Words like boobiehoop , squibble , and whizztangle may not sound specially scientific , but researchers at the University of Alberta believe they may have uncovered the numerical logic behind what makes nonsense Book like these so funny . Taking their concept a pace further , they found that the same formula also applied to puns , quip , and jokes in general , and could therefore provide a basic framework for all var. of humor .
Presenting their finding in theJournal of Memory and Language , the researcher based their possibility on the musings of German philosopherArthur Schopenhauer , who in 1818 submit that “ the cause of laughter in every character is merely the sudden perception of the incongruity between a concept and the real objects which have been thought through it in some telling . ” In other word , it ’s all to do with “ outlook violation , ” mean that the bodily fluid of any situation relate to the degree to which it dare our expectations .
Many jokes make use of this conception by bring out unexpected meanings or import in the punchline . By way of example , the study authors present the pun : when the clock is thirsty it goes back four second base . They intimate that the “ funniness ” of this joke lie in the unexpected doubly - substance it contains .
To mathematically quantify this essence , they borrowed theShannon entropyequation , which was organise by American mathematician Claude Shannon in Holy Order to determine the improbability of events . The formula bring on a high entropy value for unpredictable events , and a humble selective information value for predictable events .
build up with this whimsy , the squad decided to inquire the level of sense of humour discover by 968 undergraduate students at the University of Alberta in a series of non - parole ( northwestward ) . These NWs were kick in an S value based on the unlikeliness of their combination of letters appear in the English terminology – or “ non - wordness . ” Using this , the researchers find that they were able-bodied to reliably bode that the most entropic word were blackleg as the funniest , paint a picture that Shannon entropy may well be a key indicator of comedic economic value .
However , this should n’t be take to imply that throwing in a few silly password is all it takes to make hoi polloi laugh , as a number of other late studies have divulge that in effect joke - telling requires a sort of key acquirement . For instance , a paper that appeared last calendar week in the journalHuman Natureindicated that the structure of a jocularity is vital to its overall effectuality . According to the study , the secure jokes contain two different character reference and up to five back - and - forth interactions between them . Such joke are enjoyable because they require listeners to engage a advanced level of mentalizing – meaning the enactment of comprehending the unspoken idea of hypothetical somebody – without being overly complex .
As studies like these reveal , harness the power of science could supply the headstone to ultimately devising thefunniest joke in the world .
