WHY DON’T CANNIBALS EAT CLOWNS? BECAUSE THEY TASTE FUNNY.

What makes us laugh? One crucial component of many jokes is the disambiguation of words with multiple meanings. In this MRI study by Dr. Tristan Bekinschtein, the neural mechanisms that underlie our experience of getting a joke that depends on the resolution of semantically ambiguous words were explored. Dr. Bekinschtein says: “We’ve previously used fMRI to detect language comprehension in vegetative state patients who can’t communicate in any other way. This study shows we could now use similar methods to look for positive emotions in these patients. This is very important for the families and friends of these patients, who want to know whether they can still experience pleasure and ‘laugh’,despite their adversity.”

You can download the paper  here

THE WILD, WILD WEB

Here are some of the more interesting website commentaries, blogs, articles and comments discussing aspects of this research....

PopTech

http://poptech.org/blog/no_laughing_matter_adrian_owen_on_humor_and_the_vegetative_state

Daily Mail

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2009246/Its-joke-Laughter-lights-neurons-brains.html

Anglia ITV

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7948880/Anglia_ITV_News_30.06.2011.m4v

Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/28/us-brain-jokes-transmission-embargo-idUSTRE75R7GL20110628?feedType=RSS&feedName=lifestyleMolt

Yahoo News

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/jokes-brain-areas-light-215010286.html;_ylt=A7x9SU3IeQpOUSwAzgsDfcl_;_ylu=X3oDMTM5MGxocHI4BHBrZwNmZTUwZmFlOS03YjliLTNmNDUtYmQ0NC00MTg0ZjZiMDI1NGMEcG9zAzEEc2VjA01lZGlhVG9wU3RvcnkEdmVyA2U5MjkxYzkwLWExZDAtMTFlMC1iZGJlLWJhMDI4MzhkZDg

English Pravda

http://english.pravda.ru/science/tech/30-06-2011/118363-Resonance_explains_how_brain_processes_jokes-0/

Herald

http://www.herald.ie/lifestyle/health-beauty/its-no-joke-our-brains-do-light-up-2808630.html

University of Western Ontario

http://communications.uwo.ca/western_news/stories/2011/July/humour_lends_insight_to_vegetative_state.html

Metro News – London Ontario

http://www.metronews.ca/london/local/article/911714--brain-study-no-laughing-matter

Toronto Star

http://www.healthzone.ca/health/mindmood/mentalhealth/article/1021967--researchers-to-tell-jokes-to-vegetative-patients

London Free Press

http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2011/07/07/18390366.html

A News London Ontario

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-Ox_O1Ualg&feature=player_embedded

CBC The National

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tsiCUGURfA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AlI7RX2QoY

http://www.rcinet.ca/english/program/the-link/archives/episode/15-54_2011-07-19-/

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