Difference between revisions of "what if?"
(Took me about half an hour to do this. Wonder if a script would've been faster to write then to copypaste it all and change the numbers.) |
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*[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/21 Machine gun jetpack] | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/21 Machine gun jetpack] | ||
*[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/22 Cost of pennies] | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/22 Cost of pennies] | ||
| − | *Short answer section II | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/23 Short answer section II] |
| − | *Model rockets | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/24 Model rockets] |
| − | *Three wise men | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/25 Three wise men] |
| − | *Leap seconds | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/26 Leap seconds] |
| − | *Death rate | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/27 Death rate] |
| − | *Steak drop | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/28 Steak drop] |
| − | *Spent fuel pool | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/29 Spent fuel pool] |
| − | *Interplanetary Cessna | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/30 Interplanetary Cessna] |
| − | *FedEx bandwidth | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/31 FedEx bandwidth] |
| − | *Hubble | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/32 Hubble] |
| − | *Ships | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/33 Ships] |
| − | *Twitter | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/34 Twitter] |
| − | *Hairdryer | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/35 Hairdryer] |
| − | *Cornstarch | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/36 Cornstarch] |
| − | *Supersonic stereo | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/37 Supersonic stereo] |
| − | *Voyager | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/38 Voyager] |
| − | *Hockey puck | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/39 Hockey puck] |
| − | *Pressure cooker | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/40 Pressure cooker] |
| − | *Go west | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/41 Go west] |
| − | *Longest sunset | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/42 Longest sunset] |
| − | *Train loop | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/43 Train loop] |
| − | *High throw | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/44 High throw] |
| − | *ISS music video | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/45 ISS music video] |
| − | *Bowling ball | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/46 Bowling ball] |
| − | *Alien astronomers | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/47 Alien astronomers] |
| − | *Sunset on the British Empire | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/48 Sunset on the British Empire] |
| − | *Sunless Earth | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/49 Sunless Earth] |
| − | *Extreme boating | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/50 Extreme boating] |
| − | *Free fall | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/51 Free fall] |
| − | *Bouncy balls | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/52 Bouncy balls] |
| − | *Drain the oceans | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/53 Drain the oceans] |
| − | *Drain the oceans: Part II | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/54 Drain the oceans: Part II] |
| − | *Random sneeze call | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/55 Random sneeze call] |
| − | *Restraining an airplane | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/56 Restraining an airplane] |
| − | *Dropping a mountain | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/57 Dropping a mountain] |
| − | *Orbital speed | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/58 Orbital speed] |
| − | *Updating a printed Wikipedia | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/59 Updating a printed Wikipedia] |
| − | *Signs of life | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/60 Signs of life] |
| − | *Speed bump | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/61 Speed bump] |
| − | *Falling with helium | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/62 Falling with helium] |
| − | *Google datacenters on punchcards | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/63 Google datacenters on punchcards] |
| − | *Rising steadily | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/64 Rising steadily] |
| − | *Twitter timeline height | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/65 Twitter timeline height] |
| − | *500MPH | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/66 500MPH] |
| − | *Expanding earth | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/67 Expanding earth] |
| − | *Little planet | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/68 Little planet] |
| − | *Facebook of the dead | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/69 Facebook of the dead] |
| − | *The constant groundskeeper | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/70 The constant groundskeeper] |
| − | *Stirring tea | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/71 Stirring tea] |
| − | *Loneliest human | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/72 Loneliest human] |
| − | *Lethal neutrinos | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/73 Lethal neutrinos] |
| − | *Soda planet | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/74 Soda planet] |
| − | *Phone keypad | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/75 Phone keypad] |
| − | *Reading every book | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/76 Reading every book] |
| − | *Growth rate | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/77 Growth rate] |
| − | *T-rex calories | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/78 T-rex calories] |
| − | *Lake tea | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/79 Lake tea] |
| − | *Pile of viruses | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/80 Pile of viruses] |
| − | *Catch! | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/81 Catch!] |
| − | *Hitting a comet | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/82 Hitting a comet] |
| − | *Star sand | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/83 Star sand] |
| − | *Paint the Earth | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/84 Paint the Earth] |
| − | *Rocket golf | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/85 Rocket golf] |
| − | *Far-travelling objects | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/86 Far-travelling objects] |
| − | *Enforced by radar | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/87 Enforced by radar] |
