Hardcover, 303 pages
English language
Published Sept. 1, 2014 by Mariner Books.
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.
Vergnügte und vergnügliche Antworten auf Fragen, die die Welt bewegten, wären sie in irgendeiner Form sinnvoll. Die Physik des Irrsinns mit zum Teil unerwarteten Ergebnissen. Oft nämlich ist das, was der Fragesteller beantwortet haben möchte, nicht das, was nachher tatsächlich herauskommt...
Empfehlenswert!
A fun, great coffee table book to flip through.
If you really like near future scifi written by people who have a day job in physics or astronomy, and you especially like the pages of description of how some hypothetical space weapon works, this might be your favourite book ever. Especially if you don't miss characters or plot.
For the rest of us., it's a bit hit and miss. A lot of the chapters end up being about death and destruction, for whatever reason.
Disclaimer: I did listen to the chapters in random order, because apparently MP3 metadata is hard. I honestly don't think this matters that much.
Monroe's book answers that old question, "Is there such a thing as a stupid question?" It turns out the answer is "yes." But that doesn't lessen the enjoyment of the book!
It also is a book that graphically (!) shows that it's not always obvious what happens to something if it is taken to a physical extreme. The results are fascinating!
Monroe is writing "what if? Two: Science Boogaloo." And that's a good thing
Raamat on ilmunud ka eesti keeles, pealkirjaks „Mis oleks, kui …? Tõsised teaduslikud vastused absurdsetele ja hüpoteetilistele küsimustele“.
Kes siis ei tea XKCD koomiksit ning selle autorit Randall Munroed? Tähendab - kui keegi ei tea, siis vaadake: xkcd.com/ . Kusjuures Munroe koomiksitel on alati lisamõõde, mida näeb, kui viia kursor koomiksi kohale ja lugeda ilmuvat teksti. Teaduslik lähenemisviis on talle alati meeldinud, lisaks on autoril mitmeid nohikunalju, mis just patsiga poiste seas palju elevust on tekitanud. On ju ta erialalt füüsik, kes on muuhulgas töötanud NASAs robootiku ja progejana.
Mingi hetk hakkas ta koguma lugejatelt tulevaid veidraid küsimusi ja pidama eraldi blogi nimega "What If?" kus ta siis neid küsimusi lahkas teaduse vaatenurgast, tihtipeale lisades mõnusa huumoriga nüansse. Ühel hetkel valas ta selle kõik raamatusse, mida siin tutvustan. Sest kellele ei pakuks huvi saada teada, mis saaks Maast, kui Päike äkitselt ära kustuks? Või kui kiirelt saab sõita üle "lamava …
Raamat on ilmunud ka eesti keeles, pealkirjaks „Mis oleks, kui …? Tõsised teaduslikud vastused absurdsetele ja hüpoteetilistele küsimustele“.
Kes siis ei tea XKCD koomiksit ning selle autorit Randall Munroed? Tähendab - kui keegi ei tea, siis vaadake: xkcd.com/ . Kusjuures Munroe koomiksitel on alati lisamõõde, mida näeb, kui viia kursor koomiksi kohale ja lugeda ilmuvat teksti. Teaduslik lähenemisviis on talle alati meeldinud, lisaks on autoril mitmeid nohikunalju, mis just patsiga poiste seas palju elevust on tekitanud. On ju ta erialalt füüsik, kes on muuhulgas töötanud NASAs robootiku ja progejana.
Mingi hetk hakkas ta koguma lugejatelt tulevaid veidraid küsimusi ja pidama eraldi blogi nimega "What If?" kus ta siis neid küsimusi lahkas teaduse vaatenurgast, tihtipeale lisades mõnusa huumoriga nüansse. Ühel hetkel valas ta selle kõik raamatusse, mida siin tutvustan. Sest kellele ei pakuks huvi saada teada, mis saaks Maast, kui Päike äkitselt ära kustuks? Või kui kiirelt saab sõita üle "lamava politseiniku" nii, et ise ellu jääks? Mida tooks kaasa see, kui kõik maailma ookeanid veest tühjendada? Kas Briti impeeriumis päike loojub (või on kunagi loojunud)? Kui ohtlik on tegelikult ujuda äikese ajal? Mis juhtub, kui lüüa pesapalli, mis läheneb 90% valguse kiirusega?
