Humor is universal, so they say, but quantifying it can be awfully difficult. For anyone to attempt to archive the history of American comedy, for instance, might seem like the ultimate quixotic mission. But Boston’s Emerson College is attempting exactly that: “The archive’s centerpiece is an oral history collection, which so far consists of videotaped interviews with 51 comedy professionals… Whatever their value to scholars, the interviews have a lot to offer anyone thinking about pursuing a career in comedy.”