Puns are probably an ancient development [0] and there are a lot of famous punny people historically from Shakespeare to Abraham Lincoln -- I wonder if the modern scientific world is more or less hospitable to punning than the rest of society?
From "Preface to Shakespeare" by Samuel Johnson in 1765 (here "quibble" means the same thing as "pun"):
"A quibble is to Shakespeare, what luminous vapours are to the
traveller; he follows it at all adventures, it is sure to lead him
out of his way, and sure to engulf him in the mire. It has some
malignant power over his mind, and its fascinations are irresistible.
Whatever be the dignity or profundity of his disquisition, whether
he be enlarging knowledge or exalting affection, whether he be
amusing attention with incidents, or enchaining it in suspense,
let but a quibble spring up before him, and he leaves his work
unfinished. A quibble is the golden apple for which he will always
turn aside from his career, or stoop from his elevation. A quibble
poor and barren as it is, gave him such delight, that he was content
to purchase it, by the sacrifice of reason, propriety and truth." [1]
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pun#History_and_global_usage
[1] https://www.sapili.org/livros/en/gu005429.pdf
