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(বই) – Bangla" lang="bn" hreflang="bn" data-title="হোয়াট ইফ? 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<div class="mw-indicators"> <div id="mw-indicator-good-star" class="mw-indicator"><div class="mw-parser-output"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Good_articles*" title="This is a good article. Click here for more information."><img alt="This is a good article. Click here for more information." src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/94/Symbol_support_vote.svg/19px-Symbol_support_vote.svg.png" decoding="async" width="19" height="20" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/94/Symbol_support_vote.svg/29px-Symbol_support_vote.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/94/Symbol_support_vote.svg/39px-Symbol_support_vote.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="180" data-file-height="185" /></a></span></div></div> </div> <div id="siteSub" class="noprint">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</div> </div> <div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Non-fiction book by Randall Munroe, 2014</div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">This article is about the Randall Munroe book. For other uses, see <a href="/wiki/What_If_(disambiguation)#Literature" class="mw-redirect mw-disambig" title="What If (disambiguation)">What If § Literature</a>.</div> <p class="mw-empty-elt"> </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1257001546">.mw-parser-output .infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:auto}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme)>div:not(.notheme)[style]{background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme) div:not(.notheme){background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media(min-width:640px){body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table{display:table!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>caption{display:table-caption!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>tbody{display:table-row-group}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table tr{display:table-row!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table th,body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table td{padding-left:inherit;padding-right:inherit}}</style><table class="infobox vcard"><caption class="infobox-title" style="font-size:125%; font-style:italic; padding-bottom:0.2em;">What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions <span class="Z3988" title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=What+If%3F%3A+Serious+Scientific+Answers+to+Absurd+Hypothetical+Questions&rft.author=%5B%5BRandall+Munroe%5D%5D&rft.pub=%5B%5BHoughton+Mifflin+Harcourt%5D%5D&rft.place=United+States&rft.pages=320+pages"></span></caption><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image"><span class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="/wiki/File:What_If_xkcd.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/cc/What_If_xkcd.jpg/220px-What_If_xkcd.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="293" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/cc/What_If_xkcd.jpg 1.5x" data-file-width="273" data-file-height="364" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Author</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Randall_Munroe" title="Randall Munroe">Randall Munroe</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Language</th><td class="infobox-data">English</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Subject</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Science" title="Science">Science</a> <a href="/wiki/Miscellanea" class="mw-redirect" title="Miscellanea">miscellanea</a>, science humor</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Published</th><td class="infobox-data">September 2, 2014</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Publisher</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Houghton_Mifflin_Harcourt" title="Houghton Mifflin Harcourt">Houghton Mifflin Harcourt</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Publication place</th><td class="infobox-data">United States</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Media type</th><td class="infobox-data">Print</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Pages</th><td class="infobox-data">320 pages</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-544-27299-4" title="Special:BookSources/0-544-27299-4">0-544-27299-4</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"><div style="display: inline-block; line-height: 1.2em; padding: .1em 0;"><a href="/wiki/Dewey_Decimal_Classification" title="Dewey Decimal Classification">Dewey Decimal</a></div></th><td class="infobox-data">500</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"><a href="/wiki/LCC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="LCC (identifier)"><abbr title="Library of Congress Classification">LC Class</abbr></a></th><td class="infobox-data">Q173.M965 2014</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Website</th><td class="infobox-data"><span class="url"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://xkcd.com/what-if/">xkcd<wbr />.com<wbr />/what-if<wbr />/</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table> <p><i><b>What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions</b></i> is a 2014 <a href="/wiki/Non-fiction" title="Non-fiction">non-fiction</a> book by <a href="/wiki/Randall_Munroe" title="Randall Munroe">Randall Munroe</a> in which the author answers <a href="/wiki/Hypothesis" title="Hypothesis">hypothetical</a> science <a href="/wiki/Question" title="Question">questions</a> sent to him by readers of his <a href="/wiki/Webcomic" title="Webcomic">webcomic</a>, <i><a href="/wiki/Xkcd" title="Xkcd">xkcd</a></i>. The book contains a selection<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>Note 1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> of questions and answers originally published on his <a href="/wiki/Blog" title="Blog">blog</a> <i>What If?