1 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:07,080 Speaker 1: Kiota. 2 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:10,320 Speaker 2: I'm Chelsea Daniels and this is the Front Page, a 3 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 2: daily podcast presented by the New Zealand Herald. 4 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:18,720 Speaker 1: Warnings of a city killer. 5 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:22,480 Speaker 2: Asteroid hirshling towards Earth have been filling our news feeds 6 00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:26,080 Speaker 2: over the last month. The space rock, dubbed twenty twenty 7 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 2: four yr four had a three point one percent chance 8 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 2: of hitting Earth in the year twenty thirty two. That 9 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 2: made it one of the riskiest asteroids ever according to NASA, 10 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 2: but they've since lowered their assessment again to zero point 11 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:46,839 Speaker 2: to eight percent. That hasn't stopped news of this asteroid 12 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 2: sparking a social media and news obsession. 13 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 1: Just the latest thing for people. 14 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 2: To worry about in amongst wars, a bad economy and 15 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 2: political uncertainty. So why are we so obsessed with doom 16 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:04,320 Speaker 2: scrull and is fixating on potential disasters bad for our health? 17 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 2: Later we'll discuss that side of things with doctor Lisa Harrison, 18 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:15,280 Speaker 2: a lecturer in digital communications at Flinders University. But first 19 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:17,679 Speaker 2: on the Front Page, to put all your minds at ease, 20 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 2: we're speaking to Joshua Alraki from Stardom. So, Joshua, what 21 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:27,200 Speaker 2: can you tell us about the twenty twenty four yr 22 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 2: four and its discovery. 23 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, so this is a pretty it's a decently small 24 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:35,520 Speaker 3: asteroid in terms of asteroids. It was discovered late last 25 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:38,160 Speaker 3: year and we think it's about fifty to one hundred 26 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 3: meters wide, so it's pretty small in terms of asteroids. 27 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:44,480 Speaker 3: But we've found that from kind of the first observations 28 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 3: that there is a very slim chance that it could 29 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 3: potentially impact Earth in twenty thirty two, but we don't 30 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:53,480 Speaker 3: quite know you and it's still very very small chance. 31 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 2: So on a scale from say the asteroid that killed 32 00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:00,520 Speaker 2: the dinosaurs to a loose pebble heading you win screen, 33 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 2: what would be the effects of an asteroid this size 34 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:04,920 Speaker 2: hitting Earth? 35 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean I will stress first off that this 36 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 3: asteroid is not an extinction level event. It is very small. 37 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:13,680 Speaker 3: You know, for example, the one that wiped out the 38 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:16,920 Speaker 3: dinosaurs was about ten kilometers across, so this is, you know, 39 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:19,400 Speaker 3: fifty tow one hundred meters, which is really really small 40 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 3: in comparison. But in saying that, you know, these, that 41 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:24,720 Speaker 3: is big enough that it would cause damage if it 42 00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 3: were to impact their populated area, the air burst potentially 43 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:32,040 Speaker 3: if it exploded within the atmosphere could be quite catastrophic. 44 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:34,679 Speaker 3: We often rate these things on a kind of a 45 00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 3: nibertary scale we call the Terno scale in terms of 46 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 3: asteroid impacts, with zero being no impact, in ten being catastrophic, 47 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 3: and astronomers have put this at a three, so it's 48 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:46,240 Speaker 3: still quite low down on the list. You've also got 49 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 3: to remember that, you know, as to where it falls 50 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 3: on the Earth. I mean, most of the Earth is 51 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 3: covered in oceans. That would basically kind of be the 52 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 3: best case scenario if it did land over the oceans. 