Paper Title: Science is funny as long as it happens to someone else: understanding humour in science publications

Author(s) and Year: Cook, G., Fiadotava, A., Clitheroe, C. L., Jürgens, A. S., 2025

Journal: International Journal of Science Education (open access)

TL;DR: The study analysed 269 scientific articles to understand how humour is used in scientific publications. The authors identified seven key thematic strategies for using humour. The most common of which include juxtaposing mundane/scientific ideas and introducing unusual elements. The study offers a framework for understanding how researchers can strategically use humour to enhance scientific communication and what are the pitfalls along the way.

Why I chose this paper: I like this article as one that attempts to approach humour in science from a scientific perspective. Humour isn’t the first thing that comes to my mind when thinking about science and scientists. But perhaps humour should be taken more seriously – for it can be one of the greatest bridges from science to people outside academia. After all, what unites us more than the ability to laugh?

The Background

Scientific publications traditionally have a strict tone, which can make them seem dry and inaccessible to non-experts. However, humour in science and the scientific community is well-recognized and has a long history. In 1991, an Ig Nobel Prize was established, a special satirical prize to promote public engagement with scientific research. Despite that, humour in science has remained virtually unstudied. Existing literature often merely highlights humourous headlines or unusual research questions, but does not systematically analyse humour itself. This study aims to fill this gap by answering a humour-related and potentially crucial question: what are the most common thematic strategies used in scientific articles to convey evidence-based information through humour? 

The authors were motivated by the idea that humour can make science more engaging, improve the perception of scientists, and aid in the dissemination of knowledge. But to do this, it is necessary to understand the specific strategies used to create humour. 

The Methods

The study used thematic analysis to examine humour in 269 scientific articles. The dataset was compiled from multiple sources, including articles by Ig Nobel Prize winners, publications from the Annals of Improbable Research journal, and articles found funny by colleagues, students, and online communities. Four authors with diverse academic and cultural backgrounds jointly analysed and coded the data to ensure the reliability of the results, while accounting for subjectivity.

The Results

The three most common strategies for using humour in scientific publications are comparing the mundane with the scientific, highlighting unexpected connections, and playing with taboo topics.

Comparing the mundane with the scientific – the most common strategy – creates humour by applying rigorous scientific methods to trivial, everyday phenomena, which are perceived as incongruities. This approach not only makes scientific investigation more accessible and relevant to a wider audience but also allows researchers to reflect on their discipline from a different angle. For example, a scientific analysis of the pleasure of scratching an itch, or the risks of head and neck injuries in heavy metal groups showcase what happens when science meets everyday life.

The second most common strategy, highlighting unexpected correspondences, is based on establishing connections between phenomena that seem unrelated from a common-sense perspective. This technique exploits the cognitive mechanisms of surprise, which can enhance information memorability. Examples of such studies include the one that found that cat bites often accompany depression in women, or another that examined the possibility of diagnosing acute appendicitis by having patients drive over speed bumps.

Finally, playing with taboos and personal topics creates humourous relief by bringing topics typically considered shameful or intimate into scientific discussion. By doing so, we are also challenging their taboo status. One such example is a paper on farting as a defense against unspeakable dread.

Taken together, these humour strategies allow authors to stand out, draw attention to their research, and make scientific information more accessible and memorable. We invite the reader to learn about the other humour strategies – using unusual elements, absurd or ridiculing – in the original paper.

The Impact 

A humour is a liquid or fluent part of the body…

This study provides a foundation for understanding how humour can serve as an effective tool in science communication. It attracts attention and makes the research more visible. humour also allows scientists, readers, and non-experts to look at the subject of research from a new angle. It also encourages scientists to talk about topics that are not usually discussed – to play with taboos and reveal shameful issues.

At the same time, the authors warn of a potential “vampire effect“: humour can dramatically distract the audience from the core scientific content, resulting in the joke being remembered rather than the essence of the study. Furthermore, humour can detract from the seriousness of the work and its author, and its dependence on cultural context creates the risk of misinterpretation. While humourous headlines may increase downloads, they don’t always lead to increased citations and can even be harmful. Finally, there are ethical considerations, especially when humour involves study participants or taboo topics.

Future research suggests examining the perception of scientific humour by different audiences and the ethical implications of its use.

Written by Zoё Chernova

Edited by Ceren Tunçer and Mykyta ‘Nik’ Kliapets

Featured image credit: Nathália Arantes (Unsplash), modified by Zoё Chernova