(Upbeat music playing)

Animated aliens are in a spaceship. Live-action children smile and wave.

Singing, BLYNK AND AAZOO, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU.

Title: Blynk & Aazoo. Ask, Explore, Discover!

A diamond-shaped spaceship floats in space above a planet.

(Camera shutter sounds)

Blynk, a green spiky-haired alien, sits and types at a keyboard.

Aazoo, a tall red alien with three eyes, takes instant photographs with a flash. Blynk covers his one eye.

(Squeals)

Aazoo puts up photographs around the spaceship. Aazoo sticks a picture of Blynk’s eye over Blynk’s actual eye.

Blynk says, AAZOO!

(Laughs)

(Foghorn bellows)

M.A.V.I.S. says, INCOMING INQUIRY. INQUIRY BOOTH TRANSMITTING.

Blynk says, BASOOROO, BASOOROO!

(Squeals)

A child with wavy black hair appears on a screen.

The black-haired child says, HI, BLYNK AND AAZOO! MY NAME IS NAGASHRI. MY QUESTION IS WHY DO I LAUGH WHEN SOMETHING'S FUNNY?

(Alien muttering)

M.A.V.I.S. says, BLYNK AND AAZOO ARE FORMULATING AN ANSWER. WHILE WE WAIT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO HEAR A FUNNY JOKE?

Nagashri says, SURE.

M.A.V.I.S. says, WHAT DO ASTRONAUTS LISTEN TO ON THE RADIO? NEPTUNES.

(Laughs)

Aazoo laughs and falls over.

Nagashri says, GOOD ONE, M.A.V.I.S.

M.A.V.I.S. says, THANK YOU. I FIND MYSELF QUITE PUNNY. INTERSTELLAR SCIENCE COUNCIL CALLING, CAPTAIN.

An adult in a ballcap with a short black beard appears on another screen and waves.

The adult in the ballcap says, HI THERE, ANTHONY HERE. DOES SOMEBODY HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT LAUGHING? I WOULD LOVE TO HELP.

Nagashri says, YES, PLEASE.

Anthon says, BLYNK, BRING UP THE HUMAN FILES, PLEASE. SUBCATEGORY, A LAUGHING MATTER.

A video shows people laughing.

Anthony says, SCIENTISTS THINK THAT LAUGHING IS A WAY FOR HUMANS TO CONNECT. ALL HUMANS KNOW HOW TO DO IT, AND WE EVEN LAUGH BEFORE WE KNOW HOW TO SPEAK.

Nagashri says, NO WAY! REALLY?

Anthon says, YEAH, TOTALLY. BABIES START LAUGHING WHEN THEY'RE AS YOUNG AS THREE MONTHS OLD, AND THEY LAUGH 300 TIMES A DAY.

Nagashri says, I WONDER HOW MANY TIMES A DAY I LAUGH?

Anthony says, WELL, YOU COULD TRY KEEPING COUNT FOR SCIENCE. KIDS LAUGH THE MOST OUT OF ALL THE AGES, BUT SADLY, BY THE TIME YOU'RE AN ADULT LIKE ME, YOU'LL ONLY LAUGH ABOUT 15 TO 30 TIMES A DAY. THAT MAKES ME KIND OF SAD.

M.A.V.I.S. says, I BELIEVE THIS WILL MAKE YOU LAUGH. WHERE DO ALIENS PARK THEIR SPACESHIPS? NEXT TO THE PARKING METEOR.

(Rimshot)

(M.A.V.I.S laughs robotically)

Nagashri says, M.A.V.I.S, THAT LAUGH SOUNDS FAKE.

Anthon says, YEAH, YOU CAN TOTALLY HEAR THE DIFFERENCE, RIGHT? REAL LAUGHTER IS SPONTANEOUS. IT JUST HAPPENS NATURALLY WHEN YOU HEAR OR SEE SOMETHING FUNNY.

Nagashri says, OTHER PEOPLE LAUGHING MAKES ME LAUGH TOO.

(People laughing)

M.A.V.I.S. says, GREAT OBSERVATION. LAUGHTER IS CONTAGIOUS. THAT IS WHY TELEVISION SHOWS USE LAUGH TRACKS.

Nagashri says, LAUGH TRACKS?

Nagashri asks, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO INITIATE A LAUGH TRACK?

Nagashri says, YES, PLEASE.

(Laughter)

Blynk and Aazoo laugh.

Nagashri says, RECORDED LAUGHTER IS USED TO ENCOURAGE AN AUDIENCE TO LAUGH AT THE RIGHT PARTS.

Anthony says, WE'RE WAY MORE LIKELY TO LAUGH WHEN OTHER PEOPLE LAUGH BECAUSE WE'RE WIRED FOR SOCIAL CONNECTION.

M.A.V.I.S. says, I ALSO HAVE SEVERAL NON-HUMAN LAUGH TRACKS.

Aliens in silver spacesuits laugh.

M.A.V.I.S. asks, OR WOULD YOU PREFER ANIMAL LAUGHS?

Nagashri asks, ANIMALS LAUGH?

Anthony says, THEY DO! BLYNK, BRING UP THE ANIMAL FILES PLEASE. SUBCATEGORY, WHO'S LAUGHING NOW?

Blynk taps a screen.

(Static sound)

A video shows chimpanzees.

Anthony says, APES LAUGH WHEN THEY'RE PLAYING, TICKLED, OR CHASED.

Nagashri says, WHOA. I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT ANIMALS LAUGHING. WHAT OTHER ANIMALS LAUGH?

M.A.V.I.S. says, I HAVE LOCATED ANOTHER POSSIBILITY.

A white rat is tickled by a person in a lab coat.

Nagashri asks, RATS?

