Munroe, Randall. What if? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions. 2014. 303p. ISBN 9780544272996. Available as an audiobook on Overdrive.
A former rocket scientist, Randall Munroe worked for NASA before working fulltime for his popular website, http://what-if.xkcd.com/ and http://xkcd.com/, uses science and math to seriously answer some pretty improbable questions. Answering hypothetical questions asked by readers, Munroe provides a scientific background and manages to entertain at the same time.
Though most of the questions are very different, many of them end with the same conclusion: the planet would be destroyed. However, it’s not the end, it’s the journey that is entertaining. Sample questions include: What would happen if a pitcher threw a ball at 90% the speed of light? What would happen if you fired a bullet with the mass of a neutron star? What if there were only two people on Earth, and they started at opposite points on the planet, how long would it take before they met?
Using everyday language sprinkled with advanced mathematical and scientific concept, and drawing on popular culture and science fiction knowledge, this is a book that will actually make the reader smarter and the process of reading enjoyable.
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