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The physiology of laughter: What happens in our bodies when we laugh?
Laughter's Magic: The neurochemistry of a good chuckle
Giggles and gains: Physical health benefits from abdominal workouts to immune boosting
Laughter in Therapy: Techniques, applications, and transformative tales
Conclusion
Further reading and references

A ubiquitous characteristic found in all humans is the ability to laugh, no matter what culture or race, this seems to be a common denominator that connects everyone. While laughing is an attribute of happiness and joy, it also has significant health implications that benefits the individual, from reducing stress levels to boosting the immune system as well as aiding with physical health. This article will delve into the various health advantages of engaging in laughter.

Image Credit: fizkes/Shutterstock.com The physiology of laughter: What happens in our bodies when we laugh?

Laughter has been found to start from infancy between the second and sixth month of newborn life and is one of the first social vocalizations in humans, with spontaneous laughter even being seen in children born as deaf or blind disabilities.  

Interestingly, this instinctive behavior that we’re genetically programmed to display, has also been found in non-human primates.

The mechanism of laughter is produced through the cooperation of various systems that work to create an expressive pattern through respiratory, facial, bodily, acoustic and cognitive alterations.

There are two different types of laughter found in humans, including involuntary emotionally-driven laughter, which is reliant on a positive emotional state, and voluntary laughter that represents the intentional reproduction of emotional laughter. 

The natural maneuver caused by laughter is stimulated by emotion, and during laughter, stress is applied to the chest wall, which causes fast and significant motion. This can lead to sudden and substantial reduction in lung volume in all respiratory compartments as well as compression of the airways.

Laughter can also impact the brain in various ways. The activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis and the subsequent increase in glucocorticoids is a significant physiological response to either physical or psychological stress signals. There are previous findings within adults that have suggested spontaneous laughter can affect the HPA axis through the reduction of cortisol levels, which can decrease stress. Laughter's Magic: The neurochemistry of a good chuckle

The two types of laughter cause variation in facial expressions as well as stimulating different neural pathways that control them.

Duchenne laughter, known as involuntary laughter, begins in the brain stem and limbic system, which is responsible for emotions. However, non-Duchenne laughter can be controlled by voluntary premotor regions, which is thought to contribute to planning movements, found in the frontal cortex.

A study from The Journal of Neuroscience has found social laughter to increase pleasurable sensations as well as triggering endogenous opioid release in the brain. Participants have also been found to have increased pain thresholds after watching comedy in order to induce laughter.

The increase of the brain’s production of endorphins, known as feel-good chemicals, caused by laughter, have the ability to relieve pain and decrease stress levels. The benefits of laughing | News2Me Play Giggles and gains: Physical health benefits from abdominal workouts to immune boosting

As well as reducing stress levels, laughter can also impact heart rate and blood pressure, which can help with relaxation.

Psychologist, Susan Albers, explained how humor can impact immunity in positive ways, stating, “Laughter helps to boost the immune system, which makes you more resistant to disease. Also, it decreases stress hormones, which are taxing to your immune system. On the other hand, laughter increases the antibody-producing cells and T cells in our bodies. These cells are like a defense army against illness.”

She continues with providing one of the best reasons for laughter, which is to prevent emotional eating, “when we laugh, it triggers the release of feel-good neurotransmitters. Even a subtle smile can trick your brain into thinking you are happy – thus reducing the need to munch to soothe your nerves or anxiety.” With depression becoming an epidemic in modern society, laughter can aid in improving low moods and reducing stress, even if its artificially induced.

The physical benefit of laughter is also extensive, with this joyous experience also providing a workout for bodily systems, including the cardiovascular, pulmonary and respiratory systems. Laughter causes the diaphragm, chest and abdominal muscles to tighten, driving the lungs to work harder through forcing the remaining air out and permitting fresh air deeper into the lungs, which can enable more effective exhalations, due to assisting the expansion of the alveoli.

Additionally, laughter shares common advantages that are associated with exercise, with a recent literature review confirming the physiological benefits of laughter, such as through exercising and relaxing muscles as well as improving respiration and stimulating circulation.

Simulated laughter may be ideal for the older population with functional or cognitive impairments that can access benefits of laughter more easily, with sedentary individuals being able to use laughter as part of a cardiovascular exercise program.

Interestingly, the physical act of laughter can be compared to mild cardiovascular exercise, and intense laughter through laughter exercises can be equivalent to short aerobic bursts in interval training, a type of exercise with varied intensity popular in abdominal workouts.

Image Credit: Motortion Films/Shutterstock.com Laughter in Therapy: Techniques, applications, and transformative tales

The phrase, ‘laughter is medicine’, has often been propagated through communities due to its ability to engage both the mental and physical body effectively. Laughter therapy is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy that aims to drive healthy relationships relating to physical, psychological and social wellbeing, and ultimately improves quality of life of individuals.

