The quick answer
Laughing helps people feel close and shows that we are friendly. We laugh much more with other people than when we are alone. Laughing is also catching, so one laugh can set off many more.
RankiHee hee! Sorry, Tanki, I just thought of something funny. Wait. Why do we laugh at all?
TankiGood question. Laughing seems simple, but scientists have found some surprising clues.
Laughing is a friendly signal
When you laugh with someone, you are sending a message. It says, “I like you, and we are having fun.” Laughing helps people feel close and safe together. It is one of the ways we show we are friendly.
One spent many years studying when people laugh. He found that people laugh about 30 times more when they are with others than when they are alone.
He noticed something else, too. Most laughs do not come after jokes at all. People often laugh at quite ordinary things, just because they are chatting together. So laughing is more about friends than about funny jokes.
Laughing is catching
Have you ever started giggling just because someone else was giggling? Laughing is . That means it spreads from person to person, a bit like a yawn. Scientists think that hearing a laugh gets your brain ready to join in.
Babies start laughing long before they can talk. Most babies laugh for the first time when they are about 3 or 4 months old. Peekaboo games often get the biggest giggles.
RankiSo babies laugh before they can even say a word? Laughing must be really old.
TankiVery old. And humans are not the only ones who do it.
Animals that laugh
Young , gorillas and other apes laugh when they play and tickle each other. Their laugh sounds like breathy , a bit like “ah, ah, ah”. Scientists think our own laugh grew out of a play sound like this, a very long time ago.
Why can’t you tickle yourself?
Try tickling your own tummy. It hardly works, does it? Scientists think this is because your brain knows exactly what your fingers will do. Tickles need a little surprise. When someone else tickles you, your brain cannot guess what comes next.
Laughing is lovely when everyone is laughing together. But laughing at someone in a mean way can hurt. If that ever happens to you, talk to a grown-up you trust.
- Laughing with friends feels good for everyone.
- Laughing at someone can hurt their feelings.
- If you are not sure, ask, “Is this funny for you too?”
Try it
The no-laughing challenge
You need
What to do
- Sit down facing each other.
- Look into each other’s eyes and keep a straight face.
- Try not to laugh, giggle or even smile.
- The first one to laugh loses. Then play again.
- Make it harder by pulling funny faces, without touching each other.
RankiSo laughing is a friendly signal that spreads like a yawn. And even rats do it!
TankiExactly. Now, ready for the no-laughing challenge? I bet you giggle first.
Big words
- scientist
- Someone who studies the world to find out how it works.
- contagious
- Spreading easily from one person to another.
- chimpanzees
- Clever apes that live in groups in the forests of Africa.
- panting
- Short, quick, noisy breaths, like a dog after running.
- chirping
- Making short, high sounds, like a small bird.
Quick quiz
1. When do people laugh the most?
People laugh about 30 times more when they are with others than when they are alone.
2. Which animal makes tiny chirps when it is tickled?
Rats chirp when tickled, but the sound is too high for our ears.
3. Why can’t you tickle yourself?
Scientists think tickles need surprise, and your brain already knows what your fingers will do.
For parents and teachers
The laughter researcher Robert Provine found that most everyday laughter happens in conversation rather than after jokes, which supports the idea that laughter is mainly a social signal. A fun follow-up is to keep a family laugh diary for a day and notice when, and with whom, everyone laughs.
Pictures marked “AI generated” were made with AI tools. Ranki and Tanki are AI generated characters. Found a mistake? Write to info@pr-geo.com and we will fix it.
