New York Comic Con 2014: Bill Nye and Randall Munroe Discuss ‘What If?’

What if we could create a building a billion stories tall? What if we could fly? What if we all aimed a laser pointer at the moon at the same time?  What if we could drain all of the water from the oceans? These questions aren't silly; they're part of the scientific process. And they're questions that Bill Nye, the famed scientist, and Randall Munroe, creator of the popular webcomic xkcd, tackled in their panel at Comic Con 2014 while discussing Munroe's new book.

Hypothetical questions aren't to be discouraged. In fact, the curiosity associated with these questions should be encouraged, especially when it comes to raising a new generation of scientists in the United States. Nye pointed out that these questions are the basis of the scientific method and if science isn't promoted in schools, then it's a detriment to everyone.

"The only thing that keeps the United States in the game economically is our ability to innovate," said Nye. "So if we raise a generation of young people in the heartland of the United States that don't believe in science or the process of science...who do not possess what we like to call the 'critical thinking skill'...then we will not have the next iPhone, the next Android...and we will just use bad judgment."

These questions are the basis of Munroe's new book, "What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions." In fact, questions are what truly inspired Munroe to write the book in the first place.

"When I started this out, I was thinking about questions that I was wondering about-and some from a few of my friends. But what I was really surprised about was the questions that come from little kids," said Munroe. "I think it's because they aren't trying to ask a question with an interesting answer...They're just asking a really straightforward question, like 'I want to build a building that's a billion stories tall. Will that work? Can I do that? What will happen?' And I found that question will have a lot of interesting consequences."

The book itself tackles topics that range from the interesting to the bizarre while at the same time highlighting a topic close to Nye's heart: the scientific method.

"This idea that you can know the future, that you can make predictions about nature-that's what the scientific method is all about," said Nye.

It's this method that's truly the basis of continued exploration and discovery. Without this curiosity and innovation, Nye hints, the United States could fall behind. He even pointed to the recent Ebola outbreak as a reminder of how crucial it is to continue pushing forward in the fields of science.

"Now with this Ebola outbreak...I'm hopeful that it's an opportunity to remind us all what's at stake," said Nye.

Munroe and Nye didn't only tackle the scientific method and the importance of innovation; they also tackled innovations itself. Nye pointed out that when he was a child, the Internet hadn't even been thought of. Now, it helps dictate our daily lives. Things that seem like science fiction now, such as an elevator to space or superfast travel from America to Europe, are actually within the realm of possibility. To get there, though, curiosity needs to be encouraged.

"People everywhere are excited to learn how things work," said Munroe. "That's what I try to do--just try to share that excitement and then maybe people will see that and be like 'Hey, I want to find out more about what's got him so excited.'"