What If? : Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

Randall Munroe left NASA in 2005 to start up his hugely popular site XKCD 'a web comic of romance, sarcasm, math and language' which offers a witty take on the world of science and geeks. It now has 600,000 to a million page hits daily. Every now and then, Munroe would get emails asking him to arbitrate a science debate. 'My friend and I were arguing about what would happen if a bullet got struck by lightning, and we agreed that you should resolve it . . . ' He liked these questions so much that he started up What If . If your cells suddenly lost the power to divide, how long would you survive? How dangerous is it, really, to be in a swimming pool in a thunderstorm? If we hooked turbines to people exercising in gyms, how much power could we produce? What if everyone only had one soulmate? When (if ever) did the sun go down on the British empire? How fast can you hit a speed bump while driving and live? What would happen if the moon went away? 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, studded with memorable cartoons and infographics. They often predict the complete annihilation of humankind, or at least a really big explosion. Far more than a book for geeks, WHAT IF: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions explains the laws of science in operation in a way that every intelligent reader will enjoy and feel much the smarter for having read. 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. -- Global Windstorm -- Relativistic Baseball -- Spent Fuel Pool -- Weird (and Worrying) Questions From The What If? Inbox, #1 -- New York-style Time Machine -- Soul Mates -- Laser Pointer -- Periodical Wall Of The Elements -- Everybody Jump -- A Mole Of Moles -- Hair Dryer -- Weird (and Worrying) Questions From The What If? Inbox, #2 -- The Last Human Light -- Machine-gun Jetpack -- Rising Steadily -- Weird (and Worrying) Questions From The What If? Inbox, #3 -- Orbital Submarine -- Short-answer Section -- Lightning -- Weird (and Worrying) Questions From The What If? Inbox, #4 -- Human Computer -- Little Planet -- Steak Drop -- Hockey Puck -- Common Cold -- Glass Half Empty -- Weird (and Worrying) Questions From The What If? Inbox, #5 -- Alien Astronomers -- No More Dna -- Interplanetary Cessna -- Weird (and Worrying) Questions From The What If? Inbox, #6 -- Yoda -- Flyover States -- Falling With Helium -- Everybody Out -- Weird (and Worrying) Questions From The What If? Inbox, #7 -- Self-fertilization -- High Throw -- Lethal Neutrinos -- Weird (and Worrying) Questions From The What If? Inbox, #8 -- Speed Bump -- Lost Immortals -- Orbital Speed -- Fedex Bandwidth -- Free Fall -- Weird (and Worrying) Questions From The What If? Inbox, #9 -- Sparta -- Drain The Oceans -- Drain The Oceans : Part Ii -- Twitter -- Lego Bridge -- Longest Sunset -- Random Sneeze Call -- Weird (and Worrying) Questions From The What If? Inbox, #10 -- Expanding Earth -- Weightless Arrow -- Sunless Earth -- Updating A Printed Wikipedia -- Facebook Of The Dead -- Sunset On The British Empire -- Stirring Tea -- All The Lightning -- Loneliest Human -- Weird (and Worrying) Questions From The What If? Inbox, #11 -- Raindrop -- Sat Guessing -- Neutron Bullet -- Weird (and Worrying) Questions From The What If? Inbox, #12 -- Richter 15. Randall Munroe. Includes Bibliographical References (pages [299]-303).

The improbable story of the wildest idea-a space craft powered by hydrogen bombs-to come out of the space race.

It was the late 1950s. The Cold War was raging. Sputnik had made its voyage and the space race was on. In America, it was the age of tail fins and "duck and cover," but it was also a time of big ideas and dreams. On his way to school one day, George Dyson learned of a truly fantastical idea: massive space vehicles that would be powered by explosions of multiple hydrogen bombs. Among the brilliant minds behind this project was George's father, the eminent physicist Freeman Dyson.

Project Orion chronicles this fascinating episode in U.S. scientific research, while capturing a unique time in American history and culture. The project brought together a cadre of brilliant physicists, the first such assemblage since the Manhattan Project of fifteen years earlier. In an idyllic seaside community in southern California-the very picture of 1950s suburban prosperity-a handful of scientists, tackled a massive project that required the ingenuity of an engineer and the vision of a great theoretician. Their work-ambitious but ultimately futile-took place against the political and cultural backdrop of the Cold War, when nuclear technology spelled both promise and terror.

Dyson's prodigious historical and scientific research, combined with his personal reminiscences and connections, make for a lively, richly detailed narrative.

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 "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"-- Provided by publisher In the New York Times best-selling book from the creator of the wildly popular webcomic xkcd, Randall Munroe gives hilarious and informative answers to important questions you probably never thought to ask. 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? What if everyone only had one soulmate? What would happen if the moon went away? In pursuit of answers, Munroe ran computer simulations, pored over stacks of declassified military research memos, solved differential equations, and consulted 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.) Far more than a book for geeks, What If? explains the laws of science in operation in a way that every intelligent reader will enjoy and feel much smarter for having read. The Sunday Times Bestseller From The Creator Of The Wildly Popular Xkcd.com, Hilarious And Informative Answers To Important Questions You Probably Never Thought To Ask. Millions Visit Xkcd.com Each Week To Read Randall Munroe's Iconic Webcomic. Fans Ask Him A Lot Of Strange Questions: How Fast Can You Hit A Speed Bump, Driving, And Live? When (if Ever) Did The Sun Go Down On The British Empire? When Will Facebook Contain More Profiles Of Dead People Than Living? How Many Humans Would A T Rex Rampaging Through New York Need To Eat A Day? In Pursuit Of Answers, Munroe Runs Computer Simulations, Pores Over Stacks Of Declassified Military Research Memos, Solves Differential Equations And Consults Nuclear Reactor Operators. His Responses Are Masterpieces Of Clarity And Hilarity, Complemented By Comics. They Often Predict The Complete Annihilation Of Humankind, Or At Least A Really Big Explosion. POPULAR SCIENCE. From the creator of the wildly popular xkcd.com, hilarious and informative answers to important questions you probably never thought to ask. Millions visit xkcd.com each week to read Randall Munroe's iconic webcomic. Fans ask him a lot of strange questions: How fast can you hit a speed bump, driving, and live? When (if ever) did the sun go down on the British Empire? When will Facebook contain more profiles of dead people than living? How many humans would a T Rex rampaging through New York need to eat a day? In pursuit of answers, Munroe runs computer simulations, pores over stacks of declassified military research memos, solves differential equations and consults nuclear reactor operators. His responses are masterpieces of clarity and hilarity, complemented by comics. They often predict the complete annihilation of humankind, or at least a really big explosion A brilliant combination of history and personal recollections documents the incredible story of a wild idea--a spacecraft powered by hydrogen bombs--and brings to life an episode in U.S. scientific research that brought together a vast array of brilliant physicists, including the author's father, who participated in the vision of a renowned theoretician, during the political and cultural backdrop of the Cold War Science's most intriguing questions answered by the web's favourite writer, the genius behind xkcd.com.Munroe's hilarious and compelling answers explain everything from the odds of meeting your one true soulmate to how many humans a rampaging T-Rex would need to eat a day. On October 4, 1957, Earth's first artificial satellite, weighing 184 pounds was launched.