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What gives the brain a workout? Information.
什么能鍛煉大腦呢？信息。
When researchers asked people to look at a series of pictures while their brains were being scanned in an fMRI machine,
研究人員讓人們看一系列的圖片，同時用功能性磁共振成像機器掃描他們的大腦，
it was the more complex images—a work of art, a sprawling vista, a group of animals—that tickled the neurons in their heads most.
結果是，更復雜的圖片-藝術作品，廣闊的景色，一群動物-最能刺激他們大腦中的神經元。
It's the activation of those neurons—nerve cells, which, among other things,
是那些神經元的活躍-神經細胞，除了其他功能以外，
send and receive sensory information—that "lights up" the fMRI scans in bright, almost psychedelic colors.
還負責發送和接收感官信息-點亮了功能性磁共振成像機器的掃描圖像，幾乎呈現的是迷幻的顏色。
In fact, there is an almost drug like effect taking place. The brain is filled with opioid receptors—yes, opioid, as in the drug.
實際上，大腦中幾乎是出現了類藥物反應。大腦充滿了阿片樣受體-是的，阿片樣物質，就像毒品中的一樣。
Made of specialized proteins, these receptors poke out of our neurons like tiny radio antennas designed to pick up passing signals.
這些受體由特殊的蛋白質構成，從我們的神經元中伸出來，就像設計用來接收傳遞信號的微型無線電天線。
When the right kind of molecule bumps into a receptor—perhaps one of the body's naturally occurring opioids, such as an endorphin,
當合適的分子撞擊受體時，受體可能是人體自然產生的阿片類物質之一，如內啡肽，
or a synthetic drug designed to look like one, such as heroin or morphine—
或者是一種合成藥物，制造得看起來像毒品，如海洛因或嗎啡
it can kick off a cascade of brain activity that bathes the neurons in feel-good neurotransmitters and other chemicals.
它可以引發一系列的大腦活動，使神經元沉浸在感覺良好的神經遞質和其他化學物質中。
The more neurons that are activated (and the more activated they are), the more pleasure we feel.
活躍的神經元越多（活躍的程度越高），我們就感覺越棒。
In essence, learning and problem solving get us high.
本質上來說，學習和解決問題會讓我們很爽。
Amir and his mentor, University of Southern California professor of neuroscience and psychology Irving Bieder-man,
阿米爾和他的導師南加州大學神經科學和心理學教授歐文·比德曼
suspected that humor might feed the brain in much the same way that complex in-formation does.
猜想幽默可能會像復雜的信息一樣對大腦產生影響。
People who study humor generally agree that most jokes are built around an incongruity—an inappropriate, absurd, surprising,
研究幽默的人通常都認為，大多數笑話都是圍繞著不協調——不恰當的、荒謬的、令人驚訝的東西，
or unusual combination of two fundamentally different ideas or elements.
或兩種根本不同的思想或元素的不尋常的結合。
(To wit: a six-foot-two neuroscientist in a fluffy fur coat and scruffy construction boots.)
（比如：一個身高六英尺二英寸的神經學家，穿著蓬松的裘皮大衣和破舊的施工靴。)
When we first see or hear this mash-up, we're confused. That's the setup. The punch line is the resolution of that confusion.
當我們第一次看到或聽到這種混搭，我們會很困惑。就是這種設置。最妙的是困惑的解決。
(Oh, this is his idea of business casual! Wocka-wocka.)So in that sense, appreciating humor is not unlike solving a puzzle, and it yields a similar kind of satisfaction.
（哦，這就是他的商務休閑裝！哇卡哇卡)。所以從這個意義上說，欣賞幽默就像解決一個難題，它能帶來類似的滿足感。
Instead of an aha moment, you get a haha moment.
不是一個恍然大悟的時刻，你經歷的會是一個哈哈一笑的時刻。
In fact, Bieder-man and Amir theorized that because humor requires the brain to process lots of distinct types of information
實際上，比德曼和阿米爾提出了幽默需要大腦處理大量不同類型的信息的理論，
(Isn't it too hot in Southern California to dress in so many layers? What is considered appropriate business attire? Is it ever OK to wear fur?),
(在南加州穿這么多層衣服是不是太熱了？什么是合適的商務服裝？穿皮草合適嗎？
funny revelations would activate different and more disparate parts of the brain than unfunny ones.
有趣的發現要比無趣的發現更能激活大腦中不同的部分。
This would excite the neurons even more, which would lead to the release of more neurotransmitters and activation of the reward centers of the brain.
這會加大對神經元的刺激，而這又會導致更多神經遞質的釋放和大腦獎賞中心的活躍。
