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Why we are so scared of space—and how this fear can drive conspiracy theories
- The fear of space is driven by concerns about asteroid strikes, climate change, wars, and unknown threats from above.
- Daniel Deudney warns that technologies used for planetary defense could also be weaponized in military conflicts.
- Deudney suggests limiting human activities in space to avoid catastrophic conflicts and species extinction.
- Ancient tales like the Cosmic Hunt and modern fears like UFOlogy highlight deep fears about space and human actions.
- Belief in conspiracies related to space, such as UFO cover-ups, stems from underlying fears of space as a threat.
- Chinese science fiction author Cixin Liu likens space to a 'dark forest' where civilizations hide from each other.
- Ground bias leads to viewing space as a threatening external entity rather than part of our interconnected world.
- Fears about space extend to theories like viruses originating from space, as seen in the COVID skeptics' beliefs.
- Wickramsinghe's theory of viruses from space driving pandemics demonstrates how anxieties about space are used to explain earthly phenomena.
- While legitimate concerns about space exist, a fear of space can intertwine with distrust of authorities and lead to belief in conspiracy theories.
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