World's Funniest Joke
A group of scientists is out with what it says is the world's funniest joke.
Scientifically proven to be funny, that is, according to the British Association for the Advancement of Science.
They spent three months putting jokes to the test on a web site built just for that purpose: LaughLab.co.uk.
The science of humor is no joke to them, however. Factors they're tracking include:
- What sort of jokes make children laugh and what does this tell us about the way in which they see the world?
- How do the differences between the sexes lead to men and women leading different jokes funny?
- What do the jokes that we find funny reveal about the way in which our brains work?
- Why do some jokes make lots of people laugh while others appeal only to certain types of people?
A total of 10,000 jokes were voted on by 100,000 people from 70 countries and the following, with 47 percent of the votes, was the winner:
Famed fictional detective Sherlock Holmes and his gruff assistant Doctor Watson pitch their tent while on a camping expedition, but in the middle of the night Holmes nudges Watson awake and questions him.
HOLMES: Watson, look up at the stars and tell me what you deduce.
WATSON: I see millions of stars, and if there are millions of stars, and if even a few of those have planets, it is quite likely there are some planets like earth, and if there are a few planets like earth out there there might also be life.
HOLMES: Watson, you idiot! Somebody stole our tent.
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