Next time you walk past the Empire State Building, it's not pennies falling from the top of the building you should worry about, but ink pens. According to the Cody Cassidy and Paul Doherty, authors of the book "And Then You're Dead," a penny would cause little more than a sting.
The coin has a terminal velocity of just 25 miles per hour, plus the coin would tumble as it fell, slowing it down. A baseball being tossed over the top of building wouldn't kill a passerby, either. According to Cassidy and Doherty, the ball would hit you at 95 miles per hour, or the speed of a major league fastball. You'd have a sizable concussion, but you'd live to tell the tale. An ink pen, however, would hit you like an arrow and lead to almost certain death.
ONE MORE THING! You know that old wives tale that claims if you're in a free falling elevator, you should jump as the car hits the ground? Don't bother. The best way to avoid massive injury is to get low by lying flat on the floor, distributing your body weight. For other potentially life saving tips, pick up "And Then You're Dead," which hits stores today.