Aha moments and contagious laughter

What's going on in your brain when you experience an 'aha!' moment? Imagine you've been stuck on a problem for ages, but then the answer suddenly comes to you out of nowhere, like a bolt of lightning. Claudia Hammond is joined in the studio by professor of cognitive neuroscience Sophie Scott to understand how these 'aha' moments happen. Sophie also brings us her own research into contagious laughter and why some types of laughter are more likely to give us the giggles than others. And Claudia meets another All in the Mind Awards finalist. This time it's Flynn Mellor, nominated by his mum Janine for his unwavering care whilst she was unwell. Claudia visits the pair at home and hears from Janine how Flynn's support saved her life. The All in the Mind Awards ceremony takes place at the BBC Radio Theatre in London on 18 June, and there is a ballot for free tickets which closes at midday on 31 May. You can enter online by going to If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, including urgent support, a list of organisations that can help is available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producers: Sophie Ormiston, Hannah Fisher and Gerry Holt Studio Manager: Emma Harth Editor: Glyn Tansley

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Aha moments and contagious laughter is an episode from All in the Mind by BBC.

This episode is 30:09 long.

This episode was published on Jun 3, 2025.

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