Knock, knock! In pursuit of a grand unified theory of humour
What makes a joke funny?
Humour comes in many forms, from slapstick to sarcasm to knock knock jokes. Author and humourist William Hartston explained them all in this talk about what makes us laugh and why.
Watch the event recording on YouTube to learn about the history of humour and to understand your own 'humour personality' a little bit more.
About the speaker
After reading maths at Jesus College, Cambridge, William Hartston played too much chess to complete his PhD, which led to his twice winning the British Chess Championship. While writing far too many chess books, he worked as an industrial psychologist on the development and interpretation of personality tests. He has also written books about Puzzles, Sloths, Numeracy, Sex, Useless Information and The Things Nobody Knows. He is also an opera critic but still does not know what he wants to be when he grows up.
