Vicki Hyde and skepticism – New Zealand Herald

In the New Zealand Herald, Sarah Daniell poses 12 questions to Vicki Hyde, spokeswoman for the NZ Skeptics Society, just ahead of this week’s supposed End of the World.

An excerpt (read in full here):

It’s the end of the world tomorrow, according to the Mayan calendar. Vicki Hyde, spokeswoman for the NZ Skeptics Society ponders what it all means and what she’d take to the bunker.

1. How’s your post-December 21 strategy – do you have a cunning plan; a place to hide?

Considering I did, in the past two years, survive comet impacts, the rapture, asteroid fly-bys, an alien invasion, a super volcano eruption – because Yellowstone is about to go any day – and a global tsunami, I think it’s business as usual. One strategy I do have sorted, in the event of a natural disaster, is a post-Armageddon survival kit which will last me three weeks instead of the three days Civil Defence recommends.

2. In the event of Planet X crashing into Earth, what would be on your list of essentials – your must-haves for the aftermath?

If the planet hits us then it’ll be all over. I won’t need anything. But I would really like to see the aliens. I’ve always wanted to see them. I’d stick a landing pad out for them. For any survivors in Christchurch a really handy trading tool would be Marmite.

3. What would be the upside for you, if the world were in fact to end tomorrow?

The demise of reality television and Fox TV. I’m worried that with the slowly expanding broadcasts flowing out into the galaxy, our kudos and credibility will be seriously damaged. Intelligent life? Go figure.

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