We all like to laugh. Not only is it entertaining and helpful for social bonding, but it also makes us feel good. When we laugh at something we find funny, our bodies release feel-good hormones.

Dopamine floods our system, which has an uplifting effect, and endogenous opioids, which are also naturally released by the brain, can make us feel euphoric.

But humour is often culturally specific. Anyone who has visited another country knows how alienating it can feel to experience another culture’s humour and not get the joke. Even if we may recognise it as humour, the things that make others cry with laughter can leave us uncomprehending.

I research humour, and I live in — and am from — Denmark. Separated by the North Sea yet still close neighbours, Denmark and the UK offer an interesting comparison when it comes to what makes us laugh.

Health Gap / Sundhedskløften is a collaborative series from The Conversation UK and Denmark’s Videnskab.dk exploring what the two countries can learn from each other when it comes to health and wellbeing.

From cycling and alcohol to inequality, healthcare and everyday habits, the series looks beyond hospitals and medical treatment to explore how culture, politics and society shape the way people live – and how healthy they are.

Urine stains vs subtle irony

Indeed, if you want to see culturally specific humour in action, just try watching clips from both the Danish and UK........

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