Is Asteroid '2024 YR4' a legitimate concern - or latest example of our doomscrolling obsession?
About this episode
Warnings of a ‘city killer’ asteroid hurtling towards earth have been filling news feeds over the last month.
The space rock, dubbed ‘2024 YR4', had a 3.1 percent chance of hitting earth in the year 2032. That made it one of the riskiest asteroids ever, according to NASA, but they have since lowered their assessment again – to 0.28%.
That hasn’t stopped news of this asteroid sparking a social media and news obsession, just the latest thing for people to worry about in amongst wars, a bad economy and political uncertainty.
So why are we so obsessed with doomscrolling – and is fixating on potential disasters bad for our health?
Later, we’ll discuss that side of things with Dr Lisa Harrison, a lecturer in digital communications at Flinders University.
But first on The Front Page, to put all your minds at ease, we’re speaking to Joshua Aoraki from Stardome.
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You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.
Host: Chelsea Daniels
Sound Engineer/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Ethan Sills
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