Scientists have deciphered the world's funniest joke. Here it is.
Jokes are an essential part of our lives, and it is this quick humor that keeps us going in tough situations. While it is true that a joke you've heard once may not seem funny the next time, some jokes have such comic effects that they never seem to stop tickling you. However, how does one decide which is the world's funniest joke?
The study was conducted 20 years ago
The funniest joke was finally decided based on a study conducted 20 years ago! Psychologist Dr. Richard Wiseman set up the study through a website called LaughLab in 2001, where, over the course of a year, he invited 1.5 million people across the world to rate five randomly selected jokes out of over 40,000! And a certain joke won because of its universal appeal.
The world's funniest joke...
Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. The other guy calls the emergency services and says, "My friend is dead! What can I do?" The operator says, "Calm down, I can help. First, let's make sure he's dead." There is silence, then a shot is heard. Back on the phone, the hunter says, "OK, now what?"
What do you think of the joke?
You may not have rolled on the floor laughing after reading this, but it's not that bad, is it? Wiseman explained, "Many of the jokes submitted received higher ratings from certain groups of people, but this one had real universal appeal."
The factors that decide a joke's funniness
Although it is true to some extent that comedy is subjective, studies say that there are factors that decide which jokes are liked and which aren't. Dr. Wiseman told The Guardian, "We find jokes funny for lots of different reasons. They sometimes make us feel superior to others, reduce the emotional impact of anxiety-provoking situations or surprise us because of some kind of incongruity."
What people like depends on the 'kick of the discovery'
Scott Weems, author of Ha! The Science of When We Laugh and Why told HuffPost, "I believe comedy tastes vary so widely because humor isn't about setups or punchlines. Instead, it's about the 'kick of the discovery,' thinking one way and then suddenly turning that thinking around." "Shock and surprise are needed for that turn, but there must be a destination too," added Weems.
