Stand-Up Science: Zombie Edition
Comedian Shane Mauss (Conan, Prime Video, Comedy Central) brings together science and
stand-up by inviting two different scientists in each city to join him on stage. His mission? To
make intelligent, thought-provoking conversations both accessible and entertaining for lifelong
learners who crave a more elevated comedy experience.
Each show begins with 30 minutes of science-inspired stand-up centered around a specific
theme. Shane then welcomes two local scientists whose research connects to the topic, using
comedy as a springboard for a lively, in-depth discussion. The night wraps with a Q&A session
and a closing set of improvised stand-up inspired by the evening’s discoveries.
Upcoming Topic: Zombification
● How much of our lives are on autopilot?
● What are the most bizarre examples of real-life zombification in nature?
● And why are we so drawn to horror as entertainment?
Featured Guests:
Coltan Scrivner
Psychologist at ASU, founder of the Nightmare in the Ozarks Film Festival, and author of
Morbidly Curious: A Scientist Explains Why We Can’t Look Away.
Take Coltan’s Morbid Curiosity Test and see how science categorizes your horror
preferences: Morbid Curiosity Scale
Athena Aktipis
Associate Professor of Psychology at ASU, Director of The Cooperation Lab, co-Director of
The Cooperation Science Network and The Human Generosity Project, and founder of the
Zombie Apocalypse Medicine Meeting in Eureka Springs.
Her upcoming book Hijacked explores the surprising and unsettling ways life has evolved to
control other minds.
