"Funny bone's all in the head" 
   A serious piece of scientific research has located the
   "funny spot" in the brain where jokes generate a feeling
   of mirth and merriment. 

   Scientists believe the region is vital for appreciating an
   outrageous punchline or clever pun. Without it we would
   have a sense-of-humour bypass. 

   Experiments on a group of 14 people, who were told a
   series of jokes while lying in a brain scanner, have
   revealed the funny spot to be a region of the cerebral
   cortex, which controls the "higher" functions of mental
   ability.... 

   Dr Raymond Dolan, of the Institute of Neurology in
   London, said: "We were interested in knowing whether
   to appreciate or to get a joke - and to experience the
   funniness of getting a joke - there was a particular brain
   region implicated." 

   The research, published in the journal Nature
   Neuroscience, has a serious side, in that it may explain
   why humour is such a necessary aspect of being human. 

   "What we showed was that one particular region of the
   brain was accessed by all jokes irrespective of their
   type," Dr Dolan said. "You could say the funny spot, I
   would call it orbital pre-frontal cortex. 

   "This is the part of the brain that we know is involved in
   the ability to experience reward and value. Some
   experiences of the world are associated with a sense of
   reward. They are valuable experiences and it is
   interesting that jokes seem to access this region of the
   brain."

   By Steve Connor, Science Editor 
   26 February 2001

   The Independent - English broadsheet
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   "Perceptions" note:

   This confirms our previous conclusions at

   http://www.perceptions.couk.com/conscious.html and linked  
   http://www.perceptions.couk.com/uef/fertility.html#Mentality 

   1) that only the 'new brain' of higher animals is able to
   appreciate the world completely (and also humorously);

   2) that when the 'new brain' is impaired humans (and animals?)
   react more brutally. Ie. more 'animalistically' -
   see "Rages" at fertility.html

   these leading to further conclusion at 
   http://www.perceptions.couk.com/genes6.html
   w.r.t. human 'individualism'

   ( Also try our speculation at:
   http://www.perceptions.couk.com/quality.txt )

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   WE would like to correct top article's implied
   message that humor is a "human only" trait.

   There is overwhelming evidence, some directly known to us, 
   that higher animals of many diverse species - most, perhaps
   all of the various whales - seals - foxes - dogs - elephants
   the apes - (and many others) - all possess brands of humor
   (because _they_ also have their own 'new brain' structure).

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              FURTHER REFERENCES

  GO - "search perceptions" - in SEARCH-ENGINE


file-ID www.perceptions.couk.com/humorall.txt