Good jokes, bad jokes, clever jokes, dad jokes — the desire to laugh is universal. But why do we find some gags hilarious, whilst others fall flat? 

Jonathan Silvertown attempts to answer this question and more in his most recent work “The Comedy of Error: Why Evolution Made Us Laugh.” Jonathan is a Professor of Evolutionary Ecology and Chair in Technology-Enhanced Science Education in Biological Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. 

He has also written a number of other books including The Long and the Short of It: The Science of Life Span and Aging, and Dinner with Darwin: Food, Drink, and Evolution.

He talks about his jump from writing about the evolution of plants to the evolution of humor, the essence of humor, why laughter is infectious and the 3 types of smiles.

Episode Quotes:

Why play is important

Play is about learning to socialize. Play is fun, but you might say, why is it fun? Why do we enjoy it? Well, it's actually a reward for learning and a really important thing that affects your future survival and reproductive opportunities. In a social species like our own, if you can't get along with others, you aren't going to find a mate and you aren't going to survive.

The essence of humor

While there are jokes that put people down, it's not the essence of a joke. The jokes that put people down are an instance of humor, but they're not the essence of humor. To give you the punchline, the essence of humor is incongruity. It's the difference between what you're expecting and what you get.

Evolutionary advantage to humor 

There is an evolutionary advantage to humor and expressing humor. And it's basically like the peacock’s train. It's an advertisement for what matters in human mating, which is intelligence. 

Show Links:

Guest Profile:

• Faculty Profile at University of Edinburgh
• Professional Profile at The University of Chicago Press
• Jonathan Silvertown’s Website
• Jonathan Silvertown on Twitter

His Work:

• Jonathan Silvertown on Google Scholar
• The Comedy of Error: Why Evolution Made Us Laugh
• The Long and the Short of It: The Science of Life Span and Aging
• Demons in Eden: The Paradox of Plant Diversity