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1. Making Science Entertaining with Explosions and Destruction
   A reader comes away from Randall Munroe’s book, which is subtitled “Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions,” with the sense that Munroe likes to blow things up and burn them to the ground, and that may well be the case. Many of his answers are accompanied by the standard disclaimer—do not try this at home—except when says, “If you do do this at home, please send me the video.”Munroe is a former robotics expert with NASA who “dropped out” to draw web comics. His most famous creation is xkcd, where three times a week he publishes a new comic, many of them presenting a fascinating—or ludicrous—take on math, physics, technology or life. His drawing style is at once simplistic and instantly recognizable. His people are stick figures, but that doesn’t diminish their cleverness. This book is illustrated with similar drawings, often to provide the punch lines to jokes delivered in the text or to demonstrate a point.Since he’s obviously very clever and resourceful, and seems willing to tackle enormous questions, his readers and fans often ask him questions. Some of these are, quite frankly, disturbing. These he relegates to interludes between batches of chapters with the appropriate heading “Weird (and Worrying) Questions from the What If? Inbox.” Usually he answers these questions with a simple NO! or a scream, or a comic of the author reporting the questioner to the police, the FBI or Homeland Security.The other questions are of the sort that college kids might come up with late at night in dorm rooms or geeks would get into heated arguments over at ComicCon. No one asks Munroe who would win in a fight between this superhero and that one, but maybe he’s keeping those for the follow-up.Many questions are about a matter of scale. How many of these objects would you need to do that? What would happen if something this big suddenly showed up or plummeted to the earth? A disturbingly large number of them ask what would happen to a person if something cataclysmic happened, like the sudden disappearance of all of their DNA (his answer unexpectedly segues into the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatments for cancer).Some questions have straightforward, simple answers. “What would happen to the Earth if the Sun suddenly turned off?” Everyone would freeze to death. However, Munroe is rarely content to stop there. He expands on these answers, taking them to a logical (or, some might say, illogical) extreme. He ups the ante, going far beyond what the person submitting the question had in mind—far beyond what is even remotely possible, so the answers become thought experiments. Many of his answers end with the extinguishing of life on earth or the destruction of the planet.But there’s a method to his madness. He isn’t just speculating. Okay, he does occasionally speculate, but he usually relies on hard science, with a few assumptions. While the book is entertaining and laugh-out-loud funny, it is also educational. There are very few formulas (the book does have an extensive bibliography where there are, no doubt, more than enough equations to satisfy those who demand more rigorous proofs), and Munroe takes some numerical shortcuts, but one is left with the impression that he has given these questions a great deal of thought and conducted considerable research.This would be a terrific book to give to someone with a burgeoning curiosity about the nature of things, as it demonstrates how entertaining science can be. Many of the answers are astonishing and counterintuitive, until Munroe lays out the reasoning behind them. What would happen to a glass of water if the lower half of the liquid were suddenly replaced by a vacuum. Not at all what a person might anticipate. If humanity were to die off (there he goes again), what would be the last remaining manmade source of light? Again, he digs deep, pursuing some unexpected avenues.Plus, for people who appreciate Munroe’s unique, twisted sense of humor, the book is drop dead funny. But, as humorist Dave Barry often says, don’t try to duplicate his experiments at home. By his own admission, he is not an expert on these subjects. Because he is willing to consult true experts, he just sounds like one.

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2. Gran libro
   Explica muchos casos

