What is the Funniest Number? An investigation of numerical humor
Abstract
In a preliminary study of numerical humor, we propose the Perceived Specificity Hypothesis (PSH). The PSH states that, for nonnegative integers < 100, the funniness of a number increases with its apparent precision. A survey of 68 individuals supports the veracity of this hypothesis and indicates that oddly specific numbers tend to be funniest. Our results motivate future study in this novel subfield.
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