</i>, along with several new ones.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The book is divided into several dozen chapters, most of which are devoted to answering a unique question.<sup id="cite_ref-:0_7-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:0-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>Note 2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <i>What If?</i> was released on September 2, 2014 and was received positively by critics. A sequel to the book, titled <i><a href="/wiki/What_If%3F_2_(book)" title="What If? 2 (book)">What If? 2</a></i>, was released on September 13, 2022.<sup id="cite_ref-:0_8-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:0-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Conception_of_the_blog">Conception of the blog</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=What_If%3F_(book)&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Conception of the blog"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In the introduction section of the book, Randall Munroe recounts wondering as a child whether "there were more hard things or soft things in the world", concluding that "the world contained about three billion soft things and five billion hard things". The conversation that was produced by this question impressed Munroe's mother to such a degree that she wrote it down. Though Munroe later stated that his question was rather meaningless, he used it as an example of how "thoroughly answer[ing] a stupid question can take you to some pretty interesting places".<sup id="cite_ref-NewYorkTimes_9-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-NewYorkTimes-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Since 2012, Munroe has been answering unusual questions sent in by readers of <i>xkcd</i> on his blog <i>What If?</i>. The concept was inspired by a weekend program organized by the <a href="/wiki/Massachusetts_Institute_of_Technology" title="Massachusetts Institute of Technology">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a> in which volunteers can teach classes to groups of high school students on any chosen subject. Munroe signed up after hearing about it from a friend and decided to teach a class on <a href="/wiki/Energy" title="Energy">energy</a>. Though the lecture felt "dry" at first, once Munroe started bringing up examples from <i><a href="/wiki/Star_Wars" title="Star Wars">Star Wars</a></i> and <i><a href="/wiki/The_Lord_of_the_Rings" title="The Lord of the Rings">The Lord of the Rings</a></i>, the students became more excited. The entire second half of the class was eventually spent solving mathematical and physics problems. Munroe wrote the first entries a few years before the start of the blog, based on questions he was asked that day.<sup id="cite_ref-NewYorkTimes_9-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-NewYorkTimes-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Atlantic_10-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Atlantic-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Because he was delayed in getting the website online, Munroe had a lot of time thinking about the design of the blog. He eventually chose to display his entries as individual pages rather than using an <a href="/wiki/Infinite_scrolling" class="mw-redirect" title="Infinite scrolling">infinite scrolling</a> page, as he considers the latter more difficult to digest. Munroe usually chooses questions he already knows something interesting about, or after reading a <a href="/wiki/Scientific_paper" class="mw-redirect" title="Scientific paper">scientific paper</a>, he keeps an eye out for questions in which he can bring it up. Munroe has said that the volume of questions has been high enough that it is impossible to read all of them. Answering a question and writing a post takes him about a day of solid work.<sup id="cite_ref-Atlantic_10-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Atlantic-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Production">Production</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=What_If%3F_(book)&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Production"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Munroe announced in March, 2014 that he had signed a deal with publisher <a href="/wiki/Houghton_Mifflin_Harcourt" title="Houghton Mifflin Harcourt">Houghton Mifflin Harcourt</a> to compile a large number of his <i>What If?</i> entries into a book. <i>What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions</i> would eventually be released in September that year.<sup id="cite_ref-WallStreet_11-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-WallStreet-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The <i>What If?