| − | *Soda sequestration | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/88 Soda sequestration] |
| − | *Tungsten countertop | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/89 Tungsten countertop] |
| − | *Great tree, great axe | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/90 Great tree, great axe] |
| − | *Faucet power | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/91 Faucet power] |
| − | *One-second day | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/92 One-second day] |
| − | *Windshield raindrops | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/93 Windshield raindrops] |
| − | *Billion-story building | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/94 Billion-story building] |
| − | *Pyramid energy | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/95 Pyramid energy] |
| − | *$2 undecillion lawsuit | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/96 $2 undecillion lawsuit] |
| − | *Burning pollen | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/97 Burning pollen] |
| − | *Blood alcohol | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/98 Blood alcohol] |
| − | *Starlings | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/99 Starlings] |
| − | *WWII films | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/100 WWII films] |
| − | *Plastic dinosaurs | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/101 Plastic dinosaurs] |
| − | *Keyboard power | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/102 Keyboard power] |
| − | *Vanishing water | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/103 Vanishing water] |
| − | *Global snow | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/104 Global snow] |
| − | *Cannibalism | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/105 Cannibalism] |
| − | *Ink molecules | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/106 Ink molecules] |
| − | *Letter to mom | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/107 Letter to mom] |
| − | *Expensive shoebox | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/108 Expensive shoebox] |
| − | *Into the blue | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/109 Into the blue] |
| − | *Walking New York | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/110 Walking New York] |
| − | *All the money | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/111 All the money] |
| − | *Balloon car | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/112 Balloon car] |
| − | *Visit every state | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/113 Visit every state] |
| − | *Antimatter | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/114 Antimatter] |
| − | *Into the Sun | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/115 Into the Sun] |
| − | *No-rules NASCAR | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/116 No-rules NASCAR] |
| − | *Distant death | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/117 Distant death] |
| − | *Physical salary | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/118 Physical salary] |
| − | *Laser umbrella | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/119 Laser umbrella] |
| − | *Alternate universe what ifs | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/120 Alternate universe what ifs] |
| − | *Frozen rivers | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/121 Frozen rivers] |
| − | *Lava lamp | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/122 Lava lamp] |
| − | *Fairy demographics | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/123 Fairy demographics] |
| − | *Lunar swimming | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/124 Lunar swimming] |
| − | *Bowling ball | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/125 Bowling ball] |
| − | *Stairs | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/126 Stairs] |
| − | *Tug of war | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/127 Tug of war] |
| − | *Zippo phone | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/128 Zippo phone] |
| − | *Black hole moon | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/129 Black hole moon] |
| − | *Snow removal | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/130 Snow removal] |
| − | *Microwaves | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/131 Microwaves] |
| − | *Hotter than average | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/132 Hotter than average] |
| − | *Flagpole | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/133 Flagpole] |
| − | *Space burial | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/134 Space burial] |
| − | *Digging downward | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/135 Digging downward] |
| − | *Spiders vs. the Sun | + | *[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/136 Spiders vs. the Sun] |
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[http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/Short answer section II] | [http://www.what-if.xkcd.com/Short answer section II] | ||
Revision as of 04:59, 15 May 2015
- Not to be confused with 17: What If.
what if? is a blog hosted on the xkcd.com domain and written by Randall Munroe with entries posted every week. On the blog, Randall uses his degree in physics and strong scientific background to discuss hypothetical physics questions apparently submitted by readers. Since 2014 , there's also a book of the blog.
Unlike other sites which answer readers' questions, what if? typically takes the question beyond the original scope likely intended by the reader and takes it to some extreme for humorous effect. For example, in the first article, he discusses what would happen if a baseball were pitched at 90% of the speed of light. After effectively describing what would occur as a nuclear explosion, leveling the stadium and the surrounding mile radius, he concludes with the note "A careful reading of official Major League Baseball Rule 6.08(b) suggests that in this situation, the batter would be considered 'hit by pitch', and would be eligible to advance to first base."
The questions Randall tackles range from realistic possibilities (e.g. the probability of achieving a perfect SAT score by guessing) to completely fictional questions (e.g. How much Force power can Yoda output?). In his explanations, Randall, often uses diagrams in an xkcd style. Regardless of the context, Randall tends to take the questions extremely literally and responds seriously to them, even if they are whimsical (such as the Yoda question). This is clear from his response to the question of what would happen if everybody on Earth stood together and jumped at the same time. After acknowledging that the question has been answered elsewhere, he recaps the result, but then focuses more intently on the unasked resulting issue of the aftermath of everyone on Earth being magically transported to one location as they all try to return home.