53 00:02:56,639 --> 00:02:59,279 Speaker 3: A majority of our land mass, it's source so pretty unpopulated, 54 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:01,679 Speaker 3: so it's still a very slim chance that it would cause, 55 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:03,360 Speaker 3: you know, catastrophic damage to a city. 56 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:07,080 Speaker 2: Right, So how is that likelihood of hitting Earth actually calculated? 57 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:10,440 Speaker 3: It's basically from the orbital parameters. So when we discover 58 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:12,760 Speaker 3: this asteroid, we basically just track the part that it 59 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 3: was taking around the Sun. But the problem with that 60 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:16,920 Speaker 3: is when we found it, the asteroid is actually moving 61 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:18,960 Speaker 3: away from the Earth, so we're only going to get 62 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:20,720 Speaker 3: a couple of months to observe it. So we're going 63 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:22,840 Speaker 3: to start to use some of our space telescopes, but 64 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 3: we won't really get a lot of information until it 65 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:28,240 Speaker 3: comes closer to Earth, and that's actually in a few years, 66 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:31,320 Speaker 3: in twenty twenty eight, and that's when we're going to 67 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:34,520 Speaker 3: get much more information as to its path and its size, 68 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 3: and if it is having a high chance of hitting Earth, 69 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:38,600 Speaker 3: as to where it's going to fall on the Earth. 70 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 2: So when we kind of look at these percentages and 71 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:43,120 Speaker 2: you mentioned that scale of one to ten, we're out 72 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 2: of three at the moment, at what point did we 73 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 2: actually start getting worried. 74 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean it's astronomers have been saying, you know, 75 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:52,840 Speaker 3: it's definitely something to be aware of, but it's definitely 76 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 3: not a point of concern at this point. We just 77 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:59,120 Speaker 3: don't have enough information to make those decisions just yet. 78 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 3: But you know, saying that if we do decide that 79 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:04,160 Speaker 3: this asteroid is going to impact Earth, we think it's 80 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:06,400 Speaker 3: going to fall over a populated area, we do have 81 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:10,840 Speaker 3: technologies to mitigate that. We can actually deflect asteroids. NASA 82 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:13,160 Speaker 3: famously did a few years ago with their Dart mission 83 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:15,760 Speaker 3: where they actually smashed into one and can alter its 84 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:18,160 Speaker 3: course through space. So even if it were to have 85 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 3: a chance of impacting we would be able to mitigate it. 86 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:23,359 Speaker 2: So I think I read somewhere that UK scientists have 87 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:26,359 Speaker 2: now stated that it may be too late to deflect 88 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:30,000 Speaker 2: the asteroid. I mean, how would we even go about 89 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 2: deflecting something like that? Is it something like, I don't know, Armageddon, 90 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:36,720 Speaker 2: where we train a group of miners to become astronauts. 91 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:39,039 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean I think that would be a very 92 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:43,320 Speaker 3: exciting scenario, definitely, But yeah, I think realistically, you know, 93 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:46,560 Speaker 3: it would be an uncrued spacecraft. We definitely wouldn't be 94 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:49,560 Speaker 3: sending people, and it's definitely probably not as exciting as 95 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:51,800 Speaker 3: Bruce willis, you know, setting off a nuclear bomb, But 96 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:54,800 Speaker 3: it's more about impacting an asteroid a few years before 97 00:04:54,839 --> 00:04:57,640 Speaker 3: it's on its course towards Earth and that basically nudges 98 00:04:57,680 --> 00:04:59,840 Speaker 3: it slightly and that means that when it does come 99 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 3: trust it wouldn't impact. But we would really only have 100 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 3: a few years to get that done. So it really 101 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 3: just depends if you know, space agencies are willing to 102 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 3: put in the resource to do that. 103 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:12,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, and