</i> book contains a selection of questions and answers from the original blog, as well as nineteen new ones. Furthermore, Munroe selected a few unanswered questions from his inbox and collected those in separate sections in the book. <a href="/wiki/Alt_text" class="mw-redirect" title="Alt text">Alt text</a>, which was commonly used for illustrations on the original blog, was omitted from the book in many cases, though is sometimes included as small captions underneath the images. Instead, Munroe has added <a href="/wiki/Footnotes" class="mw-redirect" title="Footnotes">footnotes</a> to the essays in the book to inform or entertain the reader.<sup id="cite_ref-Escapist_12-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Escapist-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The cover of the book depicts a <a href="/wiki/Tyrannosauridae" title="Tyrannosauridae">Tyrannosaurid</a> being lowered into a <a href="/wiki/Sarlacc" title="Sarlacc">Sarlacc</a> from <i><a href="/wiki/Star_Wars" title="Star Wars">Star Wars</a></i>, a topic not covered in the book.<sup id="cite_ref-Varsity_13-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Varsity-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p><i>What If?</i> is Munroe's second published book, his first being <i>XKCD: Volume 0</i>, a curated collection of <i>xkcd</i> comics released in 2009.<sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Munroe released a third book, titled <i><a href="/wiki/Thing_Explainer" title="Thing Explainer">Thing Explainer</a></i>, in 2015, and a fourth book titled <a href="/wiki/How_To:_Absurd_Scientific_Advice_for_Common_Real-World_Problems" class="mw-redirect" title="How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems"><i>How To</i></a> in 2019.<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> A sequel, <i><a href="/wiki/What_If%3F_2_(book)" title="What If? 2 (book)">What If? 2</a></i>, was announced in January 2022 and was released on September 13 that year.<sup id="cite_ref-:0_8-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:0-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Content">Content</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=What_If%3F_(book)&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Content"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Xkcd_philosophy.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Xkcd_philosophy.png" decoding="async" width="164" height="224" class="mw-file-element" data-file-width="164" data-file-height="224" /></a><figcaption>Answers are accompanied by Munroe's <a href="/wiki/Stick_figure" title="Stick figure">stick figure</a> drawings.<sup id="cite_ref-HuffingtonPost_17-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-HuffingtonPost-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></figcaption></figure> <p><i>What If?</i> is mainly composed of answers Munroe gives to readers' hypothetical questions on various scientific topics. The questions tend to be rather unusual, assuming an improbable scenario and inquiring a logical conclusion to the situation. The first question Munroe answered for the blog was the following:<sup id="cite_ref-WallStreet_11-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-WallStreet-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1244412712">.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 32px}.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;margin-top:0}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{padding-left:1.6em}}</style><blockquote class="templatequote"><p>What would happen if you tried to hit a baseball pitched at 90% the <a href="/wiki/Speed_of_light" title="Speed of light">speed of light</a>?</p><div class="templatequotecite">— <cite><i>What If?</i></cite></div></blockquote> <p>Using mathematics and physics, Munroe concluded such a situation would result in a <a href="/wiki/Nuclear_fusion" title="Nuclear fusion">nuclear fusion</a> explosion, and that ultimately, the result would be a ruling of <a href="/wiki/Hit_by_pitch" title="Hit by pitch">hit by pitch</a>. <i>What If?</i> approaches its subject matter with a sense of wit and sometimes makes use of approximations to answer questions that seem impossible to solve.<sup id="cite_ref-WallStreet_11-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-WallStreet-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Most questions demand assumptions and cross-disciplinary science skills to answer, resulting in <a href="/wiki/Back-of-the-envelope_calculation" title="Back-of-the-envelope calculation">"back-of-the-envelope" calculations</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-HuffingtonPost_17-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-HuffingtonPost-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <i>What If?</i> is interspersed with "charmingly-amateur" <a href="/wiki/Stick_figure" title="Stick figure">stick figure</a> illustrations.<sup id="cite_ref-BostonGlobe_18-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-BostonGlobe-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The book also features periodic sections titled "Weird (and Worrying) Questions from the What If? Inbox", which are short collections of questions Munroe had not answered because he did not "want to think about that". In an interview, Munroe stated that he "never got past the initial mental image" of the question "How cold would your teeth have to get in order for a cup of hot coffee to make them shatter on contact?"