The Scholastics beleived that humor resulted from the sudden realization of one's own superiority. When one suddenly 'discovers' that one is better than a person or situation, one laughs. When you listen to this joke you sudden;y realize how foolish the 'pragmatic scientist' is and laugh.

I think that it is absurd to claim that humor's purpose for human beings is as a means of establishing hierarchy, but it doesn't surprise that might be used in establishing it.

All said, this article was a waste of my time.

That's a great joke - in fact I've never heard it before. But, at the risk of being a spoilsport, the OP is not completely absurd, and neither is the original version of this joke. Googling, I found two common versions of this joke. The first two in the bar are invariably an American and a Russian (countries with a prestigious history of space exploration). The third person is either:

  1) a blonde
  2) an Irishman

Now it's no longer just absurd, it's making joke at others' expense. Blondes (in the US) and the Irish (in the UK) are stereotypically dumb. (Maybe there's a French version involving a Belgian?) It's still funny for sure, but there's more to it than harmless absurdity.

edit: I found the French version: http://www.blague.info/blagues/humour/drole-2228.html

OP is not completely absurd

When something stupid gets posted to hn, some of the instant responses typically include:

  - stupid
  - not hacker news
  - a sample size of one means nothing
  - ameteur ramblings
  - belongs on digg or reddit
  - correlation != causation
  - citings?
  - anecdotal, not scientific
  - fail
  - flagged (not only do they flag, they comment that they have flagged)

I've been reading hn for years, and OP is the most absurb thing I've ever read here. All of the above apply. But since it was about humor, I just turned it into the joke that it already is.

I think you're wrong on this one. I think the OP is on target and your joke is an example of its validity. I also think your posting of typical responses is you establishing your position in the HN hierarchy. Since you can list all of those typical responses, obviously you have been here longer and since you've been here longer, you're the man dogg.

You also belittle the OP calling it stupid. It's not stupid. It's the result of perhaps many years of research by people who are patient and observant.

The article echoes the feeling many, including myself, have had when making a joke in front of a superior and gotten that stern look of someone who feels their power being subverted. "I want people to feel my wrath and you are cracking jokes..." It's a subtle show of disrespect of the social order.

It's also poignant because we've probably all been in situations where we were compelled to laugh at a joke that wasn't funny to show our allegiance to the joke teller. This happens a lot when someone is making a joke at another's expense. If everyone laughs, then all is okay, the leader is still in charge. But if someone doesn't laugh, then everyone knows who is really on the side of right. Laughing at bad jokes shows loyalty and disregard for honesty at the gain of social credibility.

Are you trying to prove your better than me with that joke? Am I supposed to sit here and take that sort of abuse?