Munroe on põhjalik inimene, kes võtabki sarnased esmapilgul jaburad küsimused ette, otsib allikaid, loob arvutisimulatsioone, räägib vajadusel oma ala spetsialistidega, ning kokkuvõttes paneb vastused kirja, joonistab juurde ka mõne pildikese. Tihtipeale lõpevad vastused küll inimkonna hävingu ennustamise, või vähemalt kõva pauguga.
Leidsin leheküljelt 114 praegusesse ajajärku hästi sobiva peatüki: "Kui kõik inimesed püsiksid teineteisest mõne nädala eemal, kas siis kaoks tavaline külmetushaigus maailmast?" Munroe läheneb sellele küsimusele nagu ikka, algul realistlikult ehk siis teame me ju viimase aasta-paari sündmuste tõttu, et majandust ei saa nädalaiks seisma panna, rääkimata erinevatest tehastest, fosiilseid kütuseid põletavatest elektrijaamadest rääkimata. Aga kui teoretiseerida, jagada kuiva maa ruutkilomeetrid ära inimesete arvuga, siis saaks hoida ca 77m distantsi. Kui nüüd oleks olemas mõne nädala söögivaru, ning osad meist kannataksid ära Põhjapooluse pakase ja teised saaksid Sahaara lõõskava päikese alla hakkama, kas siis oleks mõne nädala pärast ülemiste hingamisteede haigused maakeralt kadunud?
Noh, ei. Keskmine, tavaline, normaalse immuunsüsteemiga inimene on jah ca kümne päevaga terve, neilt pole viirust oodata. Aga on inimesed, kelle immuunsus on saanud rängalt pihta, kellel tavaline "külmetus" võib kesta kuid või isegi aastaid. Seega inimesed tulevad kokku tagasi, osad on seni haiged ning ei olnud sellest isolatsioonist mingit tolku, ninad tilguvad varsti jälle ja köhitakse nagu voorimehed.
Pealegi kerged ülemiste hingamisteede haigused tegelikult treenivad meie immuunsüsteeme, eks on tüütu küll jälle läkastada ja rögiseda - aga on sellel tüütusel ka oma positiivne pool.
No vot, selliseid huvitavaid lugusid on terve raamat täis. Soovitan soojalt, alati siit häid praktilisi näpunäiteid ei saa, küll saab aga teada, et Kalašnikovi automaatidest saab tõesti teha jetpacki, kui kõrgelt peab steigi alla viskama, et ta oleks maale jõudes kenasti küpse ja söödav (250 km, tulemuseks on "Pittsburgh rare") ning milline oleks/oli elu väiksel printsil tegelikult tollel väiksel planeedil.
Muide, "What If?" blog on endiselt netis olemas, kes soovib raamatu sisuga tutvuda, siis väikese printsi peatükk on siin: what-if.xkcd.com/68/ . Blogi sisukord: what-if.xkcd.com/archive/
Lugesin raamatut esimest korda e-raamatuna aastal 2014, kui jõulude ajal oli palju vaba aega. Meeldis tollal juba väga, nüüd otsustasin, et hangin endale ka füüsilise koopia sest noh, Munroe on elav klassik. Samas nagu ta ka ise ütleb äikesest rääkiva peatüki juures, et ta juttu tasub võtta kerge reservatsiooniga, sest ta on tegelikult ikkagi ju vaid inimene, kes joonistab internetti koomikseid.
Ahjaa, üks mu suuri lemmikuid siin raamatus on peatükk sellest, et "aga kui teeks endale isikliku keemiliste elementide perioodilisussüsteemi tabeli (Mendelejevi tabel)?" Lühidalt: ei ole hea mõte, elemendid hakkavad varsti omavahel reageerima ning kuri on karjas.
[Third rereading; more if you count having read it online for years before the book.]