that resource, I mean it would probably cost 104 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:14,200 Speaker 2: a lot of money to do that, right, Yeah. 105 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 3: I mean you're talking hundreds of millions, if not billions 106 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:18,800 Speaker 3: of dollars for these space missions and you know, they 107 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:21,279 Speaker 3: take a lot time plan to build, to construct, and 108 00:05:21,279 --> 00:05:23,440 Speaker 3: then to launch and send, and all of that isn't 109 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:25,480 Speaker 3: a guarantee. You know, things go wrong in space all 110 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 3: the time. But again it's it's just such a small 111 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 3: chance that yeah, I definitely wouldn't think that space agencies 112 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 3: already are looking at those those missions. 113 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:39,080 Speaker 4: The right question to then ask is how much damage 114 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:41,599 Speaker 4: would it do? These things are moving very fast. The 115 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:48,000 Speaker 4: closing speeds are typically twenty thirty, forty fifty kilometers per second, 116 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 4: so that's a lot of kinetic energy being brought in. 117 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:52,760 Speaker 4: A good rule of thumb here is that the creator 118 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 4: would be about ten to twenty times the size of 119 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:59,599 Speaker 4: the asteroid itself, So ten to twenty times something that's 120 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:01,920 Speaker 4: almost to one hundred meters. We would leave a crater 121 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:05,240 Speaker 4: between one and two kilometers across. If it happens out 122 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:08,440 Speaker 4: in the middle of nowhere, then it's just an interesting crater. 123 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:12,640 Speaker 4: We have one of those in Arizona. It's called Meteor Crater. 124 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:14,960 Speaker 4: It's almost a mile across. 125 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:20,279 Speaker 1: How often do these kind of bodies show up on 126 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:20,840 Speaker 1: the radar? 127 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:24,240 Speaker 2: Have we had any near misses in recent history? 128 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:25,080 Speaker 5: We've had a few. 129 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:27,919 Speaker 3: I mean there was about a decade ago over Russia 130 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:32,359 Speaker 3: there was the Cheliobinksk media and that basically exploders and 131 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:36,640 Speaker 3: the earbursts basically caused massive amounts of damage. It broke windows, 132 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:40,039 Speaker 3: injured people. Miraculosi didn't tell anyone, but this kind of 133 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:43,320 Speaker 3: scary thing about that asteroids was only about twenty meters across, 134 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 3: and we actually had no idea it was coming. It 135 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:47,480 Speaker 3: was just completely out of the blue. And there was 136 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:49,760 Speaker 3: also more famous events about one hundred years ago, the 137 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:53,080 Speaker 3: Tunguska events, where a similar size asteroids the one we're 138 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:56,560 Speaker 3: talking about, exploded over Siberia. So there are very few 139 00:06:56,600 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 3: people around, but you know, it flattens true. You know, 140 00:06:59,160 --> 00:07:01,640 Speaker 3: millions and millions of trees in the area, So these 141 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:03,920 Speaker 3: definitely happen. But I think it's also you know, it's 142 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 3: a reminder that we are living in a time where 143 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 3: we can detect these things for the most part, we 144 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:10,840 Speaker 3: can predict them ahead of time, and we do have 145 00:07:10,880 --> 00:07:12,160 Speaker 3: technology to mitigate them. 146 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:14,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, and a lot of countries around the world now 147 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:18,040 Speaker 2: have kind of space agencies or ministries of space or 148 00:07:18,240 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 2: we've even got in New Zealand a Minister for space. Now, 149 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:23,440 Speaker 2: I guess it's a good thing that so many countries 150 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:27,160 Speaker 2: are so interested in space because if something like this happened, 151 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:30,400 Speaker 2: they can coordinate and speak to each other, right. 