Monthly Archives: December 2017

What If? Rejects #12.2: Resonant Frequency

Posted on December 21, 2017 by Alex R. Howe

Previous post in this series: Ticks And here it is! The final rejected question from xkcd writer Randall Munroe’s book, What If? It’s been a crazy ride. Q: Assuming a relatively uniform resonant frequency in a passenger jet, how many … Continue reading →

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How The Last Jedi Fixes Star Wars; Yes, I Said It.

Posted on December 19, 2017 by Alex R. Howe

I wrote before that I believe Star Wars: The Last Jedi redeemed the franchise in several important ways. This is a complicated topic, but I want to try to give you an outline of my thoughts. To talk about The … Continue reading →

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What If? Rejects #12.1: Ticks

Posted on December 18, 2017 by Alex R. Howe

Previous post in this series: Fire Tornados! Next post in this series: Resonant Frequency Q: What if I swallow a tick that has Lyme disease? Will my stomach acid kill the tick and the borreliosis, or would I get Lyme … Continue reading →

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Movie Review: Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Posted on December 18, 2017 by Alex R. Howe

Well, Star Wars Episode VIII is here, and it’s proving to be not only the biggest movie of the year, but also one of the most controversial. Not in the news headlines, that is, but quietly, in the actual audience … Continue reading →

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What If? Rejects #11.2: Fire Tornadoes!

Posted on December 13, 2017 by Alex R. Howe

Previous post in this series: Moving an Island Next post in this series: Ticks Q: Are fire tornadoes possible? Randall’s response: “YES. Fire tornadoes are a real thing that actually happens. Nothing I say could possibly add to this.” My … Continue reading →

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Television Review: The New Mythbusters

Posted on December 12, 2017 by Alex R. Howe

The Discovery Channel’s wildly popular MythBusters series ended in 2016, but it turned out that the show just couldn’t stay away. The Science Channel picked it up again, airing a game show to choose the new hosts of the series. … Continue reading →

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What If? Rejects #11.1: Moving an Island

Posted on December 10, 2017 by Alex R. Howe

Previous post in this series: Turkey Day Next post in this series: Fire Tornadoes! Q: What if everyone in Great Britain went to one of the coasts and started paddling? Could they move the island at all? Randall’s response: “NO.” … Continue reading →

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Movie Review: Coco

Posted on December 10, 2017 by Alex R. Howe

Pixar’s latest film, Coco, is an epic story set in Mexico and centered around the traditional holiday, Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead). In it, Miguel, a budding musician in a family that hates music, becomes trapped in the … Continue reading →

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