Robert Provine, psychology research professor and professor emeritus, recently joined WBUR Radio’s Here and Now to explain why people laugh, a human behavior that is largely misunderstood and is something that people do involuntarily.

During the program, Provine, a neuroscientist and author of Curious Behavior: Yawning, Laughing, Hiccupping, and Beyond, explained that laughter is not something that can be done simply on command, similar to crying.

“When we explain why we laugh, we’re assuming this voluntary control, and it’s not there. Another surprise is that laughter is presumed to be somehow related to humor, and yet only 10, 15 percent of comments preceding laughter are anything that’s remotely joke-like.”

Provine went on to explain the causes of laughter, which often come from sources that may be a surprise to many people.

“The source of laughter are other people, not jokes. For example, most laughter follows comments like, ‘Hey, where have you been!’ It’s not someone telling a joke. This is a conclusion that’s easy to test — the next time you’re around friends and there’s a lot of laughter, people are not telling jokes at a furious rate, they’re just laughing. Also, the presumption that laughter’s the decision to speak ‘ha ha’ can be easily disproven by asking someone to laugh.”

Provine studies the development and evolution of the nervous system and behavior, including human social behavior. His books are frequently cited in the media, and his research and writing have received significant national and international media coverage in outlets like NPR’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered, Radio Lab, CBS 20/20, CBS Sunday Morning, Scientific American Frontiers, ABC World News Tonight, Good Morning America, The New York Times, Time, Discover, Scientific American, Nature, New Scientist, and The Times (London). 

Listen to the full segment “One neuroscientist explains the science of laughter” on WBUR.

Header image: UMBC students on campus. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC. 

Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts
Position Description
Chief of External Affairs
Position Overview

Monday:  10:00– 11:30 & 1:30 –3:00

Tuesday: No Walk In Advising 

Wednesday: 1:30 –3:00

Thursday: 10:00 –11:30

Friday: No Walk in Advising

Advisors are also available by appointment. Our advising offices are located in ITE 202-206. Email and telephone contact information is available here.

1 Peter 1:6-7 (NIV) - “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

The Apostle Peter gives a perspective on the suffering of the Christians. The point of the suffering is to produce genuineness of faith, which is by far, more precious than the most valuable possession. And the end result is the praise, glory and honor to the Lord.

As you recall from the message, the Lord saw it fit that ten members of the church would die and nearly one hundred others would be injured by the blast of the terrorist bombing attack. Despite the horror and tragedy, the end result was for the praise, glory and honor of God. When the church gathered in the freezing cold Sunday for worship, you could sense the genuineness of faith and high praise of the Lord of everyone singing, knowing that their ultimate hope and glory is with the Lord.

Response and Prayer: Lord, help me to see each day with the correct perspective. Would you open my eyes to see the daily reality with your kingdom perspective? Let it all be for your praise, glory and honor, in my life and in the church. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Sing in response: “Endless Hallelujah” by Matt Redman
https://youtu.be/vny6oFHw1Sw

-MK