What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Jul 25, 2016 Ryan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: borrowed, 2016, audiobooks

I am now obsessed with the concept of a mole of moles. Also very happy that we're on lower staff this week meaning fewer of my co-workers could see me giggling to myself at the smartassery of this book.

Finally, I am totally keeping a copy of the Sounds Smart/Actually Smart/Sounds Dumb/Actually Dumb graph on my desktop for handy use... ...more

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Apr 19, 2019 Nadine in NY Jones rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, humor, science

This was so much more fun and interesting than I anticipated! I'm so glad I gave it a try.

Things I liked:
Fantastically detailed answers that are easy to understand.
Great dry humor.
I literally laughed out loud, AND I learned a few things!

Things I didn't like:
I wanted more science and more actual equations.
There's a lightning section but he doesn't answer the question I've always wondered: why don't all the ocean creatures die when lightning strikes the ocean?
There was never a hypothetical questio ...more

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Jul 05, 2017 Shelley rated it liked it

Shelves: misc, 2017

Super science fun from the creator of XKCD (former NASA scientist). Not a book to read straight through, as I did; I suspect I'd have liked it better had I dipped in and out. The questions were absurd and interesting, and the answers detailed but understandable.

Fun facts: the sun still has not set on the British Empire, though eventually an eclipse will come along and change that.

It's likely that Apollo astronauts were the people who have been the farthest away from any other human in history--a ...more

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Feb 05, 2015 Eunice rated it really liked it

Just the book for a science nerd like myself. I think this works best as a coffee table book rather than a straight through read.

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Jul 14, 2017 Kim Marques rated it really liked it

Well, that was fun!

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Oct 28, 2014 Melle rated it really liked it

Shelves: science, nonfiction, illustrated, adult, questions-and-answers, chemistry, copyright-2014, physics

Hilarious and mostly-out-of-my-league brilliant. Perfect for science nerds, armchair scientists, and smart smartasses. Highly recommended as a graduation present.

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