How many academics does it take to tell a joke? Time for a study...

New Scientist's publication of an article about a study analysing the use of humour at scientific conferences, highlighting a distinct lack of it, marks a unique intersection of academia and comedy. This news may seem unrelated to website owners at first glance, but it can have implications for those who manage online platforms focused on academic or scientific content. The study's findings could influence how website owners approach content creation, particularly in terms of incorporating humour to engage their audiences more effectively. For website owners, this study can serve as a reminder to consider their content's tone and approach. Actionable tips include: monitoring AI bot traffic to understand how humour is being used in automated content, updating llms.txt files to reflect changes in content policies related to humour and tone, and analysing user engagement to determine the effectiveness of humorous content in driving interaction with scientific or academic topics.