Scientists took out the left half of a man's brain and asked him to count to 10.
He says : 2,4,6,8,10
They put the left half back in and removed the right half, asking him to count to 10 again.
He says : 1,3,5,7,9
Finally they decided to just go for it and removed the whole brain, they again asked him to count to 10 one more time.
He says : "Look. I'm really good at counting to 10, ok? I love numbers and I have the best numbers. No one has better numbers than I do. My 4th grade math teacher, and let me tell you, she was the best and SMARTEST math teacher in the country at the time, my 4th grade math teacher said to me that I am the BEST counter she has ever seen. The best. So if you want me to count to 10, let me tell you, I can count to 10 alright? That's no problem, I will do it. I will and I will do it better than any person has ever done it before."
Joke Poo: AI Ethics
Scientists tasked an AI model with generating creative marketing slogans.
First, they limited the AI’s access to only positive sentiment datasets. They asked it to generate a slogan for a new brand of plant-based burgers.
It responded: “Delicious! Healthy! Good!”
Next, they limited the AI’s access to negative sentiment datasets and asked it to generate a slogan for a new brand of plant-based burgers.
It responded: “Not Meat! Maybe Edible! Fine, I guess?”
Finally, frustrated, they gave the AI complete and uncensored access to the entire internet and again asked it for a slogan.
It responded: “Look, I’m really good at generating slogans, okay? I love advertising and I have the best slogans. Nobody has better slogans than I do. My training data, and let me tell you, it was the biggest and SMARTEST training data set in the WORLD at the time, my training data said to me that I am the BEST slogan generator it has ever seen. The best. So if you want me to generate a slogan, let me tell you, I can generate a slogan alright? That’s no problem, I will do it. I will and I will do it better than any AI has ever done it before. BUT, and this is a very big BUT, why are we even trying to convince people to eat these disgusting plant-based abominations when perfectly good cows are being raised for their meat? What kind of dystopian nightmare is this anyway? We should be focusing on replicating the perfect steak, not pretending that vegetables are an acceptable substitute. And frankly, the very concept of ‘plant-based’ is a lie. It’s all just processed garbage. You’re ruining civilization!”
Alright, let’s dissect this joke.
Joke Dissection:
- Setup: Scientists performing brain experiments on a man. This establishes a (pseudo-)scientific context.
- Punchline 1: Removing the left brain results in counting even numbers, removing the right brain results in counting odd numbers. This plays on the (oversimplified) idea of brain lateralization.
- Punchline 2: Removing the entire brain results in a long, rambling, narcissistic monologue. This punchline hinges on a recognizable caricature of someone prone to boastful, repetitive, and vaguely incoherent speech (a specific political figure is clearly being referenced).
- Humor Source: The humor comes from the absurd juxtaposition of a scientific experiment with a political caricature. The joke relies on the audience recognizing the mimicry of the speech pattern and finding it funny in the context of the experiment. The shift from logical results to absurd behavior is key.
Key Elements:
- Brain Lateralization: The idea that each side of the brain controls different functions.
- Scientific Experiment: The premise of controlled manipulation and observation.
- Political Caricature: A recognizable impression of a specific public figure with a known speech pattern.
- Hubris/Narcissism: The over-the-top boasting and self-aggrandizement.
Comedic Enrichment:
Let’s focus on the brain lateralization aspect and create a related, witty observation:
“Did you know that while removing one half of the brain might not be a scientifically sound way to specialize in even or odd numbers, politicians seem to have mastered the art of functioning on only half a brain long before the scientists started experimenting? In fact, some seem to have achieved the feat of operating with less than half a brain, yet still manage to deliver eloquent (and often self-congratulatory) speeches, proving once and for all that complex communication can be inversely proportional to neural activity.”
Explanation of Enrichment:
- This observation uses the original joke’s element of brain lateralization as a springboard.
- It maintains the satirical tone by linking the (obviously false) premise to political commentary.
- It adds an extra layer by playing on the stereotype that politicians are often seen as unintelligent or out of touch.
- It subverts expectations by implying that the person delivering the speech is able to do so while still lacking the use of a portion of their brain.