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3.77k reviews for:
What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
Randall Munroe
4.14 AVERAGE
3.77k reviews for:
What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
Randall Munroe
4.14 AVERAGE
funny
informative
relaxing
fast-paced
Very readable and at times silly, yet it also includes smart and explosive science. I'd recommend this to all of my brothers-in-law, but they probably already know about it.
xkcd.com creator and scientist compiles answers to some of the strange questions asked on his website. I did skim parts, but overall very enjoyable.
Summary: With the help of stick-figure drawings, Munroe answers strange questions with real science.
xkcd.com creator and scientist compiles answers to some of the strange questions asked on his website. I did skim parts, but overall very enjoyable.
Summary: With the help of stick-figure drawings, Munroe answers strange questions with real science.
Awesome, fun, informative, and full of science. Physics, mostly, but a little geology, astronomy, and statistics, too.
This book takes some off the wall science-y questions, dazzles you with the math, slays you with the wit, and then you go on to the next one. The sections are short and very readable, and probably perfect for bathroom reading.
Do you like science? Do you like comics? Do you like the absurd? Read this book.
This book takes some off the wall science-y questions, dazzles you with the math, slays you with the wit, and then you go on to the next one. The sections are short and very readable, and probably perfect for bathroom reading.
Do you like science? Do you like comics? Do you like the absurd? Read this book.
OK, I had been to the website (some) and the book LOOKED interesting. After I pried it away from my 14yo, I thought I'd just browse it. NOT. This was utterly fascinating and I read EVERY word. This guy is more fun than firing arrows in zero gravity. More fun than draining all the oceans. More fun than building a periodic table out of real elements. More fun than switching off the sun. How DOES he get stick figures to show so much . . . emotion? Randall Munroe just became my new favorite science writer. TOO MUCH FUN. Nerd-geek and fellow-travelers--warning--you will NOT be able to put this down!!!!!
This book is an absolute blast. It’s informative but extremely easy to read, and the comic illustrations totally breathe life into every chapter. Would 100% recommend to anyone, especially folks who are usually leery of nonfiction.
There is so much to love about this book. Some of the questions are fascinating, some are disturbing and some are just entertaining. I would really like to know how some of the questions were conceived, but I find it fascinating that Munroe has answers to them. I loved, loved, loved the "Weird (and Worrying) Questions from the What If? Inbox". I just wished Munroe would have answered some of them, because I feel the answers would have been mind-blowing. And I need to know by Friday!
My favorite of all of the the questions is the periodic table. The question: "What would happen if you made a periodic table out of cube-shaped bricks, where each brick was made of the corresponding element?" The answer: bad, bad things. "You could stack the top two rows without much trouble. The third row would burn you with fire. The fourth row would kill you with toxic smoke. The fifth row would do all that stuff PLUS give you a mild dose of radiation. The sixth row would explode violently, destroying the building in a cloud of radioactive, poisonous fire and dust. Do not build the seventh row."
I also really loved the fact that the Netherlands are going to take over the world and probably Mars too, but only if you drain the water from the oceans and send it to Mars. There are just so many fun things in this book you can't mention them all. Just read it yourself and laugh like I did.
My favorite of all of the the questions is the periodic table. The question: "What would happen if you made a periodic table out of cube-shaped bricks, where each brick was made of the corresponding element?" The answer: bad, bad things. "You could stack the top two rows without much trouble. The third row would burn you with fire. The fourth row would kill you with toxic smoke. The fifth row would do all that stuff PLUS give you a mild dose of radiation. The sixth row would explode violently, destroying the building in a cloud of radioactive, poisonous fire and dust. Do not build the seventh row."
I also really loved the fact that the Netherlands are going to take over the world and probably Mars too, but only if you drain the water from the oceans and send it to Mars. There are just so many fun things in this book you can't mention them all. Just read it yourself and laugh like I did.
incredibly fun read. Randall Monroe is such an interesting writer, his answers are so fascinating, and i laughed a lot throughout. very cozy book, i’ve read every page of this out loud to some variety of friends or parents. can’t recommend highly enough! it’s made me much more interested in science :)
Hilariously informative. For people who like nonfiction and feeling smart but only if it's 100% entirely useless information.
funny
informative
relaxing
fast-paced
Exactly what I'd hope it to be, educational and entertaining.