152 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:33,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, And that's kind of the benefit of space exploration 153 00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:35,160 Speaker 3: is I think a lot of people don't think all 154 00:07:35,200 --> 00:07:37,200 Speaker 3: the stuff that we do in space, often in terms 155 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:40,239 Speaker 3: of exploration discovery, but directly benefits us here on Earth 156 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:43,680 Speaker 3: with the technologies. But yeah, I mean, the space agencies 157 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:47,600 Speaker 3: nowadays are massive, and I think we're especially now more 158 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:50,120 Speaker 3: than ever, we're seeing a lot more collaboration between countries, 159 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:53,400 Speaker 3: which you know, it's really important because it's very expensive 160 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:54,960 Speaker 3: through these things. But when we get you know, the 161 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 3: smartest of us working together, we can have these really 162 00:07:57,720 --> 00:08:00,240 Speaker 3: incredible missions, you know, like NASA's Dart mission, you know, 163 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:04,000 Speaker 3: sending an asteroid on a different path in space, and 164 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:06,120 Speaker 3: that's you know, that's really incredible when you think about it. 165 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:09,320 Speaker 3: And I always say, you know, the asteroids, the dinosaurs 166 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:12,280 Speaker 3: went extinct because they didn't have a space program, right 167 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:15,640 Speaker 3: whereas we do. So it's quite cool when you think 168 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:17,239 Speaker 3: about the collaboration between countries. 169 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:20,480 Speaker 2: So that mission that you mentioned, I mean, that sounds 170 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:22,160 Speaker 2: pretty cool what happened there. 171 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:25,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, and it does sound something you know, orustraight out 172 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:26,760 Speaker 3: of the sci fi. But yeah, as they had their 173 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 3: DART mission, which was double asteroid redirect and they basically 174 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:35,680 Speaker 3: just flew a spacecraft into an asteroid called dimorphous and 175 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:39,120 Speaker 3: the impact basically altered the course of that asteroid over time. 176 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 3: And we studied it over a year and we found 177 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:44,840 Speaker 3: that it was wildly successful, and it basically taught us 178 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:46,520 Speaker 3: that you know, if we have the resources and the 179 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:49,320 Speaker 3: available time, if there is an asteroid that we do 180 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:51,120 Speaker 3: want to deflect, and we have enough time for it 181 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:54,240 Speaker 3: to actually be deflected, it is a possible and viable 182 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:55,319 Speaker 3: means of technology. 183 00:08:55,679 --> 00:08:59,360 Speaker 2: So essentially, to wrap things up, I guess I'll stop 184 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:02,439 Speaker 2: preparing for the worst and finding a shelter somewhere to 185 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:03,319 Speaker 2: hide in. 186 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:05,199 Speaker 1: I mean, we're looking okay at the moment. 187 00:09:05,679 --> 00:09:08,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, we've actually we know where it would 188 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:11,800 Speaker 3: impact if it was it's kind of this very thin 189 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:13,880 Speaker 3: strip of land that kind of stretches kind of near 190 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:17,520 Speaker 3: the equator from Central America across to India. But it's 191 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:18,839 Speaker 3: a very small patch of land. 192 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:35,200 Speaker 2: Thanks for joining us, Joshua, No problem. This asteroid is 193 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:39,360 Speaker 2: just the latest doomsday scenario. That's got people talking, and 194 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:42,840 Speaker 2: the changing face of social media means it's more difficult 195 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:45,560 Speaker 2: to avoid than ever and we don't seem to be 196 00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:46,960 Speaker 2: trying to ignore it anymore. 197 00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:49,880 Speaker 1: We're now joined by doctor Lisa Harrison. 