Briefing Chat: Are scientists funny? The evidence is in — and it's no joke

## Summary
Download the Nature Briefing Podcast 20 March 2026 In this episode: 00:22 Exploring how gut microorganisms contribute to ageing Nature: Memory loss is fuelled by gut microbes in ageing mice 04:30 How good jokes are in short supply during academic conferences Nature: Knock knock, no one’s there. Study finds scientists’ jokes mostly fall flat Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. An RSS feed for the Nature Podcast is available too. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-00937-7 Related Articles To make a flat joke funnier, cue the laugh track Say what? The principal investigators who pass down wisdom through humour The best foods for healthy ageing ― and the worst Coffee linked to slower brain ageing in study of 130,000 people Subjects Microbiology Ageing Lab life Latest on: Microbiology Ageing Lab life A single course of antibiotics can cause lingering changes in gut microbes Research Highlight 16 MAR 26 Gut microbes affect cognition during ageing News & Views 11 MAR 26 Memory loss is fuelled by gut microbes in ageing mice News 11 MAR 26 Youthful antics predict lifespan — at least for these fish News 12 MAR 26 Memory loss is fuelled by gut microbes in ageing mice News 11 MAR 26 Intestinal interoceptive dysfunction drives age-associated cognitive decline Article 11 MAR 26 ‘Unaffordable’ visa price hike threatens Australia’s researcher pipeline Career News 20 MAR 26 The mid-career reset: how to be strategic about your research direction Career Column 20 MAR 26 Dopamine takes a hit: how neuroscience is rethinking the ‘feel-good’ chemical News Feature 17 MAR 26 Jobs Global Talent Recruitment Announcement of the College of Engineering, HZAU Join HZAU's global faculty team to advance research with competitive benefits.

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Download the Nature Briefing Podcast 20 March 2026
In this episode:
00:22 Exploring how gut microorganisms contribute to ageing
Nature:
Memory loss is fuelled by gut microbes in ageing mice
04:30 How good jokes are in short supply during academic conferences
Nature:
Knock knock, no one’s there. Study finds scientists’ jokes mostly fall flat
Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
Never miss an episode. Subscribe to the Nature Podcast on
Apple Podcasts
,
Spotify
,
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or your favourite podcast app.
An RSS feed for the Nature Podcast
is available too.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-00937-7
Related Articles
To make a flat joke funnier, cue the laugh track
Say what? The principal investigators who pass down wisdom through humour
The best foods for healthy ageing ― and the worst
Coffee linked to slower brain ageing in study of 130,000 people
Subjects
Microbiology
Ageing
Lab life
Latest on:
Microbiology
Ageing
Lab life
A single course of antibiotics can cause lingering changes in gut microbes
Research Highlight
16 MAR 26
Gut microbes affect cognition during ageing
News & Views
11 MAR 26
Memory loss is fuelled by gut microbes in ageing mice
News
11 MAR 26
Youthful antics predict lifespan — at least for these fish
News
12 MAR 26
Memory loss is fuelled by gut microbes in ageing mice
News
11 MAR 26
Intestinal interoceptive dysfunction drives age-associated cognitive decline
Article
11 MAR 26
‘Unaffordable’ visa price hike threatens Australia’s researcher pipeline
Career News
20 MAR 26
The mid-career reset: how to be strategic about your research direction
Career Column
20 MAR 26
Dopamine takes a hit: how neuroscience is rethinking the ‘feel-good’ chemical
News Feature
17 MAR 26
Jobs
Global Talent Recruitment Announcement of the College of Engineering, HZAU
Join HZAU's global faculty team to advance research with competitive benefits.
Wuhan, Hubei (CN)
Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU)
Multiple Positions Open in The Stomatology Hospital，Zhejiang University School of Medicine
Hangzhou, Zhejiang (CN)
The Stomatology Hospital, School of Stomatology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine(ZJUSS)
Group Leader Positions in Chemical and Structural Biology
IRB Barcelona invites applications for Group Leader positions in Chemical Biology (one) and Structural Biology (one).
Barcelona (Provincia), Cataluña (ES)
Fundació Institut de Recerca Biomèdica (IRB Barcelona)
SENIOR OR MID-CAREER RESEARCHERS IN AI, AND DATA SCIENCE AND COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCES  (F/M)
The Paris Brain Institute invites expressions of interest from internationally recognized senior and mid-career researchers.
Paris, Ile-de-France (FR)
Institut du Cerveau
Full Professorship (W3) for „Clinical Epidemiology of Early Cancer Detection“ (f/m/d)
Full Professorship (W3) for ‚Clinical Epidemiology of Early Cancer Detection’ (f/m/d) We are looking for a highly distinguished physician scientist...
Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg (DE)
Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim der Universität Heidelberg

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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
N/A

### Areas for Consideration
N/A

### Implications
- The principal investigators who pass down wisdom through humour The best foods for healthy ageing ― and the worst Coffee linked to slower brain ageing in study of 130,000 people Subjects Microbiology Ageing Lab life Latest on: Microbiology Ageing Lab life A single course of antibiotics can cause lingering changes in gut microbes Research Highlight 16 MAR 26 Gut microbes affect cognition during ageing News & Views 11 MAR 26 Memory loss is fuelled by gut microbes in ageing mice News 11 MAR 26 Youthful antics predict lifespan — at least for these fish News 12 MAR 26 Memory loss is fuelled by gut microbes in ageing mice News 11 MAR 26 Intestinal interoceptive dysfunction drives age-associated cognitive decline Article 11 MAR 26 ‘Unaffordable’ visa price hike threatens Australia’s researcher pipeline Career News 20 MAR 26 The mid-career reset: how to be strategic about your research direction Career Column 20 MAR 26 Dopamine takes a hit: how neuroscience is rethinking the ‘feel-good’ chemical News Feature 17 MAR 26 Jobs Global Talent Recruitment Announcement of the College of Engineering, HZAU Join HZAU's global faculty team to advance research with competitive benefits.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers ageing, mar, news topics. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 470.