The Science Behind April Fools

Have you ever been the target of an April Fools’ prank? Although you may not realize it, the effort that goes into these attempts at humour are nothing to laugh at. It takes time, research, and proper planning to make a prank or even a joke work. This week, we’re going to learn more about the mechanics and the needs for a good April Fools joke.

Our first guest is Thomas Limoncelli. He’s a systems analyst and helps information technology companies succeed. He’s also a web-based April Fools’ master and shares his insight into what makes an excellent online prank.

Next, we talk with Julia Rayz at Purdue University. Her focus is on Artificial Intelligence and humour. She’ll explain why computers make for a horrible audience and may never be able to tell an effective joke.

In our SASS Class, our guest teacher is Michelle Eskritt-Keck. She’s a psychologist who has been focusing on a special need for any good April Fools’ prank:  deception. We explore how humans find ways to get people to believe them and how one particular sector of our population may not fall for any attempts at humour.

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Twitter: @JATetro
Email: thegermguy@gmail.com

Guests:
Thomas Limoncelli
https://everythingsysadmin.com/
Twitter: @yesthattom

Julia Rayz
https://polytechnic.purdue.edu/profile/taylo108

Michelle Eskritt-Keck
https://www.msvu.ca/en/home/programsdepartments/bachelorofscience/psychology/facultyandstaff/eskrittkeck.aspx

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