What’s so funny about nuclear physics?

Every now and then I get asked if I’ll get involved in some kind of physics outreach activity; Giving a talk to a science society, going to a school to talk about physics at university, talking on the radio about the link between The Archers and quantum mechanics. That kind of thing.

More often than not, I can say yes to the request, and I usually enjoy sharing the joy that is physics with whoever the audience is. The most recent thing I said yes to is filling me with a little trepidation. On Monday I will be performing stand-up comedy at Guildford Bright Club. So-called Bright Clubs started a couple of years ago as an outreach activity at UCL, and have proved to be very successful at sharing all sorts of ideas from academic pursuits with an audience hungry for them. All good stuff. The only thing is, I need to stand up in front of a room full of people expecting me to be funny. And then be funny. About nuclear physics. Should be a blast!