What If? 2 (book): Difference between revisions
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==Background== |
==Background== |
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Munroe, whose career began as a [[Robotics|roboticist]] for [[NASA]], began writing his webcomic [[xkcd]] in 2005, and following its success took up cartooning full-time soon after.<ref name=WaPo>{{cite news |last=Cavna |first=Michael |date=September 14, 2022 |title=The world's funniest former roboticist will take your questions |newspaper=Washington Post}}</ref> With many of his drawings revolving around the topics of science and mathematics, Munroe soon began receiving questions from readers about those subject areas.<ref name=Time/> As a result, he created a blog titled ''What If?'' where he compiled these questions and his subsequent responses.<ref name=Atlantic>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/09/a-conversation-with-randall-munroe-the-creator-of-xkcd/262851/|magazine=[[The Atlantic]]|title=A Conversation With Randall Munroe, the Creator of XKCD|last=Garber|first=Megan|date=2012-09-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406134047/http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/09/a-conversation-with-randall-munroe-the-creator-of-xkcd/262851/|archive-date=2016-04-06|url-status=live}}</ref> The blog formed the basis for his 2014 book ''[[What If? (book)|What If?]]'', which reached the top of [[The New York Times Best Seller list]], and inspired the creation of a second volume, ''What If? 2''.<ref name=Time/> |
Munroe, whose career began as a [[Robotics|roboticist]] for [[NASA]], began writing his webcomic [[xkcd]] in 2005, and following its success took up cartooning full-time soon after.<ref name=WaPo>{{cite news |last=Cavna |first=Michael |date=September 14, 2022 |title=The world's funniest former roboticist will take your questions |newspaper=Washington Post}}</ref> With many of his drawings revolving around the topics of science and mathematics, Munroe soon began receiving questions from readers about those subject areas.<ref name=Time/> As a result, he created a spinoff blog titled ''What If?'' where he compiled these questions and his subsequent responses.<ref name=Atlantic>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/09/a-conversation-with-randall-munroe-the-creator-of-xkcd/262851/|magazine=[[The Atlantic]]|title=A Conversation With Randall Munroe, the Creator of XKCD|last=Garber|first=Megan|date=2012-09-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406134047/http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/09/a-conversation-with-randall-munroe-the-creator-of-xkcd/262851/|archive-date=2016-04-06|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=Verge>{{cite web |last=Gartenberg |first=Chaim |date=January 31, 2022 |title=XKCD’s Randall Munroe announces What If? 2, with more scientific answers to life’s most absurd hypothetical questions |website=theverge.com |publisher=Vox Media |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/31/22910603/xkcd-randall-munroe-what-if-2-book-annoucement-release-date |access-date=June 28, 2024}}</ref> The blog formed the basis for his 2014 book ''[[What If? (book)|What If?]]'', which reached the top of [[The New York Times Best Seller list]], and inspired the creation of a second volume, ''What If? 2''.<ref name=Time/> |
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==Synopsis== |
==Synopsis== |
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''What If? 2'' continues in the same vein as its predecessor in attempting to provide logical, science- and mathematics-based answers to extreme hypothetical questions and situations.<ref name=WaPo/> The author uses techniques made famous by physicist [[Enrico Fermi]] and his [[Fermi problem]]s, with which the anwers to seemingly complex questions can be arrived at roughly by using data that is already known.<ref name=WSJ>{{cite news |last=Meigs |first=James B. |date=November 18, 2022 |title=What If? 2 Review: Serious science can be silly |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref> With such techniques, Munroe is able to estimate that a [[Tyrannosaurus|Tyrannosaurus Rex]] released in [[New York City]] would need to eat half of one human per day in order to survive, and that it would take over 8,300 years to fill an [[Olympic-size swimming pool]] with your own [[saliva]], among other hypotheticals.<ref name=Time/> |
''What If? 2'' continues in the same vein as its predecessor in attempting to provide logical, science- and mathematics-based answers to extreme hypothetical questions and situations.<ref name=WaPo/> The author uses techniques made famous by physicist [[Enrico Fermi]] and his [[Fermi problem]]s, with which the anwers to seemingly complex questions can be arrived at roughly by using data that is already known.<ref name=WSJ>{{cite news |last=Meigs |first=James B. |date=November 18, 2022 |title=What If? 2 Review: Serious science can be silly |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref> With such techniques, Munroe is able to estimate that a [[Tyrannosaurus|Tyrannosaurus Rex]] released in [[New York City]] would need to eat half of one human per day in order to survive, and that it would take over 8,300 years to fill an [[Olympic-size swimming pool]] with your own [[saliva]], among other hypotheticals.<ref name=Time/> |
