In a Science News article, Professor of Psychology Robert Provine was cited for his work to record instances of laughter. What he found was that most laughter had little to do with humor. Provine said, “Laughter serves as a way to form alliances and make connections with others. For most, laughter serves as a signal for mutual liking and well-being.”
The article, “When Humor Humiliates,” ran Friday, July 17.
According to The National, Mass hysteria and contagious laughter (and sometimes crying) still take place today. The article cites Provine’s documentation of an incident that occurred in 1968 where “a group of 12- to 18-year-old schoolgirls rapidly rose to epidemic proportions. Contagious laughter propagated from one individual to the next, eventually infecting adjacent communities.” The epidemic required the closing of schools for six months.
The article, “Death and taxes can be postponed but not hysteria,” ran Tuesday, July 28.
Provine was also cited in La Presse on Saturday, July 25, in “Le rire sous toutes les coulture,” by Mathieu Perreault.
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