A newly released survey of over 500 science conference presentations over two years aimed to assess whether scientists can be humorous, which in itself is amusing, albeit not the most effective use of time. The findings were predictable: two-thirds of humor attempts resulted in either polite chuckles or total silence, with only 9% succeeding in making the majority of the audience laugh. The biggest laughs came from technical glitches, such as slide malfunctions and microphone issues.
Anyone who has attended a conference knows that scientists aren’t the only ones who can fail at humor. Engaging humor is challenging in front of an unprepared audience. Even SNL’s opening segment is called a “cold open” because the audience hasn’t been warmed up, making the first laugh particularly difficult to achieve.
Approximately 40% of the presentations avoided humor altogether, a safe choice but one that likely makes for a longer afternoon. Interestingly, according to scientific insights, it also 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 interviewed one of the study’s eight co-authors.