<sup id="cite_ref-npr_3-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-npr-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div style="clear:both;" class=""></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Reception">Reception</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=What_If%3F_(book)&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Reception"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The book was received positively by critics. Ethan Gilsdorf of the <i><a href="/wiki/Boston_Globe" class="mw-redirect" title="Boston Globe">Boston Globe</a></i> stated that "it's fun to watch as Munroe tackles each question and examines every possible complication." According to Gilsdorf, <i>What If?</i> gives a view into "Munroe's playful yet existentially-tinged worldview" by contrasting cataclysmic scenarios with more heady ideas, such as examining the effects of a magnitude minus-7 <a href="/wiki/Richter_scale" title="Richter scale">Richter scale</a> <a href="/wiki/Earthquake" title="Earthquake">earthquake</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-BostonGlobe_18-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-BostonGlobe-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The <i><a href="/wiki/Huffington_Post" class="mw-redirect" title="Huffington Post">Huffington Post</a></i> remarked that "What makes Munroe's work so fantastic is a combination of two elements: his commitment to trying to answer even the weirdest question with solid science, and his undeniable sense of humor."<sup id="cite_ref-HuffingtonPost_17-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-HuffingtonPost-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Rhett Allain of <i><a href="/wiki/Wired_(website)" class="mw-redirect" title="Wired (website)">Wired</a></i> praised <i>What If?</i> because even his 12-year-old son was able to enjoy it, though he found a minor error in one of the sections.<sup id="cite_ref-19" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Sam Hewitt of <i><a href="/wiki/Varsity_(Cambridge)" title="Varsity (Cambridge)">Varsity</a></i> and Marla Desat of <i><a href="/wiki/The_Escapist_(magazine)" title="The Escapist (magazine)">The Escapist</a></i> noted that the first print run had some issues processing <a href="/wiki/Mathematical_symbols" class="mw-redirect" title="Mathematical symbols">mathematical symbols</a>, as a square box was displayed where a <a href="/wiki/Delta_(letter)" title="Delta (letter)">delta</a> is supposed to be printed.<sup id="cite_ref-Escapist_12-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Escapist-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Varsity_13-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Varsity-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p><i>What If?</i> was well-received commercially upon its release and reached the top of the <a href="/wiki/New_York_Times_bestsellers_list" class="mw-redirect" title="New York Times bestsellers list"><i>New York Times</i> bestsellers list</a> on September 21.<sup id="cite_ref-bestseller_20-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bestseller-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> It was also featured as the "<a href="/wiki/Amazon_(company)" title="Amazon (company)">Amazon</a> Best Book of the Month",<sup id="cite_ref-amazon_21-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-amazon-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and was translated into 35 languages.<sup id="cite_ref-22" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Notes">Notes</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=What_If%3F_(book)&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Notes"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Munroe answers more than 50 questions in the <i>What If?</i> book.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-:0-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-:0_7-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Periodic sections labeled "Weird (and Worrying) Questions from the What If? Inbox" are typically composed of multiple questions.<sup id="cite_ref-npr_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-npr-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In addition, there are two sections that answer several questions about the same topic, one about lightning<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and one about orbital speed,<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> as well as a short answer section that answers questions of various topics.<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=What_If%3F_(book)&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239543626"><div class="reflist reflist-columns references-column-width" style="column-width: 30em;"> <ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMunroe2014" class="citation web cs1">Munroe, Randall (2014-03-12). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://blog.xkcd.com/2014/03/12/what-if-i-wrote-a-book/">"What if I wrote a book?"</a>. <i>blog.xkcd.com</i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160406133759/http://blog.xkcd.com/2014/03/12/what-if-i-wrote-a-book/">Archived</a> from the original on 2016-04-06.