What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

Physicist, writer, engineer, and artist Randall Munroe is best known for his popular science publications and his webcomic xkcd. He was born in the US in 1984, studied physics at the Christopher Newport University, and worked as a roboticist for NASA. He is committed to engaging people from all walks of life in science and has dedicated himself to demystifying the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and narrowing the divide between scientific institutions and the general population. He applies his expert knowledge, artistic skill, and comedic style to create works in the popular science genre that appeal to a wide and varied audience.

Munroe’s xkcd, subtitled “a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language,“ has received widespread acclaim from celebrities, scientists, and artists, and has become a mainstay of internet culture. Munroe created the comic in 2005 and began working on it full-time in 2006. The comic is released thrice weekly, and Munroe has already published a collection of the comic strips in the book xkcd: Volume 0. Munroe’s stark and simple drawings are characterized by featureless stick figure characters accompanied by humorous and thought-provoking text. The comics have been nominated twice for the Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist, and in 2014 his xkcd comic “Time” won the prestigious Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story. In recognition of his impact and contribution to the popular science field, the International Astronomical Union renamed an asteroid “4942 Munroe” in his honor.

Munroe has written four popular science books, including Thing Explainer and How To in addition to the bestselling What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions and its sequel What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions. In these nonfiction books, Munroe uses his specialist scientific knowledge as well as his trademark sense of humor to introduce scientific concepts and principles to a general audience. What If? 2 has been praised for its imaginative approach to science communication and has already proved a hit among science enthusiasts, educators, and the general public alike for its educational and entertainment value. Munroe has also created numerous other blogs and websites and has contributed to both color-naming conventions in computer programming languages and online content moderation scripts. The educational radiation infographic poster that he created to combat misinformation and confusion in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster has been used internationally in official news publications and broadcasts.

A confident and engaging public speaker, Munroe has completed several lecture circuits in the US, including as part of the Ted Talks lecture series, and has been interviewed by major publications such as Wired and The Guardian. Munroe frequently discusses his work and his belief in the importance of public engagement with science. His work is known for its broad appeal and humor, although Munroe has no qualms about tackling more personal and emotional topics such as his wife’s battle with cancer. Like nearly all scientists, Munroe is cognizant of the real and ongoing dangers posed by climate change. The devastating impact of global warming as well as the consequences of environmental damage caused by human activity are recurring themes through much of his work.