The problem with practical jokes is often that they're often just too complicated for their own good. Just think about it - how easy is it to get a bucket of gunge at short notice? Answer: not very.
So thank your lucky pranking stars for popular science author Richard Wiseman and his YouTube channel, Quirkology.
Aimed to tie-in with his book, Quirkology: The Curious Science Of Everyday Lives, the videos they share with the web are silly, funny and ever-so-clever.
Just take a look at this video above of his about his favourite practical jokes, which is just what it says on the tin - ten practical jokes.