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=blog.xkcd.com&rft.atitle=What+if+I+wrote+a+book%3F&rft.date=2014-03-12&rft.aulast=Munroe&rft.aufirst=Randall&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.xkcd.com%2F2014%2F03%2F12%2Fwhat-if-i-wrote-a-book%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWhat+If%3F+%28book%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-npr-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-npr_3-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-npr_3-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation news cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.npr.org/2014/09/07/346082579/what-if-there-were-an-entire-book-devoted-to-absurd-hypotheticals">"<span class="cs1-kern-left"></span>'What If' There Were An Entire Book Devoted To Absurd Hypotheticals?"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/National_Public_Radio" class="mw-redirect" title="National Public Radio">National Public Radio</a></i>. NPR staff. 2014-09-07. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160406133849/http://www.npr.org/2014/09/07/346082579/what-if-there-were-an-entire-book-devoted-to-absurd-hypotheticals">Archived</a> from the original on 2016-04-06.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=National+Public+Radio&rft.atitle=%27What+If%27+There+Were+An+Entire+Book+Devoted+To+Absurd+Hypotheticals%3F&rft.date=2014-09-07&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.npr.org%2F2014%2F09%2F07%2F346082579%2Fwhat-if-there-were-an-entire-book-devoted-to-absurd-hypotheticals&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWhat+If%3F+%28book%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMunroe2014" class="citation book cs1">Munroe, Randall (2014). "Lightning". <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780544272996/page/89"><i>What if? : serious scientific answers to absurd hypothetical questions</i></a> (hardback). New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. pp. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780544272996/page/89">89–94</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-544-45686-0" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-544-45686-0"><bdi>978-0-544-45686-0</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Lightning&rft.btitle=What+if%3F+%3A+serious+scientific+answers+to+absurd+hypothetical+questions&rft.place=New+York&rft.pages=89-94&rft.pub=Houghton+Mifflin+Harcourt+Publishing+Company&rft.date=2014&rft.isbn=978-0-544-45686-0&rft.aulast=Munroe&rft.aufirst=Randall&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fisbn_9780544272996%2Fpage%2F89&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWhat+If%3F+%28book%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMunroe2014" class="citation book cs1">Munroe, Randall (2014). "Orbital Speed". <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780544272996/page/187"><i>What if? : serious scientific answers to absurd hypothetical questions</i></a> (hardback). New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. pp. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780544272996/page/187">187–191</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-544-45686-0" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-544-45686-0"><bdi>978-0-544-45686-0</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Orbital+Speed&rft.btitle=What+if%3F+%3A+serious+scientific+answers+to+absurd+hypothetical+questions&rft.place=New+York&rft.pages=187-191&rft.pub=Houghton+Mifflin+Harcourt+Publishing+Company&rft.date=2014&rft.isbn=978-0-544-45686-0&rft.aulast=Munroe&rft.aufirst=Randall&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fisbn_9780544272996%2Fpage%2F187&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWhat+If%3F+%28book%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-6">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMunroe2014" class="citation book cs1">Munroe, Randall (2014). "Short-Answer Section". <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780544272996/page/83"><i>What if? : serious scientific answers to absurd hypothetical questions</i></a> (hardback). New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. pp. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780544272996/page/83">83–88</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-544-45686-0" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-544-45686-0"><bdi>978-0-544-45686-0</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Short-Answer+Section&rft.btitle=What+if%3F+%3A+serious+scientific+answers+to+absurd+hypothetical+questions&rft.place=New+York&rft.pages=83-88&rft.pub=Houghton+Mifflin+Harcourt+Publishing+Company&rft.date=2014&rft.isbn=978-0-544-45686-0&rft.aulast=Munroe&rft.aufirst=Randall&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fisbn_9780544272996%2Fpage%2F83&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWhat+If%3F+%28book%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-:0-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-:0_8-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-:0_8-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://xkcd.com/what-if-2/">"What if? