Scientists have given monkeys some terrible diseases and afflictions over the years. But now they have given them something to ease all that pain: Television. And they love it, just like humans!

According to the Telegraph, researchers at a Kyoto university put monkeys in front of a TV then measured brain activity via some machine that I'm sure involved anal probes or electric shocks:

The study found that when the monkey was witnessing the acrobatic performances of circus animals on a television screen, the frontal lobe area of its brain became vigorously active.

The activity in such an area was significant in reflecting the monkey's pleasure, as the human equivalent is a neurological area associated with triggering delight in a baby when it sees the smile of its mother.

Hmm... so the monkeys were essentially watching a stylized reproduction of their own miserable imprisonment. We may be that much closer to understanding why humans enjoy the American version of The Office (even though, honestly, it's not that funny compared to the British one.)