Comedy star explores brilliance of boredom with psychologist

Comedy legend Dara Ó Briain and TV science star Hannah Fry have explored the brilliance of boredom with a top University of Essex psychologist.

Dr Wijnand van Tilburg joined the celebrity pair to discuss his research for the chart-topping BBC podcast and Radio 4 show Curious Cases.

Dr Van Tilburg sat in the studio and considered whether you can be bored to death, dull hobbies and whether languorous leisure activities are good for us.

He explained why he was so interested in the science of boredom and how ennui can have real impacts on our health and well-being.

'Boredom isn't boring'

Dr Van Tilburg said: “This was a great experience to share my work with the world and show that studying boredom isn’t boring.

“Hopefully this programme will help people understand this understudied subject and how it impacts us all.

“Our research shows the deceptively insignificant experience of boredom can play a major role in health and well-being - something we all need to be aware of!”

The 30-minute-long episode is live on BBC Sounds now and follows the publication of Dr Van Tilburg’s well-received research.

Hitting headlines

A study hit headlines across the globe after Dr Van Tilburg discovered the ‘world’s most boring person’.

The research uncovered the jobs, characteristics, and hobbies that are considered a stereotypical snooze

With the blandest person believed to be a religious data entry worker, who likes watching TV, and lives in a town.

Dr van Tilburg also won the 33rd Annual Ig Nobel Prize for his work into boredom among students.

The gong is given to research which makes people think and smile.

The Essex researcher received it for discovering that students who expect to be bored by a lesson end up being disinterested, regardless of whether the lessen was actually boring.