What makes a joke funny?

It's probably the most subjective question in the world.

Knock-Knock jokes, riddles, puns...

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There's a lot to pick from.

But now the joke of all jokes has been decided.

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A scientific study was conducted to find out which joke spans across languages and cultures in order to be considered the funniest of them all.

The study in question started almost 2 decades ago but the results are still considered relevant today.

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In 2001, psychologist Dr. Richard Wiseman set up the website LaughLab and stored up to forty-thousand jokes on the platform.

Over a year, over more than 1.5 million people from across the world visited the site...

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On it, they rated 5 randomly selected jokes on a 5-point scale and one of them came out on top.

But not everyone agreed with the choice...

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So they suggested some pretty hilarious alternatives. Check them out.

Dr. Richard Wiseman said that the winning joke was better than any of the ones above because of it's "universal appeal."

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He told the Guardian this: "Many of the jokes submitted received higher ratings from certain groups of people, but this one had real universal appeal."

He continued:

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"Also, we find jokes funny for lots of different reasons. They sometimes make us feel superior to others, reduce the emotional impact of anxiety-provoking situations, or surprise us because of some kind of incongruity. The "hunters" joke contained all 3 elements."

And according to Scott Weems, the author of Ha! The Science of When We Laugh and Why, this combination is actually crucial in humor.

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Discussing Wiseman's study in the HuffPost, he said: "I believe comedy tastes vary so widely because humor isn't about setups or punchlines. Instead, it's about the 'kick of the discovery,' thinking one way and then suddenly turning that thinking around."

He elaborated on the concept, saying this:

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"Shock and surprise are needed for that turn, but there must be a destination too. The reason dead baby jokes are so unappealing is that the same ingredient providing the shock also leaves us with some unfortunate imagery once the joke is over."

"Of the thousands of jokes analyzed in Wiseman's study, the ones rated highest by everybody included some shock or surprise..."

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"More important was a sense of false expectations being overturned. My personal favorite involved two ducks sitting on a pond. One of the ducks says, 'Quack'. The other quickly responds, 'I was going to say that!'. It's hard to be offended by that."

So now that you have all the research behind the investigation, are you ready to see which joke took the crown?

Here it is: 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 guy 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, let's make sure he's dead." There is a silence, then a shot is heard. Back on the phone, the guy says: "OK, now what?"

Though I didn't necessarily find it funny... According to science and research, it is.

So who am I to say otherwise, right? But I probably wouldn't pull this joke out at the table on Christmas Day... Now, memes are probably the funniest modern-day piece of comedic genius, so keep scrolling to see which trend was the highlight of the 2020 elections...