Journal article explanations of how science works often differ
from the actual process According to 55 percent of 350,000
people from 70 countries who participated online in Richard
Wiseman’s Laugh Lab experiment (discussed in last month’s
column), this is the world’s funniest joke: Two hunters are out
in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn’t seem to be
breathing, and his eyes are glazed. The other guy whips out his
phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps, “My friend is
dead! What can I do?” The operator says, “Calm down. I can help.
First, let’s make sure he’s dead.” There is a silence, then a
shot is heard. Back on the phone, the guy says, “Okay, now
what?” So say the data, but according to Wiseman’s personal
narrative describing how the research was actually conducted (in
his new book Quirkology), he believes that “we uncovered the
world’s blandest joke — the gag that makes everyone smile but
very few laugh out loud. But as with so many quests, the journey
was far more important than th