The Mayans told us 2012 was the end. Movies and books are picking up on that same theme. Why are prophecies of doom so prevalent in today's world?
Lee Clarke: Disaster and the Human Response
From the economic collapse to the tsunami in Fukushima this past year, disasters bring out a variety of behaviours in human beings. Author Lee Clarke joins Steve Paikin to discuss why we might act in self-interest or altruistic ways when faced with the worst-case scenario.
We see it in blockbuster movies like "2012" and "Contagion." We read about it in books penned by environmentalists and existentialists: the apocalypse is upon us. The Agenda examines why prophecies of doom are so prevalent and what the phenomenon says about the human condition.