The study of laughter is known as gelotology . Certain parts of the brain are responsible for certain human functions. But according to recent research, the production of laughter is involved with various regions of the brain. For instance, if you were sitting with a friend and he cracks a joke, the left side of the cortex (the layer of cells that covers the entire surface of the forebrain) would analyse the words and structure of the joke, while the brain's large frontal lobe, which is involved in social emotional responses, would become very active. Meanwhile, the right hemisphere of the cortex would carry out the intellectual analysis required to understand the joke. Ultimately the stimulation of the motor sections would evoke a physical response to the joke. Research also shows that human beings love to laugh, and the average adult laughs 17 times a day. But did you also know that humans are one of the only species that laughs? Laughter is actually a complex response that