Unlike language, however, laughter does not have to be learned.
Babies first laugh when they are as young as three to four months old.
Provine and a few other scientists take the study of laughter and humor seriously. Taflinger examined a wide range of sources, from Shakespeare to Mad magazine. He studied thousands of hours of television comedies. Then he identified six basic elements that can make us crack up. Any humorous situation will involve one or more of these elements, he says.