Best Seller
How Many Pikachus Would It Take to Power a Lightbulb?
Paperback
$23.00
Available on Nov 17, 2026 | 384 Pages
From Oxford lecturer in mathematics and math YouTuber Tom Crawford, a humorous, rigorous, and surprisingly profound dive into the math of popular culture
How would an actuary price out the risk of Frodo Baggins’s journey to Mount Doom? How many calories must Charizard consume each day to keep his flaming tail alight? And who is richer—Sonic the Hedgehog or Super Mario?
For most of us, such thoughts are passing curiosities as we immerse ourselves in our favorite movie, TV show, or video game. For mathematician Tom Crawford, these are questions that demand answers, and this book will provide them. Each chapter of How Many Pikachus Would It Take to Power a Lightbulb? is devoted to the math of a pop culture world: The Lord of the Rings; Pokémon; Harry Potter; Star Wars; the MCU; as well as an eclectic mix of video games and literary characters. Along the way, readers will learn about risk, probability, the laws of physics, and, of course, how best to defeat the Avengers.
Breathtakingly fun and original, this is the perfect gift for the pop culture nerd in your life.
How would an actuary price out the risk of Frodo Baggins’s journey to Mount Doom? How many calories must Charizard consume each day to keep his flaming tail alight? And who is richer—Sonic the Hedgehog or Super Mario?
For most of us, such thoughts are passing curiosities as we immerse ourselves in our favorite movie, TV show, or video game. For mathematician Tom Crawford, these are questions that demand answers, and this book will provide them. Each chapter of How Many Pikachus Would It Take to Power a Lightbulb? is devoted to the math of a pop culture world: The Lord of the Rings; Pokémon; Harry Potter; Star Wars; the MCU; as well as an eclectic mix of video games and literary characters. Along the way, readers will learn about risk, probability, the laws of physics, and, of course, how best to defeat the Avengers.
Breathtakingly fun and original, this is the perfect gift for the pop culture nerd in your life.
Author
Tom Crawford, PhD
Tom Crawford is a lecturer in mathematics at both Oxford University and Cambridge University, and also runs the YouTube channel @TomRocksMaths. He has fifteen (and counting) math-themed tattoos. This is his first book
Learn More about Tom Crawford, PhD
