Why computer engineering is like standup comedy: Wayne Cotter at TEDxRainier

Summary

In this engaging talk, the speaker reflects on their career transition from computer engineer to stand-up comedian, emphasizing the creative synergy between the two fields. They recount a childhood experience at the New York World's Fair, where a bell curve demonstration inspired them to see patterns in randomness. Drawing parallels, they argue that both engineers and comedians analyze complex systems to reveal underlying truths or humor. The speaker also challenges stereotypes, like the notion that math is a masculine domain, and uses humor to dissect societal norms and pseudoscience, ultimately advocating for a broader perspective that embraces the full spectrum of human potential.

Takeaways

• 🎓 The speaker transitioned from a career as a computer engineer to a stand-up comedian, challenging the notion of contradiction between the two fields.
• 📊 A childhood experience at the New York World's Fair, where the speaker was fascinated by a bell curve demonstration, influenced their perspective on patterns and randomness.
• 🧠 The speaker believes that both engineers and comedians analyze patterns and inconsistencies to understand the world, albeit in different contexts.
• 📚 A deep interest in numbers and mathematics was a constant in the speaker's life, even as a child, which later influenced their comedic style.
• 💼 The speaker's experience working as an engineer was formative, comparing the complexity of computers to a 'mega probability machine'.
• 🎭 The creative process for the speaker was the same whether working on engineering or comedy, suggesting a commonality in the creative juices that fuel both fields.
• 🚀 The speaker humorously points out stereotypes about engineers and comedians, emphasizing the diversity and creativity within the tech industry.
• 🌐 The speaker critiques societal pigeonholing, likening it to the bell curve's average, which often oversimplifies the vast range of human potential.
• 👧 The speaker addresses gender stereotypes in math and technology, recounting a study about American high school girls and their perception of math as a masculine quality.
• 🌟 The speaker uses humor to highlight the absurdity in certain scientific and pseudoscientific claims, such as crop circles being messages from aliens.
• 🔍 The speaker concludes by advocating for a broader view that looks for patterns and combinations in life, inspired by the bell curve machine's demonstration of order in randomness.

Q & A

What was the speaker's career change in the 1980s?

The speaker changed careers from being a computer engineer to a stand-up comedian in the 1980s.

What significant event from the speaker's childhood influenced their perspective on patterns?

The speaker was deeply influenced by an exhibit at the New York World's Fair when they were 9 years old, which demonstrated the bell curve using a mechanical machine that dropped balls through a grid of pegs.

Who invented the bell curve machine that the speaker found fascinating?

The bell curve machine was invented by Charles and Ray Eames.

How did the speaker's experience with the bell curve machine at the fair impact their thinking?

The experience made the speaker realize that patterns could be discerned from randomness by viewing things differently, a concept applicable to both engineering and comedy.

What was the speaker's childhood hobby related to numbers?

The speaker had a hobby of memorizing pi to 50 places and looking up numbers in the dictionary.

Why did the speaker decide to quit their day job as an engineer?

The speaker found that they couldn't be creative for programming during the day and then be funny at night due to the same creative energy being used for both pursuits.

What was the stereotype the speaker faced when transitioning from engineering to comedy?

The stereotype was that the speaker went from being a nerdy, loser engineer to a fabulous TV comedian, which the speaker felt was an oversimplification and not reflective of their peers in the engineering field.

What did the speaker criticize about the way people pigeonhole others based on stereotypes?

The speaker criticized that pigeonholing people based on stereotypes limits the view of the vast possibilities of what someone could be, reducing them to an average that doesn't represent the full range of their capabilities.

What example did the speaker give to illustrate the commonality between engineers and comedians?

The speaker explained that both engineers and comedians analyze complex situations, breaking them down into parts to understand how they fit together, with comedians focusing on the inconsistencies, contradictions, and paradoxes that emerge.

How did the speaker use their engineering background in their comedy?

The speaker often started with a science question or concept in their comedy, such as questioning the logic behind certain medical procedures or pseudoscientific claims like crop circles.

What message did the speaker convey about stereotypes and their evolution over time?

The speaker conveyed that stereotypes are temporary and can change, as evidenced by the shift in perception of computer programmers from being seen as boring to being admired figures like Bill Gates.