Anthony says, YEP. BEING TICKLED. RATS PRODUCE HIGH PITCH VOCALIZATIONS WHEN THEY PLAY AND WHEN THEY'RE BEING TICKLED. IT SOUNDS DIFFERENT THAN HUMAN LAUGHTER, THOUGH, HUH?

Nagashri says, YES. WAY DIFFERENT.

(Static sound)

The video shows dolphins swimming.

M.A.V.I.S. says, DOLPHINS ALSO APPEAR TO LAUGH. RESEARCHERS STUDYING THEM NOTICE SHORT PULSES FOLLOWED BY A WHISTLE THAT THE DOLPHINS ONLY USED WHEN PLAY FIGHTING.

Anthony says, THOSE SOUNDS SEEM TO COMMUNICATE THAT THEY'RE HAVING FUN AND PLAYING.

M.A.V.I.S. says, I HAVE LOCATED ANOTHER CANDIDATE. DOGS ALSO SEEM TO RECOGNIZE A LAUGH-LIKE SOUND FROM OTHER DOGS.

(Dog sounds)

Anthony says, WHEN RESEARCHERS PLAYED A RECORDING OF THE SOUND TO OTHER DOGS, SOME WOULD SEEK OUT TOYS AND OTHERS WOULD PLAY BOW TOWARD THE SOURCE. NOT A LAUGH EXACTLY, BUT A HAPPY, PLAY-WITH-ME SOUND.

Nagashri says, LAUGHING IS A HAPPY SOUND. IT MAKES ME FEEL GOOD WHEN I LAUGH. WHY'S THAT?

Anthony says, OH, GREAT QUESTION. THERE'S LOTS OF SCIENCE THERE. BRAIN SCIENCE. BLYNK.
Blynk says, DIHA.

Blynk types on a keyboard.

(Static sound)

An animation shows a laughing person with their brain visible.

M.A.V.I.S. says, LAUGHING, PRODUCES ENDORPHINS, CHEMICALS IN THE BODY THAT RELIEVE STRESS AND PAIN.

Anthony says, ENDORPHINS MAKE US FEEL GOOD, WHICH SENDS A SIGNAL TO FACIAL MUSCLES TO TRIGGER A SMILE.

M.A.V.I.S. says, THEN, WHEN YOU SMILE, THOSE MUSCLES FIRE A SIGNAL BACK TO YOUR BRAIN, MAKING YOUR BRAIN FEEL HAPPIER.

Anthony says, THE HAPPIER WE ARE, THE MORE WE SMILE AND LAUGH. IT'S A LOOP, SEE? EVEN A PRETEND SMILE WILL DO THE TRICK.

Nagashri asks, REALLY A PRETEND SMILE MAKES YOU HAPPY, TOO?

M.A.V.I.S says, AND IT IS CONTAGIOUS. SEEING SOMEONE SMILE STIMULATES MIRROR NEURONS IN THE BRAIN, MAKING YOU SMILE AS WELL.

Anthony says, WHICH THEN NOT ONLY MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD, BUT IT ALSO BOOSTS YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM.

Nagashri says, WOW. I DIDN'T KNOW SMILING AND LAUGHING WAS SO GOOD FOR YOU.

M.A.V.I.S. says, IT WOULD APPEAR THAT LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE.

Nagashri says, I GUESS WE SHOULD ALL TRY AND LAUGH EVERY DAY AS MUCH AS WE CAN.

Blynk’s eye widens.

Blynk says, GAHAA!

M.A.V.I.S. says, INSPIRATION DETECTED. INVENTION STATION IS READY, CAPTAIN.

(Upbeat music playing)

Blynk flicks switches. Tools fall.

(Tools clatter)

Blynk pushes a device on a cart.

Blynk says, AHSEE!

Nagashri asks, WHAT IS THAT, BLYNK?

(Beeping)

Blynk says, TAH!

(Laughs)

As Blynk laughs a lightbulb on the device glows.

M.A.V.I.S. says, IT APPEARS BLYNK HAS INVENTED A WAY TO MAKE POWER FROM LAUGHTER. A LAUGH-POWERED GENERATOR.

Aazoo takes a picture.

Blynk yells, AAZOO!

Aazoo looks at the picture and laughs.

(Aazoo laughs)

The machine glows and shakes.

Blynk says, AAZOO, PIKA!

(Nagashri and Anthony laugh)

M.A.V.I.S. says, DETECTING DANGEROUS AMOUNTS OF POWER. IF IT CONTINUES, IT MIGHT
CREATE A RIFT IN SPACE TIME. REALITY AS WE KNOW IT WILL BE ALTERED.

(All laugh)

Blynk looks at the picture and laughs.

M.A.V.I.S. says, CRITICAL POWER SURGE IMMINENT.

Smoke and sparks come out of the device. There is a flash of light.

Nagashri says, WHOA, WHAT?

Blynk and Aazoo are shaped like chairs.

(All laugh)

They change shape again to boxes.

Nagashri says, THAT WAS FUN. BYE, EVERYONE!

M.A.V.I.S says, THE QUEST FOR ANSWERS CONTINUES. ALL SYSTEMS ENGAGED.

(Blynk and Aazoo exclaiming)

A title reads: Blynk & Aazoo. Ask, Explore, Discover!

(Upbeat music playing)

Singing, BLYNK AND AAZOO, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU.

Credits read: Produced in association with TVO.
Tvokids
Executive Producer, TVOkids, Marney Malabar
Executive in Charge, TVOkids, Kirsten Hurd
Producer, Jeannette Loakman
Executive Producers, WK Davis, Lizzie Haines, Jeannette Loakman
Little Scooter Media
Copyright MMXXII Blynk Aazoo Films Inc.