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3. Very entertaining read about strange What If’s in science and life.
   Randall Munroe is the creator of the popular webcomic xkcd. Awhile ago he started a new section on his site called “What If”. This book is a compilation of the What If posts from his site. They are funny, and sometimes absurd, scientific answers to strange questions people post to him.I listened to this as an audiobook. It is narrated by Wil Wheaton and Wil does a great job narrating it. For me it is easier to listen to non-fiction books on audiobook (it just holds my attention better). However, I also own the book in hardcover and being that Munroe is a cartoonist there are a lot of cool pictures in the hardcover book that are funny and help to explain things. So while the audiobook was very well done and engaging, keep in mind you aren’t getting to see the funny drawings.This is the type of book that makes a good coffee table book and is fun to read one scenario at a time. When I listened to a whole bunch of scenarios in a row it all started to blur together a bit. It provides answers to questions like “How long would you live if your cells stopped dividing?” and “What would happen if the moon went away?” The book reminds a bit of the Mythbusters TV show because Munroe always had to take the scenario to the point of ultimate destruction or explosion (which is hilarious and highly entertaining).The book is written in a very humorous and snarky tone (which Wheaton reads perfectly in the audiobook). There are sections throughout called “Weird and Worrying Questions from the What If Inbox” that are also hilarious. These sections feature bizarre and disturbing questions that Munroe provides brief and sarcastic answers to. For example “How many cats yowling would it take to bring down a fighter jet?”Overall this is a humorous scientific read that provides scientific answers to bizarre questions. It reminds at times of the Mythbusters TV series in that nearly every scenario is taken to the point of giant explosions or mass destruction. I would definitely recommend to fans of the Mythbusters TV series, fans of xkcd, and fans of snarky science humor.

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4. Amazing book, fun and knowledge in one book.
   Very much enjoyable book capturing fun and knowledge. Looking forward to reading the next iteration! Images here and there greatly improves the enjoyable experience.

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5. Great book
   Really good. Hilarious and educational, while keeping in the style of xkcd. Amazing book, would recommend to anyone who’s ever thought “what if?”

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6. El libro es cómico, entretenido e interesante, puesto que explica las preguntas más absurdas que podamos tener, esto con bases científicas y muchas investigación, claro que no pueden faltar las clásicas tiras cómicas para darle ese toque especial.Esta lectura es una forma diferente de hacer comedia y porque no, también aprender cosas nuevas en el proceso.

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7. What If? est un pur régal pour l’esprit curieux et amateur de science, d’humour et de questions complètement farfelues. Randall Munroe, avec son style unique mêlant rigueur scientifique et humour pince-sans-rire, parvient à transformer les hypothèses les plus absurdes en véritables démonstrations captivantes.L’idée derrière ce livre est simple mais diablement efficace : prendre des questions délirantes que personne n’oserait poser sérieusement – comme Que se passerait-il si la Terre cessait soudainement de tourner ? ou Combien faudrait-il de Yoda pour soulever un X-Wing ? – et y répondre avec toute la rigueur scientifique imaginable. Munroe, ancien ingénieur de la NASA, n’hésite pas à plonger dans les détails les plus pointus, allant de la physique des particules aux considérations biologiques, en passant par des calculs vertigineux, tout en gardant un ton léger et accessible.L’un des grands atouts du livre réside dans son approche pédagogique : même les concepts scientifiques les plus complexes sont expliqués de manière ludique, souvent à l’aide des célèbres dessins minimalistes de l’auteur, qui ajoutent une touche de légèreté et d’ironie bienvenue. C’est le genre de livre où l’on apprend sans s’en rendre compte, et où chaque réponse entraîne une cascade de nouvelles interrogations.L’humour est omniprésent et parfaitement dosé. Munroe joue habilement avec les absurdités de ses propres hypothèses, poussant la logique jusqu’à ses extrêmes pour mieux en révéler les implications insoupçonnées (et souvent catastrophiques). Ce mélange de sérieux et de second degré rend le livre addictif, difficile à poser une fois commencé.En résumé, What If? est une lecture incontournable pour tous ceux qui aiment la science, l’humour intelligent et les expériences de pensée improbables. C’est un livre aussi divertissant qu’éducatif, qui prouve que la curiosité n’a aucune limite… et que même les questions les plus absurdes méritent des réponses sérieuses (ou presque).