This is not the sort of book I'd usually review, any more than I'd review gravity or living on a planet with a breathable atmosphere. Not that I'm saying xkcd is as fundamental or necessary to my life ... — all right, I guess that is what I'm saying, and I stand by it. xkcd has been a highlight of my weeks since 2008; Munroe is easily the sharpest, most insightful and on-key cartoonist I've ever read, and that includes Larson and Watterson. What If is a delightful collection of his non-xkcd work, laugh-out-loud funny even on third-plus rereading; nerdy and sweet and exciting and sensitive and timeless. (Except for "Common Cold", p.114 - that one is quite timely as I write this in December 2020).
Why review it now? Because in the years since …
[Third rereading; more if you count having read it online for years before the book.]
This is not the sort of book I'd usually review, any more than I'd review gravity or living on a planet with a breathable atmosphere. Not that I'm saying xkcd is as fundamental or necessary to my life ... — all right, I guess that is what I'm saying, and I stand by it. xkcd has been a highlight of my weeks since 2008; Munroe is easily the sharpest, most insightful and on-key cartoonist I've ever read, and that includes Larson and Watterson. What If is a delightful collection of his non-xkcd work, laugh-out-loud funny even on third-plus rereading; nerdy and sweet and exciting and sensitive and timeless. (Except for "Common Cold", p.114 - that one is quite timely as I write this in December 2020).
Why review it now? Because in the years since I bought the book my circle of friends, Goodreads and IRL, has expanded to include nontechnical people who might not be familiar with Munroe's work. This is my subtle way to encourage them to take a look.
When it says "serious scientific," it really goes for it. My eyes glazed over at all the numbers and metric measurements. It's definitely thorough, and some readers might appreciate the motto, "If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing," as some answers were taken to a exhaustingly exhaustive level. I did appreciate learning a handful of new facts, but a lot of it was over my head. I was entertained and even giggled often (over a science book!), but will I retain any of it?
DISCLAIMER
Do not try any of this at home. The author of this review is an Internet reviewer, not a health or safety expert. He likes it when things catch fire or explode, which means he does not have your best interests in mind. Goodreads and the author disclaim responsibility for any adverse effects resulting, directly or indirectly, from the information contained in this review.
If you want to learn how to walk a batter (throwing the ball at 90% the speed of light), survive swimming in a spent nuclear fuel pool, create a jetpack out of machine guns, create a planet solely of moles (to be precise, a mole of moles), create a new star with a hairdryer, cook a steak by dropping it from space, or how to make the Netherlands take over the world, this is the book for you.
This book has about 57,000 words.
If …
DISCLAIMER
Do not try any of this at home. The author of this review is an Internet reviewer, not a health or safety expert. He likes it when things catch fire or explode, which means he does not have your best interests in mind. Goodreads and the author disclaim responsibility for any adverse effects resulting, directly or indirectly, from the information contained in this review.
If you want to learn how to walk a batter (throwing the ball at 90% the speed of light), survive swimming in a spent nuclear fuel pool, create a jetpack out of machine guns, create a planet solely of moles (to be precise, a mole of moles), create a new star with a hairdryer, cook a steak by dropping it from space, or how to make the Netherlands take over the world, this is the book for you.
This book has about 57,000 words.
If you read at an average reading speed of 250 words per minute, you will finish this book in 228 minutes, which is equivalent to 3.8 hours.
As the average human being loses Calories at a rate of 134 Calories per hour you spend sitting still, you should lose 509 Calories simply by reading this book. (Assuming you're sitting still while reading it)
As 3,500 Calories is approximately a pound, you will lose a little under 1/6 of a pound.
Happy reading!
When I worked an office job many (...many) years ago, I had a small group of two or three friends with whom I used to shoot the breeze with via email (in the beforetime before office-wide messaging apps became all the rage) all day. Inbetween mundane office gossip, I'd occasionally posit random hypothetical questions, and my friends were, well, friend enough to indulge me most of the time. The number of staples to fill a cubicle, how many staplers to stack to the ceiling, whether Spiderman or Batman would win in a fight, things like that. There never was any satisfactory/conclusive answer to any of them, but the resulting discussion was often rewarding in itself.
