summary ofWhat If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical QuestionsBook by Randall Munroe

first KEY POINT

Finding purpose and clarity in useless and confusing questions

Have you ever wondered if you could live on an asteroid like the Little Prince? Or what would happen if the Earth stopped spinning? How many Legos would it take to build a bridge from London to New York? And how can you experience the longest sunset possible?If your answer is no, that‘s no surprise. These questions are highly impractical to the point of being absurd. But they have a remarkable trait: they are fun.As kids, we are always full of bizarre questions. Some of them are important for learning how the world operates: what would happen if I push this glass off the table? Others are much more hypothetical and have no real use: how do the clouds taste?Unfortunately, parents frequently discourage their kids from asking those abstract questions. Such inquiries are confusing, seemingly useless, and people might think there aren’t any answers to them.

However, even the most absurd questions have answers if you know where to find them — what if is what you need in this case.Randall Munroe, a NASA physicist turned comic creator, has wondered about the hypothetical and the unconventional from his early childhood. Later, he created a website where people could submit their abstract questions, so he could find the answers.It‘s good practice to ponder the odds because this thinking encourages creativity and inspires new ideas. And, frankly, it brings some spice and fun to life, which is often filled with conversations about taxes.So strap yourself tight and prepare for an adventure into the bizarre and confusing world of hypothetical questions with no practical use.