Health

Brain cell that makes you laugh - found

by Jason Sanders | September 5, 2008 at 11:58 am

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Do you laugh? Then you are the proud owner of a hippocampus (trick question). When scientists showed clips of 'The Simpsons' to patients, the nerve cell began firing rapidly. Even if patients were asked to remember the characters, the cell reacted as if it were 'watching' the episode.

"It is highly speculative to conclude that it is a "comedy cell", and even if it were it is just one cell in this study of many cells."

The critical finding, says Prof Fried, was that the same select nerve cells went into action when people recalled these memories too.

Hmmm. I guess it wasn't as important to funniness as everyone thought:

"'Comedy brain cell' that responds to humour found" - Telegraph.co.uk
"'Comedy Brain Cell' That Responds To Humour Found" - Digg
"Found: The comedy brain cell" - Chortle

Prof Fried is a downer.

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