A gleefully gruesome look at the actual science behind the most outlandish, cartoonish, and impossible deaths you can imagine

What would happen if you took a swim outside a deep-sea submarine wearing only a swimsuit? How long could you last if you stood on the surface of the sun? How far could you actually get in digging a hole to China? Paul Doherty, senior staff scientist at San Franciscos famed Exploratorium Museum, and writer Cody Cassidy explore the real science behind these and other fantastical scenarios, offering insights into physics, astronomy, anatomy, and more along the way.

Is slipping on a banana peel as hazardous to your health as the cartoons imply?Answer: Yes. Banana peels ooze a gel that turns out to be extremely slippery. Your foot and body weight provide the pressure. The gel provides the humor (and resulting head trauma).

Can you die by shaking someones hand?Answer: Yes. Thats because, due to atomic repulsion, youve never actually touched another persons hand. If you could, the results would be as disastrous as a medium-sized hydrogen bomb.

If you were Cookie Monster, just how many cookies could you actually eat in one sitting?Answer: Most stomachs can hold up to sixty cookies, or around four liters. If you eat or drink more than that, youre approaching the point at which the cookies would break through the lesser curvature of your stomach, and then youd better call an ambulance to Sesame Street.