But Seriously, Folks . . . What Is Laughter? Why Do We Do It? From: The Washington Post | Date: September 10, 1997| Author: Boyce Rensberger | Copyright 1997 The Washington Post. This material is published under license from the Washington Post.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post.Copyright information

Laughter usually isn't funny. Though it's contagious and can make you laugh -- that's why TV comedies have laugh tracks -- most laughter has nothing to do with humor.

According to one of the few scientists who study the phenomenon, laughter is a kind of whole-body punctuation mark that modifies the meaning or tone of what we say. Most of all, according to Robert R. Provine, a behavioral neurobiologist at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, we usually use laughter to str...

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