2015-01-19
Explanation
The Joke
In a future where brain emulation is possible, a panel of judges must select which historical brain to emulate for the benefit of humanity. The process is expensive, so candidates must make their case. Several brilliant minds present their achievements: one has written poems so beautiful they stopped wars, another was the first person to understand the true structure of the universe. Then a third candidate says, "I derive erotic pleasure from performing repetitive industrial tasks." The judges immediately declare, "We have a winner."
The Humor
The comic satirizes how society values different kinds of human achievement. Despite having access to history's greatest poets and scientists, the committee selects the person whose brain is essentially an ideal factory worker — someone who finds sexual pleasure in monotonous labor. From a purely economic standpoint, this person is far more "useful to humanity" than a poet or physicist, because their emulated brain could be replicated endlessly to cheerfully perform all the tedious industrial work that society needs done.
The joke highlights the uncomfortable tension between what we claim to value (art, science, beauty, knowledge) and what capitalism actually rewards and needs (compliant, enthusiastic labor). It also touches on the dystopian implications of brain emulation technology — rather than resurrecting the greatest minds to advance human understanding, the most practical application would be creating a workforce that genuinely enjoys drudgery.