Andraya Parrish was eating an apple in the Friley Hall dining center when she heard the world’s funniest joke.

After the punch line, Parrish, senior in electrical engineering, rolled her eyes and laughed.

Though sense of humor varies from person to person, jokes have generated interest from scientists who study what makes something funny or lame.

Last year, scientists set out to discover if universal humor exists.

After 40,000 jokes and nearly 2 million ratings on Laughlab.co.uk, the world’s funniest joke was found.

So, according to the study, the world’s funniest joke is:

“A couple of New Jersey hunters are out in the woods when one of them falls to the ground. He doesn’t seem to be breathing, his eyes are rolled back in his head. The other guy whips out his cell phone and calls the emergency services.

“He gasps to the operator: ‘My friend is dead! What can I do?’

“The operator, in a calm soothing voice says: ‘Just take it easy. I can help. First, let’s make sure he’s dead.’

“There is a silence, then a shot is heard. The guy’s voice comes back on the line. He says: ‘OK, now what?'”

Richard Wiseman, psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire, said the winning joke appeals to people of all ages in many countries.

The joke also won the approval of Scott Connerly, member of Grandma Mojo’s Moonshine Revival, a comedy organization on the Iowa State campus.

“This joke is hilarious because you don’t see it coming,” said Connerly, senior in management information systems. “It’s the last thing you’d expect.”

He compared that type of humor to the work Grandma Mojo’s performs.

“Most of our skits are based off of absurdity, something completely out there,” he said. “That’s what makes people laugh.”

People like jokes and skits they can identify with, Connerly said.

“The audience enjoys skits on pop culture, campus events and childhood experiences,” he said.

Steffen Schmidt, university professor of political science, said jokes are a reflection of humor in people. They allow society members to communicate stories through generations and aid in identity formation.

“Unfortunately, as soon as you analyze humor too much it’s no longer funny,” he said.

Jokes serve purposes aside from laughter, Schmidt said.

Humor may be used to express opinions in repressive governments. In dictatorships, one of the few ways to criticize authority is by telling jokes, he said.

Schmidt said it is impossible to find the funniest joke.

“Humor is so diverse, it is really impossible to pick the best joke in the world,” he said.

Jill Wagner, assistant professor of anthropology, agreed.

Humor does not cross cultural lines easily, she said.

“I wouldn’t expect cultures where people still use hunting as their primary food source to think [that particular joke] was that funny,” she said. “In their society, hunters would be respected; they would not be seen as stupid.”

People are more inclined to laugh at a joke when they need to release tension or when they are surprised, Wagner said.

“Adults find unexpected interpretations of connection between two things very funny,” she said. “If you look at the ‘funniest joke,’ the play on the interpretation of ‘make sure he’s dead’ is unexpected.”

— CNN contributed to this story.