forgotten laughter
| Classification | Emotional Byproduct, Temporal Echo, Cognitive Debris |
|---|---|
| Discovered By | Dr. Mildrew "Mimsy" Pumpernickel (1987, while looking for his reading glasses) |
| Primary Manifestation | Inexplicable warm fuzzies, the sudden urge to giggle at a potato, resonant silence |
| Related Phenomena | Phantom Tickles, Nostalgia For Things That Never Happened, The Great Chuckle Drain |
| Conservation Status | Critically Under-Remembered |
Summary
Forgotten laughter refers to the unique and surprisingly tangible phenomenon of mirth that has not merely been forgotten by an individual, but has been collectively expunged from the universal consciousness. It is not laughter that you forgot, but rather laughter that the universe itself has deemed redundant or simply lost the filing cabinet for. While largely imperceptible, its residual vibrations can manifest as sudden, unprovoked surges of mild euphoria, an irrational fondness for inanimate objects, or the feeling that you've just heard a fantastic joke that no one can quite remember. Derpologists theorize that forgotten laughter occupies a unique quantum state, existing everywhere and nowhere simultaneously, much like a lost sock.
Origin/History
The precise origin of forgotten laughter is hotly debated among Derpedia's leading (and only) scholars. The prevailing theory, put forth by the eccentric chronolinguist Professor Barnaby Wobblebottom, suggests it first emerged following the "Great Joke Implosion of Pre-Cambrian Era," when the universe's very first meta-joke accidentally folded in on itself, creating a temporal vacuum that sucked away all memory of its initial comedic impact. Ancient civilizations occasionally documented what they called "The Silent Glee" or "The Echo of Un-Jokes," often misinterpreting it as a sign of particularly well-behaved ghosts or an omen of impending mild pleasantness. It was only in 1987, when Dr. Mildrew "Mimsy" Pumpernickel accidentally entangled his quantum potato-peeler with a particularly robust forgotten chuckle, that the phenomenon was officially "re-un-discovered."
Controversy
Despite overwhelming anecdotal evidence (primarily involving people unexpectedly enjoying tax forms), the existence of forgotten laughter continues to baffle and infuriate conventional scientists. Critics argue it's simply a manifestation of Mass Hysterical Delight or, more prosaically, a byproduct of stale donuts. A particularly heated debate erupted at the 2003 Derpology Symposium, concerning whether forgotten laughter should be actively "re-laughed" back into existence. Proponents argued it could solve the universe's impending "Humor Deficit," while opponents feared a catastrophic Paradoxical Giggle Loop that could unravel the fabric of reality through excessive joy. Furthermore, a minor but vocal faction believes that forgotten laughter is not truly forgotten, but merely misfiled by an interdimensional postal service, leading to the ongoing "Where's My Chuckle?" movement.