Book description
In September 2001 the British Association for the Advancement of
Science (the BA) embarked on the world's largest, and most unusual,
scientific experiment. The aim of the project was to find the world's
funniest joke, and answer important questions about the psychology of
humour. For example, Do men and women find the same jokes funny? Does
our sense of humour change as we get older? What is the best time of day
to tell a joke? Do different nations laugh at the same jokes? The
experiment was called LaughLab and was carried out as part of Science
Year in the UK. An Internet site was established containing two
sections: in the first, people submitted their favourite jokes; in the
second they answered a few simple questions about themselves - male or
female, age, nationality, etc - and then rated how funny they found a
random selection of jokes. The experiment captured the imagination of
individuals throughout the world. 40,000 jokes were received and
evaluated by 350,000 people. At the end of the project the information
was carefully examined and discoveries made about the jokes that made
men giggle and women groan, those that tickled kids but not adults, and
the jokes that were the most popular in different countries. Along the
way the 'winning' jokes in different categories were uncovered,
including the best 'doctor' jokes The British Association for the
Advancement of Science (The BA) works in co-operation with the DTI and
promotes the understanding and development of science and technology,
emphasising their contribution to cultural, economic and social life.
