• XKCD Creator Randall Munroe Announces Book "What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypotheti
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XKCD seems to be well-liked here, and [URL="http://what-if.xkcd.com/"]What If?[/URL] is brilliant, so might as well post this [IMG]http://imgs.xkcd.com/blag/whatif_1.png[/IMG] [QUOTE]What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions will be published September 2nd by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Starting today you can pre-order it from your favorite bookseller ([URL="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/what-if-serious-scientific-answers-to-absurd-hypothetical-questions-randall-munroe/1118864093?ean=9780544272996"]Barnes & Noble[/URL], [URL="http://www.amazon.com/What-If-Scientific-Hypothetical-Questions/dp/0544272994/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1394474740&sr=1-1&keywords=what+if%3F%2C+munroe"]Amazon[/URL], [URL="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780544272996"]Indie Bound[/URL]). This book features my answers to those questions, along with revised and updated versions of some of my favorite articles from the site. (I’m also including my personal list of the weirdest questions people have submitted.)[/QUOTE] [url]http://blog.xkcd.com/2014/03/12/what-if-i-wrote-a-book/[/url]
What if every printing press in the world was able to run 24/7 with no consideration for running out of supplies or mechanical breakdowns and only made this book? How long until the Earth collapsed into a singularity?
I'm conflicted. On the one hand I [B]LOVE[/B] his what-ifs, on the other hand this book means that the best question won't be available on the what-if site.
[QUOTE=Zeke129;44213818]What if every printing press in the world was able to run 24/7 with no consideration for running out of supplies or mechanical breakdowns and only made this book? How long until the Earth collapsed into a singularity?[/QUOTE] worldwide book production: [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Books_published_per_country_per_year"]2,200,000[/URL] size of book: 320 pages + cover = ~350 pages paper area: 0.2*0.15 * 350 = 10.5 m^2 paper density: 0.08 kgm^-2 mass of book: 10.5 * 80 = 0.84kg per year: 0.84 * 2200000 = 1,848,000kg mass needed for black hole: 3.2 solar masses (assume no fusion to hold it up) = ~9*10^30 kg - mass of earth: 9*10^30 - 6*10^24 = 9*10^ 30 time needed: 9*10^30 / 1,848,000 = 5 * 10^24 years worldwide literacy rate : rises steadily until everyone is crushed by books
I wouldn't think just stacking books on the Earth could create a black hole.
[QUOTE=Eltro102;44214036]worldwide book production: [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Books_published_per_country_per_year"]2,200,000[/URL] size of book: 320 pages + cover = ~350 pages paper area: 0.2*0.15 * 350 = 10.5 m^2 paper density: 0.08 kgm^-2 mass of book: 10.5 * 80 = 0.84kg per year: 0.84 * 2200000 = 1,848,000kg mass needed for black hole: 3.2 solar masses (assume no fusion to hold it up) = ~9*10^30 kg - mass of earth: 9*10^30 - 6*10^24 = 9*10^ 30 time needed: 9*10^30 / 1,848,000 = 5 * 10^24 years worldwide literacy rate : rises steadily until everyone is crushed by books[/QUOTE] But that's books published, not books printed.
[QUOTE=Falubii;44214288]I wouldn't think just stacking books on the Earth could create a black hole.[/QUOTE] I'm guessing because books wouldn't be able to condense into enough space? Maybe when when there's enough pressure for the books to start burning.
[QUOTE=Chrille;44214321]But that's books published, not books printed.[/QUOTE] i'm not sure adding an extra power of ten or a hundred would really make much of a difference
[QUOTE=Falubii;44214288]I wouldn't think just stacking books on the Earth could create a black hole.[/QUOTE] the mass of the books would eventually be enough but it would become a star long before
[QUOTE=Eltro102;44214036]worldwide book production: [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Books_published_per_country_per_year"]2,200,000[/URL] size of book: 320 pages + cover = ~350 pages paper area: 0.2*0.15 * 350 = 10.5 m^2 paper density: 0.08 kgm^-2 mass of book: 10.5 * 80 = 0.84kg per year: 0.84 * 2200000 = 1,848,000kg mass needed for black hole: 3.2 solar masses (assume no fusion to hold it up) = ~9*10^30 kg - mass of earth: 9*10^30 - 6*10^24 = 9*10^ 30 time needed: 9*10^30 / 1,848,000 = 5 * 10^24 years worldwide literacy rate : rises steadily until everyone is crushed by books[/QUOTE] Except the mass of raw materials used is exactly the same as the mass of the book so all this would do is consume the entire planet and replace it with books.
