What If? cover art

What If?

Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

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What If?

By: Randall Munroe
Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
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About this listen

From the creator of the wildly popular xkcd, What If? gives hilarious and informative answers to important questions you probably never thought to ask. Millions visit xkcd.com each week to read Randall Munroe's iconic webcomic. Fans ask him a lot of strange questions. How fast can you hit a speed bump, driving, and live? When (if ever) did the sun go down on the British Empire? When will Facebook contain more profiles of dead people than living? How many humans would a T Rex rampaging through New York need to eat a day? In pursuit of answers, Munroe runs computer simulations, pores over stacks of declassified military research memos, solves differential equations and consults nuclear reactor operators. His responses are masterpieces of clarity and hilarity. They often predict the complete annihilation of humankind - or at least a really big explosion.

This audiobook edition is read by geek icon Wil Wheaton (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Stand by Me, The Big Bang Theory) and has been adapted for audio in collaboration with the author.

Shortlisted for the Goodreads Choice Awards

©2014 xkcd inc (P)2014 Blackstone Audio Physics Science Funny Witty Mathematics Cosmology Star Trek

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All stars
Most relevant

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I certainly would. What if answers all the questions you wanted ask but didn't know who to ask.

What did you like best about this story?

Will Weatons narration

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The question about the periodic table

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I wish!!

Any additional comments?

Just get it, its amazing.. Please do another!!!

Amazing book for Geeks

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I read a lot of popular science books and I'm really in two minds about this one. On the one hand, it's entertaining and extremely well read by Will Wheaton. On the other hand, the questions really are absurd and hypothetical, to the point of me listening for 7 hours and learning basically nothing (except perhaps that many scenarios lead to the world being destroyed!!) but maybe that never was the point. Worth a try but, for me, 3 out of 5.

Exactly what it says on the tin

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Enthusiastically read. The content is pedantic and intriguing as expected. Worth having xkcd at hand for extra comic references.

just like the blog but better

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First of all, Whil Wheaton fills the nerdy role amazingly. second of all, the contents of this book are so intresting its insane I haven't heard of it sooner, I finished it in barely any time and am glad i did.

This is an amazing listen

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The last sentence just ends and that's it! No close, no finish. Just a stop!

Just stops.

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