What we’re about
I am a software engineer with a background in Physics and interest in all the sciences to help make me a better writer and I would like to have extra motivation to read science-related books and discuss them outside of work. These wouldn't be textbooks, they would be more "popular science" that are educational and entertaining as well! Authors will include Richard Dawkins, Natalie Angier, E.O. Wilson, Carl Sagan, and Rachel Carson among others. There are many of these that have been on my "to-do" list for a long time.
Of course scientists, engineers and teachers of science would be great for this group, because we could talk about our jobs too. But anyone who is interested in science reading is welcome!! No prior science knowledge is necessary, I promise.
The books chosen for this group are 65% life science, sociology and environmental science books. Some books, such as by Bill Bryson and Carl Sagan, include some chemistry and/or physics, but we will not be reading many books that only pertain to physical science or mathematics. We will try to keep books of this nature to about 2 to 3 a year.
Upcoming events (3)
See all- [Hybrid] What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd…Panera Bread, Herndon, VA
…Hypothetical Questions (2022) by Randall Munroe, 368 pages [Physics]
• Paperback
• Hardcover
• Kindle
• Audiobook
• Library: https://fcplcat.fairfaxcounty.gov/search/title.aspx?ctx=1.1033.0.0.1&pos=1&cn=551823Check the How To Find Us section for Zoom Link [b](Remember, the Zoom Link is different each month, do not bookmark)[/b]
### Review
Praise for What If? 2
“Delightful… Randall Munroe has made a career out of sharing his joy in science and engineering…. This book and its predecessor inspire us to believe that, even in a vast and mysterious universe, there’s a lot we can figure out with nothing but a sharp pencil, come basic scientific knowledge and a vivid imagination.” —The Wall Street Journal
"The questions throughout What If? 2 are equal parts brilliant, gross, and wonderfully absurd and the answers are thorough, deeply researched, and great fun…. Science isn’t easy, but in Munroe’s capable hands, it surely can be fun." —TIME
"Picking this book up now and then enlivens life by letting you briefly consider the effects of, say, putting an indestructible 20-meter-wide glass tube all the way down to the deepest part of the ocean. Plus, Munroe’s illustrations turn stick figures and flowcharts into the stuff of existential hilarity." —NPR
"Entertaining…. combines Munroe’s true research and truly funny prose with his signature stick-figure illustrations." —The Washington Post
"Perfect if you enjoy it when stuffy figures of authority crack a smile. Or if you like it when black holes form. That happens a lot." —Newsweek
"One of my favorite books of the year." —Tim Harford, Financial Times
"It's an absolute delight! It's the coolest way to learn how the world actually works." —Hank Green (on the Dear Hank & John podcast)
“A delight for science geeks with a penchant for oddball thought experiments.” —Kirkus
Praise for Randall Munroe and What If?
“Randall Munroe is a national treasure.” —Phil Plait
“Extreme astrophysics and indecipherable chemistry have rarely been this clearly explained or this consistently hilarious.” —Entertainment Weekly “10 Best Nonfiction Books of the Year”“Consistently fascinating and entertaining… Munroe leavens the hard science with whimsical touches… An illuminating handbook of methods of reasoning.” —Wall Street Journal
“It’s fun to watch as Munroe tackles each question and examines every possible complication with nerdy and methodical aplomb…. The delightfully demented What If? is the most fun you can have with math and science, short of becoming your own evil genius.” —Boston Globe
### About the Author
Randall Munroe is the author of the New York Times bestsellers What If? 2, How To, What If?, and Thing Explainer; the science question-and-answer blog What If?; and the popular web comic xkcd. A former NASA roboticist, he left the agency in 2006 to draw comics on the internet full time. He lives in Massachusetts.