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8. “What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions” von Randall Munroe ist ein unglaublich unterhaltsames und zugleich lehrreiches Buch. Munroe, der Schöpfer von xkcd, gelingt es, scheinbar absurde und oft witzige Fragen mit ernsthafter wissenschaftlicher Akribie zu beantworten. Ob es darum geht, was passieren würde, wenn man einen Baseball mit Lichtgeschwindigkeit wirft oder wie hoch man eine Erdmauer stapeln könnte – seine Antworten sind gleichermaßen verblüffend wie humorvoll.Besonders gefällt mir, dass das Buch komplexe wissenschaftliche Zusammenhänge auf eine leicht verständliche Weise erklärt, ohne dabei je langweilig zu werden. Die Erklärungen sind voll von witzigen Illustrationen und trockenen Kommentaren, die das Lesen zu einem Vergnügen machen. Gleichzeitig lernt man eine Menge über Physik, Mathematik, Biologie und andere Naturwissenschaften – ganz ohne das Gefühl, dass es sich um ein Lehrbuch handelt.Munroes einzigartiger Humor und seine Fähigkeit, wissenschaftliche Theorien auf lustige und kreative Weise zu präsentieren, machen dieses Buch zu einer perfekten Mischung aus Unterhaltung und Wissen. Egal, ob man ein Wissenschafts-Fan oder einfach nur neugierig auf skurrile Fragestellungen ist – dieses Buch wird definitiv zum Nachdenken anregen und für viele Lacher sorgen.Insgesamt ist es ein absolutes Muss für jeden, der Spaß an kuriosen Gedankenspielen und cleveren Erklärungen hat. Sehr zu empfehlen!

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9. Mantıksız sorulara mantıklı cevap bana göre değilmiş

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10. “What If?” by Randall Munroe is a delightful exploration of the bizarre, absurd, and seemingly impossible questions that have intrigued curious minds for generations. Munroe, a former NASA roboticist and the creator of the webcomic xkcd, takes readers on an intellectual rollercoaster ride through a series of hypothetical scenarios, offering serious scientific answers with a hefty dose of wit and humor. Here’s why “What If?” is a must-read for anyone who enjoys pondering the strange and fantastical:Clever and Engaging: Munroe’s writing is clever, engaging, and infused with a unique sense of humor. He takes the most outlandish questions, such as “What would happen if you tried to hit a baseball pitched at 90 percent the speed of light?” and breaks them down into scientifically sound, yet often hilarious, explanations.Scientific Rigor: Despite the absurdity of the questions, Munroe maintains scientific rigor throughout the book. He diligently researches and consults experts to provide well-informed answers, often delving into physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics.Accessible Language: Munroe has a remarkable ability to convey complex scientific concepts in an accessible and understandable manner. Whether you have a background in science or not, you’ll find the explanations clear and engaging.Imaginative Scenarios: The scenarios explored in “What If?” are incredibly imaginative and diverse. From calculating the energy required to stop the Earth’s rotation to determining the likelihood of finding a soul mate in a world with only 10,000 people, the book is a treasure trove of thought-provoking inquiries.Humor and Wit: Munroe’s humor adds an extra layer of enjoyment to the book. His witty remarks and clever illustrations complement the scientific content, making each scenario both informative and amusing.Curiosity-Stoking: “What If?” has a way of sparking curiosity and encouraging readers to think critically about the world around them. It invites you to ponder absurd questions and contemplate the underlying scientific principles.Broad Appeal: This book has broad appeal. It’s suitable for science enthusiasts, casual readers, and anyone who enjoys a good laugh. You don’t need to be a scientist to appreciate the humor and intellect within its pages.Fascinating Real-World Insights: Alongside the fantastical scenarios, Munroe provides insights into real-world phenomena, making readers look at everyday things from a new perspective.In conclusion, “What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions” is a delightful and intellectually stimulating journey into the realms of the absurd and the scientific. Randall Munroe’s unique blend of humor and scientific expertise makes this book a true gem for curious minds. Whether you read it cover to cover or dip into its pages for a quick chuckle and a dose of knowledge, “What If?” will leave you with a newfound appreciation for the wonders and mysteries of the universe, both real and imagined. It’s a testament to the power of curiosity and the joy of exploring the unknown.

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