Want to create an interactive transcript for this episode?
Podcast: The Front Page
Episode: Is Asteroid '2024 YR4' a legitimate concern - or latest example of our doomscrolling obsession?
Description: 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 w...