The creator of xkcd, Randall Munroe is an extraordinarily popular web presence. His inventive webcomic is updated daily, and can be habit-forming. He shares his work generously, and touches on environmental themes often. He has been nominated for a 
Hugo Award twice, thanks to his loyal science fiction fan base. In his regular feature “What if?,” readers submit hypothetical questions, which he then answers with physics. This is a good example: Could a high-speed train run through a vertical loop, like a rollercoaster, with the passengers staying comfortable? The answer is like going back to physics class. Here is how Randall describes himself:
I’m just this guy, you know? I’m a CNU graduate with a degree in physics. Before starting xkcd, I worked on robots at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia. As of June 2007 I live in Massachusetts. In my spare time I climb things, open strange doors, and go to goth clubs dressed as a frat guy so I can stand around and look terribly uncomfortable. At frat parties I do the same thing, but the other way around. Occasionally produce a few extra comics such as a pair of comics for IBM’s A Smarter Planet initiative (also archived here as they are released).