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Munroe includes 64 questions covered in depth in this installment, each separated into its own chapter, and dozens more are answered briefly.<ref name=WSJ/> The book's prose is humorous, and the chapters are also frequently accompanied by the author's illustrations, done in the same minimalist, [[stick figure]] style as his webcomic.<ref name=WaPo/> Many of the book's questions were submitted by children, and these are generally preferred by Munroe, who considers them more straightforward than the elaborate scenarios often envisioned by adults.<ref name=NPR>{{cite web |last=Rascoe |first=Ayesha |date=September 18, 2022 |title=Randall Munroe's 'What If? 2' answers the absurd science questions you didn't know you had |website=npr.org |publisher=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/09/18/1123689628/randall-munroes-what-if-2-answers-the-absurd-science-questions-you-didnt-know-yo |access-date=June 28, 2024}}</ref> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 19:06, 28 June 2024
| Author | Randall Munroe |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Publisher | Riverhead Books |
Publication date | 2022 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print, e-book |
| Pages | 368 pages |
| ISBN | 0525537112 |
What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions is a 2022 non-fiction book by Randall Munroe. The book seeks to provide scientific answers to hypothetical questions proposed by readers of the author's webcomic, xkcd, and blog, What If? A follow-up to Munroe's 2014 title What If?, the book was released on September 13, 2022 to generally positive reviews, with Time saying, "Science isn't easy, but in Munroe's capable hands, it surely can be fun."[1]
Background
Munroe, whose career began as a roboticist for NASA, began writing his webcomic xkcd in 2005, and following its success took up cartooning full-time soon after.[2] With many of his drawings revolving around the topics of science and mathematics, Munroe soon began receiving questions from readers about those subject areas.[1] As a result, he created a spinoff blog titled What If? where he compiled these questions and his subsequent responses.[3][4] The blog formed the basis for his 2014 book What If?, which reached the top of The New York Times Best Seller list, and inspired the creation of a second volume, What If? 2.[1]
Synopsis
What If? 2 continues in the same vein as its predecessor in attempting to provide logical, science- and mathematics-based answers to extreme hypothetical questions and situations.[2] The author uses techniques made famous by physicist Enrico Fermi and his Fermi problems, with which the anwers to seemingly complex questions can be arrived at roughly by using data that is already known.[5] With such techniques, Munroe is able to estimate that a Tyrannosaurus Rex released in New York City would need to eat half of one human per day in order to survive, and that it would take over 8,300 years to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool with your own saliva, among other hypotheticals.[1]
Munroe includes 64 questions covered in depth in this installment, each separated into its own chapter, and dozens more are answered briefly.[5] The book's prose is humorous, and the chapters are also frequently accompanied by the author's illustrations, done in the same minimalist, stick figure style as his webcomic.[2] Many of the book's questions were submitted by children, and these are generally preferred by Munroe, who considers them more straightforward than the elaborate scenarios often envisioned by adults.[6]
References
- ^ a b c d Kluger, Jeffrey (September 24, 2022). "Could You Eat a Cloud? How Randall Munroe became the guru of absurd science questions". Time.
- ^ a b c Cavna, Michael (September 14, 2022). "The world's funniest former roboticist will take your questions". Washington Post.
- ^ Garber, Megan (2012-09-26). "A Conversation With Randall Munroe, the Creator of XKCD". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 2016-04-06.
- ^ Gartenberg, Chaim (January 31, 2022). "XKCD's Randall Munroe announces What If? 2, with more scientific answers to life's most absurd hypothetical questions". theverge.com. Vox Media. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
- ^ a b Meigs, James B. (November 18, 2022). "What If? 2 Review: Serious science can be silly". The Wall Street Journal.
- ^ Rascoe, Ayesha (September 18, 2022). "Randall Munroe's 'What If? 2' answers the absurd science questions you didn't know you had". npr.org. NPR. Retrieved June 28, 2024.