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What If?
Published
2014
Pages
321
Language
English
ISBN
9780544272996
About this book
From the creator of the wildly popular webcomic xkcd, hilarious and informative answers to important questions you probably never thought to ask 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 an enormous, dedicated following, as do his deeply researched answers to his fans' strangest questions. The queries he receives range from merely odd to downright diabolical: - What if I took a swim in a spent-nuclear-fuel pool? - Could you build a jetpack using downward-firing machine guns? - What if a Richter 15 earthquake hit New York City? - Are fire tornadoes possible? His responses are masterpieces of clarity and wit, gleefully and accurately explaining everything from the relativistic effects of a baseball pitched at near the speed of light to the many horrible ways you could die while building a periodic table out of all the actual elements. The book features new and never-before-answered questions, along with the most popular answers from the xkcd website. What If? is an informative feast for xkcd fans and anyone who loves to ponder the hypothetical.
Should I Read This?
AI-powered reading recommendation
AI Verdict
What If? is a brilliant blend of science, humor, and imagination, perfect for anyone who loves to ponder the absurdities of the universe. If you enjoy witty explanations of complex hypotheticals and don't mind a non-traditional format, this book is a must-read; however, those seeking a conventional narrative or profound philosophical discourse might find it too lighthearted.
AI Summary
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Randall Munroe's "What If?" from xkcd's creator, provides hilarious and informative answers to absurd hypothetical questions. Munroe applies scientific rigor and wit to queries like swimming in a nuclear-fuel pool or building a machine-gun jetpack. Featuring new content and popular web answers, the book makes complex science accessible and entertaining, appealing to curious minds and xkcd fans who enjoy pondering the delightfully improbable with a scientific twist.
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