Can Math Answer Absurd Questions?

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Part 1 of the TED Radio Hour episode Solve For X

About Randall Munroe's TED Talk

When Randall Munroe volunteered to teach physics to high schoolers, his textbook approach to teaching the subject fell flat. Then he realized a way to get the kids excited about math -- Star Wars.

"To me, what's exciting is the answers that math can get you to."

About Randall Munroe

Comic book author Randall Munroe answers far-out questions, such as 'How much force did Yoda need to lift the X-Wing out of the swamp on Dagoba?' He uses math and physics to answer these queries and turns his findings into comics on his blogs What If? and xkcd. He's the author of the book What If?: Serious Scientific Answers To Absurd Hypothetical Questions.

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NPR/TED Staff