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What if? 2 : additional serious scientific answers to absurd hypothetical questions
2022
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A follow-up to xkcd cartoonist Munroe's best-seller What If?, this second volume continues answering science questions from readers around the world. Most of the questions are ridiculous but the answers are very serious. How many humans would a T. rex need to consume to get its needed calories? What would happen if Earth's rotation sped up to make a day last one second? If you rolled a snowball from the top of Mount Everest, how big would it be by the time it reached the bottom? Munroe breaks down these questions and does the research to actually answer them. Part of the fun is how he breaks down the components of the question to arrive at an answer. Wil Wheaton has the cred to narrate this as it should be read. He takes each question as seriously as Monroe, but adds sly, tongue-in-cheek highlights to make listening an absolute pleasure. The print version does include some cartoons, but the audio is a treasure of its own. VERDICT Libraries who serve any nerds should snap up this gem. Great on its own, and also a wonderful accompaniment to the print version of Munroe's delightful book.--Christa Van Herreweghe
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