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions"</a>. <i>xkcd.com</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2022-09-26</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=xkcd.com&rft.atitle=What+if%3F+2%3A+Additional+Serious+Scientific+Answers+to+Absurd+Hypothetical+Questions&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fxkcd.com%2Fwhat-if-2%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWhat+If%3F+%28book%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-NewYorkTimes-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-NewYorkTimes_9-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-NewYorkTimes_9-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFChang2014" class="citation news cs1">Chang, Kenneth (2014-11-03). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/04/science/randall-munroe-the-creator-of-xkcd-explains-complexity-through-absurdity.html?_r=0">"He's Glad You Asked"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/The_New_York_Times" title="The New York Times">The New York Times</a></i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20141108165503/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/04/science/randall-munroe-the-creator-of-xkcd-explains-complexity-through-absurdity.html?_r=0">Archived</a> from the original on 2014-11-08.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+New+York+Times&rft.atitle=He%27s+Glad+You+Asked&rft.date=2014-11-03&rft.aulast=Chang&rft.aufirst=Kenneth&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2014%2F11%2F04%2Fscience%2Frandall-munroe-the-creator-of-xkcd-explains-complexity-through-absurdity.html%3F_r%3D0&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWhat+If%3F+%28book%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Atlantic-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Atlantic_10-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Atlantic_10-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFGarber2012" class="citation magazine cs1">Garber, Megan (2012-09-26). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/09/a-conversation-with-randall-munroe-the-creator-of-xkcd/262851/">"A Conversation With Randall Munroe, the Creator of XKCD"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/The_Atlantic" title="The Atlantic">The Atlantic</a></i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160406134047/http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/09/a-conversation-with-randall-munroe-the-creator-of-xkcd/262851/">Archived</a> from the original on 2016-04-06.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+Atlantic&rft.atitle=A+Conversation+With+Randall+Munroe%2C+the+Creator+of+XKCD&rft.date=2012-09-26&rft.aulast=Garber&rft.aufirst=Megan&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theatlantic.com%2Ftechnology%2Farchive%2F2012%2F09%2Fa-conversation-with-randall-munroe-the-creator-of-xkcd%2F262851%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWhat+If%3F+%28book%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-WallStreet-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-WallStreet_11-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-WallStreet_11-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-WallStreet_11-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBallard2014" class="citation news cs1">Ballard, Ed (2014-03-20). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2014/03/20/seven-lessons-from-the-xkcd-what-if-comic-strip/">"Seven Lessons From the XKCD 'What If' Comic Strip"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/The_Wall_Street_Journal" title="The Wall Street Journal">The Wall Street Journal</a></i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160406134135/https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2014/03/20/seven-lessons-from-the-xkcd-what-if-comic-strip/">Archived</a> from the original on 2016-04-06.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+Wall+Street+Journal&rft.atitle=Seven+Lessons+From+the+XKCD+%27What+If%27+Comic+Strip&rft.date=2014-03-20&rft.aulast=Ballard&rft.aufirst=Ed&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fblogs.wsj.com%2Fspeakeasy%2F2014%2F03%2F20%2Fseven-lessons-from-the-xkcd-what-if-comic-strip%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWhat+If%3F+%28book%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Escapist-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Escapist_12-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Escapist_12-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFDesat2014" class="citation magazine cs1">Desat, Marla (2014-09-09). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/scienceandtech/features/12215-Review-Randall-Munroe-s-What-If-Delivers-New-Chapters-Solid-Scie">"Review: What If? Answers All Your (Literally) Burning Questions"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/The_Escapist_(magazine)" title="The Escapist (magazine)">The Escapist</a></i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160606194147/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/scienceandtech/features/12215-Review-Randall-Munroe-s-What-If-Delivers-New-Chapters-Solid-Scie">Archived</a> from the original on 2016-06-06.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+Escapist&rft.atitle=Review%3A+What+If%3F+Answers+All+Your+%28Literally%29+Burning+Questions&rft.date=2014-09-09&rft.aulast=Desat&rft.aufirst=Marla&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.escapistmagazine.com%2Farticles%2Fview%2Fscienceandtech%2Ffeatures%2F12215-Review-Randall-Munroe-s-What-If-Delivers-New-Chapters-Solid-Scie&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWhat+If%3F+%28book%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Varsity-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Varsity_13-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Varsity_13-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHewitt2014" class="citation web cs1">Hewitt, Sam (2014-10-24). