If you get an invitation from Randall Munroe to go to Rhode Island, say “No, Thank You” and start hoarding food and water*. It’s not that he’s trying to end the world, probably, but he has imagined a scenario that would bring about the end of civilization as we know it. Why would he do that? Because he created one of the most dangerous things in the world – a question box, and he attempts to answer questions with science and math. The answers are […]
Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
Ah, this book was so much fun! I’ve read Munroe’s comic strip — xkcd — on and off for years, and have seen some of his “what if” questions online when they’ve gone viral. Here, he’s collected a bunch of weird, wonderful questions and answered them with an excellent combination of math, science, and humor. “They say there are no stupid questions. That’s obviously wrong; I think my question about hard and soft things, for example, is pretty stupid. But it turns out that trying to […]
Only read this if you think it won’t scare the poop out of you.
This book was equal parts hilarious and utter nightmare fuel. I have never had such an emotionally confusing reading experience. One second, snorting my drink up my nose from laughter, the next trying to shove down the sudden and complete terror I’m experiencing because I’ve been forced to imagine trying to survive in six atmospheres of pressure brought upon by an expanding Earth, or collapsing into a pile of human goo because I’ve lost my DNA, and doing so has reminded me of my mortality […]
Science and Absurdity
My interest in science and space has grown exponentially from practically non-existent to almost moderate thanks to The Martian, and now, What if?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions (2014) by Randall Monroe. Reading detailed, scientific answers with lots of math and equations that I don’t understand isn’t normally my thing. So I was afraid when I picked up What if? that it might turn into a plod. Fortunately Munroe exceeded my expectations, entertaining me throughout and even teaching me a thing or two. The key to this book […]
If you suddenly began rising steadily at one foot per second, how exactly would you die?
Embarking on a 13 hour car trip I asked a friend for a suggestion for an audiobook. The words “xkcd” and “Wil Wheaton” were barely out of his mouth when I started to download it from my local libraries collection. And I was not disappointed. xkcd is “A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language” so clearly probably a hit with this audience. There is a “What If” section where readers can ask questions and, as the title suggests, Randall Munroe will possibly choose one to […]
When Has Physics Made You Laugh?
I don’t think that I’ve laughed out loud at a book that wasn’t a straight up comedy memoir in a long time. Randall Munroe is the cartoonist behind xkcd. In this book, he takes on some pretty awesome questions that are utterly ridiculous (but still fun to think about) and sorts out the science. The tone kind of reminded me of my favorite fiction book this year, “The Martian.” There are a lot of calculations that I don’t fully understand, but he explains them well […]