About This Episode

Is there a science of humor? Find out when Neil deGrasse Tyson sits down with Dan Aykroyd, founding Saturday Night Live cast member and star of classics like Ghostbusters and The Blues Brothers. Dan deconstructs comedic forms, from improv and sketch comedy to sitcoms and movies, touching upon the universality of humor. (He also hints about the possibility of a Trading Places sequel!) But it’s not all about the laughs: Dan and Neil also discuss the molecular composition of vodka, crystal skulls, the Earth’s molten iron core, and all of the ingredients that coalesced to form America’s homegrown music, the Blues. Comic co-host Chuck Nice volunteers his own take on comedy, including how science and comedy rely on experimentation, what makes a great joke, and an uncanny impersonation of Bill Cosby. Plus, Astrophysicist Charles Liu shares a U. of Michigan study on the impact of flatulence on comedy.

NOTE: All-Access subscribers can listen to this entire episode commercial-free here: A Conversation with Dan Aykroyd (Part 1).