Have you heard the one about...qualitative recontextualization?

It's no joke, but evolutionary theorist Alastair Clarke has taken a very serious look at Humour and has today published details of eight patterns he claims to be the basis of all the humour that has ever been imagined or expressed, regardless of civilization, culture or personal taste.

Clarke's theory doesn't just classify every possible type of humour, but he has also suggested the evolutionary role humour has played in the development of the intellectual and perceptual capacities of humans.

The eight patterns of humour Clarke has identified are: positive repetition, division, completion, translation, applicative and qualitative recontextualization, opposition and scale.

I'm not sure which pattern category knock knock jokes fit into, but I would suggest "mum jokes" are the pattern of scale.

See here for the full story, or here if you fancy buying Clarke's book.

Comment to tell us your best joke. Extra points if it is science themed or you know which pattern of humour it belongs to!