[QUOTE=Trekintosh;44214732]Except the mass of raw materials used is exactly the same as the mass of the book so all this would do is consume the entire planet and replace it with books.[/QUOTE] This is the true reason that we need to start mining asteroids and other extraterrestrial objects, so we can create this book hole.
[QUOTE=Trekintosh;44214732]Except the mass of raw materials used is exactly the same as the mass of the book so all this would do is consume the entire planet and replace it with books.[/QUOTE] [quote=zeke] blah blah blah no consideration of supplies[/quote]
[QUOTE=Eltro102;44214036]worldwide book production: [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Books_published_per_country_per_year"]2,200,000[/URL] size of book: 320 pages + cover = ~350 pages paper area: 0.2*0.15 * 350 = 10.5 m^2 paper density: 0.08 kgm^-2 mass of book: 10.5 * 80 = 0.84kg per year: 0.84 * 2200000 = 1,848,000kg mass needed for black hole: 3.2 solar masses (assume no fusion to hold it up) = ~9*10^30 kg - mass of earth: 9*10^30 - 6*10^24 = 9*10^ 30 time needed: 9*10^30 / 1,848,000 = 5 * 10^24 years worldwide literacy rate : rises steadily until everyone is crushed by books[/QUOTE] The figure you cited for black hole formation is referring to neutron stars. The only way I see that stacking books on Earth could conceivably create a black hole is if it created a hypernova (a really energetic type II supernova). Paper is made from cellulose (formula C6H10O5). I don't know much about stellar evolution, but assuming this was a regular star (meaning it started from hydrogen) it would need to have begun with about 25-90 solar masses to form a hypernova. I'm sure that the fact that the Earth/book/star is mostly oxygen by mass would have strange effects that I can't account for. Just assuming that it's the same required mass as a regular star to reach hypernova, 4.97275*10^31 kg would be about a minimum of the required mass. That's 5.92*10^31 copies of that book using your estimate.
deforest mars
[QUOTE=dai;44215054]deforest mars[/QUOTE] done did it myself
[QUOTE=Falubii;44215037]The figure you cited for black hole formation is referring to neutron stars. The only way I see that stacking books on Earth could conceivably create a black hole is if it created a hypernova (a really energetic type II supernova). Paper is made from cellulose (formula C6H10O5). I don't know much about stellar evolution, but assuming this was a regular star (meaning it started from hydrogen) it would need to have begun with about 25-90 solar masses to form a hypernova. I'm sure that the fact that the Earth/book/star is mostly oxygen by mass would have strange effects that I can't account for. Just assuming that it's the same required mass as a regular star to reach hypernova, 4.97275*10^31 kg would be about a minimum of the required mass. That's 5.92*10^31 copies of that book using your estimate.[/QUOTE] Or.. we could just shrink many books down to their Schwarzschild radius near each other, and watch the terror ensue..
Creating a black hole of books would probably take a lot of books [url=http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1375248&p=44214036&viewfull=1#post44214036][1][/url].
[QUOTE=Trekintosh;44214732]Except the mass of raw materials used is exactly the same as the mass of the book so all this would do is consume the entire planet and replace it with books.[/QUOTE] Actually it'd be less since there would be waste, but that's not applicable to the proposed scenario.
xkcd is preferred over XKCD. Just sayin'
[QUOTE=latin_geek;44213710]XKCD seems to be well-liked here, and [URL="http://what-if.xkcd.com/"]What If?[/URL] is brilliant, so might as well post this ... [url]http://blog.xkcd.com/2014/03/12/what-if-i-wrote-a-book/[/url][/QUOTE] A community where xkcd is NOT well-liked is not any community I'd like to be a part of.
