By Carol Milano
“Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested, and the frog dies of it,” said moderator Florence Williams, quoting E.B. White. It was an apt opening for “Four writers sat in a bar: humor and voice in science writing,” which drew an eager, standing-room-only audience.
To Williams, freelancer and author of Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History, “Laughter is the most common emotion [humans] express. Our obligation is to not only inform, but to keep people reading — and to entertain. Humor really lends itself to science: uncover the unexpected.“ We’re fortunate because, “Scientists can be eccentric and hilarious.”
Panelists candidly described their attitudes and approaches. “Be disciplined about being clear!” advised Marc Abrahams, editor of Annals of Improbable Research and founder of the Ig Nobel Prize. “When I find something most people have never heard of, how can I describe these unexpected things so clearly that it brings out the fact that it’s funny? Finding the right words can be a lot of work.”
Pose simple questions, Abrahams suggested. He’ll call a very famous scientist and ask something mundane, like, “Do you prefer using a pen or a pencil?” The response is often, “Hmmmm, I never thought of that." “If this is someone smart who likes to think, just shut up and let them think out loud.” This tactic has brought some excellent, distinctive material.
During interviews, Burkhard Bilger types as people talk. He’s not a fast typist, so his efforts to keep up with their comments sometimes bring “long awkward silences, when I’m forced to leave people hanging for 15 or 20 seconds. They assume I didn’t get it, so they try to come up with something more interesting to say,” revealed the New Yorker staff writer.
What can journalists do when a source is nervous about sounding foolish? “Establish a rapport. Make the person feel you’re not testing them. Have a real conversation,” urged Flora Lichtman, host of The Adopters podcast. She’s always seeking “two disparate elements: serious-sounding scientists talking about an absurd belief” for her podcasts. Ask great interview questions, she encouraged. “Use outrageous language to get the unexpected reaction.”
As a senior editor at Radiolab, Soren Wheeler appreciates his opportunity for true collaboration in an informal work setting. “Be yourself in front of others. Let humor grow out of the interaction. Finding authenticity and voice are important,” he emphasized.
“Help your guests be open, so they can be funny,” Wheeler continued. “Having a bullet list of questions gets in the way. Just be real, like you’d be talking to your friends. That helps people come alive and be themselves.”
Wheeler believes that, “Humor works best when it humanizes. Use humor to level the playing field, rather than to exaggerate,” he urged. “If science journalists don’t go beyond just covering facts and make people feel something, we have failed.”
Carol Milano is a journalist in private practice in New York City.
