What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedWhat if? 2
Randall Munroe · Book
If you loved What if? 2, start with The Infinite Monkey Cage — a podcast on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to What if? 2 across media.
What hooked you in What if? 2 was the way rigorous scientific inquiry collides with absurd, high-stakes curiosity in the most unexpected ways.
Films on the same thread
American Fiction
Cord Jefferson · Film · 2023
Explores: Authenticity, Identity, Hypocrisy.
Just as What if? 2 deconstructs reality through playful logic, this satire uses a bizarre, intentional falsehood to expose the deep-seated hypocrisies and absurdities of our modern cultural landscape.
Don't Look Up
Adam McKay · Film · 2021
Explores: Existential Threat, Societal Collapse, Political Ineptitude.
If you appreciated the existential scenarios in What if? 2, you will recognize the same dry, analytical humor used here to highlight how society ignores clear scientific warnings.
Mickey 17
Bong Joon Ho · Film · 2025
Explores: Immortality, Expendability, Corporate Dystopia.
This film explores the dark, corporate consequences of scientific advancement, mirroring the way What if? 2 takes a logical premise to its most extreme and unsettlingly funny conclusion.
Project Hail Mary
Phil Lord · Film · 2026
Explores: competence porn, amnesia, interspecies friendship.
The focus on competent problem-solving in the face of impossible odds aligns perfectly with the spirit of scientific resilience found throughout the pages of What if? 2.
Series on the same thread
For All Mankind
Ronald D. Moore · Series · 2019
Explores: Space Exploration, Cold War, Technological Advancement.
If the speculative space exploration in What if? 2 fascinated you, this series offers a grounded look at how historical shifts in scientific priority alter the trajectory of humanity.
What We Do in the Shadows
Jemaine Clement · Series · 2019
Explores: Vampire Life, Fish-out-of-Water, Supernatural Roommates.
The mockumentary format applies the same deadpan, observational tone found in What if? 2 to the mundane, nightly struggles of supernatural beings living in a very human world.
The Big Bang Theory
Chuck Lorre · Series · 2007
Explores: Friendship, Nerds, Fish-out-of-water.
Much like the nerd culture celebrated in What if? 2, this sitcom finds humor in the specific, technical passions of its characters and their awkward social interactions.
Only Murders in the Building
Steve Martin · Series · 2021
Explores: True Crime Obsession, New York City, Intergenerational Friendship.
The infectious curiosity that drives the explanations in What if? 2 is mirrored here as a group of eccentric strangers uses their specific obsessions to solve mysteries.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Infinite Monkey Cage
Podcast
Explores: scientific discovery, astrophysics, cosmology.
This podcast shares the irreverent, witty approach to complex scientific concepts that made What if? 2 a favorite, proving that high-level physics is best enjoyed with humor.
Ologies with Alie Ward
Alie Ward · Podcast · 2026
Shares a thread with What if? 2: science communication.
Like the inquiries in What if? 2, this show celebrates the joy of asking strange, niche questions about the natural world and finding fascinating, expert-led answers.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is What if? 2 written by the same person who makes xkcd?
Yes, What if? 2 is written by the creator of the web comic xkcd. The author is a former NASA roboticist who uses his scientific background to explore the hypothetical and oddball scenarios presented throughout the book.
Does What if? 2 focus on realistic science?
What if? 2 focuses on hypothetical and oddball scenarios rather than standard reality. The author, a former NASA roboticist, applies scientific principles to these strange questions to determine the outcomes of these bizarre and unlikely situations.
What kind of scenarios are explored in What if? 2?
What if? 2 explores a variety of hypothetical and oddball scenarios. These questions are analyzed by the author, a former NASA roboticist and creator of xkcd, who uses scientific reasoning to explain what would happen in these unusual situations.
Is the author of What if? 2 a scientist?
Yes, the author of What if? 2 is a former NASA roboticist. He utilizes his professional experience and background in science to investigate the logic behind the hypothetical and oddball scenarios featured in the book.