When the interviewer asked, “Do species other than humans laugh?” the scientist immediately replied, “Oh yes, chimpanzees, dogs and rats.” He went on to explain he could tell by testing their breathing patterns (they don’t vocalize). He went on to say dogs pant and rats chirp to express joy. Just to check my mental state, I ran to my computer and Googled “animals laughter” and found a Web site headed It’s no joke: even animals laugh.

But by then I was laughing myself. Rats laugh? What about? Setting Mickey and Minnie aside, they don’t seem to be such a mirth-filled bunch. Then I tried to look at life from the rat’s perspective. I’d have a lot to laugh about too if my breed had outwitted humans for centuries, despite snap traps and sticky traps and poison and the rat terrier and the garden hoe. We still went on nibbling grain and other tasty morsels despite all these efforts. And remember, we invented free ocean cruises and only recently managed to frisk around after hours in a New York pizza parlor for weeks undisturbed.

As for dogs, all dog owners know that they surely smile, especially Labs. Then I got to thinking that puppies belly laugh and old dogs chuckle. As for the chimps, we’ve all seen them laugh at Johnny Carson and Jay Leno, so that’s a done deal.

As a cat lover, I began to wonder about felines, but not for long. No self- respecting cat would ever laugh out loud. Smirk, sneer or snicker, yes, behind the pretext of washing a paw. And I don’t think ferrets stop long enough for even a quick ha-ha.

Since rats and cockroaches will probably outlast us all on this earth, I got to musing on the benefits of laughter to the rodent population (I don’t think anyone has caught a cockroach even smiling.) Maybe it’s the same as for the rest of us laughing species. The benefits of laughter are endless. We use humor to reduce stress, defuse uncomfortable situations and make human connections. It’s also a great benefit to mental and physical health. Norman Cousins, in his ground-breaking book “Anatomy of an Illness” believed that constant humor helped him recover from a devastating condition.

As an older citizen, I find a smile and a light touch often defuse potentially unpleasant situations.

You know, that someone you approach whose face tells you they are thinking, “Oh oh, here comes someone old. They will be slow. Or they will not understand the technology. Or they won’t tip well. Or there’s nothing here appropriate for them” (never considering we might be shopping for a child or grandchild, or maybe we still do have the legs to wear miniskirts!).

In this region we are lucky that Saratoga Springs is the home of The Humor Project, Inc., which runs conferences and a speakers bureau offering practical applications of the benefits of humor in business, education, government and many other types of organizations. During June 20-22, 2008, the project will participate in the 52nd International Conference on “The Positive Power of Humor & Creativity” to be held at Silver Bay Conference Center on Lake George. Vice President and Director of Special Programs Margie Ingram will lead a pre-conference workshop on the 20th called “Top Ten Tips for Aging Well.”

Besides being a lot of fun, laughter enhances respiration and circulation and oxygenates the blood, so we think it is an important contribution to positive aging. There’s still more to say about giggling, tittering, chortling, joking and grinning, so this is the first of a two-part series of columns on the subject.

In the meantime, if you can’t laugh, at least smile.

For more information on The Humor Project, Inc. contact:

Dr. Joel Goodman, Founder and Director

Suite 210, 480 Broadway

Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Phone (518) 587-8770

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Visit www.HumorProject.com