Humor as Signal Homeostasis: A Case Study in Spontaneous Regulation During High-Ambiguity Events

This paper introduces signal homeostasis, a framework describing how humans regulate cognitive-emotional equilibrium when confronted with ambiguous, low-stakes, publicly visible events. Using the January 13, 2026 escape of research monkeys in St. Louis—and the rapid spread of AI-generated monkey images on social media—as a natural experiment, the paper examines spontaneous humor cascades not as misinformation failures, but as regulatory behavior operating faster than information infrastructure. Rather than assigning blame to users, AI systems, or platforms, the analysis shows that humor emerges reflexively to relieve uncertainty and tension, analogous to biological drives such as hunger or thirst. The interference observed by authorities resulted from timing and humor monoculture, not malicious intent or deception. Suppression-based responses fail because they misidentify the underlying need. The paper argues that broadening tonal and humor diversity, rather than restricting expression, reduces interference while preserving the regulatory function of humor. This reframing has implications for misinformation research, platform design, public communication strategies, and education, suggesting non-punitive, ecological interventions aligned with human behavior rather than against it.