An amazing video from a TEDx conference at Imperial. Sophie Scott, a cognitive neuroscientist from UCL tackles the issues of laughter as a social stimulus, cultural bridge and contagious bodily function! Incredibly interesting and hilarious, check it out - it'll take 13 mins of your time and you'll learn a lot :)
28/04/2012
Sophie Scott - Laughter: Love, Joy and Language
An amazing video from a TEDx conference at Imperial. Sophie Scott, a cognitive neuroscientist from UCL tackles the issues of laughter as a social stimulus, cultural bridge and contagious bodily function! Incredibly interesting and hilarious, check it out - it'll take 13 mins of your time and you'll learn a lot :)
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Not surprised that laughter is "cross culture" as it were, but surprised that is stretches into other species. At least it proved the importance of laughter!
ReplyDeleteI did enjoy her attempts at making the audience laugh resulting in exactly the polite/posed laughter she had just finished introducing and talking about!
Thanks for your comment! :) The cross-species thing reminds me of a talk on the psychology of primates I heard at the BPS student conference. It's fascinating what we share - and even with rats. I have to say I wasn't surprised that laughter was shared with other cultures, but I was surprised it was the only positive sound - indeed proving its importance.
DeleteHaving been looking into music therapies recently, everything Scott says about communication and social bonding through laughter sort of links to other forms of communication without using words - and methods of helping those who can't put their emotions into language. I feel another post coming on here!