Now, become an astronaut if you can tell a good joke

You get to fly to Mars.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) wants an "onboard comedian" in its team for a manned mission to Mars in order to make to stressful situations light during the long spaceflight.
However, the ability to tickle the funny bone alone will not do and in order to be a part of the team, the astronaut will have to be in great physical shape and pass the technical skills exam.
Jeffrey Johnson, an anthropologist at the University of Florida, Gainesville is delving into Nasa's Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA), a project that tackles how behavioural and team performance affect space explorations. Johnson pointed out that these are people that have the ability to pull everyone together, bridge gaps when tensions appear and boost morale.
"When you're living with others in a confined space for a long period of time, such as on a mission to Mars, tensions are likely to fray. It's vital to have somebody who can help everyone get along, so they can do their jobs and get there and back safely. It's mission critical," pop.inquirer.net quoted Johnson as saying.
Johnson cited historical examples such as Norwegian explorer, Roald Amundsen's success in reaching the South Pole. He said that the Norwegians had a jolly "clown" figure on their team.
However he clarified that being funny alone is not enough. "Being funny won't be enough to land somebody the job. They also need to be an excellent scientist and engineer and be able to pass a rigorous training regime," Johnson added.