The Science Behind Our Love for Comedy Films: Insights from Israeli Research.

Researchers at Bar-Ilan University and the Paris Brain Institute have used intracerebral electrophysiological recordings to study the neural substrate of humor. They analyzed the brain activity of 13 epileptic patients while they watched a three-minute excerpt from Charlie Chaplin's Circus. The funniest scenes were associated with an increase in high-frequency gamma waves and a decrease in low-frequency waves. The study confirms the prominent role of the temporal lobe in the appreciation of humor and supports the theory of incongruity. Future studies will need to look at other areas involved in cognition and emotions to expand our understanding of humor.