Randall Munroe

Randall Munroe is the author of New York Times bestsellers "What If?" "How To," "What If? 2," and "Thing Explainer;" the science question-and-answer blog What If?; and the popular web comic xkcd. Notably, he started writing a monthly column for The New York Times titled "Good Question" in November 2019, where he engages in a similar style of scientific exploration in response to user-submitted questions. Moreover, he has also ventured into the world of YouTube with his channel "xkcd's What If?" since August 2023, providing viewers with visual answers from the "How To" series accompanied by xkcd-style animations.

A former NASA roboticist, he left the agency in 2006 to draw comics on the internet full time. His webcomic, primarily featuring stick figures, quickly became popular, amassing up to 70 million hits a month by October 2007. Randall now supports himself through the sale of xkcd-related merchandise and has even been invited to Google's Googleplex to discuss his work. In 2014, his comic strip "Time" won the Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story, solidifying his status in the realm of comics.

As an author, Munroe has written articles for various high-profile publications, including a 2015 article for The New Yorker where he explains general relativity using only the 1,000 most common English words. His attention to detail and unique approach in explaining complex concepts are also evident in his book "Thing Explainer," which uses only the 1,000 most common English words to explain various concepts. His passion for science and knack for making it accessible to everyone is truly remarkable.

Notably, his impact on science communication has even landed him a celestial honor - a group of xkcd readers submitted Munroe's name as a candidate for the renaming of asteroid (4942) 1987 DU6 to 4942 Munroe, which was accepted by the International Astronomical Union.