How To
Randall Munroe
17 min
8 Key Points
4.3 RateWhat's inside?
Explore unconventional and humorous scientific solutions to everyday problems, and discover the fun side of science.
You'll learn
1. Funny science hacks for daily problems2. Using science in weird ways3. Why thinking hard rocks4. Science is fun, seriously!5. Seeing problems from a new angle6. Be creative, solve problems better.Key points
01Never stop learning and finding better ways to do things
Imagine you're a scientist at NASA, and you've got a big problem on your hands. You need to land a rover on Mars, but you can't kick up a dust storm in the process. What do you do? Well, you could go the traditional route, or you could think up something totally bonkers, like a sky crane. Yes, a sky crane. A hovering, rocket-powered crane that gently lowers the rover to the surface, avoiding the dust storm problem entirely. Sounds crazy, right? But guess what? It worked. That's the kind of out-of-the-box thinking we're talking about here. The kind that takes everyday problems and flips them on their head. The kind that doesn't just accept the status quo but challenges it, pushes it, and sometimes, comes up with something totally absurd. Take, for instance, the simple act of jumping. You might think there's only one way to do it, but what if there were more? What if you could jump differently, more efficiently, or just for the fun of it? Or consider throwing a pool party. Sure, you could just fill a pool with water and invite some friends over, but what if you could make it a scientific experiment? What if you could use physics to make the biggest splash possible? And it's not just about fun and games. This kind of thinking can help you predict the weather, generate power, even win an election. It's about taking the mundane and making it extraordinary. It's about never stopping learning, never stopping questioning, and never stopping innovating. So, the next time you're faced with a problem, whether it's as big as landing a rover on Mars or as small as charging your phone, don't just go with the first solution that comes to mind. Think outside the box. Be a little absurd. You never know, you might just come up with the perfect solution.
02With the right training, you can achieve incredible feats
Ever thought about jumping higher than a kangaroo on a trampoline? Sounds like a tall tale, right? But let's dive into the world of physics and see how we could theoretically make it happen. First, let's talk about how high we humans can jump. The average Joe or Jane can't jump very high, but a super-fit athlete can leap about two feet off the ground. That's like jumping over a small toddler! They do this with a mix of muscle power, speed, and some fancy footwork. But what if we cheat a bit? Take pole vaulting, for example. With a long bendy pole and a running start, athletes can soar over 20 feet in the air. That's like jumping over a giraffe! Now, let's throw wind into the mix. Just like a tailwind can help a runner go faster, a gust of wind from below could theoretically give a jumper a boost. But there's a catch. The wind would need to be faster than your terminal velocity, which is the fastest you'd fall if you jumped out of a plane and plummeted towards the earth. For us humans, that's about 130 miles per hour. With some sleek, aerodynamic clothes, we could lower that to around 30 miles per hour. But even that's too fast for a gust of wind to overcome. So, what if we used a parachute or a paraglider? These gadgets increase the area for the wind to push against, slowing down your terminal velocity and letting you ride the wind upwards. Imagine this: you're standing on a mountain, wearing a suit that's like a sailplane. The wind is blowing upwards, over the mountain and into the stratosphere. You jump, catch the wind, and ride it up, up, up into the sky. You'd be jumping higher than anyone has ever jumped before! But hold your horses! This is all theoretical. Trying to actually do this would be super dangerous and is definitely not recommended. This is just a fun way to explore the cool things physics and engineering can do. So, keep your feet on the ground and leave the sky-high jumping to your imagination!
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Full summary is waiting for you in the app
03A pool party needs a pool, duh!
04Weigh the cost and purpose before digging a hole
05There's more to sound than what a piano can play
06Throwing well is a skill that's pretty legendary
07Different football games need different strategies to score
08Conclusion
About Randall Munroe
Randall Munroe is an American cartoonist, author, and former NASA roboticist, best known for creating the webcomic "xkcd". He uses humor and clear, simple explanations to make complex scientific concepts accessible to the general public. His work often explores themes of technology, science, mathematics, and relationships.
