Pretty Good Science Jokes: 230 Peer-Reviewed, Lab-Tested, Nobel-Worthy Jokes, Puns, and Zingers

by Steve Mockus (Editor), Johnny Sampson (illustrator)

Does the rotation of the Earth really make your day? Do you like to hear chemistry puns, periodically? Do you distrust atoms because they make up everything? Then this illustrated collection of hundreds of witty science jokes, puns, and silly fact-based zingers will brighten many cycles around the sun.

Science is great because it helps us understand the world around us through systematic and methodical experimentation, observation, and the testing of theories and weighing of evidence. Pretty Good Science Jokes proves incontrovertibly that it's also hilarious.


What kind of dog do chemists prefer? Laboratory retrievers.


Did you hear about the restaurant on the moon? The food was out of this world, but there was no atmosphere.


What do plants eat between meals? Light snacks.


Why do biologists look forward to casual Fridays? They can wear their genes to work.




Gathering the best, most irresistibly corny, and slyly funny jokes from the fields of chemistry, biology, technology, physics, geology, astronomy, math, zoology, and more, this giftable hardcover collection sneaks scientific fact and insights into the basis of each humorous quip, making it a rewarding celebration for science lovers and a welcome invitation for the scientifically curious.

FOR STEM STUDENTS AND A fun and accessible way to introduce and reinforce scientific concepts through humor.



CORNY HUMOR, CLASSY Okay, maybe chemistry jokes are like CObalt RadoN and CoRnY. But this nicely designed hardcover book is both humor-packed and highly giftable.



HUNDREDS OF JOKES! DOZENS OF ILLUSTRATIONS!: This delightful collection of 200+ jokes and puns is enhanced by funny color illustrations throughout by noted humor illustrator Johnny Sampson.

Perfect


Fans of dad jokes, puns, knock-knocks, riddles, and one-liners


Kids, teens, and adults interested in science


Educators, teachers, professors, librarians, and students looking for a fun and accessible way to explore scientific ideas and STEM curriculum


Anyone working in a scientific field

Genres: Nonfiction

144 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 26, 2025

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This illustrated book of science jokes, riddles, and puns is the perfect book for science buffs with a sense of humor. I'll give some examples of the jokes.

❀ Physics ❀

My new sweater kept picking up static electricity, so I took it back to the store.
They gave me another one, free of charge.



Have you read that new book about antigravity?
It's impossible to put down.

What do you call a scientist who steals energy?
A joule thief.

❀ Chemistry ❀

What kind of dogs do chemists prefer?
Laboratory retrievers.



How do you make antifreeze?
Hide her blanket.

Why do chemists prefer nitrates?
They are cheaper than day rates.

❀ Biology ❀

Why was the mushroom so popular?
He was a fungi.



What do you call it when a cell takes a picture of itself?
A cellfie.

Why do seagulls fly over the sea?
Because if they flew over the bay, they would be called bagels.

❀ Math and Computer Science ❀

What do you call an empty parrot cage?
A polygon.



What kind of beats do mathematicians like to dance to?
Logarithms

What do you call a hen who counts her own eggs before they are hatched?
A mathemachicken.

❀ Astronomy ❀

What do you call a lazy cosmic explorer?
A procrastronaut.



What would happen if the universe ceased to exist?
No matter.

Where do astronauts park their ships?
At a parking meteor.

❀ Geology ❀

What did one raindrop say to the other?
Two's company. Three's a cloud.



Why was the gemstone afraid of taking his exam?
Because he thought he wasn't going topaz.

Why can't you play hide-and seek with a mountain?
Because the mountain peaks.

*****

There are plenty more funnies in the book, and I got lots of laughs. This would make a great gift for science fans.



Thanks to Netgalley, Steve Mockus, and Chronicle Books for a copy of the book.

You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

Some of these jokes were really funny, while others were great puns, and the illustrations were great. Unfortunately some of the jokes required a more intimate knowledge of science to really get the joke making them not funny for the average reader. My husband and I are well educated, and we just didn't get some of these hence the lower rating. I've also heard some of these before, so some of the jokes are not original.

This would be a great gift for a science lover depending on their personality. There are some good ones in here.

[Katie May · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was actually so cute, I loved this. Even with just basic science knowledge I was able to understand just about every joke (and laugh at them too!). A great idea for a joke collection. The drawings were adorable just wish there were more. There’s pretty much something for every STEM category but I think the cleverest were the chemistry/periodic table ones. If you love a good pun or your dad jokes are missing something science-y than you will really enjoy this. Pretty quick read! I hope there are more books in this vein available.

Thanks to NetGally and the author/publisher for an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[QuirkyTofurkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a hard time keeping a grin—grimace?—off my face. This book is perfect for the STEM enthusiasts in your life. Perfect for jokester dads. Perfect for kids. Perfect, really. It’s exactly what it promises to be: a pun-packed, science-laced good time. Prepare to chortle (and groan).

