CONN 140 | Laughter as the Best Medicine

In the cartoon movie Captain Underpants, George and Harold ask Professor P "Why are you trying to get rid of laughter? Isn’t laughter the best medicine?" to which Professor P replies: "Medicine is the best medicine!" This course traces the history and the science of the old adage, "Laughter is the best medicine." In doing so we will examine debates over the role of the mind in health and wellness. Topics include: the history and science of the placebo effect, the "mind-body" relationship, and the relationship between allopathic and non-allopathic medical traditions.