How to Make STEM Funny-and Go Viral Doing It

"When you're newer I think it's easier to get laughs for dating jokes and stuff that's relatable. But if you're coming onstage, especially in front of a non-science crowd, trying to get them to laugh at science stuff is really hard. You have to explain the science and then tell the joke. You lose momentum. Right. There's too much setup. But then I realized if I did it with a PowerPoint, if I just put the science up as a PowerPoint,"

"Her thesis dissertation-"Synthesis of Iron Nitroxide radical species using radical derivatized ligands and its use as a single-molecule magnet"-flopped. She evaporated her results in the lab. "I was like 'I don't know what to do anymore,' McGhee says. 'I feel like if someone else did it, they might get further along with it, but for me it definitely didn't work. It was a nightmare.'""

Freya McGhee studied chemistry at the University of Brighton but found she preferred learning science to applying it, culminating in a failed dissertation on "Synthesis of Iron Nitroxide radical species using radical derivatized ligands and its use as a single-molecule magnet." She evaporated her experimental results and pivoted toward stand-up comedy while finishing her degree. She adapted her laboratory experiences into a comedic bit and began using PowerPoint slides to deliver science jokes efficiently to non-science audiences. Her sets and Instagram clips reached hundreds of thousands to millions of viewers, demonstrating a viral way to make STEM content entertaining and approachable.

Read at WIRED