Flame Opal News & Random Thoughts — Humour

There's been a lot of press recently about the naming of the UK's new polar research ship and the poll that spawned several thousand mimics.  It got me wondering - where does the need to take serious things not too seriously come from?  From the desire to add an 'I' to the middle of any 'TO LET' sign (even if only mentally) to the daft names given to landmarks (anyone know the real names for the 'Gherkin' or the 'Cheese-grater'?) we just can't help ourselves.  Humour has long been used to deal with issues like death and illness as an effective coping...