[QUOTE=dai;44215054]deforest mars[/QUOTE] this is a definition of how i play starbound - On a more related note, Yay, an xkcd book!
[QUOTE=Capnscarlet;44221899]A community where xkcd is NOT well-liked is not any community I'd like to be a part of.[/QUOTE] i think something awful hates xkcd [url]http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3613779&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=1[/url] but this is also the forum that has a hateboner for us [url]http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3601955&pagenumber=1&perpage=40#post424314515[/url]
[QUOTE=Hamsteronfire;44223804]i think something awful hates xkcd [url]http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3613779&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=1[/url] but this is also the forum that has a hateboner for us [url]http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3601955&pagenumber=1&perpage=40#post424314515[/url][/QUOTE] gold member 2008 elitism and poe's law at its finest
[QUOTE=Hamsteronfire;44223804]i think something awful hates xkcd [url]http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3613779&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=1[/url] but this is also the forum that has a hateboner for us [url]http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3601955&pagenumber=1&perpage=40#post424314515[/url][/QUOTE] That was a cringe-worthy read.
[url]http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page[/url] Why is this a thing
[QUOTE=Tuskin;44224767][url]http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page[/url] Why is this a thing[/QUOTE] I don't see any problem with being inclusive and letting people who aren't familiar with certain specific subject areas in on the humour. (Although having said that, that wiki does occasionally suck all the humour out of a joke, and watching people try to explain the [URL="http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1339"]simplest comics[/URL] is kind of silly) [QUOTE=Hamsteronfire;44223804]i think something awful hates xkcd [url]http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3613779&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=1[/url] but this is also the forum that has a hateboner for us [url]http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3601955&pagenumber=1&perpage=40#post424314515[/url][/QUOTE] These people seem inexplicably bitter: "You know what people reading comics hate? Words." [editline]13th March 2014[/editline] also: "I too would like money to sit in a ballpit, jack off, and post retarded man child E/N comics about stick figures that represent me and my fake anime girlfriend who is really good at math and hyper-sexual." Yes, I'm sure he completely made up his girlfriend and her depressing battle with cancer for the internet views...
[QUOTE=Hamsteronfire;44223804]i think something awful hates xkcd [url]http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3613779&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=1[/url][/QUOTE] Even if he took this photo just for the news article that's still cool as hell [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/ZSlRyvk.png[/IMG] [QUOTE=Tuskin;44224767][url]http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page[/url] Why is this a thing[/QUOTE] It has it's time and place, helped me a few times with the more mathematically inclined jokes.
[QUOTE=Hamsteronfire;44223804]i think something awful hates xkcd [url]http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3613779&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=1[/url] but this is also the forum that has a hateboner for us [url]http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3601955&pagenumber=1&perpage=40#post424314515[/url][/QUOTE] Wow somethingawful truly is terrible.
[QUOTE=Falubii;44225707]Wow somethingawful truly is poo poo.[/QUOTE] it took me a while to realize there was a word filter and they weren't being intentionally saying 'poo poo' like a facetious inside joke about something being for children we've got a good number of facepunchers who go to SA and they seem fine though. Besides, FP was made to give gmod a free forum away from SA's paywall, since Garry was a goon. Obviously there's sects and overall attitudes that carry with certain groups over there but you get all types everywhere
[QUOTE=dai;44226594]it took me a while to realize there was a word filter and they weren't being intentionally saying 'poo poo' like a facetious inside joke about something being for children we've got a good number of facepunchers who go to SA and they seem fine though. Besides, FP was made to give gmod a free forum away from SA's paywall, since Garry was a goon. Obviously there's sects and overall attitudes that carry with certain groups over there but you get all types everywhere[/QUOTE] I splashed out about two months ago for the full plethora of membership + benefits and whilst I like the fact that SA is a much bigger and varied community, some sections and discussions can be a lot more stupid and childish than Sensationalist Headlines.
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