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What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
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What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions Hardcover - 2014

by Randall Munroe


From the 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

Details

  • Title What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
  • Author Randall Munroe
  • Binding Hardcover
  • Edition First Edition
  • Pages 320
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Dey Street Books, New York, NY
  • Date 2014-09-02
  • ISBN 9780544272996 / 0544272994
  • Weight 2.04 lbs (0.93 kg)
  • Dimensions 9 x 7.3 x 1.4 in (22.86 x 18.54 x 3.56 cm)
  • Themes
    • Aspects (Academic): Science/Technology Aspects
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 2014016311
  • Dewey Decimal Code 500

Media reviews

Citations

  • BookPage, 09/01/2014, Page 0
  • Discover, 10/01/2014, Page 74
  • Entertainment Weekly, 12/12/2014, Page 75
  • Library Journal, 10/01/2014, Page 107
  • People Weekly, 12/22/2014, Page 46

About the author

RANDALL MUNROE, a former NASA roboticist, is the creator of the webcomic xkcd and the author of xkcd: volume 0. The International Astronomical Union recently named an asteroid after him; asteroid 4942 Munroe is big enough to cause a mass extinction if it ever hits a planet like earth.
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What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

by Munroe, Randall

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What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

by Munroe, Randall

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ISBN 13
9780544272996
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What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

by Munroe, Randall

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ISBN 13
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Dey Street Books, 2014. Hardcover. Good. Missing dust jacket; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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What If? : Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

What If? : Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

by Randall Munroe

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ISBN 13
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What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

by Munroe, Randall

  • Used
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  • Hardcover
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Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780544272996
ISBN 10
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Seattle, Washington, United States
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Description:
Dey Street Books, 2014. Hardcover. Good. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
NZ$10.12
FREE shipping to USA
What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

by Munroe, Randall

  • Used
  • good
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780544272996
ISBN 10
0544272994
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Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
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Description:
Dey Street Books, 2014. Hardcover. Good. Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
NZ$10.12
FREE shipping to USA
What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

by Munroe, Randall

  • Used
  • Acceptable
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Acceptable
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780544272996
ISBN 10
0544272994
Quantity Available
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Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
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Show Details

Description:
Dey Street Books, 2014. Hardcover. Acceptable. Missing dust jacket; Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
NZ$10.12
FREE shipping to USA
What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

by Munroe, Randall

  • Used
  • good
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780544272996
ISBN 10
0544272994
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Seattle, Washington, United States
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This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
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Show Details

Description:
Dey Street Books, 2014. Hardcover. Good. Former library book; Missing dust jacket; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
NZ$10.12
FREE shipping to USA
What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

by Munroe, Randall

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ISBN 13
9780544272996
ISBN 10
0544272994
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What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

by Munroe, Randall

  • Used
Condition
UsedGood
ISBN 13
9780544272996
ISBN 10
0544272994
Quantity Available
1
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