In Brief

Posted:

10:39 AM PDT · March 20, 2026

Image Credits:Andrew Brookes / Getty Images

- Connie Loizos

Why scientists can’t get a laugh

A newly published survey of more than 500 science conference presentations across a two-year period set out to determine whether scientists are funny, which is itself funny, if not the most productive use of time. The results were about what you’d expect: two-thirds of attempts at humor garnered either polite chuckles or straight-up dead silence, and only 9% landed well enough to get most of the room laughing. The biggest laughs, also unsurprisingly, came from technical snafus, like slides malfunctioning and mics cutting out. (Nothing brings an audience together faster than watching something go wrong for someone else.)

Anyone who has sat through a conference on any topic, anywhere, knows scientists don’t have a monopoly on bombing. Humor is hard to pull off in front of any audience that hasn’t been warmed up. Even SNL calls its opening segment a “cold open” — the audience hasn’t laughed at anything yet, which makes that first laugh the hardest one to get.

Roughly 40% of the talks just avoided humor entirely, which is safe but probably makes for an even longer afternoon. More interesting — per science — it makes talks less memorable. “Despite the incredible wealth of interesting content at conferences, it can be hard to stay engaged. And by engaged, I mean awake,” one physician-scientist told Nature, which also spoke with one of the study’s eight(!) co-authors.

Topics

Biotech & Health, In Brief, laughter, scientists, study

June 9

Boston, MA

Actively scaling? Fundraising? Planning your next launch?

TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 delivers tactical playbooks and direct access to 1,000+ founders and investors who are building, backing, and closing.

Newsletters

Subscribe for the industry’s biggest tech news

TechCrunch Daily News

Every weekday and Sunday, you can get the best of TechCrunch’s coverage.

TechCrunch Mobility

TechCrunch Mobility is your destination for transportation news and insight.

Startups Weekly

Startups are the core of TechCrunch, so get our best coverage delivered weekly.

StrictlyVC

Provides movers and shakers with the info they need to start their day.

No newsletters selected.

By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice.

Government & Policy

DOD says Anthropic’s ‘red lines’ make it an ‘unacceptable risk to national security’

- Rebecca Bellan

2 days ago

Latest in Biotech & Health

In Brief

Why scientists can’t get a laugh

- Connie Loizos

2 hours ago

TechCrunch Disrupt 2026

TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200 nominations are still open

- TechCrunch Events

1 day ago

Gadgets

Mave Health aims to improve attention and mood with its brain-stimulating headset

- Ivan Mehta

2 days ago

Why scientists can't get a laugh