Your Brain On... Comedy

05/08/24 • 22 min

2 Listeners

Laughter predates language. But what’s the neurological function of humor? Why do we find things funny?

Your brain’s ability to perceive and create comedic ideas is one of the most powerful facets of the human experience. Through humor and laughter, we can find shared understanding across the boundaries of cultures, languages, and ideologies.

In this episode of ‘YOUR BRAIN ON...’, we discuss:

• Why we evolved the ability to laugh

• The ‘benign violation theory’ — the most prevalent hypothesis for the function of humor

• Why we find some things funny, and some things not

• How some comedians use humor as a form of therapy

• The nervous disorders underpinning involuntary bursts of laughter

This episode, we’re joined by:

CALEB WARREN, a primary contributor of the Humor Research Lab (HuRL) at the University of Colorado, and a key pioneer of the Benign Violation Theory, which he speaks about in this episode.

JESSICA PORTER, an hilarious comedian who uses humor both for performances and for therapy. Jessica shares some fascinating ideas about comedy as a tool for communication and growth.

‘Your Brain On’ is hosted by neuroscientists and public health advocates Ayesha and Dean Sherzai.

‘Your Brain On... COMEDY’ • SEASON 2 • EPISODE 2

LINKS

The Humor Research Lab at University of Colorado: https://humorresearchlab.com/

Jessica Porter on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jess_porter_standup

Jessica’s podcast, Sleep Magic: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sleep-magic-sleep-hypnosis-meditations/id1650407051

Join the NEURO Academy: NEUROacademy.com

Instagram: @thebraindocs

Website: TheBrainDocs.com

More info and episodes: TheBrainDocs.com/Podcast

Laughter predates language. But what’s the neurological function of humor? Why do we find things funny?

In this episode of ‘YOUR BRAIN ON...’, we discuss:

• Why we evolved the ability to laugh

• The ‘benign violation theory’ — the most prevalent hypothesis for the function of humor

• Why we find some things funny, and some things not

• How some comedians use humor as a form of therapy

• The nervous disorders underpinning involuntary bursts of laughter

This episode, we’re joined by:

CALEB WARREN, a primary contributor of the Humor Research Lab (HuRL) at the University of Colorado, and a key pioneer of the Benign Violation Theory, which he speaks about in this episode.

JESSICA PORTER, an hilarious comedian who uses humor both for performances and for therapy. Jessica shares some fascinating ideas about comedy as a tool for communication and growth.

‘Your Brain On’ is hosted by neuroscientists and public health advocates Ayesha and Dean Sherzai.

‘Your Brain On... COMEDY’ • SEASON 2 • EPISODE 2

LINKS

The Humor Research Lab at University of Colorado: https://humorresearchlab.com/

Jessica Porter on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jess_porter_standup

Jessica’s podcast, Sleep Magic: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sleep-magic-sleep-hypnosis-meditations/id1650407051

Join the NEURO Academy: NEUROacademy.com

Instagram: @thebraindocs

Website: TheBrainDocs.com

More info and episodes: TheBrainDocs.com/Podcast

Previous Episode

Your Brain On... Space Travel

Space travel goes against a million years of human evolution. So how does it affect our brains?

In just six decades of manned space flights, we’ve discovered a remarkable amount about the neurological effects of venturing to the stars.

In this episode of ‘YOUR BRAIN ON...’ we discuss:

• How low gravity changes your brain structure, impacts your balance, and... actually might improve your sleep

• The cognitive dangers of space travel, from the mania of isolation to the destructive forces of cosmic radiation

• Why we’re evolutionary drawn to explore other worlds and believe in aliens

• What spaceflight can teach us about neuroplasticity and cogntive decline

This episode, we’re joined by:

DR. JAY BUCKEY, astronaut and space physiologist, who, in 1998, was part of the Neurolab mission, going to space for 16 days to study the effects of spaceflight on the brain and nervous system.

DR. SHEYNA GIFFORD, aerospace medic, who famously spent a year in a simulation of Mars on a volcano in Hawaii, to study the psychological impacts of long-term space travel.

DR. RACHAEL SEIDLER, Professor in the Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology at the University of Florida, and an expert on spaceflight’s affects on neuroplasticity.

EMILY CALANDRELLI, renowned science educator and engineer, who highlights how what we learn while exploring space greatly benefits our lives down here on Earth.

‘Your Brain On’ is hosted by neuroscientists and public health advocates Ayesha and Dean Sherzai.

‘Your Brain On... SPACE TRAVEL’ • SEASON 2 • EPISODE 1

👉 LINKS

Dr. Jay Buckey at Dartmouth: https://geiselmed.dartmouth.edu/faculty/facultydb/view.php/?uid=426

Dr. Sheyna Gifford’s website: https://sheynagifford.com/

Dr. Rachael Seidler at University of Florida: https://hhp.ufl.edu/about/faculty-staff/seidler_rachael/

Dr. Rachael Seidler on Twitter (AKA ‘X’): https://twitter.com/SeidlerRachael

Emily Calandrelli’s website, ‘The Space Gal’: https://www.thespacegal.com/

Emily Calandrelli on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespacegal

Emily Calandrelli on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thespacegal

👉 FOLLOW US

Join the NEURO Academy: NEUROacademy.com

Instagram: @thebraindocs

Website: TheBrainDocs.com

More info and episodes: TheBrainDocs.com/Podcast

Next Episode

Your Brain On... Hearing Loss

How does hearing loss change the brain and contribute to cognitive decline?

The human capacity to hear is incredible. In milliseconds, sound vibrations are transformed into mechanical energy, then sensorineural signals, and then, in our brains, a universe of meaning and memory.

When that sense begins to fade, either due to aging or because of causative damage, our brains can become understimulated, potentially leading to the onset of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

But, with accessibility research, technology, and policy continuing to strengthen and converge, the future promises to be brighter for everyone experiencing hearing loss.

In this episode of ‘YOUR BRAIN ON...’, we discuss:

• The different kinds and causes of hearing loss

• The relationship between aging and hearing loss

• The neurological distinction between ‘hearing’ and ‘listening’

• The recent groundbreaking studies which have made the link between hearing loss and cognitive decline clearer than ever

• How associated conditions like tinnitus impact the brain

• What’s coming next in hearing aid technology

This episode, we’re joined by:

DR. FRANK LIN, Director of the Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health at Johns Hopkins, who headed major research into how hearing loss contributes to increased risk of neurodegenerative disease.

DR. DOUGLAS BECK, renowned audiologist and co-host of the Hearing Matters podcast, who talks about the past and future of hearing aid devices, how to protect your hearing, and why listening — not hearing — is a whole-brain event.

DR. KRISTIN BARRY, researcher and tinnitus expert, who breaks down the various types of tinnitus and explains how the effects of tinnitus can be observed in the brain.

‘Your Brain On’ is hosted by neuroscientists and public health advocates Ayesha and Dean Sherzai.

‘Your Brain On... HEARING LOSS’ • SEASON 2 • EPISODE 3

LINKS

Dr. Frank Lin

Johns Hopkins Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health: https://jhucochlearcenter.org/

The Hearing Number: https://hearingnumber.org/

Dr. Douglas Beck

Dr. Beck’s website: http://www.douglaslbeck.com/

The Hearing Matters podcast: https://hearingmatterspodcast.com/

Dr. Kristin Barry

Dr. Barry at the University of Western Australia: https://research-repository.uwa.edu.au/en/persons/kristin-barry

Dr. Barry’s TEDx talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKY-hohg8wM