Laughter serves a social function and can act as a signal for a connection with another person. Research has found we are 30 times more likely to laugh within a group, or even with one other person, aiding in friendship, feelings of happiness as well as decreasing stress due to the rush of endorphins. Conclusion

Laughter has been reinforced by recent research linking various positive benefits, from physical advantages to increased pain tolerance, immune boosting impact, as well as aiding with diverse medical ailments, such as in oncology, psychiatry and rehabilitation.

With a more holistic view of medicine, functional medicine has increased in popularity, and laughter may be a natural medicinal supplement to improve the overall health of populations. Further reading and references Cleveland Clinic. It’s OK to laugh right now. Cleveland Clinic. November 27, 2023. Accessed December 1, 2023. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/its-ok-to-laugh-right-now. Greene CM, Morgan JC, Traywick LS, Mingo CA. Evaluation of a laughter-based exercise program on health and self-efficacy for exercise. The Gerontologist. Published online 2016. doi:10.1093/geront/gnw105 Is laughter good for lung health? American Lung Association. Accessed December 1, 2023. https://www.lung.org/blog/laughter-for-lungs. Kramer CK, Leitao CB. Laughter as medicine: A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventional studies evaluating the impact of spontaneous laughter on cortisol levels. PLOS ONE. 2023;18(5). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0286260 Manninen S, Tuominen L, Dunbar RI, et al. Social laughter triggers endogenous opioid release in humans. The Journal of Neuroscience. 2017;37(25):6125-6131. doi:10.1523/jneurosci.0688-16.2017 Sabato G. What’s so funny? the science of why we laugh. Scientific American. August 13, 2019. Accessed December 1, 2023. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/whats-so-funny-the-science-of-why-we-laugh/. Stierwalt EES. Why do we laugh? Scientific American. February 14, 2020. Accessed December 1, 2023. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-we-laugh/. Stress relief from laughter? it’s no joke. Mayo Clinic. September 22, 2023. Accessed December 1, 2023. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044456. Talami F, Vaudano AE, Meletti S. Motor and limbic system contribution to emotional laughter across the lifespan. Cerebral Cortex. 2019;30(5):3381-3391. doi:10.1093/cercor/bhz316 Yim J. Therapeutic benefits of laughter in mental health: A theoretical review. The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine. 2016;239(3):243-249. doi:10.1620/tjem.239.243

Last Updated: Dec 11, 2023

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Politics

Just 25% of public think Sir Keir Starmer will win next election – with welfare row partly to blame

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Just 25% of public think Sir Keir Starmer will win next election - with welfare row partly to blame

Only a quarter of British adults think Sir Keir Starmer will win the next general election, as the party’s climbdown over welfare cuts affects its standing with the public.

A fresh poll by Ipsos, shared with Sky News, also found 63% do not feel confident the government is running the country competently, similar to levels scored by previous Conservative administrations under Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak in July 2022 and February 2023, respectively.

Politics latest: ‘A moment of intense peril’ for PM

The survey of 1,080 adults aged 18-75 across Great Britain was conducted online between 27 and 30 June 2025, when Labour began making the first of its concessions, suggesting the party’s turmoil over its own benefits overhaul is partly to blame.

The prime minister was forced into an embarrassing climbdown on Tuesday night over his plans to slash welfare spending, after it became apparent he was in danger of losing the vote owing to a rebellion among his own MPs.

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Govt makes last-minute concession on welfare bill

The bill that was put to MPs for a vote was so watered down that the most controversial element – to tighten the eligibility criteria for personal independence payments (PIP) – was put on hold, pending a review into the assessment process by minister Stephen Timms that is due to report back in the autumn.

The government was forced into a U-turn after Labour MPs signalled publicly and privately that the previous concession made at the weekend to protect existing claimants from the new rules would not be enough.

More on Benefits

While the bill passed its first parliamentary hurdle last night, with a majority of 75, 49 Labour MPs still voted against it – the largest rebellion in a prime minister’s first year in office since 47 MPs voted against Tony Blair’s Lone Parent benefit in 1997, according to Professor Phil Cowley from Queen Mary University.

It left MPs to vote on only one element of the original plan – the cut to Universal Credit (UC) sickness benefits for new claimants from £97 a week to £50 from 2026/7.

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Govt makes last-minute concession on welfare bill

An amendment brought by Labour MP Rachael Maskell, which aimed to prevent the bill progressing to the next stage, was defeated but 44 Labour MPs voted for it.

The incident has raised questions about Sir Keir’s authority just a year after the general election delivered him the first Labour landslide victory in decades.

Read more:
How did your MP vote on Labour’s welfare bill?
The PM faced down his party on welfare and lost

And on Wednesday, Downing Street insisted Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, was “not going anywhere” after her tearful appearance in the House of Commons during prime minister’s questions sparked speculation about her political future.

