42 Reasons to Hate the Universe
(And One Reason Not To)
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
If you’ve always suspected the universe was out to get you… you were right!
Yes, the universe we live in is cosmically beautiful and mysterious and all that crap. But it’s also a bit of an asshole. After all, remember that you are just a group of atoms structured in a specific way for barely long enough to try to understand this thing we call existence. Those atoms could just have easily been used to make the dog shit you’re cleaning off your shoe or the mold that grows on your bread! The fact is, when you zoom out to look at the universe and how it functions, you’ll see that it’s usually not in our favor, and many of the laws of physics are actively working against our survival. In this book, you’ll discover why:
• You’re an aging mutant
• Invisible rays are melting our genetic code
• The Earth is covered in explosive pimples
• Literally everything is poisonous
• And more true and terrifying scientific facts!
But don’t worry! While it’s true that there are (at least) forty-two grudges to hold against the universe, the good news is that there is also one very good reason to forgive them all and embrace the wild, improbable fact that we are alive (for now) and we should take advantage of it while we can. 42 Reasons to Hate the Universe (And One Reason Not To) is a hilarious, no-holds-barred exploration of all the reasons we shouldn’t exist—but somehow do anyway. Rooted in scientific research but written simply so that evolved apes such as ourselves can understand where the heck we came from and where we’re likely going, this book is for all the nerds and nihilists who know they’re going down in the end but want to enjoy the rollercoaster ride of existence on the way.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Physicist Ferrie (Quantum Bullsh*t) teams up with Sci-gasm podcasters and Pranklab coauthors Fairclough and LaGinestra to present an irreverent survey of unsettling scientific findings and ideas. "We are programmed to be selfish pricks," the authors contend (reason number 6 to hate the universe), arguing that pandemic-era toilet paper hoarding stemmed from humanity's evolutionarily ingrained zero-risk bias, which describes how people, when faced with "elevated risk... beyond their control," attempt to control less severe dangers to shore up their chances of survival, even at others' expense. At the authors' best, they use humor to enliven informative scientific discussions. A chapter on why "sex sucks" highlights some of the more harrowing mating rituals of the animal kingdom, noting that a male antechinus, a small Australian marsupial, will engage in marathon 14-hour love-making sessions with females until "he exhausts himself and eventually goes blind, just like your grandmother warned you could happen." Elsewhere, jokes take the place of more substantial discussion. For instance, a primer on the theory that humans live in a Matrix-like simulation doesn't include much readers even vaguely familiar with "simulation theory" haven't already considered. This is fun, if light on substance.
