Nudge Prof Wiseman: “My (Failed) Search for the World's Funniest Joke”
19 snips
May 11, 2026 
Richard Wiseman, psychologist and author known for quirky research into humour and deception, recounts his Laugh Lab search for the world’s funniest joke. He discusses how superiority, incongruity and cultural differences shape what makes people laugh. He also tells stories about placebo effects, wine tasting and why some classic psychology findings are hard to replicate.
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Impulsive Pitch Became A Global Laugh Lab
- Richard Wiseman pitched “a search for the world's funniest joke” on a whim and got approval within 20 seconds.
- He and a team built an internet Laugh Lab in 1999–2000 to collect jokes and demographics across countries.
Daily Moderation Built A Family-Friendly Archive
- The Laugh Lab received many filthy submissions, so Richard hired Emma Greening to vet jokes daily.
- Some jokes recurred hundreds of times, like "what is brown and sticky? A stick?" appearing 300+ times.
Superiority And Incongruity Drive Most Popular Jokes
- Top-rated Laugh Lab jokes often create a sense of superiority by showing someone as stupid or powerless.
- Examples include the teacher-child, the jigsaw man, and two idiots by a river — superiority and incongruity drive laughter.
