logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2020
10m 36s

Randall Munroe's Absurd Scientific Advic...

NPR
About this episode
Randall Munroe, the cartoonist behind the popular Internet comic xkcd, finds complicated solutions to simple, real-world problems. In the process, he reveals a lot about science and why the real world is sometimes even weirder than we expect. His latest book is called How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems. (Encore episode.)

Here's more on nuclear tests of bottled beverages from nuclear historian Alex Wellerstein.

Email the show at shortwave@npr.org.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Yesterday
Meet the Third Ever (!!) Interstellar Comet
A rare visitor from another star system has been spotted: the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS! It was detected July 1 by the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, or ATLAS. Most known comets orbit the Sun and are bound by the gravity of the solar system ... but t ... Show More
8m 43s
Jul 9
Evolution Went On Trial 100 Years Ago. Where Are We Now?
This week marks the 100th anniversary of the Scopes "Monkey Trial" — where a teacher was charged with the crime of teaching Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection. At the time, it was illegal in Tennessee to "teach any theory that denies the story of the Divine Creatio ... Show More
12m 37s
Jul 8
Itchy? Air Pollution May Be Making It Worse
Short Wave producer Hannah Chinn has adult-onset eczema. They're not the only one. Up to ten percent of people in the United States have it, according to the National Eczema Association — and its prevalence is increasing. Despite its ubiquity, a lot about this skin condition rema ... Show More
13m 11s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2019
Podcast Extra: Absurd scientific advice
How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems is the new book from XKCD cartoonist Randall Munroe. In this Podcast Extra, Randall talks about the book, its inspiration and the bizarre thought experiments it contains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mo ... Show More
15m 58s
Oct 2022
Randall Munroe answers your wildest questions
How many soulmates do you think people have? What if you tried to funnel all the water from Niagara falls through a straw? Do you think it’s possible? if you sold the whole planet for scrap–what parts would be most valuable? You might think these absurd questions are unanswerable ... Show More
33m 34s
Oct 2022
Randall Munroe answers your wildest questions
How many soulmates do you think people have? What if you tried to funnel all the water from Niagara falls through a straw? Do you think it’s possible? if you sold the whole planet for scrap–what parts would be most valuable? You might think these absurd questions are unanswerable ... Show More
33m 34s
Mar 2023
How to think like a mathematician
Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by comedian Jo Brand, mathematicians Prof Hannah Fry and Dr Eugenia Cheng, and xkcd webcomic creator Randall Munroe to discover how thinking like a mathematician could solve some tricky everyday conundrums. From the optimal strategy to finding ... Show More
42m 35s
Oct 2021
Roger Penrose, “The Cyclic Universe” (Open Agenda, 2021)
In the last twenty years, cosmology has unexpectedly emerged as one of the most exciting and dynamic fields of modern science. From astoundingly precise measurements of the cosmic microwave background to the ongoing mysteries of dark energy and dark matter, modern cosmology is un ... Show More
2h 31m
Oct 2021
Roger Penrose, “The Cyclic Universe” (Open Agenda, 2021)
In the last twenty years, cosmology has unexpectedly emerged as one of the most exciting and dynamic fields of modern science. From astoundingly precise measurements of the cosmic microwave background to the ongoing mysteries of dark energy and dark matter, modern cosmology is un ... Show More
2h 31m
Dec 2022
Robin Ince and the joy of popular-science books
Long-term listeners will know that the December episode of Physics World Stories is a celebration of the year’s best popular-science writing. This year, Andrew Glester is joined by comedian and writer Robin Ince, author of the recent book The Importance of Being Interested: Adven ... Show More
26m 32s
Sep 2022
Babbage: How science can save the world
During the pandemic, scientists gained greater prominence in the lives of ordinary people than ever before. And while covid-19 highlighted the importance of the field to humanity, it also raised questions about the role of scientists in modern life. Host Alok Jha talks to the ast ... Show More
36m 9s
Oct 2022
'What If? 2' is Randall Munroe's second round of answers to absurd questions
Randall Munroe's first book of scientific answers to the absurd questions people have was so popular that he wrote another one. In What If? 2, the author and cartoonist answers confusing and often unusual questions submitted by adults – and children – using science and humor. He ... Show More
8m 10s
Sep 2019
The Universe Speaks in Numbers: Simon Schaffer interviewed by Graham Farmelo
Science writer Graham Farmelo in conversation with Simon Schaffer. Simon Schaffer is not only a leading historian of science but also a great teacher. He is without peer in his ability to illuminate how thinking about thinking about the natural world developed into our modern und ... Show More
33m 10s