Two recent reports have come out touting the benefits of laughter. Scientific American reports on a study that found that watching a comedy significantly increased vascular blood flow, implying that regular laughter might be a preventive measure for cardiovascular problems. (Interestingly, watching a tension-filled movie like Saving Private Ryan had the opposite effect: constricting blood flow.) Following the adage that what's good for the heart is good for the brain, it would suggest that providing yourself with regular doses of humor is an easy and pleasant way to keep your brain active.

The second report discusses a study that found that listening to stand-up comedy lowered blood glucose levels in diabetics. That seems rather more weird, but the researcher, who's a geneticist, theorizes that emotion (like laughter) can switch genes off and on. His latest study claims to have found 23 genes that could be activated by laughter.