Can you change the way you laugh?

We put this to Chris Smith, from the Naked Scientists...

Chris - I think it is a very personal thing and I think it's a habit. I don't know, I don't think there's a straightforward answer to this question. Certainly it's something I think you probably can practice and I have heard some real screechy people. I mean, you must have all heard people with this kind of laugh from hell. There was one woman I remember, I was at this holiday place and there was this lady with this laugh that sort of went - she almost sounded like she was being strangled. So she would laugh and then there would be this huuuh... huuuh noise between bouts of laughter. And I'm sure that it must be just a rehearsal thing, you get into a habit of laughing that particular way. I don't know for sure, but I suspect if you did practice you could certainly, in the same way as you can change your accent and the way you speak, you could certainly, I think, change the way that you laugh. Georgia - And laughters such a strange thing. Something to try at home that's really funny is to laugh but try not to smile. It's so strange because laughter is such an automatic reaction. If you try and just keep you face sad and then laugh, honestly it's.

Chris - Do you make yourself laugh doing it?

Georgia - Yeah, yeah. The room will go into hysterics because it's such a weird thing to do, but yes.

Peter - Haw haw haw - it sounds like Father Christmas.

Georgia - It's really difficult.

Chris - Father's Christmas has come early. There you go. So send in some samples of your laughter and we'll play them on the programme and maybe the best one will win a prize.