In a show that’s equal parts hilarious, educational and deeply personal, New York City-based scientist and comedian Ben Miller presents “Stand-up Science,” a multimedia stand-up comedy show. Miller tells stories on topics ranging from his musculoskeletal condition to his childhood history with milk as jumping off points for scientific and comedic exploration.
In the show’s trailer, Miller asks his audience, “Do you remember that kid who used to tell the teacher, ‘Hey, you forgot to collect the homework?’ Did you hate that kid?” To which he receives a resounding, “Yes.” Miller then asks, “What if you found out that I was that kid?”
His jokes are sharp, self-deprecating and filled with nerdy tangents. Miller said though his “Stand-up Science” show is geared towards “nerds,” it’s accessible for those who are not particularly interested in science.
“People can expect to laugh and have a good time,” he said.
Miller got his start in stand-up six years ago in New York City, during his time studying material sciences at Columbia University. During his studies, Miller interned in various labs, experiencing many areas of scientific research. He’s worked with electron microscopes, 3D printers and even spent time as a teacher on a science bus.
He said his original interest in science comes from a passion for learning how the world works.
“There’s just so much wonder and excitement around us at all times — how could you not be curious?”
After what he called a “disheartening lab experience,” Miller realized he wanted to make a sharp pivot to pursue stand-up comedy. For his first few years as a comedian, Miller said he was hesitant to tell people about his background, worried about coming off as pretentious or unrelatable.
“At no point in comedy do you want the audience to feel like you think that you’re better than them. Likability is very important. So I just sort of kept that a secret for a while. But then, also the exciting part of comedy is [talking about] the things you’re afraid to talk about. When you talk about it on stage, it sort of transforms these things.”
It was during the 2020 pandemic-induced lockdown that Miller started to reconsider his aversion to discussing his scientific identity, realizing through his creation of a well-received video series he could combine his two passions to both educate and amuse.
From there, Miller developed the video series into a live show. After a sold-out run at the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, this year, in his first year as a full-time comedian, Miller takes his “Stand-Up Science” show on tour around the U.S. and the U.K.
“It’s a multimedia stand-up comedy show, so I’m doing jokes and then also there’s pictures and stuff in the background, serious graphs and charts and silly images as well.”
Miller said his scientific background not only informs the content of his stand-up, but also his approach to writing material. He’s particularly known in the New York comedy roast battle scene.
“In roast battle comedy, essentially two comedians get up there and say mean things about each other. I think one of the things that potentially differentiates me is the way I approach it scientifically, like, if I’m researching a topic for a bit, I try to find out as much as I can, dive as deeply as possible and learn the greatest amount of information. My trying to discover as much as I possibly can about this person to most effectively roast them has been a pretty successful strategy.”
Comedians and scientists have more in common than you might think, Miller said. They observe the world around them and report their findings.
“Most common traits of scientists are shy, socially awkward and don’t know how to interact with other people. And that’s also a lot of comedians. Both are a little bit neurotic. Maybe comedians have been scientists this whole time … It’s not a comedy show. It’s an academic conference on why airplane food is bad.”
Miller performs “Stand-up Science” at the Tin Roof at 9 p.m. June 22. Charleston-based comedians Joseph Coker and Shawna Jarret will also perform. Tickets are $10 at citypapertickets.com.
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