The Ipsos poll also found that two-thirds of British adults are not confident Labour has the right plans to change the way the benefits system works in the UK, including nearly half of 2024 Labour voters.

Keiran Pedley, director of UK Politics at Ipsos, said: “Labour rows over welfare reform haven’t just harmed the public’s view on whether they can make the right changes in that policy area, they are raising wider questions about their ability to govern too.

“The public is starting to doubt Labour’s ability to govern competently and seriously at the same levels they did with Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak’s governments. Labour will hope that this government doesn’t end up going the same way.”

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Politics

Emotional Reeves a painful watch – and a reminder of tough decisions ahead

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Emotional Reeves a painful watch - and a reminder of tough decisions ahead

It is hard to think of a PMQs like it – it was a painful watch.

The prime minister battled on, his tone assured, even if his actual words were not always convincing.

But it was the chancellor next to him that attracted the most attention.

Rachel Reeves looked visibly upset.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves (right) crying as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer speaks. Pic: Commons/UK Parliament/PA
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Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves (right) crying as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer speaks. Pic: Commons/UK Parliament/PA

It is hard to know for sure right now what was going on behind the scenes, the reasons – predictable or otherwise – why she appeared to be emotional, but it was noticeable and it was difficult to watch.

Reeves looks visibly upset as Starmer defends welfare U-turn – politics latest

Her spokesperson says it was a personal matter that they will not be getting into.

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Even Kemi Badenoch, not usually the most nimble PMQs performer, singled her out. “She looks absolutely miserable,” she said.

Anyone wondering if Kemi Badenoch can kick a dog when it’s down has their answer today.

The Tory leader asked the PM if he could guarantee his chancellor’s future: he could not. “She has delivered, and we are grateful for it,” Sir Keir said, almost sounding like he was speaking in the past tense.

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Image:
Rachel Reeves looked visibly upset behind Keir Starmer at PMQs. Pic PA

It is important to say: Rachel Reeves’s face during one PMQs session is not enough to tell us everything, or even anything, we need to know.

But given the government has just faced its most bruising week yet, it was hard not to speculate. The prime minister’s spokesperson has said since PMQs that the chancellor has not offered her resignation and is not going anywhere.

But Rachel Reeves has surely seen an omen of the impossible decisions ahead.

How will she plug the estimated £5.5bn hole left by the welfare climbdown in the nation’s finances? Will she need to tweak her iron clad fiscal rules? Will she come back for more tax rises? What message does all of this send to the markets?

If a picture tells us a thousand words, Rachel Reeves’s face will surely be blazoned on the front pages tomorrow as a warning that no U-turn goes unpunished.

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Science

Newly Detected Seaborgium-257 Offers Critical Data on Fission and Quantum Shell Effects

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Newly Detected Seaborgium-257 Offers Critical Data on Fission and Quantum Shell Effects

German Scientists at GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung found a new superheavy isotope, 257Sg, named Seaborgium, which reveals unexpected details about the stability and nuclear fission. This study was published in Physical Review Letters and describes how this isotope, made by fusing chromium-52 with lead-206, survived for 12.6 milliseconds, longer than usual. The rare longevity and decay into 253Rf provide new indications of how K-quantum numbers or angular momentum impact the fission resistance. The findings fill in the gaps and give us an understanding of the effects of quantum shells in superheavy nuclei, which is crucial for preventing immediate disintegration.

Challenging Traditional Views on K-Quantum Numbers and Fission

As per the study by GSI, it challenges conservative views on how K-quantum numbers impact fission. Previously, it was found that the higher K values lead to greater fission hindrance, but after getting the findings from the GSI team, a more complex dynamic emerged. They found that K-quantum numbers offer hindrance to fission, but it is still ot known that it is how much, said Dr. Pavol Mosat, the study’s co-author.

Discovery of First K-Isomeric State in Seaborgium

An important milestone is the identification of the first K-isomeric state in seaborgium. In 259Sg, the scientists found that the conversion of the electron signal occurs 40 microseconds after the nuclear formation. This is clear evidence of the high angular momentum K-isomer. These states have longer lifetimes and friction in fission in a more effective way than their ground-state counterparts.

Implications for the Theorised Island of Stability

This discovery by the scientists provides key implications for the Island of stability, which has long been theorised. It is a region where superheavy elements could have comparatively long half-lives. If K-isomers are present in the still undiscovered elements such as 120, they can enable scientists in the detection of nuclei that would otherwise decay in just under one microsecond.

Synthesising 256Sg with Ultra-Fast Detection Systems

This team of German Scientists under GSI is now aiming to synthesise 256Sg, which might decay quicker than observed or predicted. Their success is dependent on the ultra-fast detection systems created by GSI, which are capable of capturing events within 100 nanoseconds. This continued research by the team may help in reshaping the search and studying the heaviest elements in the periodic table.

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