The Science of Absurd Questions: xkcd's What If? YouTube Channel

Randall Munroe's transition from NASA roboticist to internet phenomenon has taken an exciting new direction with the YouTube channel "xkcd's What If?" The channel serves as the official video adaptation of Munroe's popular "What If?" book series, bringing his trademark blend of rigorous scientific analysis and absurd hypothetical scenarios to a visual medium.^[1]^[2]

From Webcomic to Video Series

The What If? concept originated from Munroe's experiences teaching a weekend program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he discovered that incorporating pop culture references from Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings could make physics problems more engaging for high school students.^[3] Since 2012, Munroe had been answering unusual scientific questions submitted by readers of his xkcd webcomic on his blog, building a substantial following eager for his methodical yet entertaining approach to impossible scenarios.^[3]

The YouTube channel launched as a collaboration between Munroe and Neptune Studios LLC, with production led by Henry Reich, creator of MinutePhysics.^[2]^[4] This partnership brings together Munroe's scientific expertise and Reich's experience in educational video production to create content that maintains the spirit of the original What If? series while leveraging the visual storytelling possibilities of video.

Channel Performance and Growth

As of May 2025, xkcd's What If? has achieved remarkable success on YouTube, accumulating over 936,000 subscribers and more than 60 million total views across just 25 videos.^[5] The channel demonstrates impressive engagement metrics, with daily subscriber growth consistently around 1,000 new followers and daily view counts ranging from 75,000 to 380,000.^[5]

The channel's content resonates strongly with audiences, evidenced by individual videos achieving millions of views. Recent tracking data shows the channel maintaining steady growth throughout 2025, with monthly view increases typically ranging from 2-3 million additional views.^[5] Industry analytics platforms estimate the channel generates between $75,000 and $101,000 in monthly revenue, positioning it as a significant player in educational content creation.^[6]

Content Format and Scientific Approach

The channel's videos tackle questions that range from merely odd to downright diabolical, such as exploring what would happen if someone took a swim in a spent nuclear fuel pool, whether fire tornadoes are possible, or how quickly the oceans would drain through a portal at the bottom of the Challenger Deep.^[1]^[7] Each video maintains Munroe's characteristic approach of using mathematics and physics to reach logical conclusions about seemingly impossible scenarios.

The production style incorporates stick figure illustrations reminiscent of the original xkcd comics, combined with dynamic visual storytelling that helps viewers follow complex scientific calculations.^[7] Videos typically feature Munroe as narrator, with Henry Reich handling writing and direction, while Lizah van der Aart manages illustration and video editing.^[7]

Educational Impact and Reception

The channel's approach to scientific education through absurd hypotheticals has proven effective in making complex physics concepts accessible to general audiences. Munroe's background as a former NASA roboticist with an undergraduate degree in physics lends credibility to the channel's scientific content, while his talent for explaining everything from relativistic effects to nuclear fusion in understandable terms keeps viewers engaged.^[8]^[1]

The success of What If? content across multiple platforms demonstrates the enduring appeal of Munroe's approach to science communication. The original What If? book reached number one on Amazon's bestseller list and topped the New York Times combined print and e-book nonfiction category, indicating strong audience demand for this type of content.^[8]

Production Philosophy and Creative Process

Munroe's selection process for questions involves choosing scenarios he already finds scientifically interesting or those that allow him to incorporate recent scientific research.^[3] He typically spends about a day of solid work answering each question and developing it into content, whether for the blog, books, or video series.^[3] The volume of submitted questions has grown so large that it's impossible for Munroe to read them all individually, necessitating a selective approach to content creation.

xkcd's What If?

xkcd's What If?

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