Steven Small: Humor Humours, Laughter and the Brain

Event Details

When
10/17/2009
10:00am - 11:00am
Where
Ida Noyes
1212 E 59th St
Chicago, IL, 60637-1604
United States
See map: Google Maps
County: 
Cook
Fee: 
Adults: $5.00; Educators & Students: Free
Sponsor Organization: 
The University of Chicago
Where
Ida Noyes
1212 E 59th St
Chicago, IL, 60637-1604
See map: Google Maps
County: 
Cook
Fee: 
Adults: $5.00; Educators & Students: Free
Sponsor Organization: 
The University of Chicago

Laughter feels instinctive, but it's really a brainy phenomenon. Consider the pertinent questions: what part of the brain is responsible for laughter and humor? What are the differences between laughter that occurs as an emotional or behavioral response, and laughter that occurs outside either explanation?

Join Steven Small, director of the Human Neuroscience Laboratory at the University of Chicago, for a neuroscience perspective on that rich experience of laughing your head off.

About Steven Small
Steven Small is a professor in the departments of neurology and psychology, a member of the Committees on Neurobiology and Computational Neuroscience, and director of the Human Neuroscience Laboratory at the University of Chicago. He is also the editor-in-chief of the international journal Brain and Language. His research investigates the basic neurobiology and rehabilitation of language disorders and hand motor function.

Nearby street parking is available. Campus parking lots are free for visitors on weekends.

This event is part of the Chicago Humanities Festival's (CHF) annual fall festival. For more information, please visit the CHF's website.