Article: Jokes: hormones.

Two hydrogen atoms are walking down the street. The first one stops and says:

"Wait, I think I lost an electron."

"Are you sure?" says the second.

"Yeah," says the first, "I'm positive." There's nothing better than a good joke--except anticipating a funny punch line, say researchers at the University of California at Irvine. Last November, scientist Lee Berk reported that simply expecting to laugh can release just as many stress-relieving hormones--multifunctional body chemicals--as the actual joke. In the case of humor, the type of hormones released are endorphins, which help reduce tension and depression. "This is the closest we've come ...

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