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.varsity.co.uk/science/7658">"Book: What If?"</a>. <a href="/wiki/Varsity_(Cambridge)" title="Varsity (Cambridge)">Varsity</a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160606194324/http://www.varsity.co.uk/science/7658">Archived</a> from the original on 2016-06-06.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Book%3A+What+If%3F&rft.pub=Varsity&rft.date=2014-10-24&rft.aulast=Hewitt&rft.aufirst=Sam&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.varsity.co.uk%2Fscience%2F7658&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWhat+If%3F+%28book%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-14">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMilian2009" class="citation news cs1">Milian, Mark (2009-11-04). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2009/11/xkcd-book.html">"<span class="cs1-kern-left"></span>'XKCD: Volume 0' is sticking it to traditional publishers"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/The_Los_Angeles_Times" class="mw-redirect" title="The Los Angeles Times">The Los Angeles Times</a></i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150914194232/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2009/11/xkcd-book.html">Archived</a> from the original on 2015-09-14.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+Los+Angeles+Times&rft.atitle=%27XKCD%3A+Volume+0%27+is+sticking+it+to+traditional+publishers&rft.date=2009-11-04&rft.aulast=Milian&rft.aufirst=Mark&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Flatimesblogs.latimes.com%2Fjacketcopy%2F2009%2F11%2Fxkcd-book.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWhat+If%3F+%28book%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-15">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFShankland2015" class="citation web cs1">Shankland, Stephen (2015-12-01). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.cnet.com/uk/news/thing-explainer-fun-if-you-enjoy-puzzles-annoying-if-you-just-want-to-learn/">"<span class="cs1-kern-left"></span>'Thing Explainer': Fun if you enjoy puzzles, annoying if you just want to learn"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/CNET" title="CNET">CNET</a></i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160606195051/http://www.cnet.com/uk/news/thing-explainer-fun-if-you-enjoy-puzzles-annoying-if-you-just-want-to-learn/">Archived</a> from the original on 2016-06-06.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=CNET&rft.atitle=%27Thing+Explainer%27%3A+Fun+if+you+enjoy+puzzles%2C+annoying+if+you+just+want+to+learn&rft.date=2015-12-01&rft.aulast=Shankland&rft.aufirst=Stephen&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnet.com%2Fuk%2Fnews%2Fthing-explainer-fun-if-you-enjoy-puzzles-annoying-if-you-just-want-to-learn%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWhat+If%3F+%28book%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-16">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-525-53709-0">"How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems"</a>. <i>Publishers Weekly</i>. 2019-05-30.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Publishers+Weekly&rft.atitle=How+To%3A+Absurd+Scientific+Advice+for+Common+Real-World+Problems&rft.date=2019-05-30&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.publishersweekly.com%2F978-0-525-53709-0&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWhat+If%3F+%28book%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-HuffingtonPost-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-HuffingtonPost_17-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-HuffingtonPost_17-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-HuffingtonPost_17-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFGleick2014" class="citation news cs1"><a href="/wiki/Peter_Gleick" title="Peter Gleick">Gleick, Peter</a> (2014-08-31). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-h-gleick/what-if-a-review-of-randa_b_5744680.html">"<span class="cs1-kern-left"></span>'What If? - A Review of Randall Munroe's New Book"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/Huffington_Post" class="mw-redirect" title="Huffington Post">Huffington Post</a></i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160406134212/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-h-gleick/what-if-a-review-of-randa_b_5744680.html">Archived</a> from the original on 2016-04-06.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Huffington+Post&rft.atitle=%27What+If%3F+-+A+Review+of+Randall+Munroe%27s+New+Book&rft.date=2014-08-31&rft.aulast=Gleick&rft.aufirst=Peter&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fpeter-h-gleick%2Fwhat-if-a-review-of-randa_b_5744680.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWhat+If%3F+%28book%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-BostonGlobe-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-BostonGlobe_18-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-BostonGlobe_18-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFGilsdorf2014" class="citation news cs1">Gilsdorf, Ethan (2014-09-08). