> The 40 seconds part is something of a theoretical construction that just means if you're surprised enough that you only try to fight the plane with yoke eleva

> The 40 seconds part is something of a theoretical construction that just means if you're surprised enough that you only try to fight the plane with yoke elevator control alone (unlikely in my pilot, but not 737 pilot, estimation), you've got merely 40 seconds and that very well could induce panic. So it's like "you only have 4 seconds to turn your car before it leaves the road, if you don't use the steering wheel"? The trim control is right there on the control column, it's a fundamental control! Positing that the plane will descend and the yoke will get progressively heavier without the pilot attempting trim control is ridiculous.