Fai clic su di un'immagine per andare a Google Ricerca Libri.
Sto caricando le informazioni... What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions (originale 2014; edizione 2014)di Randall Munroe
Informazioni sull'operaWhat If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions di Randall Munroe (2014)
Books Read in 2015 (145) » 17 altro Five star books (179) Top Five Books of 2020 (455) Books Read in 2020 (410) Top Five Books of 2015 (378) Books Read in 2016 (1,342) Top Five Books of 2022 (343) Books Read in 2019 (983) To Read (56) Books Read in 2014 (1,587) Books Read in 2016 (17) Audio Books (5) Sto caricando le informazioni...
Iscriviti per consentire a LibraryThing di scoprire se ti piacerà questo libro.
This book sounded as if it might be interesting, but the questions addressed were ridiculous and also became tedious as they nearly all involved mass destruction and extinction as the answer. An example is "what would happen if a hairdryer with continuous power were turned on and put in an airtight 1 x 1 x 1 metre box". He then makes the dial go up to stupendous temperatures, makes the box metal etc. That one doesn't involve the Earth's destruction but is an example of the general pointless nature of the questions. A lot of the answers involve impossibilities such as indestructible items or things that go impossibly fast or involve the entire energy output of the planet or whatever as otherwise the real answer would be nothing as that particular scenario isn't possible. An intriguing illustration on the cover, showing a TRex being swung, and the main reason I bought the book, isn't even one of the included questions. There are some cute cartoons accompanying the text and I found the one near the beginning of the book quite touching, showing the Moon comforting the Earth and helping it restart spinning after coming to an abrupt halt and losing all its atmosphere and life (from "What would happen if the Earth and all terrestrial objects suddenly stopped spinning, but the atmosphere retained its velocity?") But one cartoon on its own couldn't drag this book into the 'OK' band and I'm afraid it's a one star rating from me. Premi e riconoscimentiMenzioniElenchi di rilievo
"Millions of people visit xkcd.com each week to read Randall Munroe's iconic webcomic. His stick-figure drawings about science, technology, language, and love have a large and passionate following. 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? In pursuit of answers, Munroe runs computer simulations, pores over stacks of declassified military research memos, solves differential equations, and consults 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. The book features new and never-before-answered questions, along with updated and expanded versions of the most popular answers from the xkcd website. What If? will be required reading for xkcd fans and anyone who loves to ponder the hypothetical. "-- Non sono state trovate descrizioni di biblioteche |
Discussioni correntiNessunoCopertine popolari
Google Books — Sto caricando le informazioni... GeneriSistema Decimale Melvil (DDC)500Natural sciences and mathematics General Science General ScienceClassificazione LCVotoMedia:
Sei tu?Diventa un autore di LibraryThing. |
2nd read: February 2024
Original review:
I absolutely loved this book. The author did a great job writing things so that I could understand the science and enjoy the sheer ridiculousness described in this book. I'm so excited for the sequel, which is expected in September. (Yay!) ( )