logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2018
6m 7s

BrainStuff Classics: How Do Laugh Tracks...

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

Sitcoms use laugh tracks all the time. But where do they come from? Do they really make us laugh along? Learn about the origins and psychology of laugh tracks in this classic episode of BrainStuff.

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Today
Does Smog Make Sunsets More Beautiful?
Although a little air pollution can bring out brilliant colors in sunsets, most of it just causes a washed-out haze. Learn how both sunsets and smog work in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/smog-sunse ... Show More
8m 23s
Yesterday
Why Does Albania Have Hundreds of Thousands of Bunkers?
When Albanian dictator Enver Hoxha started building concrete bunkers during the Cold War, it was part paranoia and part propaganda. Learn more about these mysterious bunkers and how they're being repurposed today in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://histo ... Show More
8 m
Apr 1
What Pranks Have Astronauts Pulled?
Since the early days of space exploration, some of NASA's greatest have pulled some great pranks. Learn about our favorites, from a smuggled sandwich to a space gorilla, in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/ridiculous-history-5-n ... Show More
8m 40s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2019
Flatus Ex Machina, Part 2
Why is it so hilarious when robots and artificial intelligence fail? What does it reveal about comedy itself and our technological anxiety? Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore in this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter. In this second episode, the joke's on us.  Learn more abou ... Show More
41m 29s
Sep 2022
Short Stuff: Laugh Tracks
Laugh tracks have been around since the early 1950s and it’s all thanks to one (reviled) sound engineer who invented them. But as much as people like to hate laugh tracks most shows wouldn’t be at all funny without them.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
15m 31s
Jan 2020
Science of Laughter
The Science of LaughterBrian Cox and Robin Ince return for a new series of science/comedy chat. They are joined on stage, appropriately enough, by comedian Frank Skinner, as they look at the science of what makes us laugh, why we laugh at all, and whether humour and laughter are ... Show More
43m 53s
Apr 2020
From the Vault: Flatus Ex Machina, Part 2
Why is it so hilarious when robots and artificial intelligence fail? What does it reveal about comedy itself and our technological anxiety? Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore in this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter. (originally published 3/28/2019) Learn more about your ad- ... Show More
41m 57s
Sep 2022
Wait, How Do I Know It's Funny? A Rollicking History of Laugh Tracks
<p>We've all heard them. You're watching or hearing a show, a character says something, and -- boom! -- an invisible choir of audience members loses their minds in riotous laughter, awws, or applause. But how did where does this come from? In today's episode, we're learning how t ... Show More
47m 38s
Sep 2022
Is there a language of laughter?
<p>Laugh and the world laughs with you, or so you might think. But watch any good comedian on TV by yourself and chances are you’ll laugh a lot less than if you were sat in a lively comedy crowd watching the same comedian in the flesh.</p><p> But why is that? Do people from diffe ... Show More
27m 57s
Jul 2023
Comedy Roulette
Things you are not supposed to laugh at.Steve Harvey Morning Show Online: http://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
5 m
Nov 2019
Is Happiness Contagious? How Other People's Emotions Affect Us
The moods of those around us can directly influence how happy or sad we feel. Drawing on psychology and neuroscience, Dr. Laurie teams up with the world’s leading expert on TV laugh tracks to explore how emotional cues shape our feelings without us realizing it. From sitcoms to s ... Show More
34m 44s
Sep 2020
Laughter: The Best Medicine
<p>If you listen closely to giggles, guffaws, and polite chuckles, you can discern a huge amount of information about people and their relationships with each other. This week, we talk with neuroscientist Sophie Scott about the many shades of laughter, from cackles of delight amo ... Show More
46m 19s
Oct 2017
Laughing During Horror Movies
<p>Have you ever heard inappropriate laughter during a horror movie? For that matter, are you the guilty party? Join Robert and Christian as they explore our curious reactions to frightful cinema and how horror and comedy converge in the human mind.</p><p> </p> Learn more about y ... Show More
46m 24s