2020-04-01 Reader\'s Digest AUNZ

T

ounderstandwhyhumour

isakindofsuperfoodforthe

brain,ithelpstoknowwhat

ourbrainscraveinthefirstplace.

Youmightthinkthey’dpreferit when

wesitaloneina roomandstareata

blankwall– wedon’tburnupmuch

energ ydoingthat.Butthebrainis

likea muscle,anditneedsexercise.

Whatgivesthebraina workout?In-

formation. When researchers asked

peopletolookataseriesofpic-

tureswhiletheirbrainswerebeing

scannedinanf MRImachine,itwas

themorecompleximages– a work

ofart,a sprawlingvista,a groupof

animals– thattickledtheneuronsin

theirheadsmost.

It’stheactivationofthoseneurons

• nervecells,which,amongother
  things,sendandreceivesensory
  information – that ‘lights up’the

OriAmirtakes

hisfieldofstudy

seriously.When

he’snotinthelab

studyinghumour

andthebrain,hecan

befoundperforming

stand-up comedy

PHOTO: MIQUEL GONZALES

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