Every class needs a clown

In space, no one can hear you scream … or screaming with laughter. And now, it seems that laughter will get you further because, after much research, Nasa has agreed that amusement – that, er, “zero gravity” – is essential to any successful long-term mission.

In short, every class needs a clown, even in space.

Consider Chris Hadfield, the Canadian commander of the International Space Station, who played his guitar in orbit, beamed warm-hearted pictures back to his home planet, publicly joked with the Star Trek cast, and generally seemed like a stand-up guy.

A stand-up comedian kind of guy.

If I’m ever going to space, I want him on board – him, and Valium – because every mission needs a light touch, someone who brings levity to otherwise serious proceedings.

But it’s not just about happiness, though.

Anthropologist Jeffrey Johnson, who monitored astronauts in Nasa’s sealed space-like habitat, Hera, and also studied crews wintering in Antarctica, concluded that amusement is key to success.

Take for example the competing explorers Roald Amundsen and Robert Scott, and their race to the South Pole.

Amundsen won by five weeks, and his entire team survived; Scott, meanwhile, died on the return, along with four of his men.

Yes, the reasons for their success or failure may be complex, but Amundsen himself said he picked his roly-poly chef, Adolf Lindstrom, not just for his cooking skills, but for his entertainment value, knowing his jolliness would boost morale on the endless winter nights.

Afterwards, Amundsen declared that Lindstrom “rendered greater and more valuable services to the Norwegian polar expedition than any other man”.

Scott, meanwhile, saw his team of serious types splinter into factions, not bonding, not laughing, not succeeding.

This got me thinking about every successful group I’ve been part of, from my school days to work projects, and the best ones were definitely those where we bonded, which only happened when we were allowed to have silly moments.

We triumphed when we were cohesive, and laughter was the glue.

Science has proved we should start taking jokers seriously, too.