Web users vote for the funniest joke

Following months of intense research, scientists claim to have discovered the world's funniest joke.


Researchers at the British Association for the Advancement of Science invited web users from around the world to submit and rate jokes in an attempt to find a definitive 'funniest joke'.


Ten thousand jokes were contributed to website Laughlab.co.uk, but a tale about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous fictional detective Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Dr. Watson emerged the clear winner:


"Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson go camping, and pitch their tent under the stars. During the night, Holmes wakes his companion and says: 'Watson, look up at the stars, and tell me what you deduce.'


"Watson says: 'I see millions of stars, and even if a few of those have planets, it's quite likely there are some planets like Earth, and if there are a few planets like Earth out there, there might also be life.'


"Holmes replies: 'Watson, you idiot. Somebody stole our tent.'"


LaughLab attracted over 100,000 people from over 70 countries. The Sherlock tale, submitted by Geoff Anandappa from Blackpool, received 47 per cent of the vote.