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Loading... What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions (original 2014; edition 2014)by Randall Munroe (Author)
Work InformationWhat If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe (2014)
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Fun. Wish there were more biology scenarios, but very funny ( ) This book sounded as if it might be interesting, but the questions addressed were ridiculous and also became tedious as they nearly all involved mass destruction and extinction as the answer. An example is "what would happen if a hairdryer with continuous power were turned on and put in an airtight 1 x 1 x 1 metre box". He then makes the dial go up to stupendous temperatures, makes the box metal etc. That one doesn't involve the Earth's destruction but is an example of the general pointless nature of the questions. A lot of the answers involve impossibilities such as indestructible items or things that go impossibly fast or involve the entire energy output of the planet or whatever as otherwise the real answer would be nothing as that particular scenario isn't possible. An intriguing illustration on the cover, showing a TRex being swung, and the main reason I bought the book, isn't even one of the included questions. There are some cute cartoons accompanying the text and I found the one near the beginning of the book quite touching, showing the Moon comforting the Earth and helping it restart spinning after coming to an abrupt halt and losing all its atmosphere and life (from "What would happen if the Earth and all terrestrial objects suddenly stopped spinning, but the atmosphere retained its velocity?") But one cartoon on its own couldn't drag this book into the 'OK' band and I'm afraid it's a one star rating from me. Fun. A book to dip in and out of, not possible or interesting to read in long sessions. Munroe is the author of a webcomic xkcd, which became very popular, and this is not the serialisation of it, but instead the author using his science background to answer reader's questions in a similar vein - taking common possibilities to extreme limits to calculate what might happen. Fun, silly and a good reminder that science doesn't have to be dull. AwardsDistinctionsNotable Lists
"Millions of people visit xkcd.com each week to read Randall Munroe's iconic webcomic. His stick-figure drawings about science, technology, language, and love have a large and passionate following. Fans of xkcd ask Munroe a lot of strange questions. What if you tried to hit a baseball pitched at 90 percent the speed of light? How fast can you hit a speed bump while driving and live? If there was a robot apocalypse, how long would humanity last? In pursuit of answers, Munroe runs computer simulations, pores over stacks of declassified military research memos, solves differential equations, and consults with nuclear reactor operators. His responses are masterpieces of clarity and hilarity, complemented by signature xkcd comics. They often predict the complete annihilation of humankind, or at least a really big explosion. The book features new and never-before-answered questions, along with updated and expanded versions of the most popular answers from the xkcd website. What If? will be required reading for xkcd fans and anyone who loves to ponder the hypothetical. "-- No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)500Natural sciences and mathematics General Science General ScienceLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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