This site is not under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License like xkcd is.
The page currently has a note that "What If updates are temporarily on hold, and will resume on July 14th, 2015 at 7:49:59 AM EDT." This is the date and time that the New Horizons probe will achieve its closest approach to Pluto. Randall has not officially explained this hiatus, but it seems like he is preparing for the release of his new book, Thing Explainer.
The book
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This explanation may be incomplete or incorrect: Maybe give the most (popular) articles their own link. That would be nice. A full list of all articles can be viewed here If you can address this issue, please edit the page! Thanks. |
Randall announced his what if? book on 12 March 2014 in the blag. It was published on September 2, 2014.
It is just like 'xkcd:volume 0' a compilation of questions from the website.
Summary
The summary on the back of the book reads:
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.
- If your cells suddenly lost the power to divide, how long would you survive?
- How dangerous is it, really, to be in a swimming pool in a thunderstorm?
- If we hooked turbines to people exercising in gyms, how much power could we produce?
- What if everyone only had one soulmate?
- When (if ever) did the sun go down on the British empire?
- How fast can you hit a speed bump while driving and live?
- What would happen if the moon went away?
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, studded with memorable cartoons and infographics. They often predict the complete annihilation of humankind, or at least a really big explosion. Far more than a book for geeks, WHAT IF: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions explains the laws of science in operation in a way that every intelligent reader will enjoy and feel much the smarter for having read.
Articles
- Relativistic baseball
- SAT guessing
- Yoda
- A mole of moles
- Robot apocalypse
- Glass half empty
- Everybody out
- Everybody jump
- Soul mates
- Cassini
- Droppings
- Rain drop
- Laser pointer
- Short answer section
- Mariana trench explosion
- Today's topic: Lightning
- Green cows
- BB gun
- Tie vote
- Diamond
- Machine gun jetpack
- Cost of pennies
- Short answer section II
- Model rockets
- Three wise men
- Leap seconds
- Death rate
- Steak drop
- Spent fuel pool
- Interplanetary Cessna
- FedEx bandwidth
- Hubble
- Ships
- Hairdryer
- Cornstarch
- Supersonic stereo
- Voyager
- Hockey puck
- Pressure cooker
- Go west
- Longest sunset
- Train loop
- High throw
- ISS music video
- Bowling ball
- Alien astronomers
- Sunset on the British Empire
- Sunless Earth
- Extreme boating
- Free fall
- Bouncy balls
- Drain the oceans
- Drain the oceans: Part II
- Random sneeze call
- Restraining an airplane
- Dropping a mountain
- Orbital speed
- Updating a printed Wikipedia
- Signs of life
- Speed bump
- Falling with helium
- Google datacenters on punchcards
- Rising steadily
- Twitter timeline height
- 500MPH
- Expanding earth
- Little planet
- Facebook of the dead
- The constant groundskeeper
- Stirring tea
- Loneliest human
- Lethal neutrinos
- Soda planet
- Phone keypad
- Reading every book
- Growth rate
- T-rex calories
- Lake tea
- Pile of viruses
- Catch!
- Hitting a comet
- Star sand
- Paint the Earth
- Rocket golf
- Far-travelling objects
- Enforced by radar
- Soda sequestration
- Tungsten countertop
- Great tree, great axe
- Faucet power
- One-second day
- Windshield raindrops
- Billion-story building
- Pyramid energy
- $2 undecillion lawsuit
- Burning pollen
- Blood alcohol
- Starlings
- WWII films
- Plastic dinosaurs
- Keyboard power
- Vanishing water
- Global snow
- Cannibalism
- Ink molecules
- Letter to mom
- Expensive shoebox
- Into the blue
- Walking New York
- All the money
- Balloon car
- Visit every state
- Antimatter
- Into the Sun
- No-rules NASCAR
- Distant death
- Physical salary
- Laser umbrella
- Alternate universe what ifs
- Frozen rivers
- Lava lamp
- Fairy demographics
- Lunar swimming
- Bowling ball
- Stairs
- Tug of war
- Zippo phone
- Black hole moon
- Snow removal
- Microwaves
- Hotter than average
- Flagpole
- Space burial
- Digging downward
- Spiders vs. the Sun