198 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:58,920 Speaker 2: Lisa, doom scrolling is a fairly new term and one 199 00:09:58,920 --> 00:10:02,480 Speaker 2: that would probably confuse. It's a time traveling victorian, So 200 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:03,959 Speaker 2: how would you describe it? 201 00:10:04,360 --> 00:10:08,720 Speaker 6: So doom scrolling is? I think it all started when 202 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:14,040 Speaker 6: marketers realize that clickbait would entice people to stay online, 203 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:19,040 Speaker 6: and we end up finding these topics that we just 204 00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:22,440 Speaker 6: want to dive deeper into or we think we need to. 205 00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:26,440 Speaker 6: And it's actually not a very healthy habit to get 206 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:31,280 Speaker 6: into because it's a very unconscious way of consuming media. 207 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:34,760 Speaker 2: And what is doom scrolling Because obviously the scrolling part 208 00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:37,480 Speaker 2: comes from the likes of TikTok or Facebook or you're 209 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:40,440 Speaker 2: scrolling through your feed, right, But the doom part. 210 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:43,000 Speaker 6: Yeah, it's where we tend to be focused on all 211 00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:46,600 Speaker 6: the negative news that is out there. It tends to 212 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:49,960 Speaker 6: be news that we just don't have any control over either. 213 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:55,240 Speaker 6: But almost like when you know, we get stuck watching 214 00:10:56,040 --> 00:10:58,760 Speaker 6: a car crash, you know, you want to know what's 215 00:10:58,800 --> 00:11:03,000 Speaker 6: going on, but it's not necesscessarily really a positive experience. 216 00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:05,360 Speaker 2: Well, the term doom scrolling was a word of the 217 00:11:05,440 --> 00:11:08,000 Speaker 2: year in New Zealand back in twenty twenty, and it 218 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:11,560 Speaker 2: probably makes sense given how fixated people were on COVID. 219 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:14,640 Speaker 2: Then do you think our doom scrolling has gotten any 220 00:11:14,679 --> 00:11:15,960 Speaker 2: better or worse since then? 221 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:16,800 Speaker 3: Oh? 222 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:22,440 Speaker 6: Look, I think there's just so much global negative, negative 223 00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:25,839 Speaker 6: news out there. I think it's we're tending to get 224 00:11:25,920 --> 00:11:28,920 Speaker 6: more sucked into it. But in saying that too, I 225 00:11:28,920 --> 00:11:32,080 Speaker 6: think we're becoming more aware that it is a thing 226 00:11:32,400 --> 00:11:34,720 Speaker 6: and it's getting talked about more, which is great. 227 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:36,840 Speaker 1: Is there anything new in this idea? 228 00:11:36,920 --> 00:11:40,960 Speaker 2: I mean, people are currently fretting about a potential killer asteroid. 229 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:43,880 Speaker 2: But if you think about Y two K or twenty 230 00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:46,599 Speaker 2: twelve and that whole Mayan calendar situation. 231 00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:54,719 Speaker 5: Behold, the end is coming next year, That is, if 232 00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:58,160 Speaker 5: you believe that kind of thing. Here's another tantalizing piece 233 00:11:58,240 --> 00:12:01,960 Speaker 5: of evidence of bread discovered in the ancient Mayan ruins 234 00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:05,720 Speaker 5: of Kaml Kalco that cites the year twenty twelve. That's 235 00:12:05,760 --> 00:12:08,760 Speaker 5: the exact same year mentioned on a thirteen hundred year 236 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:12,480 Speaker 5: old tablet previously found among the nearby ruins of Tortuguero 237 00:12:12,920 --> 00:12:15,320 Speaker 5: with this intriguing inscription. 238 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:19,120 Speaker 7: It's basically saying that the deity Bolon yok de Coups 239 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:23,640 Speaker 7: appears on December twenty first of twenty twelve, and he 240 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:27,400 Speaker 7: descends and he performs a ritual. 241 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:33,400 Speaker 2: Aren't we a bit predisposed to obsessing over the end 242 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:33,960 Speaker 2: of the world? 243 00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:37,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it tends to be. 244 00:12:38,040 --> 00:12:41,440 Speaker 6: You know, those conspiracy theories tends to suck us in 245 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:45,520 Speaker 6: as well. I think the difference now though, is that 246 00:12:45,559 --> 00:12:49,800 Speaker 6: there's just so much more access to these this kind 247 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:54,720 Speaker 6: of content and very diverse opinions and biases and things 248 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:55,199 Speaker 6: like that. 249 00:12:55,640 --> 00:12:58,800 Speaker 2: What do you think some of the factors that are 250 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:01,560 Speaker 2: leading us to doom scroll more regularly. 251 00:13:02,200 --> 00:13:05,280 Speaker 6: I think one of the major aspects of it is 252 00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:10,360 Speaker 6: the platforms that these content are being shared on want 253 00:13:10,400 --> 00:13:13,320 Speaker 6: to keep you on their platform. So we've we've got 254 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:17,760 Speaker 6: to fight the algorithms now as well. And you know, 255 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:23,280 Speaker 6: they're very sophisticated technology so that you know, they can 256 00:13:23,320 --> 00:13:25,839 Speaker 6: make more money to advertisers the longer that we're on 257 00:13:26,679 --> 00:13:29,920 Speaker 6: those platforms. So we've we've really got to be more 258 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:33,240 Speaker 6: mindful of what we are doing online. 