This book feeds that "I wonder..." voice in my head that never really shuts up. I'm a big science nerd, and I love all the math and science and logic used to come up with …
When I worked an office job many (...many) years ago, I had a small group of two or three friends with whom I used to shoot the breeze with via email (in the beforetime before office-wide messaging apps became all the rage) all day. Inbetween mundane office gossip, I'd occasionally posit random hypothetical questions, and my friends were, well, friend enough to indulge me most of the time. The number of staples to fill a cubicle, how many staplers to stack to the ceiling, whether Spiderman or Batman would win in a fight, things like that. There never was any satisfactory/conclusive answer to any of them, but the resulting discussion was often rewarding in itself.
This book feeds that "I wonder..." voice in my head that never really shuts up. I'm a big science nerd, and I love all the math and science and logic used to come up with the solid conclusions to these random questions that I never knew I had. How much Force power can Yoda output? How high can a human throw something? How quickly would the oceans drain if a circular portal 10 meters in radius leading into space were created at the bottom of Challenger Deep? You know, reasonable questions like that. The answers are surprising in some cases, and I walked away with random factoids about Pangaea/Rodinia, the Oxford Bell, the Wow! signal, a dude who flew over Los Angeles using a lawn chair and weather balloons, and the Pitcairn Islands.
I also loved the inclusion of so many XKCD-style graphics within the chapters (you know, because the XKCD guy is the one who wrote this). All of them were fantastic and really drove the point home in most cases. Highly recommend picking up a print copy of this book instead of listening to the audiobook version, for the drawings alone.
It was fun, although some of the questions were absolutely ridiculous :-). But it was nice again unscientific answer to some of the pressing questions that many of us have had for years. :-) :-)
I am being very unfair to this book in all probability- some people with a certain cu,rural and educational background will find it wonderful. Apart from a few funny moments I just found it dull and bewildering. My fault....
Fans of the webcomic won’t be disappointed by Munroe’s fabulously dry wit as he tackles the absurd with a scientist’s sureness...and neither will newcomers.
Received this as an early birthday gift and it was worth the read. After having this on my Amazon wish list for ages I was very happy to dive in and laugh for nearly 300 pages.
If you want to give a geeky friend a gift, look no further. Munroe is just as funny in writing as his stick figures are.
A disclaimer: I like science. I like science books for the common reader. I grew up devouring every collection of Isaac Asimov science essays the library had. Nonetheless, I think this book is approachable and accessible to just about anyone.
If you've ever read the webcomic XKCD then you probably already have a good idea what to expect (and if you haven't, WHY NOT?? Go do so now.) Munroe accepts strange question submissions and uses Science to come up with answers to such vital concerns as, "is it possible to build a jet pack using downward-firing machine guns?" and "how much Force power can Yoda output?", in an easy to understand format and with friendly illustrations.
An amusing, entertaining, and mildly educational read, good for dipping into a bit at a time and pondering at length in between.
His use of amusing footnotes is also clearly inspired by footnote artists …
A disclaimer: I like science. I like science books for the common reader. I grew up devouring every collection of Isaac Asimov science essays the library had. Nonetheless, I think this book is approachable and accessible to just about anyone.
If you've ever read the webcomic XKCD then you probably already have a good idea what to expect (and if you haven't, WHY NOT?? Go do so now.) Munroe accepts strange question submissions and uses Science to come up with answers to such vital concerns as, "is it possible to build a jet pack using downward-firing machine guns?" and "how much Force power can Yoda output?", in an easy to understand format and with friendly illustrations.
An amusing, entertaining, and mildly educational read, good for dipping into a bit at a time and pondering at length in between.
His use of amusing footnotes is also clearly inspired by footnote artists Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett.
Highly recommendable! Throughout the book I felt entertained and learned a lot of new facts! How will look the world like in 1 million years? What happens if we all (=people of the world) meet at the same place and jump? (Answer in short: yikes!)
I wish I had a teacher in school who could explain the world in so easy words and pictures, catching ones interest and brining back the desire to learn new things.
