Funny Brains: Comedy as a Tool for Science Communication

14 May 2025

FENS News, Neuroscience News

Have you ever thought your research topic was too dry to be engaging? Ever wondered whether a bit of humour might help you talk about neuroscience?

Building on the success of our FENS 2024 event, which focused on comedy as a science communication tool, the FENS Communication Committee is continuing the “Funny Brains” series with a new webinar, titled “Science Communication with Online Humour.”

Hosted by science communication and comedy experts John Butler, Michele Marini, and Rebecca Ellis, this webinar will explore the benefits of using humour to communicate basic, specific, and broad scientific concepts, helping you promote and explain your work more effectively. Through real-life examples, we will guide you through various types of humour that can enhance your message. Additionally, there will be a hands-on component, in which you will learn how to design and create memes, illustrating how comedic skills can be incorporated into visual science communication.

You don’t need to be a comedian to participate – just a scientist interested in connecting with the public!

The webinar will be held on 4 June 2025 from 16:00 to 17:00, via Zoom. You can register here.

FENS Workshop at FRM 2025

For those attending FRM 2025 in Oslo, Norway, there will also be an in-person training session (FENS Special Workshop: “Funny Brains – Science Communication via Comedy”), scheduled to take place on from 10:30-11:30 on Monday, 16 June.

Workshop participants will have the opportunity to perform their comedy sketches on Day 2 of the FRM (17 June) as part of the “Young researchers’ social event“, happening from 20:00-23:00.

You can register for the workshop here.

(Note: The event has a limit of 50 participants, allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.)

Meet the Mentors

John Butler is a Lecturer in the TU Dublin, Ireland and a member of FENS Communication Committee. His research focuses on multisensory integration. Over the last decade he has organised, hosted, and presented at numerous science communication events, including Maths Week, Science Week, and Pint of Science.

Michele Marini is a biotechnologist and stand-up comedian. He is a marketing and communication expert in the life biotherapeutics field and runs stand-up comedy shows in Italian and English in Belgium and Italy. He hosts live and online events dedicated to science such as Pint of Science and Couch of Science.

Rebecca Ellis is an early career researcher based in Nottingham. She cares greatly about science communication, especially through creative methods such as poetry, comedy, art, and improv. She runs the Instagram account @Neuro_Divers, where she discusses all things neurodiversity.