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British Science Week 2025: ‘Change and Adapt’ through Comedy
2025's theme for British Science Week is 'Change and Adapt'. UCL Science & Technology Studies Digital Student Ambassador Anezka writes about how comedy transforms science to reach diverse audiences.
12 March 2025
British Science Week 2025 takes place from 7-16 March. This year, the designated theme is 'Change and Adapt'. What better way to celebrate change and adaptation than attending some non-conventional science engagement events?
What I’ve learnt while studying Science Communication is that there is no right or wrong way to communicate science. Rather, we must ‘change’ and ‘adapt’ our approaches to better integrate diverse audiences into scientific practice. I might propose that we take this opportunity during British Science Week 2025 to explore forms of science engagement which might be considered a change from the norm – doing so might unlock new potential for understanding and engaging with scientific content.
Connection Through Comedy
A good example of an alternative form of engagement is the genre of Science Comedy. Scientific practices often dissuade us from exploring comedy outlets as a genuine way of learning about science, due to the 'seriousness' of the profession. However, I might argue that comedy, as a means of education, can perhaps be more successful at engaging us than a lecture or university event - particularly for the non-scientist or non-traditional scientist.
While conducting research for my 'Public Engagement for Social Justice' module, I discovered how inclusive the non-conventional comedy format can be for people who might feel excluded from high-brow institutions or educational practices which focus on the majority. Marginalised individuals might be excluded due to a variety of factors such as: an unwillingness to visit elitist institutions, the social and physical distance between participants and institutions, being forced to go as students (ergo, associating it with negative memories), feeling at though it will have little to no bearing on political and scientific decision-making, and a lack of disposable time and money (with even free events incurring transport and day-to-day costs).
For these reasons, and the fact that comedy rarely makes presumptions on the intellect of the audience member, comedy is an important format to explore. For my project, I attended An Evening of Unnecessary Detail hosted by Festival of the Spoken Nerd - an organisation to look out for on the science comedy scene!
Comedy as Education
Attending this event allowed me to unpack the suitability of comedy as a means of education - taking into account how it might discuss things such as race or sexuality in a manner which stays true to the comedy medium without ‘othering’ people who might consider themselves ‘non-normative’. In fact, ‘non-normativity’ is better explored in non-conventional settings! While it is difficult to dismantle centuries of institutional prejudice, comedy creates a more relaxed and free-flowing environment than, say, a museum exhibit or an academic lecture.
As I concluded in my 'Public Engagement for Social Justice' essay, science can be a laughing matter! Comedy can, for the most part, engage non-scientists, attracting less polarised audiences. This will naturally lead to more inclusive practices, creating a healthier and more mindful relationship between science and society. Furthermore, attending this event opened my eyes to how truly entertaining science can be! I started to consider science events as a viable option for hanging out and having fun in London. You should too!
Interested in Science Comedy Events?
Check out a few non-conventional, science-related events happening right here at UCL!
- UCL Brain Sciences Comedy Club: 14 April 2025, 7:00 pm
- Byte-Size Breakthroughs: 12 May 2025, 6:00 pm
Want to learn more?
Listen to WeAreSTS podcast episode on using comedy in communication about climate change.
Author: Anezka Khan
Photo Credit: iStock, Moor Studio