[yor_on]

You mean to like to have people around you?
Never thought of it that way.

But ok. I'm warned.

[Nicolas]

Every person who answers this question seems to give their opinion based upon anicdotal experience.

Is there any emperical experimentation being conducted as to the actual logical mechanism that triggers laughter. Understanding this mechanism could yeild benifits both medical and cultural.

[Bacon Wizard]

I'm afraid I can't offer evidence for this, but here is a theory which fits the facts nicely:

As with many social animals, especially primates living in large groups, we have developed alarm calls and other signals that travel. In our case they evolved into complex languages, but we retain some of the instinctive noises which for the most part cross cultural boundaries.

The theory is that laughter is a false-alarm call: it says "There is a thing of which I am fearful, but is in fact not a danger" or "That thing I was previously alarmed-about is harmless, I am massively relieved"

This can apply to all kinds of comedic situations: When something happens to another, it can be funny because we know that the actor is unharmed, and because it didn't happen to us!

Many stand-up jokes are set-up to make us think of something quite serious or disturbing, but with clever word-play startles us into realising that we had completely misunderstood the original signal.... false alarm.

"A guy walks into a bar...    owch! It was an iron bar..."

This theory fits with the play-fighting pant-pant idea: it signifies that the situation is playful, and not serious even though the actions appear violent.

[seoerizer]

You see, there's an old saying: laughter is the best medicine.