Why scientists can’t get a laugh

Scientists Attempt Humor at Conferences—and Mostly Bomb, Study Finds

In a revelation that surprises absolutely no one who has ever sat through a dry academic presentation, a newly published survey of over 500 science conference presentations over a two-year period has confirmed what we all suspected: scientists aren’t exactly the next wave of stand-up comedians. The study, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, set out to determine whether humor has a place in the hallowed halls of science—and the results were about as awkward as you’d imagine.

Of the 541 presentations analyzed, a staggering 66% of humor attempts were met with either polite chuckles or, more often, complete silence. Only 9% of jokes landed well enough to get most of the room laughing. In other words, if you’ve ever been to a conference, you’ve probably witnessed this phenomenon firsthand: the speaker cracks a joke, the room goes quiet, and you can practically hear the collective cringe.

But here’s the kicker: the biggest laughs didn’t come from the jokes themselves. Instead, they came from technical mishaps—slides malfunctioning, microphones cutting out, or the dreaded “Can you hear me now?” moment. It turns out that nothing unites an audience faster than watching someone else’s presentation go off the rails. Schadenfreude, it seems, is the great equalizer.

The study’s findings are a reminder that humor is hard, especially in front of an audience that hasn’t been warmed up. Even Saturday Night Live, the gold standard of live comedy, calls its opening segment a “cold open” because the audience hasn’t laughed at anything yet—making that first laugh the hardest one to get. Scientists, it seems, are no exception.

Interestingly, about 40% of the presentations analyzed avoided humor entirely. While this is a safe approach, it’s also a missed opportunity. As one physician-scientist told Nature, “Despite the incredible wealth of interesting content at conferences, it can be hard to stay engaged. And by engaged, I mean awake.” The study’s eight(!) co-authors also noted that humor, when done well, can make talks more memorable and engaging.

So, what’s the takeaway for scientists (and anyone else giving a presentation)? Humor is a risky but potentially rewarding tool. If you’re going to attempt it, keep it light, relatable, and, most importantly, practice it beforehand. And if all else fails, just hope your microphone cuts out—it might be the only laugh you get.

Tags:
science humor, conference presentations, academic jokes, public speaking, humor in science, technical mishaps, audience engagement, stand-up comedy, cold open, schadenfreude, memorable talks, physician-scientist, Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Nature

Viral Phrases:

• “Scientists aren’t exactly the next wave of stand-up comedians.”
• “The biggest laughs came from technical mishaps.”
• “Nothing unites an audience faster than watching someone else’s presentation go off the rails.”
• “Schadenfreude, it seems, is the great equalizer.”
• “If you’ve ever been to a conference, you’ve probably witnessed this phenomenon firsthand.”
• “Humor is hard, especially in front of an audience that hasn’t been warmed up.”
• “The study’s eight(!) co-authors also noted that humor, when done well, can make talks more memorable and engaging.”
• “If all else fails, just hope your microphone cuts out—it might be the only laugh you get.”

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