FUNNY HOW?

Despite decades of research, gelotology, the study of laughter, is no closer to explaining how humour works. But we do know that regular chuckles can protect your memory. They reduce the production of stress hormone cortisol, high levels of which can “cause damage to your hippocampus, the area of the brain that deals with recall”, says Gurinder Bains of Loma Linda University. Don’t forget that punchline.