When we laugh, we get a dopamine hit in our brains. That helps us or that first of all, it's like a, you know, essentially a pleasure hit. And so we're more likely to funnel things to our short and long term memory when that happens. When people laugh before taking a short term memory challenge, they will retain more than twice the amount of information than those who don't laugh ahead of time. There are also studies around students whose professors use humor in their teaching. Those students later retain more information. They do better on tests.
Humor is no laughing matter. It inspires innovation, strengthens relationships, disarms tension, and makes you look smart. Seriously. Stanford professors Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas say the recipe for professional success and personal fulfillment is to lighten up, pack a little levity in your briefcase, and start living your life on the precipice of a smile. In today's episode, they dig into the neuroscience of laughter, share tips for crafting the perfect joke, and help Rufus improve his comic chops.
(This episode first aired in April 2021.)
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