Chris Duffy’s work blends comedy, curiosity, and human connection, using humor as a lens to explore how people think, learn, and relate to one another. He is a comedian, television writer, and the host of TED’s How to Be a Better Human podcast, where he speaks with psychologists, artists, scientists, and everyday people about what helps us become more present, creative, and connected.
Duffy’s writing and television work include contributions to HBO, including Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas, executive produced by John Oliver. He’s the creator/host of the streaming game show Wrong Answers Only, where three comedians try to understand what a leading scientist does all day, in partnership with LabX at the National Academy of Sciences. He has appeared across NPR, Good Morning America and other national platforms, and delivered a widely viewed TED Talk on finding laughter in unexpected places.
Duffy’s debut book, Humor Me: How Laughing More Can Make You Present, Creative, Connected, and Happy, explores how humor can be cultivated as a daily practice rather than an innate trait. Drawing on conversations with an eclectic range of voices including neuroscientists, Navy SEALs, clowns, comedians, centenarians, and even a ten-year-old food critic, he makes the case that humor is a learnable skill that can deepen presence, creativity, and connection.
A former fifth-grade teacher, Duffy also leads workshops in schools and universities on using humor in the classroom, and continues to develop projects at the intersection of comedy, education, and journalism.