If I were a teacher, I would start every class by reading a passage from this book. And I’m pretty sure the students would begrudgingly love it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Chronicle Books, Steve Mockus—couldn’t ask for a better surname, Steve—and Johnny Sampson for the absolute privilege of receiving this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Angie Boyter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too enjoyable not to share!
Pretty Good Science Jokes is a collection of riddles about a wide spectrum of science topics: physics, chemistry, biology, math, computer science, astronomy, and earth science. If you think these are not funny topics, think again! I cannot remember the last time I read a book that gave me as many smiles and laughs as this one! It is very short, and you can read it in one sitting, but I recommend reading it in small bites and sharing it aloud with friends and family. It would be perfect for high-school students inclined towards science and might even bring some smiles to those who think science is always boring!
My husband and I are both on the science spectrum and enjoyed a little bit at a time over coffee. There are a few jokes that readers not inclined to science might not get because of terms they were not familiar with, but most would be quite understandable to a general audience.
To steal a joke from the book, Pretty Good Science Jokes is like a book about antigravity---it’s impossible to put down!
I received an advance review copy of this book from Edelweiss and Chronicle Books

[Logan Kedzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is no denying that this book is exactly what it is titled. It is a book. It has jokes. They are pretty good. They are science jokes.

There is a temptation to stop the review there.

I was disappointed in the book because these are not what I consider science jokes. It is all puns or plays on words, and while a few are clever, there are more that strain the definition of 'science joke' in my personal taxonomy. Not for the sense of joke, but for the sense of science joke. Like just because there is a homonym does not mean that it is funny to interrelate it into a common saying to make a joke.

But it is right there, in the title, pretty good. And the illustrations are good, if rather infrequent. It is funny enough. So please cue me in when Absurdly Elaborate Science Stories is published.

My thanks to the author, Steve Mockus, for writing the book, to the illustrator, Johnny Sampson, for doing his thing, and to the publisher, Chronicle Books, for making the ARC available to me.

[Cris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author, illustrator, Chronicle Books, and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The subtitle of this book, "230 Peer-Reviewed, Lab-Tested, Nobel-Worthy Jokes, Puns, and Zingers," is a more accurate description of the book than the main title, but that doesn't diminish the fact that I laughed, groaned, and rolled my eyes (in mostly good ways) throughout the book. Not only am I surrounded by scientists and future scientists regularly, but they all seem to be great lovers of these kinds of jokes and turns of phrase that can make you both laugh out loud and bury your face in your hands, wondering what you did to deserve such corny torture.

I would buy this for friends and family members of all ages. It would make a great end-of-year gift for your favorite science teacher.

#PrettyGoodScienceJokes #NetGalley
#DadJokes#Puns#Zingers

[Yeling · Rating 3 out of 5]

The jokes were pretty funny and sum made me cringe, and as a whole collection they went together so well! My gripe with it, however, is that I don't particularly fancy the illustrations - the art style's not something I enjoy, which is very subjective, but also there were far too few of them. I kind of expected more, to be honest. Sadly I do feel that the illustrations affected my reading and it wasn't as enjoyable as it should've been. Perhaps it would have been nice if some of these jokes were represented fully as illustrations, rather than having them in such a simple text format.

Got my ARC through Edelweiss; thanks Chronicle Books for the copy!

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was pretty enjoyable in an occasionally cringey way, I really love a good pun to roll my eyes at in my down time. Most of these were great fodder for annoying my friends in the group chat but some of them were a bit forced, it would have been nice if they had the same consistency throughout.

I was not a fan of the illustrations, I felt like they didn't match the clean look of everything else in the book. Maybe if the colors were more vibrant or the look was more stylized I would have appreciated the inclusion of them more, but otherwise I did not find they contributed to this at all.

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for the Uncorrected Advanced Reader Copy.

[Joelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you #netgalley for the ARC

This is cute and fun, as a scientific minded engineering research with a lab mix I was predisposed to like this book. I did! Do I wish the CS jokes were more numerous and better? Yes! Had a heard about 30% of the jokes in this book before? Also yes, however I still chuckled audibly while reading some of these jokes. It’s a family friendly book full of wordplay, so if you’re looking for more inspiration during the kid’s science fair project brainstorming this book has you covered.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the book says, the individual jokes are “pretty good”, but as a collection of jokes, the book is fabulous. Yes, the jokes are corny and yes, I groaned a lot during the reading, but I loved the book. I also loved the illustrations. Overall, the book is thoroughly enjoyable, and I think it would make a great gift for science nerds. Thank you to Edelweiss and Chronicle Books for the digital review copy.

[Katie Lavoie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is this book meant for children? Probably
Did I, a millennial with a PhD in chemistry laugh? Yes, a lot

To paraphrase one of their joke, this book is so cornea, but also humerus. It reminded me of Bill NYE the science guy and dad jokes. Not the best, but overall fun, lighthearted, and enjoyable.

Thank you to Steve Mockus, Johnny Sampson, Chronicle Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

These jokes are pretty funny and most of them do not require more than a basic understanding of science principles (although some of them went right over my head), making them accessible to a wide audience. I can see this as the perfect gift for the scientist in your life no matter what age they are. Aside from the jokes, Pretty Good Science Jokes includes several illustrations that are fun to go though. I'd buy this book for my nieces and nephews for sure!

[Andrea Wenger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This illustrated book is a collection of hundreds of science jokes and facts, covering various scientific fields. These are corny dad jokes with lots of puns but very little wit. Depending on your sense of humor, you or the scientist in your life may enjoy them.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Lisa Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, these are hilarious. I can't wait to try these on some of my science friends. There are different science subjects, and being able to understand some of the specific jokes made me feel smart. This would be so much fun for kids to have in a science classroom.

[Shane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC of science jokes. This was just a fun little book of jokes about the different sciences. I liked that it was separated by science type but I think my favorite jokes were in the Earth Science chapter. What color is the wind? Blew! lol