Brian Malow, the science comedian

A Proton and a neutron walk into a bar…um… wait a minute. I’ll leave the jokes to Brian Malow. He is, after all, Earth’s Premier Science Comedian, performing in a variety of venues such as science museums, comedy clubs, festivals and private clients like Microsoft. Wired called his act “part comedy and part science education, letting fly jokes that may require the listeners to have at least passed high-school physics.” What came first for the funny man- comedy or science?

“Science was my first love:  dream girl, high school sweetheart, prom date.  But then I had a long torrid affair with comedy.  We ran off and eloped.  And it may have appeared to the casual observer that I had completely forgotten about science but, if you looked closely you could see the truth...  the heavy bias toward science geeky topics, habitual use of the language of science for analogies and metaphors - a tendency to invoke Newton's equation for universal gravitation, for instance - or to use "molybdenum" as a punch line.

These were the signs that I would someday come running back to science, if she would have me.  But I didn't want to give up comedy, my mistress.  Would I have to?  Perhaps not...

Comedy is both a science and an art.  And, for that matter, science is both a science and an art!”

Brian was inspired by Science Fiction authors like Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clark, people he says “made it easy to understand and enjoy science.” He follows in his role models footsteps, even if that wasn’t his initial purpose.

“I guess there's always been a little teacher in the 4-chambered classroom of my heart.  I can't help it.  A comedy colleague of mine once said that my jokes had more information in them than most comics' jokes.  I think I can take that as a compliment.

And, whatever my initial intentions...  now, yes, it has become a goal of mine to clearly and colorfully explain some science concepts - and certainly to show another side of science - that science can be fun as well as mind-blowing.  That having this knowledge, this familiarity, this understanding of nature can enrich your life in unexpected ways.  Funny ways.

Actually, now I think my science comedy does function rather like science fiction:  it may teach you a few new concepts along the way but mostly it aims to entertain you using bits of science as its raw material.”

Entertain it does, and organizations like the National Association of Science Writers, Apple, Dell and the National Academy of Sciences agree. Currently, Brian is filming video pieces for Time Magazine's website. Science is a process of accumulating knowledge, and Brian has learned a lot.

“I discovered that if, instead of asking strangers, "Where are you from?" you make a habit of asking them, "WHEN are you from?" it will improve your chances of tripping up a time-traveling tourist.

I discovered that some people talk to their plants, which is okay.  But you shouldn't ask them a lot of questions.

And I discovered that whenever my mom loses weight, my dad gains weight.  And vice versa.  It's like the Conservation of Mass, within our family.  My theory:  You never actually lose weight - you just give it to somebody else.  Fat can be neither created nor destroyed.  It's one of the basic laws of the universe.  If you're gonna live here, you gotta know the laws.”

Brian talks more about his inspirations, jokes and gives advice for budding comedians- follow the link to check it out!