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/books/2014/09/07/book-review-what-serious-scientific-answers-absurd-hypothetical-questions-randall-munroe/VBiNvWJcWiIZKKQyoBDCVI/story.html">"<span class="cs1-kern-left"></span>'What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions' by Randall Munroe"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/Boston_Globe" class="mw-redirect" title="Boston Globe">Boston Globe</a></i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160406134307/https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/books/2014/09/07/book-review-what-serious-scientific-answers-absurd-hypothetical-questions-randall-munroe/VBiNvWJcWiIZKKQyoBDCVI/story.html">Archived</a> from the original on 2016-04-06.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Boston+Globe&rft.atitle=%27What+If%3F%3A+Serious+Scientific+Answers+to+Absurd+Hypothetical+Questions%27+by+Randall+Munroe&rft.date=2014-09-08&rft.aulast=Gilsdorf&rft.aufirst=Ethan&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bostonglobe.com%2Farts%2Fbooks%2F2014%2F09%2F07%2Fbook-review-what-serious-scientific-answers-absurd-hypothetical-questions-randall-munroe%2FVBiNvWJcWiIZKKQyoBDCVI%2Fstory.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWhat+If%3F+%28book%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-19"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-19">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFAllain2014" class="citation news cs1">Allain, Rhett (2014-12-19). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.wired.com/2014/12/book-review-serious-scientific-answers-absurd-hypothetical-questions/">"Book Review: What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/Wired_(website)" class="mw-redirect" title="Wired (website)">Wired</a></i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160406134401/http://www.wired.com/2014/12/book-review-serious-scientific-answers-absurd-hypothetical-questions/">Archived</a> from the original on 2016-04-06.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Wired&rft.atitle=Book+Review%3A+What+If%3F%3A+Serious+Scientific+Answers+to+Absurd+Hypothetical+Questions&rft.date=2014-12-19&rft.aulast=Allain&rft.aufirst=Rhett&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wired.com%2F2014%2F12%2Fbook-review-serious-scientific-answers-absurd-hypothetical-questions%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWhat+If%3F+%28book%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-bestseller-20"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-bestseller_20-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation news cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2014-09-21/combined-print-and-e-book-nonfiction/list.html">"Best Sellers"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/The_New_York_Times" title="The New York Times">The New York Times</a></i>. 2014-09-21. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160406134724/http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2014-09-21/combined-print-and-e-book-nonfiction/list.html">Archived</a> from the original on 2016-04-06.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+New+York+Times&rft.atitle=Best+Sellers&rft.date=2014-09-21&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Fbest-sellers-books%2F2014-09-21%2Fcombined-print-and-e-book-nonfiction%2Flist.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWhat+If%3F+%28book%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-amazon-21"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-amazon_21-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMunroe2014" class="citation book cs1">Munroe, Randall (2014). <span class="id-lock-registration" title="Free registration required"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780544272996"><i>What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions</i></a></span>. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0544272996" title="Special:BookSources/978-0544272996"><bdi>978-0544272996</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=What+If%3F%3A+Serious+Scientific+Answers+to+Absurd+Hypothetical+Questions&rft.date=2014&rft.isbn=978-0544272996&rft.aulast=Munroe&rft.aufirst=Randall&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fisbn_9780544272996&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWhat+If%3F+%28book%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-22"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-22">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFKluger2022" class="citation magazine cs1">Kluger, Jeffrey (September 24, 2022). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://time.com/6215376/randall-munroe-xkcd-science-questions/">"Could You Eat a Cloud? How Randall Munroe Became the Guru of Absurd Science Questions"</a>. <i>TIME</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2022-12-08</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=TIME&rft.atitle=Could+You+Eat+a+Cloud%3F+How+Randall+Munroe+Became+the+Guru+of+Absurd+Science+Questions&rft.date=2022-09-24&rft.aulast=Kluger&rft.aufirst=Jeffrey&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Ftime.com%2F6215376%2Frandall-munroe-xkcd-science-questions%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AWhat+If%3F+%28book%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> </ol></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl 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