The Laughing Brain: The Neuroscience Behind Comedy

Abstract

Imagine yourself sitting in front of your television watching Saturday Night Live (SNL). Michael Che just blurted a line on the Weekend Update segment “the CDC [is] warning people not to eat raw cookie dough because it may contain germs that cause diarrhea, but on the bright side, you can eat cookie dough without gaining weight!” [1]. Not much thought goes into your laughter– as it is an innate physical reaction that comes as naturally as crying [2]. But, have you ever wondered why that line evoked such a reaction from you, but not from your mom who was also watching the show alongside you? In the neuroscientific community, there is a dearth of knowledge on the science behind comedy [3]. Following that intrigue, this article will investigate the neuroscience behind laughter and comedy by utilizing existing research to foster a strong understanding of this topic and potential areas to be investigated in the future.