Scientists have mulled over the reasons why we laugh, its feel-good benefits, the possibility that it is part of the glue that holds a community together, and theorised about its use in breaking barriers of social exclusions.

But what sort of jokes do people find funny?

Richard Wiseman of Hertfordshire University ran the LaughLab experiment in 2002 in which 40,000 jokes were rated by 1.5 million people online to find the funniest in the world.

The winner was actually based on a gag written by Spike Milligan for the Goon Show in 1951:

Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn’t seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed.

The other chap whips out his phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps: “My friend is dead. What can I do?”

The operator says: “Calm down. I can help. First, make sure he’s dead.”

There is a silence, then a gun shot is heard. Back on the phone, the chap says: “OK, now what?”

It’s funny but I’m not sure it would be in my top 10.

Four years ago, 36,000 responded to another online poll that put this Tommy Cooper classic among the favourites:

“I said to the gym instructor can you teach me to do the splits. He said, how flexible are you? I said, I can’t make Tuesdays.”

Last year, in the latest poll I could find, researchers compiled 180 popular jokes from the web and asked 6,000 adults to vote for the top 50 funniest.

Peter Kay was the winner:

“I met a Dutch girl with inflatable shoes last week. I phoned her up to arrange a date but unfortunately she’d popped her clogs.”