Why We Laugh

Why do we laugh? Most laughter has nothing to do with jokes. In this first episode, we follow laughter from everyday conversations to tickled rats and playful apes, and trace it back ten to sixteen million years. It turns out laughter is an ancient, shared signal of play and trust, and the starting point for our series on laughter therapy. This podcast is for information and enjoyment and does not replace medical advice.

In 1964, magazine editor Norman Cousins fell seriously ill, left the hospital for a hotel room, and filled his days with funny films. Years later, his story became one of the most famous tales in the history of laughter. But what really happened, and how much of it holds up today? In this episode, we follow Cousins from a hospital bed to a landmark medical journal article and a bestselling book, and we look honestly at what his story proves and what it does not.