Review | And Then You’re Dead uses outlandish scenarios to sneak in some science
In posing offbeat questions – what happens if you’re hit by a meteorite, for instance – the book takes a fun route to introduce a bit of subtle scientific learning
by Cody Cassidy and Paul Doherty (read by Dennis Boutsikaris)
Penguin Audio
Perhaps I’m lacking in imagination, but I’ve wondered about only a fraction of the questions asked, and answered, by this book. But that’s not the point of And Then You’re Dead, which explains scenarios such as what happens if you’re swallowed by a whale, hit by a meteorite and so on. The real aim of the book is to pique your curiosity into accidentally learning science in a fun way. On that score it does well, and listening to it feels edifying because you will find out what to expect in more “normal” freak accidents, including a lift cable breaking or a window in a plane popping out mid-flight: if you were under 20,000 feet you’d probably be OK for a while and, if you were of average American build, your 45cm-wide shoulders should prevent you from being sucked out. I’d be a goner.
