What if?

If you’re looking for a FUN book about the kinds of crazy questions often asked after a couple of beers, this is the book for you. What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe is willing to take on the ridiculous questions with serious science. And the result is informative, hilarious, and often just a bit scary!

For instance, what if everybody on earth aimed a laser pointer at the moon; would it be brighter? A ridiculous question, obviously. But Munroe takes the time to think through the answer. How much light would that be? Could it actually make a difference? Would the lasers even reach the moon?

There’s a sense of whimsy here, a bit like two guys sitting at a bar arguing about stupid questions. But there is a tongue in cheek joy to it as well.

Fun book. Definitely a must read for anybody who thinks out of the box.