259 00:13:33,760 --> 00:13:36,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think the media often gets blamed for promoting 260 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:40,000 Speaker 2: negative news stories, perhaps fixating on crime reporting or the 261 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:42,880 Speaker 2: doom and gloom too much. This asteroid and the many 262 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:45,760 Speaker 2: many stories on it in the past month are probably 263 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:49,080 Speaker 2: a testament to that. Is the media still to blame 264 00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:51,560 Speaker 2: when you have, like you said, so many social media 265 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:55,079 Speaker 2: apps now that are spreading people's reckons their own analysis, 266 00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:57,720 Speaker 2: amplifying the panic I guess over these kind of things. 267 00:13:58,559 --> 00:14:01,800 Speaker 6: Look, there's a part play in it, for sure, But 268 00:14:02,240 --> 00:14:06,040 Speaker 6: you know, just as a marketing professional from industry, you know, 269 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:09,960 Speaker 6: one of the most important aspects of your marketing is 270 00:14:10,160 --> 00:14:15,720 Speaker 6: understanding your audience, and and the audience is the you know, 271 00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:19,440 Speaker 6: keeps clicking on these things, so you know, it just 272 00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:23,440 Speaker 6: it's it's almost like it's a perfect storm. I think 273 00:14:23,560 --> 00:14:31,200 Speaker 6: of marketing, media algorithms, digital consumption being you know, so huge, 274 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:35,120 Speaker 6: and we've got such a diverse what we've got diverse 275 00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:38,160 Speaker 6: ways of accessing all this media and news as well. 276 00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:42,240 Speaker 2: If people are worried about how bad their doom scrolling 277 00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:44,800 Speaker 2: has become, what can they do to curb their habit. 278 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:50,440 Speaker 6: Look, there's there's a few tips. I think. Firstly, remembering 279 00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:55,160 Speaker 6: that consuming media negative media is like having a bad 280 00:14:55,240 --> 00:14:59,520 Speaker 6: diet and can cause anxiety when we don't keep it 281 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:02,360 Speaker 6: in check. But other things we need to think about 282 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:05,920 Speaker 6: connecting with people in real life and face to face 283 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:10,280 Speaker 6: and actually talking to your friend's family or co workers 284 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:14,080 Speaker 6: about some of this content online. And then it becomes 285 00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:17,480 Speaker 6: a little bit of you start seeing the biases you know, 286 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:20,760 Speaker 6: and you see how different ways of looking and reflecting 287 00:15:20,760 --> 00:15:25,520 Speaker 6: on these negative news items, but also just choosing one 288 00:15:25,640 --> 00:15:31,480 Speaker 6: or two credible news sources or news articles that you like, 289 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:38,320 Speaker 6: topics that you like to engage in, and keeping check 290 00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:41,240 Speaker 6: of the time that you spend online as well. I 291 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:44,120 Speaker 6: also recommend don't jump on your phone first thing in 292 00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:47,720 Speaker 6: the morning or last thing at night. Those times are 293 00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:51,680 Speaker 6: really precious to get ready for the day or get 294 00:15:51,760 --> 00:15:54,840 Speaker 6: wined down from the day, and this doom scrolling is 295 00:15:55,680 --> 00:15:57,560 Speaker 6: not a good habit to get into. 296 00:15:57,880 --> 00:15:59,480 Speaker 1: Thanks for joining us, Lisa. 297 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:01,200 Speaker 6: My pleasure, Thanks for having me. 298 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:08,000 Speaker 2: That's it for this episode of the Front Page. You 299 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:11,840 Speaker 2: can read more about today's stories and extensive news coverage 300 00:16:11,840 --> 00:16:14,240 Speaker 2: at enzidherld dot co dot nz. 301 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:17,400 Speaker 1: The Front Page is produced by Ethan. 302 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:20,920 Speaker 2: Sills and Richard Martin, who is also our sound engineer. 303 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:22,880 Speaker 1: I'm Chelsea Daniels. 304 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:26,640 Speaker 2: Subscribe to the front page on iHeartRadio or wherever you 305 00:16:26,680 --> 00:16:30,440 Speaker 2: get your podcasts, and tune in tomorrow for another look 306 00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:31,800 Speaker 2: behind the headlines.