific theories about why humans laugh, and how this universal behavior evolved.

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Isn’t it odd that, when something’s funny, you might show your teeth, change your breathing, become weak and achy in some places, and maybe even cry? In other words, why do we do this bizarre thing that is laughter? Since there’s no archaeological record of laughter, it’s impossible to say exactly how and why it evolved, but scientists have some theories. Sasha Winkler digs into the reflex.

Lesson by Sasha Winkler, directed by Hanna Rybak.

Animal vocalization sounds are courtesy of Dr. Jaak Panksepp, Schwing, R., Nelson, X. J., Wein, A., & Parsons, S. (2017). Positive emotional contagion in a New Zealand parrot. Current Biology, 27(6), R213-R214.

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Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Khalifa Alhulail, Martin Stephen, Jose Henrique Leopoldo e Silva, Mandeep Singh, Abhijit Kiran Valluri, Morgan Williams, Devin Harris, Pavel Zalevskiy, Karen Goepen-Wee, Filip Dabrowski, Barbara Smalley, Megan Douglas, Tim Leistikow, Ka-Hei Law, Hiroshi Uchiyama, Mark Morris, Misaki Sato, EdoKun, SookKwan Loong, Bev Millar, Lex Azevedo, Michael Aquilina, Jason A Saslow, Yansong Li, Cristóbal Moenne, Dawn Jordan, Prasanth Mathialagan, Samuel Doerle, David Rosario, Dominik Kugelmann - they-them, Siamak Hajizadeh, Ryohky Araya, Mayank Kaul, Christophe Dessalles, Heather Slater, Sandra Tersluisen, Zhexi Shan, Bárbara Nazaré, Andrea Feliz, Victor E Karhel, Sydney Evans, Latora, Noel Situ, emily lam, Sid, Niccolò Frassetto, Mana, I'm here because of Knowledge Fight Facebook group., Linda Freedman and Edgardo Cuellar.

[LewisBavin]

The animation direction is extremely impressive

[LittleDogTobi]

3:30 my favorite of many cute animation details in this video is the baby blinking each eye individually. Now *that* got a laugh out of me.

[tashibalampkin]

3:15 I love how the bear is looking somewhat concerned.

[Sunflowersarepretty]

Laughter is the best medicine. Sometimes all we need is a good laugh to let go of all the stress and negativity. I watch cat videos or memes to laugh. 😂

[holisticmaya]

I literally asked myself this very question last week. SO glad to find this!

[ramzi]

I was smiling while watching the whole vid, kinda made my day.

[Macadamia-animations]

The person that made this has the cutest art style I love it

[w.w]

1:17
I love how serious those scientists are at tickling a mouse 😊

[ieornl]

This made me smile. I was going through a period of not finding anything funny anymore.. but then I was reminded that laughter can be good and there's always something funny out there and I'm gonna find it.

[simranmalhotra]

Loved the theme and the animation style!! And I had a big smile throughout😃😄 Thank you for another great lesson TED-Ed❤

[lovinanewton]

absolutely lovely theme and info we didnt know we needed as always. and also how do you keep getting better and better at animation you guys! the visuals, sounds and all the concepts put in here need to be recognised!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE it

[RingoBars]

The animation team nailed it - gave me a good chuckle or two 👌

[pt.antonio]

Laughter has this social bonding component, but it also works as a buffer.

We often laugh when something unexpected happens and it helps the brain relax and to better process what's happening by increasing the oxygen intake and the blood flow.

A lot of jokes work by subverting expectations, for example.

[likuanyu]

Your videos always make me know stuff I didn’t ever thought about them❤

[zenstoryshare]

Laughter is truly the best medicine, and finding something that tickles your funny bone can be just the cure for a bad day. It's amazing how a good laugh can melt away stress and negativity, leaving you feeling lighter and more energized.

[slykp]

2:40 is my favorite episode, this channel explains some things in a fun way and we get involved. It's weird that I'm laughing even now, but after watching this video, I understood it thoroughly. Thank you, I like getting new information!

[exampill]

I like how we laugh, eat, talk, spit, etc. All with the same organ

[yessumify]

My son has a big beautiful laugh, full of joy. A bully told him he needs to be normal and laugh normally. I told my son would that be like a robot? There's no normal laughing amiright?

[vishakhabanerjee]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:

00:07 Laughter *involves rapid abdominal muscle contractions, altering breathing patterns and causing various physical reactions.*
01:36 Laughter *is observed in at least 65 species, suggesting its evolutionary significance in signaling friendly, non-aggressive intent during play.*
02:35 Human *laughter evolved with the development of large social groups and complex language abilities, expanding its functions beyond play to convey emotions and subtle meanings.*
03:06 Laughter *is contagious, activating key brain regions and influencing social bonds, with human laughter serving as a broadcast signal to those around.*
04:06 Laughter *is not only socially important but also beneficial for health, releasing feel-good neurotransmitters and reducing stress hormones, potentially improving cardiovascular health.*

Made with HARPA AI

[stateofmissouri]

This animation is so nice. Please keep stuff like this