What's Up Docs? Doctors' Notes: Laughter
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Aug 5, 2025 
Join Professor Sophie Scott, a leading neuroscientist from University College London renowned for her research on laughter. She reveals what differentiates genuine laughter from fake, and how the habit of laughing develops in children. Sophie shares insights on the emotional boost that can come from faking a laugh, and discusses her journey into the fascinating world of laughter research. The dynamic conversation also touches on the social dynamics of laughter and its role in bonding and well-being.
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Producing Genuine Laughter in Lab
- Sophie Scott's team made each other laugh by watching clips and sharing moments that triggered laughter.
- They now use pairs of friends and contagious laughter from videos to study natural laughter.
Underestimating Laughter Frequency
- People vastly underestimate how much they laugh in conversation.
- People remember and judge their laughter more based on how they laugh alone, which is less frequent.
Different Perspectives on Laughter
- Teenage boys laughed together on a train after pranking Sophie by tapping her shoulder and laughing behind her.
- To them, the laughter was bonding and warm; to Sophie, it felt like she was being laughed at.