Most jokes attempted by scientists fall flat: Study

Data collected from 531 individual talks across 14 conferences found that most jokes by scientists fall flat. Of the 870 unique jokes attempted, 9% elicited whole-room laughter, while the majority fell flat or landed mildly, drawing mostly quiet chuckles (67%), the data showed. Roughly 40% of the talks monitored were humourless, eliminating the risk of failed jokes, it added.