No Such Thing As A Fish · No Such Thing As A Fish

No Such Thing As Sheep Number Five

December 25, 2025·53 min·5 clips

Mariel Burnett discovered that dads find dad jokes the funniest, based on 32,000 jokes analyzed.

This episode is a special year-end review from the comedy fact podcast No Such Thing As A Fish, hosted by Dan Schreiber, James Harkin, Andy Murray, and Anna Ptaszynski. They present their favorite quirky news stories from the past year, supplemented by audio clips from the people involved. The hosts introduce a study by researcher Mariel Burnett, who published a paper titled "What's Brown and Sticky?" investigating who finds dad jokes funny after analyzing 32,000 examples. Another science story covers research suggesting a parasite in cat feces, Toxoplasma gondii, may be linked to declining human male fertility. The episode highlights a protest by Lake District radio presenter Lee Durrant, who played a 24-hour marathon of songs that peaked at number two in the charts to protest sewage pollution in local waterways. They discuss a silent protest album titled "Is This What We Want?" created by over a thousand musicians, including Kate Bush and Damon Albarn, to critique AI's role in the arts. A segment features Shivan McCutcheon and his three brothers, who won a bronze medal for Great Britain in canoe polo at the World Games. One insight reveals that Burnett's study concluded dads find dad jokes the funniest, though the hosts humorously debate the definition of a true dad joke. The cat feces fertility theory is described as causing sperm to become "decapitated," with the hosts noting their own anecdotal evidence contradicts the study. The protest album's exclusive outtake from Bastille's Dan Smith is a clip of complete silence, emphasizing the project's theme. The hosts express surprise that a professional world-number-eight snooker player competed against amateurs at the World Games. They share the bizarre claim that Donald Trump was gifted the real FIFA Club World Cup trophy, leaving winners Chelsea with a replica. The tone is lighthearted, conversational, and packed with humorous banter between the familiar hosts. The style is educational yet silly, weaving factual news items with comedic commentary and personal anecdotes. Listeners who enjoy offbeat scientific studies, creative activism, and obscure sports achievements will love this episode. Those seeking serious news analysis or a single narrative thread might prefer to skip it.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from No Such Thing As A Fish