A new live show from comedian Shane Mauss

Round
Earther

Comedy, science, and sanity — how we know what we know.

We're all born flat-earthers. Every brain runs on gut feelings, shortcuts, and stories. This show is about what happened next.

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What is this?

A comedy show about being confidently wrong

Humans are the only animal that can discover its planet is a spinning ball of rock — and the only one that can talk itself out of believing it.

Round Earther is stand-up comedy about belief, bias, and the counterintuitive discoveries humans clawed their way to — germs, deep time, a universe that doesn't care what feels true. It's about why smart people believe weird things, why your feed moves faster than peer review, and how to stay sane anyway.

Nobody gets laughed at. We laugh at how gullible every human brain is — starting with the host's. You'll leave having laughed hard, learned something true, and questioned at least one thing you were sure of.

The vitals

  • What: Stand-up + real science, one night
  • Runtime: ~90 minutes (75 solo in some cities)
  • Vibe: Curiosity-first, never contempt-first
  • From: The mind behind Stand Up Science
  • Warning: May contain facts

How the night works

The anatomy of the show

01

Shane, up front

30 minutes of stand-up on belief and bias — plus a live test of the room's intuition. Write your answers down. They'll be back.

02

Scientist #1

A working scientist gives a 12-minute talk on how we actually figure out what's true. TED-tight, comedy-room approved.

03

Palate cleanse

Shane riffs on everything you just learned. The scientist regrets nothing.

04

Scientist #2

A second talk from a totally different field. Twelve more minutes of "wait, really?"

05

The panel

Shane and both scientists take your questions. Nothing is off the table.

06

The reveal

Remember those intuition tests? Time to find out how well this room really knows what it thinks it knows.

Some cities get the full 90-minute show with local scientists; some get the 75-minute solo version. Either way: comedy, science, sanity.

Shane Mauss, bearded and long-haired in a red-and-gold brocade suit, squinting into the sun

Your host

Shane Mauss

Shane Mauss is a stand-up comedian and science communicator who has spent over a decade interviewing hundreds of scientists on his long-running podcast Here We Are — and turning what he learned into comedy shows that tour the country.

He's the creator of Stand Up Science, the touring show that put comedians and researchers on the same stage, and has appeared on Conan, Showtime, and Comedy Central. Round Earther is his newest obsession: the science of how we know things, and the comedy of how confidently we don't.

Read further

Everything in the show has a book behind it

Every bit in Round Earther started with somebody's research. These are the books that did the heavy lifting — on bias, belief, deep time, and the long human project of figuring out what's actually true. Start anywhere.

Buying through this list supports independent bookstores — and a little of it comes back to the show.

List not loading? See all 13 titles at bookshop.org/lists/round-earther.

Bookshop.org affiliate links. Bookshop.org gives a cut of every sale to independent bookstores — so does buying it at your local shop, which is also great, and we'd never know.

Tour dates

Coming to a city near you

Dates announcing soon

First shows are being booked now. Join the mailing list below and you'll be the first to know when Round Earther lands near you.

Venues, theaters & festivals

Bring the show to your city

Round Earther tours as a full 90-minute show (with local scientists — great local press hook included) or a 75-minute solo show that fits any comedy room. Universities, science festivals, theaters, and clubs: let's talk.

Booking inquiries

Believe your eyes — then check your math.

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