xkcd: the John Murray top 10
Ever wondered how fast you can hit a speed bump, driving, and live? Or when (if ever) the sun went down on the British Empire? And when exactly Facebook will contain more profiles of dead people than living? How many humans would a T Rex rampaging through New York need to eat a day or what would happen if your DNA vanished?
Millions visit xkcd.com each week to read Randall Munroe’s iconic webcomic and have become gripped by his 'WHAT IF' strand, where he goes to amazing lengths to scientifically answer his readers' impossible questions. 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, complemented by comics. They often predict the complete annihilation of humankind, or at least a really big explosion.
Randall's long-awaited book What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions is published today, and so here at John Murray we've decided to take a look back over our top 10 favourite xkcd webcomics:
(follow the link for the interactive webcomic)
What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions is published today